Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Anita De Soso, a former National Women's Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has slammed the party's Members of Parliament (MPs) over their complaints following the "NPP will never hand over power to NDC" statement made by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong. Speaking in an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, De Soso said over 30 NDC MPs took bribes to approve Bryan's appointment as agriculture minister against the wishes of Ghanaians and the party's orders but are now crying over his comments. She added that the NDC MPs should be ashamed for approving Acheampong because their voting for him, in their numbers, is what has emboldened him to speak the way he did. "We spoke to these MPs, but they did not listen. We suffered and got them to Parliament, but they refused to listen to us when we told them not to approve this man (Bryan Acheampong). "About 31 NDC MPs voted to approve this man. This is the consequence of your taking bribes to approve him. And I'm praying that at least 10 of you will lose the upcoming primaries so you can come and confess. "you think being in Parliament is an opportunity to make money, and you took money to approve him. Today, he is the one paying you back as you deserve. I told you that God would punish you," she said in Twi. The former NDC women's organiser added that if the NDC MPs intended to embarrass former President John Dramani Mahama and the party's national executives by their decision to approve the government appointees, today they are reaping the seeds they sowed. She also urged members of the NDC not to worry about Bryan Acheampong's comments because the NPP can never use violence to win the 2024 elections. What Bryan Acheampong said: Bryan Acheampong, after a walk dubbed "Walk to Build A Better Ghana" with a multitude of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters at Mpreaso-Kwahu in the Eastern Region on Saturday, April 8, 2023, stated that the ruling NPP will never hand over power to the opposition NDC in 2025. He cautioned that the NPP would show the NDC that they have the "men" should they try to use threats and violence in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. "The 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. We will show them that we have the men. "We have the men. 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 remain in government at all cost," Acheampong, who is also the MP for Abetifi, said. NDC MP's voting to approve Bryan Acheampong, others: Parliament on Friday, March 24, approved all six ministerial nominees as well as the nominees of the Supreme Court of President Akufo-Addo after a heated debate, 24 hours earlier and a tense voting process. Final results declared by Speaker Alban Bagbin showed that all nominees got more votes than the minimum of 138 votes required because out of the 275 eligible voters, there were three absent. Some Members of Parliament (MPs) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not adhere to the decision of the party to vote against the approval of the nominees. Kobina Tahir Hammond (MP for Adansi Asokwa) was approved as the Minister of Trade and Industry and Bryan Acheampong (MP for Abetifi) as the Minister of Food and Agriculture. Other nominees who were approved include Stephen Asamoah Boateng, as Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State (Ministry of Finance), and Osei Bonsu Amoah, Ministry of Local Government. Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, was also approved as the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry. The Supreme Court nominees who were approved include George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal, and Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, Justice of the High Court. Leading figures in the NDC, including former President John Dramani Mahama, slammed the MPs who broke ranks and have accused them of betraying NDC supporters and Ghanaians for their selfish interest. The MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has challenged the said MPs, who were allegedly bribed, according to Cape Coast South MP, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, to come out and tell Ghanaians why they voted to approve Akufo-Addo's nominees. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has slammed former President John Dramani Mahama for accusing him of being the cause of the problems in the Minority Caucus. The former president is reported to have told delegates and officials of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Nsawam that Annoh-Dompreh must be voted out of Parliament because he is the problem of the Minority Caucus. According to the Daily Crusading Guide report, Mahama said that Annoh-Dompreh has a lot of influence on NDC MPs and can make them go against the partys decision to vote for the government on businesses that come before the House. Reacting to this in a Neat FM interview on Friday, April 14, 2023, monitored by GhanaWeb, Annoh-Dompreh described Mahamas comments as unfortunate. He also said that the comment of the Mahama is an insult to the NDC MPs. What the former president said is not true; Im not the problem of the NDC in Parliament. His comment is even an insult to NDC MPs. If you say something like this, you are telling the NDC MPs that they dont know their left from their right. It is a very unfortunate statement coming from him... They should look for the source of their problem; Im not their problem, he said in Twi. The MP posited that the challenges the NDC is having in Parliament are because the national leadership of the party always wants to issue orders to their MPs without consultations. Their problem is there and Im willing to add to it. They are the ones who have created their own problem; it is not me. If you are a General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, and all you do is issue statements without consulting the leadership and MPs, this is what will happen to you, he added. Annoh-Dompreh also said that Mahama should focus on his presidential campaign because even if he (the former president) comes to contest him for the Nsawam-Adoagyiri seat, he will not win. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu has condemned the Minister for Agriculture and MP for Abetifi, Bryan Acheampong over his recent comments labeled as "seditious" while delivering a speech at Mpraeso. Addressing supporters of the New Patriotic Party at Mpraeso, the Minister stated categorically that "if the NDC dares to use threats, violence and foolishness in the 2024 election, we will let them know we have the men. We will show them that we have the men". He added; "It will never happen that we, the NPP, will stand on a platform to hand over power to the NDC." Mr. Bryan Acheampong has since come under a barrage of criticisms with the largest opposition National Democratic Congress petitioning the Police to immediately arrest him for what they describe as "reckless and treasonable" comments. However, the New Patriotic Party has jumped to the defence of the Minister. "This call from Bryan Acheampong is important when the former President John Dramani Mahama is on record to have recklessly stated on various platforms that the NDC was born out of revolution therefore no one can unleash violence better than the NDC political party for that matter 2024 elections is a do or die affair", the NPP National Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye argued. Tackling the issue during "Kokrokoo" panel discussion show on Peace FM, Charles Owusu blasted the NPP for supporting the statements made by Bryan Acheampong. To him, Bryan Acheampong's comments "need not be encouraged. This is not something that needs explanation". He stated emphatically that no government, neither the NPP nor NDC or whatever political party, can decide not to hand over power to the successive government if the party loses the elections. "Nobody can say he won't hand over power when he loses power. We don't have to even entertain this; no person can say that. It won't happen in this country. What can you do if you lose power?...You leave government when you lose power because, you see, opposition party doesn't lose power. They win power. It's government in power that loses power", he snapped. He cautioned the NPP and Bryan Acheampong to desist from making such comments, asking "what can you do if you lose power?". "You will hand over. This (Bryan Acheampong's) statement isn't something we should encourage", he stressed. 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. Featured Video Switzerland-based Ghanaian female musician Seley has expressed worry over the excessive demand for sexual desires when female artistes want to promote their craft in the music industry. According to Seley, she recently visited Ghana with the aim of making herself known in the Ghanaian music industry, but was shocked by the sexual demands. Seley, who is currently promoting her "Problem" single, further stated that this phenomenon was worrying to talented female artistes who want to pursue a career at the top level. She noted that during her stay in Ghana, many producers in the industry made sexual demands and were not concerned about her talent or how to develop it. This, she said, was a major problem that needed to be addressed in order to create a more equitable and fair industry for female artistes. Seley added that she was determined to pursue her career in music despite the few setbacks as she continues to work on numerous musical projects. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ultimately, it did not matter if passengers on the maiden voyage of the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic were wealthy or poor. Titanics passengers included millionaires and their wives as well as peasants. More than half of the 2,240 people on board, including crew, died when Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, after an underwater iceberg ripped a hole in the hull of the fantastic ship that was supposed to be unsinkable. The Titanic story is one that still, 111 years after it happened, captures interest. Its final resting place was not discovered until 1985. Earlier this year, the Associated Press reported that the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution had released 80 minutes of never before publicly seen underwater video of the expedition to the wreckage. In the Feb. 5, 2023, TV special, Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron, Cameron, director of the 1997 blockbuster film, Titanic, addressed the theory that Jack could have survived by climbing on the door with Rose. The film starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack and Kate Winslet as Rose. In 2021, Lego released a 9,000 piece Titanic model set. It is still available for $679.99. Displays of artifacts from the wreckage draw crowds. Just like the deck of the Titanic. The Royal Mail Steamer Titanic was one of three large ships built by the White Star Line during a time of intense competition among shipping lines, according to history.com. Construction of the lavish ship with 10 decks and 840 staterooms took two years from 1909 to 1911. It was constructed at a shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. At the time, it was the largest passenger steamship ever built. According to history.com, the ship had 29 boilers to power two main steam engines. More than 100,000 people turned out to see it launched. Titanic had a capacity of 3,300 people. Titanics maiden voyage created a stir. First-class passengers included American millionaires Benjamin Guggenheim, John Jacob Astor and Charles M. Hays. Astor and his wife, Madeleine, 18, were returning home to await the birth of their child. He was the wealthiest passenger on board. Also on board were the owner of Macys, Isidor Straus and his wife; and heiress Margaret Molly Brown. According to history.com, Brown would earn her unsinkable nickname by helping to maintain calm and order while the lifeboats were being loaded and boosting the spirits of her fellow survivors. Guggenheim, Astor and Straus and his wife did not survive. The ship left from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912, bound for New York. There were 2,240 people - including passengers and crew - on board. More than half of the passengers, 1,680 were men. One person who had a ticket but was not onboard was Milton S. Hershey. Hershey bought the ticket for $300 but left England on the German liner Amerika on April 6 and arrived in New York before Titanic set sail. Passengers did include Pennsylvanians from Philadelphia, Germantown, Bryn Mawr, Pittsburgh, Haverford and Scranton. Another passenger was Nora Keane of Harrisburg. She was returning from her native Ireland where she had visited her mother. Keane survived the sinking of the Titanic and returned to live in Harrisburg where she and her brothers operated a hotel on Paxton Street. She eventually returned to Ireland before the death of her mother then stayed there. Around 11:40 p.m. April 14, Titanic hit an iceberg. A lookout had spotted the iceberg and the crew attempted to move the ship quickly. Titanic grazed the iceberg but a jagged, underwater spur that no one had seen ripped a 300-foot hole below the ships waterline. By the time the captain toured the damaged area . Five compartments were already filling with seawater, and the bow of the doomed ship was alarmingly pitched downward, allowing seawater to pour from one bulkhead into the neighboring compartment. The ships builder, Thomas Andrews, was on board and determined that the ship would be able to stay afloat only for another hour and a half. The crew attempted to evacuate Titanic. The number of lifeboats on board could only accommodate 1,178 people but as they were floated, they were not filled to capacity. Each lifeboat could hold 65 people, but many left with less than half of that. Titanic snapped in two and sank around 2:20 a.m. on April 15 in the North Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles south of Newfoundland. Passengers were dumped into the frigid water - many dying from cardiac arrest and cold incapacitation. The Carpathia, which was headed toward Titanic after receiving a distress call, rescued 705 people from the lifeboats. In a news story printed in The Patriot, a reporter wrote: The picture that inevitably presents itself, in view of what is known, is of men like John Jacob Astor, master of scores of millions; Benjamin Guggenheim, of the famous family of bankers; Isidor Straus, a merchant prince; William T. Snead, veteran journalist; Major Archibald W. Butt, solder; Washington Roebling, noted engineer of any or all these men stepping aside and bravely, gallantly, remaining to die that the place he otherwise might have filled could perhaps be taken by some sabet-shod, shawl-enshrouded, illiterate and penniless peasant woman of Europe. Thus, the stream of women, with toddling infants or babes in arms perhaps most of them soon to be widowed filed up from the cabins and over the side and away to life. Then men by far the greater part of them remained to die, millionaire and peasant, and man of middle class, alike, bravely, it must have been, sharing each others fate and going down to a common grave. The estimated number of dead was 1,517. When news of the sinking began to trickle in, The Patriot reported that thousands of anxious persons gathered at the White Star Line offices in New York seeking information about relatives and friends who were sailing on the Titanic. From early morning until late tonight pathetic scenes were witnessed in lower Broadway and Bowling Green, opposite the steamship offices. Hundreds of anxious inquiries were received also by long distance telephone. White Star Lines had an incomplete list of survivors. Those seeking information could not believe that the White Star officials were giving out all the news of the disaster. Mrs. Benjamin Guggenheim, wife of the smelter millionaire, was one of the first visitors in the forenoon. When informed that no word had been received of her husband, she became hysterical. The Patriot also printed this Figures of the Great Catastrophe: First cabin passengers, 325 Second cabin passengers, 285 Third cabin passengers, 710 Total number of passengers, 1,320 Members of the crew, 850 Total passengers and crew, 2,180 Number of known survivors, 868 Number who probably perished, 1,312 Total number of named survivors, 328 Approximately 20 lifeboats manned by seven members of the crew each, 140 Estimated saved steerage passengers, 400 Named survivors: First cabin women, 141; men, 63; children 6; total 210 Second cabin women, 92; men, 16; children, 10; total, 118. The first faculty strike in Rutgers University history and one of the largest walkouts higher education has ever seen is set to end after five days of picketing, lengthy negotiations, disrupted classes, and uncertainty about exams and graduation. The school and three faculty unions that have been striking since Monday agreed to the framework of a tentative deal for new contracts to provide better pay, benefits and job security for full- and part-time faculty, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced just before 1 a.m. Saturday. State police said a passenger was ejected and died in a crash Friday night in Franklin County. The crash happened at Lincoln Way East (state Route 30) and I-81 South in Chambersburg. Police said the driver of a Toyota Camry merged onto Interstate 81 without enough clearance and was hit by a Dodge Ram. The Toyota was pushed into the intersection, and the Ram rolled over, police said. A woman in the back of the Toyota was ejected and died at the scene, the Franklin County coroner said. Her name hasnt been released by police. Taken to hospitals were the driver and three other people inside the Toyota and the driver and two passengers from the Ram, police said. More: Driver intentionally crashed into tractor-trailer, killing passenger: police Speeding preceded Baltimore Beltway crash that killed 6, preliminary report says The Presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, chaired by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, discussed preparations for the international summit of communities and regions, in which more than 90 representatives from 18 countries have already confirmed their personal participation, the press service of the President has reported. "On the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak held a meeting of the Presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine. The meeting participants discussed the course of preparation for hosting the international summit of communities and regions," the press service of the President said on Saturday. According to Deputy Head of the President's Office Oleksiy Kuleba, as of today, 91 representatives from 18 countries have confirmed their personal participation in the summit. Another 111 representatives from 36 countries are ready to participate via video links. Yermak said that the upcoming summit would be an important international event with high levels of engagement of representatives of various states and foreign communities. The event is going to confirm that the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is a platform for the effective interaction of city and community leaders. Thanks to the platform, representatives of local authorities can directly discuss issues of post-war reconstruction of the state, initiatives to normalize community life, and, most importantly, receive comprehensive support from organizers and partners. "Today, we already have many examples of cooperation, but everyone expects a more structured program from us. And I hope that the Congress will become such a platform," the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said. The delegations will also visit regions of Ukraine that suffered from hostilities or were under Russian occupation. "As of today, the invited participants have expressed their desire to visit Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, where they will have the opportunity to see with their own eyes the consequences of the occupation and hostilities, the destruction caused by the Russian army," Kuleba said. He said that at the summit, a discussion of reintegrating Ukrainian territories, overcoming humanitarian challenges, and restoring community life with the participation of international governmental and non-governmental organizations is planned. The event participants will also raise the issue of demining and innovative development of territories. At the summit, it is planned to sign the final declaration and some partnership agreements at the municipal level. The old industrial complex presented a great opportunity for West Easton. The once-vacant buildings at 1550 Lehigh Drive were partitioned for a handful of small businesses, including a plastics recycler and an insulation recycler. They brought jobs and tax revenue to the small borough. There was just one problem. The century-old former factory buildings were never modernized for fire safety. And the borough failed to enforce fire codes at the site. Its unclear the last time a code officer visited the site. The 280,000-square-foot complex caught fire and burned for a day and a half, sending soot for miles and the smell of burning plastic into the air. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection monitored the air and water quality as unknown hazardous materials burned. Borough Manager Joan Heebner admits the site probably should have been inspected at some point but the borough has no policy or practice in place to make sure large industrial facilities undergo a code inspection when they change hands. The borough has no in-house code officials. It contracts with Barry Isett and Associates of Upper Macungie Township to enforce building codes. Heebner said shes familiar with occupancy permits and code inspections for homes and new construction, but she wasnt sure how far she should go or what she should do to enforce codes at the aging Ingersoll Rand factory. Shes one of the boroughs few employees and was plowing through a pile of paperwork Wednesday while answering questions about the fire for lehighvalleylive.com. Getting more information about the old factory complex had been nagging at her. Should she have followed through on those worries? Should the site have been inspected? In hindsight, absolutely, she said. Heebner said she called Barry Isett and Associates for guidance on how to proceed with the fire aftermath and how to proceed with inspecting other old industrial buildings in the borough. Shes unclear what authority borough officials have to inspect private property without permission of the owner. Shes waiting to hear back. A voicemail left by lehighvalleylive.com with Barry Isett wasnt returned. Aerial view on April 7, 2023, of the aftermath of the fire at 1550 Lehigh Drive in West EastonMike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor Next steps West Easton Mayor Dan DePaul said he plans to discuss boroughwide fire safety at the West Easton Borough Council meeting April 24. He acknowledged the debt the borough owes to the 20-plus fire companies, the hazardous materials responders, state and federal agencies and other emergency responders that battled the four-alarm blaze. It was a wake-up call on fire prevention, he said. Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said her agency is still reviewing what hazardous materials were stored on the site and what environmental risks they might pose. One of the tenants, Triumvirate Environmental, was hired by the building owner to compile a list of all on-site hazardous materials, Connolly said. She said that list is under review. Triumvirates website says the Massachusetts-based company manages waste and disposal for life sciences, healthcare, education and industrial firms. It also handles COVID-19 decontamination and environmental health science services. Its not clear what waste or other materials Triumvirate had at the West Easton site. Connolly said air monitoring has stopped at the fire site, although visual inspections for contaminated water runoff continue. The agencys Water Quality Network Sites along the Lehigh River will detect any hazards in the water, she said. So far, the air and water in the vicinity of the fire remain safe, she said. West Easton Fire Chief William Bogari Jr. had to rely on tankers from across the region to pump water out of the Lehigh River and drive it to the fire site. Two hydrants in the complex were inadequate to handle the scope of the blaze, he said. The building had no fire suppression system, he said. He and DePaul said the factory complex was built by Ingersoll Rand in the 1800s. DePaul said a metal fabricator took over the site after that, and then it sat idle until the early 2000s when it became the Johnson Motor Lines site. Northampton County property records say Emek Brucha LLC of Brooklyn, New York, purchased the site for $9 million in December 2021. The person who answered a phone number publicly listed for Emeks Brooklyn address hung up on lehighvalleylive.com. Pennsylvania Department of State records say Emek Brucha has a headquarters at 601 East St. in West Easton. That property is managed by Green Group Property Management. Green Groups website advertises available space for lease at 1550 Lehigh Drive in West Easton. A call and email sent to Green Group seeking comment werent returned. Its unclear whether the new owner inspected the building or had any plan for fire safety after it was purchased. Heebner said shes been asking the new owner for a list of tenants but keeps getting excuses and no list. The site of Xtreme Custom Coatings on Thursday, April 6, 2023 in West Easton. The four-alarm blaze began at the industrial site, 1550 Lehigh Dr., around 5 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2023. A model for change The change of ownership may have provided an opportunity for West Easton to inspect the building for fire safety. The City of Easton routinely inspects properties when they change owners or when new tenants plan to move in, according to Easton Director of Planning and Codes Stephen Nowroski. He said the city implements the 2018 International Codes and the 2017 National Electric Codes, which are the standards in Pennsylvania. Fire safety inspections are part of this process, he said. West Easton didnt inspect the building when Emek Brucha purchased it. Nor did the borough inspect the space when Gladiator Fibers, the recyclable insulation business, moved in two years ago. Nor did it inspect for fire safety when Triumvirate Environmental opened in 2016. The plastics recycler Lehigh Polymers hasnt returned a message, so its unclear when that company moved in. The sandblasting and powder coating business Xtreme Custom Coatings moved into the complex 11 years ago, the company owner said. The City of Easton would have inspected the building before each of the tenants moved in. But the city has a crew of in-house inspectors. Heeber said she didnt even know Gladiator Fibers moved in until news articles announced it had won a grant from the state for its move to West Easton. She said she went out of her way to make sure Gladiator has the proper permits when it moved in. She said she often tracks down new tenants or residents moving into the borough, even when Realtors fail to get occupancy permits for homes they sell. She said shes doing her best with the resources she has. The borough didnt have a manager for six years until Heebner was hired in 2016. Shes gotten credit for finding six-figure grants to help build a public works garage and install a storm drain. But she wishes she had been more persistent with how to handle the old Ingersoll plant. When you see that massive damage over that area, its mind boggling, she said. Looking ahead DePaul said excavators continue to tear down unstable walls at the factory site to make sure they dont fall down and hurt someone. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the borough police department and Pennsylvania State Police. Its unclear what action, if any, borough council will take. Council President Paul James didnt return an emailed message. Councilman Matt Dees directed questions about the fire to Heebner. The borough has a few other old industrial sites. Among them are the property owned by Green Group at 610 East St. Theres a wine distillery and a commercial linens cleaner in that building. Its unclear whether the building is up to code. Easton Fire Chief Henry Hennings recommends West Easton take steps to make sure the borough doesnt have another fire on the scope of the one at the old Ingersoll plant. Everybody should take the fire code seriously, he said. He couldnt speak to how vigorously West Easton has enforced the fire code, but said this would be an opportune time for them moving forward to do so. Aerial view on April 7, 2023, of the aftermath of the fire at 1550 Lehigh Drive in West EastonMike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. A 34-year-old man whod been serving a life sentence was found dead in a Pennsylvania prison, according to reports. Ryan Lynn Horton killed a man in 2016 in a staged roadside robbery in Franklin County. In 2019, he was convicted of first degree murder, robbery, theft and other charges over the shooting death of a 60-year-old Maryland man. Ryan Lynn Horton (Franklin County Jail file photo) He was sentenced to life in prison for murder and more time for the other charges and a domestic violence case. Two others involved in the fatal robbery pleaded guilty. Horton was found unresponsive in his Somerset prison cell this week, the Chambersburg Public Opinion reported. He was pronounced dead after staff and medical personnel tried to treat him. A cause of death wasnt immediately released. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating. ATLANTA (AP) A man being held in the psychiatric wing of a Georgia jail died in a filthy cell with a severe bedbug infestation after jail staff did nothing to address his deteriorating health, his familys lawyer said. The lawyer is requesting a criminal investigation. Lashawn Thompson, 35, was arrested June 12 on a misdemeanor charge and was booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, lawyer Michael Harper said during a news conference Thursday that was streamed online. Jail staff placed him in the psychiatric wing after determining he had mental health issues, Harper said, adding that Thompson had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Thompson died at the jail three months later. This was a deplorable situation. The cell he was in was not fit for a diseased animal, Harper said, holding up a photos of a cell with a dirty toilet and trash strewn on the floor. He called for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to open a criminal investigation into Thompsons death and for the jail to be closed, noting that Sheriff Pat Labat has been calling for a new jail. A spokesman for Willis said he could not comment on this particular case but said the district attorneys office does investigate alleged crimes at the jail. In a statement released to WSB-TV, the Fulton County Sheriffs Office extended its condolences to Thompsons family and said an investigation into his death is underway. Records received through open records requests show that jail officers and medical staff saw him deteriorating in the last few weeks before he died. They did nothing to help him, Harper said An Atlanta police officer who was called at 4:40 a.m. on Sept. 13 after jail staff found Thompson, 35, unresponsive in his cell tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him, according to a report from the county medical examiner released by Harper. There were no obvious signs of trauma found ... The decedents body was covered in bed bugs, the report says, listing his cause of death as undetermined. Harper posted a news release on his law firms Facebook page that said Thompson died after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs. They literally watched his health decline until he died, Harper said in the news release, which included disturbing photos. When his body was found one of the detention officers refused to administer CPR because in her words she freaked out. The sheriffs office said the ongoing investigation is examining details regarding the medical care provided and ultimately will determine whether any criminal charges are warranted in this case. The statement also said: The health, well-being and security of inmates in our care is our top priority. Its no secret that the dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions of the current facility make it incredibly difficult to meet the goal of providing a clean, well-maintained and healthy environment for all inmates and staff. For that reason, the sheriff has called for the construction of a new jail which will provide an elite level of care, mental health services, security and cleanliness, the statement says. Immediate steps were taken as a result of the investigation, including the spending of $500,000 to address the infestation of bed bugs, lice and other vermin, cleaning operations to target communicable diseases and updating protocols for security rounds to include addressing sanitary conditions, according to the statement. Staff Writer Christine Vendel contributed to this report. READ MORE: Changes planned for Dauphin County jail cells that have no heating system What happened to man who died in the Dauphin County jail? County has contradicting records By John A. Tures After yet another school shooting in Tennessee and another workplace massacre in Kentucky, politicians may finally be ready to join the vast majority of Americans, even gun owners, at restricting firearm ownership. Limiting the super-easy access to guns will likely reduce another American scourge: Fentanyl overdoses and deaths. In a neighborhood near to where my parents live, in a city where my sisters kids went to school, our country has witnessed yet another calamity where teachers and students perished, despite evidence from a 911 call that there were armed staff members at The Covenant School. Then news came of another mass shooting, this time at a Louisville bank, the type of place where Texas Senator Ted Cruz said was better protected. A Florida County Sheriff used a press conference about a teen gang spree killing to attack gun laws, saying they dont work. But we havent seen more gun restrictions. If anything, weve seen an explosion of (a) laws that make it sinfully easy to purchase a firearm in this country, (b) laws that make it hellishly hard to stop someone carrying a gun anywhere, and (c) Supreme Court rulings that make impossible for a state, city or even a school to make any sort of gun restriction possible. And now some governments are refusing to cooperate with national gun laws enforced by the ATF because they personally believe the ATF is unconstitutional. Nearly 8,000 kids and teens are shot per year. Weve had 250 school shootings in 2021. In fact, though the USA is not technically a war zone, we ranked second in 2019 for gun-related deaths (either Syria or Yemen beat us). And the deadliest state for gun deaths isnt California or New York, but Mississippi (nearly 30 firearm deaths per 100,000 residents (all preceding statistics can be found here). New York City doesnt even make the top 100 cities for violent crime rates, by the way, but four Tennessee cities are in the top 60. Half of the top 100 cities for violent crime rates are in red states, by the way. More than 90% of Americans support universal background checks. My research last year shows that red flag laws could save thousands of lives. And Congress passed bipartisan legislation incentivizing such red flag laws. Now Tennessee GOP Governor Bill Lee is supporting such measures in his state. A Fox News guest, a former police officer from Kentucky, agrees we have to talk about guns. But heres a new reason for restrictions on unsafe gun purchases: it will reduce the Fentanyl Crisis. Firearms, legally sold in America and then trafficked to Mexico (200,000 of them), are wielded by the same gangs Republicans want to bomb (the killing of American tourists was traced to one of these guns). South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham accused leading Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois of ignoring the Fentanyl crisis to try and solve the gun crisis. With such legislation, Americans can protect schoolchildren, workers and business executives, and solve this drug scourge that also claims thousands of lives. Just cut off the cartels gun supply by stopping such straw purchases, and theyll have to be like gun-deprived gangs in England where low supply and high demand make firearms rare. Given 74% of NRA members agree with such universal background checks, its a common gun law to shoot for this year in Congress. John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. His views are his own. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is JohnTures2. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Moldovan mass media have published articles about the ill-treatment and torture to which Armenia subjected a serviceman of the Azerbaijani Army, Trend reports. In articles published by the Moldovan Noi.md, Timpul.md and other news portals, the brutal torture of an Azerbaijani soldier was regarded as a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949. In particular, the publication of the Noi portal said that Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner (Ombudsman) for Human Rights of Azerbaijan, commented on the facts of torture and inhuman treatment of Azerbaijani servicemen detained in Armenia. Ombudsman called upon the relevant international organizations to assess these facts and force Armenia to abide by the requirements of international law. Moreover, the Timpul.md website published statements by the Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, who also condemned this crime. Viacom18 has said that following the sanction by NCLT Mumbai, the scheme of merger of Reliance Storage Limited with itself has become effective. Viacom18 has allotted shares to Bodhi Tree Systems and RIL group entities as consideration for the scheme of merger. Upon consummation of this merger, the integration of JioCinema into Viacom18 has been completed; and Viacom18 has access to Rs 15,145 crore of cash for its planned growth, comprising Rs 10,839 crore contributed by RIL group entities and Rs 4,306 crore contributed by Bodhi Tree Systems. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, is an investor in Bodhi Tree Systems. Uday Shankar and James Murdoch will provide strategic and operational guidance to Viacom 18. Are Your Ready for the Poker Dream Manila Festival? PokerNews Is! April 15, 2023 Matthew Pitt Editor PokerNews' live reporting team travels far and wide to bring you live tournament updates from the biggest, richest, and most prestigious poker tournaments on the planet. Our team is jetting off to Asia at the end of April to bring you live and exclusive coverage from the eagerly anticipated Poker Dream Manila festival. The Poker Dream tour is still in its infancy but has so far proven popular. A hugely successful debut in Malaysia in July 2022 saw the main event attract 654 entrants, who helped smash the guarantee into next week, with the prize pool finishing close to three times as much as the advertised guarantee. Find all the Poker Dream Manila updates here PokerNews was on the ground for the Poker Dream Vietnam stop in October 2022, which saw Minh Anh Nguyen come out on top of an 822-strong field, and claim the equivalent of $139,077 of the $738,623 prize pool. The tour then returned to Malaysia in January 2023, and saw the Main Event obliterate its guarantee once again, despite Poker Dream doubling its size. Everything points towards Poker Dream Manila being an incredible event, and PokerNews is delighted to bring you all the updates from the festival's three most exciting tournaments. PokerNews' Poker Dream Manila Live Reporting Schedule Poker Dream Manila takes place at the Newport World Resorts in Manila, Philippines, between April 26 and May 7. There are 30 action-packed tournaments and satellites running around the clock from the moment the poker room's doors open until the last person turns off the lights. Our coverage begins on April 30 with the Short Deck Super High Roller, a 1,380,000 PHP ($25,000) buy-in affair guaranteeing 55,000,000 PHP ($1,000,000). Short Deck is extremely popular in Asia, some say more popular than traditional Texas Hold'em, so expect a bumper crowd to turn out for this super high-stakes event. Relive the Poker Dream Vietnam Main Event here As the Short Deck Super High Roller is wrapping up, a 500,000 PHP ($9,000) Super High Roller gets underway. Players in the Super High Roller battle it out over 40 minute levels, armed with 500,000-chip stacks, but also with unlimited re-entries until Day 2, which is all but guaranteed to create some crazy action that you do not want to miss. Of course, as is the case with every live poker festival, it is the Poker Dream Manila Main Event that is the showpiece tournament of the schedule. Costing 66,000 PHP ($1,200), the Main Event has every chance of becoming the biggest Poker Dream Main Event yet, at least in terms of number of entrants. There is a 20,000,000 PHP ($360,000) guarantee on the Main Event prize pool, but it would be a complete shock if the final pot is not far greater. Our industry-leading coverage runs from May 4-7. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Trump became more and more unhinged as his NRA speech dragged on until he attacked New Yorks Attorney General and claimed that he is being persecuted. Video: Trump attacks New York AG Letitia James and claims that he is being "persecuted." pic.twitter.com/JgEzbH7lVp Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 14, 2023 Trump said They are doing such a horrible What they are doing is destroying our great country. I want to congratulate you for fighting it so bravely, all of the things that have been happening to you, the racist and ran for office on, I will get Trump. Didnt know anything about me, running for office. I said, who is that maniac? A lot of people in the race, you get a few people to vote, very few people it takes to get in. She proclaimed I look forward to going into the office of attorney general every single day, suing him, and going home, very happy. I see I said, I hope she gets in. What is fueling my soul right now, she announced, is getting Trump. She knows nothing about me. Its not an investigation. Its a persecution. Just like her attacks on the NRA and the witchhunts against us by the Manhattan D.A., the Marxist D.A. In Atlanta and the guy I have a watching the guy from Washington, special prosecutor, special counsel, I call it a prosecutor, its better. Biden has a 1850 boxes that are unaccounted for. He had many boxes in Chinatown. Classified information, many boxes. They got them out of there, but they got caught. Thats called obstruction. They sent them up to Boston. Then it was revealed he got millions of dollars from the Chinese. But he has boxes in Chinatown, boxes all over the place. They dont care about that, they only care about Trump. They are trying to arrest their political opposition. Its very much like the old Soviet Union. With the elections and interference. They are interfering with the election. Its going to be hard for them to get away with the kind of corruption they did when they had covid because covid made a lot of things bad for a lot of They cheated and it will be hard. For More Stories Like This, Subscribe To Our Newsletter: I could have easily picked any one of half of a dozen clips from Trumps speech to illustrate how unhinged the indictment and investigations have made him. If this is what Republicans are going to nominate for president in 2024, they are doomed. Trump has no policies or ideas. His pitch remains the same as it has been for the last eight years. He will do everything that only he can do. This is the same old Trump but in even worse mental shape due to the criminal indictment. Trump is currently running away with the Republican presidential nomination, and if his opponents cant beat this dumpster fire of a candidate in the primary, the Republican Party could be the next thing that Trump destroys. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print New fundraising reports show Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Reuben Gallego raising more money than Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I) in the Arizona Senate race. Politico reported: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) reported raising $2.1 million in the first three months of the year, trailing her likely Democratic challenger Ruben Gallegos total but still positioning her with significant financial resources if she chooses to run for reelection. Sinema has kept mum so far on whether she plans to run for reelection in 2024. Should she decide to launch a bid, it could spark a three-way race as Democrats have largely coalesced around Gallego, whose campaign reported raising $3.7 million between his January launch and the end of March. His campaign committee reported $2.7 million cash on hand in documents filed with the FEC on Friday. For More Stories Like This, Subscribe To Our Newsletter: Sinema hasnt officially declared that she is running for reelection, but she would not have left the Democratic Party if she didnt intend to seek another term in the Senate. So far, the departure of Sen. Sinema has not caused difficulties in terms of fundraising for Rep. Gallego. In fact, the chance to beat Sinema is a highly motivating factor for many Democrats. While some national pundits think that Democrats could lose the Arizona Senate race in 2024 if it is a three-person contest, it is not clear if there is a viable lane for Sinema to win reelection. The incumbent senators best hope might be for Republicans to nominate a far-right extremist like Kari Lake so that Sinema could win with a coalition of non-MAGA Republicans and Independents, but if that doesnt happen, she may be a candidate without a base of support, because Democrats are firmly behind Rep. Gallego, and they are putting themselves in a position to potentially win. United Way of Aiken County celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters Friday with tours, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, speeches, expressions of gratitude, balloons and free hot dogs, chips and soft drinks. In addition, United Way 2023 Board Chair Josh Booth announced that the building has been named the Sharon L. Rodgers Community Resource Center in honor of the nonprofits president and chief professional officer. You all are too kind, said a surprised Rodgers, who is retiring at the end of June after serving since 2007 in those positions. Im blown away. It is such an honor and privilege to work for this organization. You know, you dont want buildings to be named for you, she continued, but Im honored not for me personally, but for United Way and its mission and what it means to people in our community who need our help and our assistance. Later, with tears in her eyes and after receiving congratulatory hugs, Rodgers said: Its just the most special day. It really is. We had a vision for this for 15-plus years, and to see it come to fruition is very satisfying. United Way purchased its new headquarters at 159 Morgan St. N.W. in Aiken for $275,000 last July. Security Federal Bank provided financing for the acquisition, and J.E. Stewart Builders was in charge of refurbishing the approximately 6,150-square-foot structure. Also pitching in with services, funding and other assistance were additional businesses along with individuals and groups, including the Aiken County Legislative Delegation. United Ways former home was a leased building on Barnwell Avenue in Aiken. The new base of operations gives the nonprofit around 2,000 more square feet of space in which to do its work, according to Rodgers. The building also has its own parking lot, which is something that the Barnwell Avenue site lacked. There are more than 30 spaces for vehicles. Everything that United Way does is a community effort, Booth said. It takes time. It takes a village. It takes a lot of hands to make this kind of project come together. And we want to thank a lot of those people today. We have not had a home of our home for 71 years, and now we have one of our own that we can control, he continued. We envision this building as being a place and a resource center for anybody who needs a helping hand. Three of United Ways partner agencies Mental Health America of Aiken County, CanHope and the Aiken-Barnwell Coalition for Suicide Prevention will have offices in the new headquarters. Weve got a flexible meeting space now, which we never had before, that can be used for a lot of programs that United Way does like Be a Bunny and School Tools as well as for learning opportunities such as Women Uniteds Women in Leadership workshops, Booth said. There is a lot of opportunity for growth in this building and we cannot wait to see how it unfolds over the years to come. Along with Booth, Aiken City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh, Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker and S.C. Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, were among the speakers during the grand opening celebration. There also was a presentation about the new headquarters past, when it was a facility where teenagers could socialize. More recently, it was the home of Aiken Senior Life Services. We so grateful to our community for helping make this dream of a United Way-owned home become a reality, Rodgers told the Aiken Standard prior to the celebration. Our ability to house some partner agencies, expand programming and offer meeting space will increase our impact. Earlier Friday, United Way Director of Resource Development Ellen Luton was the featured speaker during a monthly event at Newberry Hall conducted by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce. Luton will become United Ways president and chief professional officer in July following Rodgers retirement. Sharon was very instrumental in securing the building as our very own, Luton said. Were thrilled to move into our new home. A Winter Colony estate with a brick wall that has been hit and damaged many times by vehicles over the years made news Sunday for another reason. Read moreRond Point owners among honorees at Historic Aiken Foundation's annual meeting Home > 2023 > Thai Civil Society Groups Express Concern over Deportation of Refugees and (...) via Facebook Friends Against Dictatorship - FAD Public statement by 46 Thai civil society organizations regarding the deportation of asylum seekers from the Peoples Defence Force to the Myanmar dictator regime The Myanmar dictator regime has ascended to power through staging a military coup to topple a democratically elected government. It was the decimation of the supreme power of the people of Myanmar. The only legitimate ruling government in Myanmar should be the National Unity Government (NUG) which is consisted of representatives democratically elected by the people. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), as of 10 April 2023, 21,300 individuals have been arrested and more than 3,229 have been killed following the seizure of power from the civilian government on 1 February 2021. The people of Myanmar have formed the Peoples Defence Force (PDF) to oppose the coup by the Myanmar dictator regime. On 5 April 2023, it has been reported by various news agencies in Myanmar that the Thai Immigration Bureau has arrested three members of the PDF which is opposed to the coup by the Myanmar dictator regime and handed them over to the Border Guard Force (BGF) at a Thailand-Myanmar border checkpoint. At present, the three individuals have reportedly been transferred to the custody of the Myanmar dictator regime. The three members of the PDF. Ko Thiha (38), Htet Nay Wun (31) and Saw Phyo Lay (26), have travelled to Mae Sot District to seek medical treatment on 1 April 2023 and were intercepted by the Immigration officials at a checkpoint. They were later handed over to the BGF close to Myanmars Ingyin Myaing border pass by the Moei River, in Taks Mae Sot. The undersigned civil society organizations find the deportation of the three members of the PDF who sought medical treatment in Thailand to the BGF forces under the command of the hostile Myanmar army knowing full well that the three of them were vulnerable to fatal treatment including torture and persecution is a violation of Section 13 of the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance 2022 which came into force in Thailand since 22 February 2023 following our ascension to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT). Section 13 clearly stipulates that No government organizations or public officials shall expel, deport, or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be in danger of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, or enforced disappearance. Thailand should have known that PDF has been formed by the forces that want to fight against the egregious and cruel crime committed by the Myanmar dictator regime against its own people. Therefore, what the Thai authorities have done in this case is a blatant breach of international law concerning non-refoulement. In addition, such act could be tantamount to a denial of medical treatment for an injured person which would amount to a violation of war crime including the Geneva Convention IIIs Articles 13 - 16 which place an importance on protecting prisoners of war to ensure they are treated based on a humanitarian basis, without discrimination, revenge and the provision of free-of-charge-medical attention. The act of the Thai authorities in this case could, therefore, be tantamount to a war crime given its obvious support and aiding to the Myanmar dictator regime. Thailands civil society organizations therefore condemn this act and have these recommendations for the concerned Thai authorities; 1. The Thai state must immediately ensure an effective enforcement of the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance B.E. 2565 including by refraining from expelling, deporting ,or extraditing a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be in danger of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, or enforced disappearance and must stop deporting members of the Peoples Defence Force and anti-coup activists from Myanmar to their country of origin. 2. An effort should be promptly made to accelerate the enforcement of the Regulation of the Office of the Prime Minister on the Screening of Aliens who Enter into the Kingdom and are Unable to Return to the Country of Origin in order to screen and identify the persons in need of protection since they have fled from persecution in their country of origin. 3. Thailand must respect the non-refoulement principle which obliges the host state to not immediately deport refugees or asylum seekers should such deportation may result in danger against the life or liberty of the persons. 4. The Thai government must clarify to the public about the criteria based on which the three members of the Peoples Defence Force had been deported since the issue has garnered national and international attention and must pledge to not violate its own domestic laws and international laws. 5. The Thai state must promptly investigate the alleged deportation of the three members of the Peoples Defence Force to establish if it is a violation against domestic and international laws or not. And if a violation could be established, the offenders shall strictly be brought to justice. For human rights, freedoms and democracy The Civil Society Network Monitoring the Situation in Myanmar 13 April 2023 Organizational endorsement 1. NGO Coordinating Committee on Development (NGO-COD) Thailand 2. Northern NGO Coordinating Committee on Development (NGO-COD) 3. North-Eastern NGO Coordinating Committee on Development (NGO-COD) 4. Legal Status Network Foundation (LSNF) 5. Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) 6. Cross Culture Foundation 7. Peace Way Foundation 8. Thai Allied Committee with Desegregated Burma Foundation (TACDB) 9. Thai Volunteer Service Foundation (TVS) 10. Foundation for AIDS Rights 11 Rak Thai Foundation 12. Foundation for Labour and Employment Promotion (HomeNet Thailand) 13. Human Settlement Foundation (HSF) 14. 4 Regions Slum Network 15. Friends Of The Homeless, Khon Kaen 16.(Khon Kaen Voice of Youth (KK-VoY) 17. Pha-thung Warrior Network, Chana 18. Lan Hoi Siab Community University, Chana, Songkhla 19. Pun Rak Food Sharing Project 20. I-san Urban Community Action (I-San UrComAct.) 21. Satun Provincial Development Plan Monitoring Group 22. Proud Association 23. Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA) 24. Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD) 25. 35 The Relatives Committee of May 1992 Heroes 26. Social Democracy Institute 27. Young People for Social Democracy, Thailand (YPD) 28. Union For Civil Liberty (UCL) 29. (Dao Din) 30. A Know Network of Activities Circle Key (KNACK) 31. North Activist Community (CAN) 32. (Young Leadership Network for Social Change) 33. Activist Network for Democracy (A.N.D.) 34. Society of young social innovators (SYSI) 35. People Go Network 36. Campaign for Public Policy on Mineral Resources (PPM) 37. The Mekong Butterfly 38. Community Resources Center: CRC 39. Spirit in Education Movement (SEM) 40. ETOs Watch Coalition 41. The Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons (CRSP) 42. Just Economy and Labor Institute 43. (MAP Foundation) 44. Migrant Working Group (MWG) 45. Burma Concern 46. Friends Against Dictatorship (FAD) Individual endorsement 1. somsak boonmarlert 2. Saranarat Kanjanavanit 3. Pasakorn Intoo-Marn 4 Jutamas Srihutthaphadungkit 5. Sasiprapa Raisanguan 6. Supaporn malailoy 7. Siriphorn Chaiphet KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkiye, April 15. Today we are proud to be near our brothers in Kahramanmaras city, and at the same time horrified to see the consequences of the disaster, Azerbaijans MP Rashad Mahmudov visiting the city told Trend. "Turkiye and Azerbaijan are always together - both in joy and trouble. This brotherhood is an example for the countries of the world. Today we held several important meetings in Kahramanmaras, Mahmudov said. Every citizen affected by the earthquake expresses gratitude to the Azerbaijani state and people for the assistance provided, and most importantly, society is very satisfied with its state. According to him, great work has been done, especially under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite that various disasters are happening in the world. Citizens who were left homeless will be provided with housing for one year. Its obvious that every citizen of Turkiye sees Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a leader amid the world realities. Next month we, as the New Azerbaijan Party, hope to celebrate his victory [in the Turkish presidential election scheduled to be held on May 14]," the MP added. On the recommendation of the New Azerbaijan party, a visit of MPs and members of the party to the Turkish Kahramanmaras was organized. Within the framework of the visit, a number of official meetings are planned. A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkiye on Feb. 6, 2023. The earthquake occurred at a depth of seven kilometers in the Pazarcik region of Kahramanmaras Province. The provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, and Kahramanmaras were subjected to severe destruction. As a result of the earthquake that hit Turkiye, strong tremors were also felt in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Cyprus. On February 21, 6.4-magnitude and 5.4-magnitude tremors were felt in the Turkish Hatay province, which had already been damaged by the deadly earthquake of Feb. 6. The earthquakes caused heavy destruction and personal injuries. Landy Coxs bunch has been taking everybodys best shots this spring and it was only fitting the Berkeley Stags region clincher on the diamond was a 10-inning battle that caused some heartburn. Read moreDiamond Stags claim another region title The parent company of a small Charleston bank has completed its second stock offering since last summer, bringing the total amount raised to more than $28 million. First Capital Bancshares Inc. reported that its latest fundraising round brought in about $13.4 million, according to a filing this week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The investors were existing shareholders and "friends and family" of the privately held lender, CEO Harvey Glick said April 14. The proceeds are being use to boost the amount of money the bank is required to maintain in relationship to its loans and other assets, which have increased by more than $200 million to about $650 million over the past year. "Just shoring up capital to support the continued growth. ... We're larger than we thought we would be at this point in time," Glick said. The holding company is the parent of First Capital Bank, which has opened three branches in Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Summerville and operates two locations in North Carolina, in Laurinburg and Pinehurst. Last year, its net income increased more than twofold to $2.7 million from $752,000 in 2021. "We've been extremely fortunate because of how good a market Charleston is and how it's treated us as a small emerging bank," Glick said. The lender set out to raise $10 million last summer for growth purposes in an offering that was oversubscribed by $5.1 million. The recent stock sale generated $3.4 million more than expected. Glick said the bank managed to wrap up the offering days before two large banks in California and New York collapsed last month. "Our timing couldn't have been better. .. We got really lucky," he said. First Capital took an unusual route to the Lowcountry. It was started in 1999 in rural Bennettsville and later transferred its charter across the state line to North Carolina. Nearly 20 years later, First Capital was looking to expand into a higher-growth market and set up a succession plan for the co-founder, who was approaching retirement. A group of investors that included former executives of Charleston's former CresCom franchise raised $30 million and in 2018 relocated the parent company to the Holy City. The banking subsidiary then switched its charter back to South Carolina and moved its headquarters to Meeting Street near the College of Charleston. The two recent stock offerings mark the third fundraising round for First Capital over the past 20 months. In September 2021, the bank sold $7 million of interest-yielding debt. It was while driving Highway 17 South recently that I noticed a sign outside a restaurant. I believe it said, "Nobody puts gravy in a corner!" For some reason, it prompted some deep-seated Southern chest-pumping burst of pride that caused me to immediately yell, Youre dad-gum right! As I calmed down and tapped the brakes for an approaching stoplight, I wondered what the quote really meant. Theres a chance I took it too literally because well Im rather fond of gravy. To me, gravy is almost its own food group, and my Southern roots give me a rather extensive canvas upon which Ive poured gravy in a variety of meals. Before I get too caught up in the particulars, let me first apologize to my Italian friends who have an entirely different concept of what constitutes the essence of gravy. Thats a very different conversation that involves pasta and garlic. "Fuh-get about it." Skillet renderings As a child, I barely remember a meal that didnt include rice and gravy or mashed potatoes and gravy. It was never referred to as rice with gravy, it was always rice and gravy. They were equal palate-pleasing partners. Since this is starting to feel like confession time, Ive gone back for seconds of rice and gravy. There was rice and gravy with pork chops. Rice and gravy with chicken. Rice and gravy with beef tips. Are you starting to pick up on a trend here? The gravy at these meals involved residue from the meat, mixed with broth and flour, plus a little milk to thicken the liquid. Sometimes when feeding four hungry children, that gravy might be a little on the thin side to make it go further. Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! Good gravy cant be too thick, lumpy, salty or greasy. And it must be served in large quantities. After all, even fancy dish settings include something to hold this substance, called a gravy boat. Breakfast can also get in on the gravy train. Ever had country ham? Theres an outstanding by-product of that meat called red-eye gravy. This includes the drippings of the ham once its cooked in grandmas iron skillet. Add a little butter, flour, bone broth and brewed coffee. "Whatchu talkin about!" Im pretty sure thats Southern for "Fuh-get about it." Everything else So where does that leave us? The point is that gravy should not sit in the corner by itself. It is most appreciated when it touches just about everything else on the plate. As a matter of fact, you could make the case that everything it touches it makes better. A T-shirt I saw recently said that "Life is All Gravy." The essence to this quip is that we shouldnt let the little stuff get to us. Why? If we look hard enough, there are too many aspects of our lives for which we can be thankful. Im thankful for my upbringing. I can only hope my children feel the same way. Im blessed with three grandchildren and another on the way. I bet you might have one or two things that bring you joy or make you smile if you stop for a moment of reflection. Dont dwell on things that dont really matter. There are too many other things that do. If life is all gravy, then let that goodness touch everything else on your plate. HOLLYWOOD Invasive Asian longhorned beetles have colonized a forested area south of Charleston, and springtime is when they begin emerging from trees. It is just part of their life cycle, said Jacob Beach, who coordinates a program dedicated to the bug at Clemson University. Residents shouldn't be alarmed because eradication efforts are underway and there are tips to help limit the shiny black bug's spread. The destructive pest native to China and Korea was first detected in Hollywood in 2020 and likely made it here through movement of wood from Asia by way of the ports in Charleston and Savannah. They may have even traveled by railroad. What's most concerning about the insects is their ability to get into trees, kill them, and create safety hazards when the branches and trees fall. Asian longhorned beetles attack 12 types of hardwood trees in North America like maples, elms and willows by creating tunnels as they feed inside the trunks and branches in their larval stage. The beetles chew their way out of the trees in warmer months as adults, leaving about three-fourths of an inch round exit holes large enough to fit a pencil. The spread of the bug is a concern to biologists. So a federal quarantine area is in effect for 76 miles of Charleston and Dorchester counties. This includes parts of Hollywood, Johns Island and West Ashley, among other areas. Beach said the bug's flight pattern is limited to about a mile. "They'll often re-infest trees in that area, but human-assisted movement is the greatest threat for the spread of ALB," Beach said. Because of this, people who live in the quarantine zone are restricted in moving firewood, storm debris and other tree parts. Fines could be handed down to those who don't comply. Even if the beetles are not seen, eggs and larvae may be present within the tree material, according to Clemson's Department of Plant Industry. The department is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on eradication measures. It could take up to 20 years to get rid of all traces of the beetle. The government has been successful with eradication efforts in parts of Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. But 288.4 square miles are still under federal quarantine for the beetle in the United States, including the area in South Carolina, the USDA said. Removal and chipping of the trees is the best means of deregulation, Beach said. The USDA said it will not apply insecticide treatments this year. One company, Davey Resource Group, is responsible for surveying trees for the bug and removing any infested ones in South Carolina. More than 7,000 infested trees have been identified within the quarantine zone. And about 4,700 of them have already been removed. Beach said everything down to the tree stump has to go. Private and public lands have experienced infestations and tree removals, including Caw Caw Interpretive Center and Stono River County Park. While the removals do leave a hole in the area, whole swaths of trees aren't taken at a time. It's selective, Beach said. The USDA continues to monitor for the beetle's presence this year and its movement inside wood and around the infested area. The agency wants people who live near infestations to help look for the beetle and report tree damage. Egg sites are an important way to tell that a tree is infested. The sites are typically little depressions in the bark about five-eights of an inch. When fresh, the depressions are a different color than the bark. Female can lay up to 90 eggs in their lifetime. Beach said the beetles chew a shallow depression in the bark and deposit a single egg. People should also look for weeping in their trees. Once the infested trees have eggs in them, they tend to bleed a blackish fluid which drips down the trunk. This is especially common among maple trees. "By looking at your trees and reporting any suspicious tree damage, you can help us find the beetle sooner and eliminate it quicker," said Josie Ryan, the national operations manager a federal Asian longhorned beetle eradication program. South Carolina residents can report the beetle or tree damage online at www.clemson.edu/alb, by emailing stopALB@clemson.edu or by calling 843-973-8329. People who live outside of the quarantine zone can also contact Clemson if they suspect they see the bug or have related tree damage. "People looking for it is how we're going to find it," Beach said. A Greenville County circuit judge ordered the Greenville County Planning Commission to vacate a decision to deny the subdivision application for a controversial development in the southern part of the county. The judge ruled the county commission improperly elevated the comprehensive plan beyond its use as a document to guide growth. The ruling by Circuit Judge Bentley Price in late March came in the case of an appeal by the developer of Langford Hills, a 166-home subdivision proposed at Augusta and Garrison roads in Pelzer, after the planning commission voted in July 2022 to deny a preliminary subdivision application for the project. The commission has since voted a fifth time to deny the subdivision on land owned by a trust set up by longtime Upstate developer John Beeson. The resolution of the appeal could have broader impacts to how much discretion the planning commission has in deciding whether to approve projects throughout the county, but particularly in the vast unzoned areas in the northern and southern thirds of the county. In his ruling, Price said the planning commission erred in its 4-3 vote to deny Langford Hills based partially on the countys comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan is a state-required planning document the county completes every 10 years to guide its growth. Members of the planning commission, the general public and engineers frequently cite whether subdivision applications match with the comprehensive plans designation for density of an area when considering a new development. In his July 2022 argument against Langford Hills, for instance, Commissioner Jay Rogers said the subdivision applications density and reliance on septic systems was inconsistent with the comprehensive plan. He said the planning commission could use its judgment on citing the guidance within the comprehensive plan. Thats a point Marcelo Torricos, an attorney representing Beesons trust, disagreed with. It became the basis of his appeal of the project to the circuit court. The comprehensive plan is basically a study, a guide, recommendations, as to where we should focus our growth into, where we should focus our dollars, where should be growing, Torricos said. But it was never intended to be the basis for planning commissions decisions to approve or deny. That has been our biggest gripe with the planning commission over the course of the last two years. Price agreed with Torricos and said the commission was using an arbitrary basis of denial in citing Langford Hills inconsistencies with the comprehensive plan and not with zoning or land development regulations, which each hold the weight of law. Price ordered the commission to vacate its decision to deny Langford Hills and reconsider the application without leaning on the comprehensive plan as a basis for denial. Nick Nicholson, an attorney representing the planning commission, filed a motion April 10 asking Price to reconsider his decision. In it, Nicholson said Price risked overstepping the courts authority by dictating to the planning commission the result of the application. Nicholson argued that the planning commission is proper in using the comprehensive plan as a document to guide its decisions. Price hasnt ruled on the motion to reconsider his order. Judges rarely amend orders based on a motion to reconsider, but those motions often precipitate an appeal to a higher court. Nicholson and Greenville County Attorney Mark Tollision declined to comment, citing a county policy to not discuss pending legal matters. Commission Chairman Steve Bichel couldnt be reached for comment. County Council recently reappointed Bichel and Commissioner Frank Hammond to new three-year terms on the planning commission and appointed Jimmy Wood, a resident of southern Greenville County, to fill a vacancy. Now Langford Hills has been submitted for a sixth time for the commission to consider. It is scheduled to be heard April 26. Torricos said since Beeson already owns the land for the subdivision through his trust, Beeson is not under any pressure to make concessions to gain approval or meet demands of residents groups who have protested the development. We will appeal this project forever until it gets approved, Torricos said. We will keep going forever. Theres no situation where this ends with this project not getting developed. In his view, the development meets the countys codes and should be approved at the preliminary phase. Any specific issues would be addressed before it could gain final approval for permits to build, he said. I never write about my full-time job, because well, its a job. Most folks have one. One perk is that it gives me time to write, with paid time off, sick days, holiday breaks and such. Read more'Weighing in' on doctor visits Patrick Carlson got apartment lucky when he moved to Charleston at the age of 24 and happened to hear of the city's workforce housing initiative while hunting for a place to live. He had a retail job lined up on the peninsula, but his search for an apartment had been discouraging due to high prices and the condition of some places one that flooded on every king tide, for example. I had made one final appointment at Elan Midtown because it was getting ready to open," he recalled. The luxury apartment building at Meeting and Spring streets was in the final phases of construction. When it opened, the smallest and least expensive apartments were set to rent for $1,565 a month. But Carlson talked with a leasing manager who told him the building also had workforce housing apartments. "I was like, 'What's workforce?' " he said. "It wasn't something I was a aware of." He was able to pay below-market rent for a modern apartment on the peninsula for a decade. The affordable housing crisis is a national issue, and Charleston is among many local governments spending millions to address it. But the city has also been creating workforce housing at no cost to taxpayers, with more than 175 apartments for people with moderate incomes so far and thousands more on the way. The first of those apartments became available in 2013, just as Carlson was relocating to Charleston from New York City. Workforce apartments in Charleston are rentals in some of the city's newest buildings, mostly on the peninsula. They are created and owned by the developers in exchange for zoning incentives, such as being allowed to construct taller buildings. Mount Pleasant briefly had a similar initiative, which was eliminated amid a backlash against apartment construction. Greenville plans to offer zoning incentives in exchange for affordability in its updated rules for development, which have not been finalized. Most workforce apartments in Charleston are available to people who earn no more than 80 percent of the area's median income, though some have higher or lower limits. At 80 percent AMI, a single person could earn up to $51,450 and get a workforce apartment. So, they aren't low-income housing. They also aren't inexpensive, and most tenants pay too much for workforce housing to be defined as affordable. The rent is 30 percent of the maximum qualifying income, which this year amounts to $1,286 for a one-bedroom or studio apartment. Most tenants have less than the maximum allowable income, so most pay more than 30 percent of their income for rent. Carlson lived in a studio apartment at Elan Midtown for 10 years, paying hundreds less each month than the usual rent, which is now about $1,900. Even with the affordable housing consideration, it was still very expensive, but being able to live alone in a new building, where I could walk and bike everywhere, that was fine and it was worth it to me," he said. He moved out this year because the workforce housing rent limit required by the city ended after 10 years, and Elan Midtown hit the decade mark in April. The city's current rules require a longer period of time for workforce units. But if Carlson was lucky in 2013, he was doubly lucky in 2023. Just as his below-market rent at Elan Midtown was coming to an end, he learned there were 19 workforce rentals at newly built Morrison Yard, on Morrison Drive near the Ravenel Bridge. Those have a stricter income limit, $38,450 for a single person, but Carlson's income as a clerk for the city made the cut. He was able to lease a new one-bedroom apartment for $965 monthly, plus some mandatory fees for amenities. Similar apartments in the same complex are renting for $2,321 this month. Growing pains and new rules South Carolina law does not allow towns and cities to put limits on rent, so Charleston structured its workforce housing initiative as something developers could choose to do voluntarily. A key to the effort was creating incentives large enough, but not too great. That balance has see-sawed back and forth since the first rules were created in 2006, when Joe Riley was mayor. Those rules required 15 percent of apartments to be workforce housing for 10 years in exchange for unlimited building density and relaxed parking requirements in certain parts of the city. The first apartments didn't come online until years later because the Great Recession of 2007-09 had brought real estate development to a standstill. By 2017 the city had decided to make the rules for mixed-use/workforce housing zoning much stricter. Those rule changes required that 20 percent of apartments be workforce housing, for 25 years rather than 10, and clarified that workforce rental units must be the same size and quality as market rate apartments. The city also decided to allow developers to buy their way out of the workforce housing requirement a decision the city would come to regret. The fee in lieu option let developers pay the city instead of creating the workforce housing otherwise required. At least one building that already had workforce rentals paid the city and eliminated them, and 14 out of 15 developments decided to pay the fee rather than create what would have been 389 units of workforce housing. The city collected $10.4 million in fees, and is using that money for affordable housing efforts, but concluded that the fees were low enough that few developers would create workforce housing themselves. So, the fees were increased in 2021. The fee was not at a level where people had to stop and think before they just decided to pay the fee," said Robert Summerfield, the city's planning director. The city, while seeing some benefits from (the fees), was not seeing the end goal of creating mixed-use developments." When the city increased the fees, another important change was made; extending the time workforce housing units had to exist from 25 to 30 years. The Upper Peninsula While the city was trying to find the right balance with the mixed-use/workforce housing zoning, a separate set incentives and rules had been created in 2015 for the fast-growing upper peninsula and the Neck Area. There, such as along Morrison Drive, developers could get extra height and density by earning points for adding workforce housing, sustainable construction practices, public open space and other things. Morrison Yard, for example, earned points by making five percent of the apartments there affordable for people earning up to 60 percent of area median income a lower income standard, and lower rent, than typical workforce housing. That's what created the apartment Carlson now rents. We do a lot of business in the city of Charleston, and you want to be a good citizen," said Mike Schwarz, a partner at Woodfield Development, which built Morrison Yard. People come in routinely, knowing about the program," he said. I would definitely say Charleston has done way more than most of the markets we are in." But many apartment developers did not embrace the idea of adding workforce housing in order to get points toward zoning incentives. After the city noted that developers of several large residential projects had not chosen to include workforce housing, the city again changed the rules. Starting in 2019 the city has required that at least 10 percent of units must be workforce housing for residential developments taller than four stories, with more height available in exchange for more workforce housing. There is no "fee in lieu" option allowed in the Upper Peninsula Zoning. If youre doing a residential component and you want to go above four stories, youre going to have to provide some affordable housing," said Summerfield. Mount Pleasant backed away Like Charleston, Mount Pleasant offered zoning bonuses for developers to include workforce housing apartments. The first and only complex with workforce housing created because of Mount Pleasant's incentives was The Boulevard the same 325-apartment complex that sparked a backlash against taller buildings and apartments that continues to this day. The Boulevard's developers were allowed to build more apartments per acre under the incentives, resulting in 24 workforce apartments in the two phases of the complex. The town's rules required a lower percentage of workforce rentals, and allowed for higher rents, than Charleston's. When The Boulevard rose on Coleman Boulevard in 2013 the tall and densely built complex sparked such an outpouring of complaints from town residents against larger apartment buildings that the Town Council scrapped the workforce housing incentives less than two years later. There are no development incentives any more," said Michele Reed, the town's planning director. Building height limits were also reduced, and the town now has a moratorium on building new apartments that has been in place for seven years. Reed said Mount Pleasant still hopes to encourage what the town now calls "attainable housing" through changes to zoning rules. Town Council has made clear that density bonuses are off the table. Like Charleston, Mount Pleasant had required that workforce housing apartments remain available for 10 years, so most of those at The Boulevard will be brought up to full market rents in December. That will leave six workforce housing apartments in all of Mount Pleasant, in the second phase of The Boulevard that opened in 2020. The town uses a different rent standard than Charleston, and the allowed rents are much higher. There was one other apartment building in the town with workforce rentals, but those, too, are now gone. The 10 apartments were supposed to be at a complex called The Six, as a requirement for getting $1 million in financing from the nonprofit South Carolina Community Loan Fund. The agreement allowed the workforce units to be eliminated in exchange for payments to the loan fund, according to property records. And that's what apparently happened. David Donato, chief operating officer of Continental Realty Corp., said the requirement "was terminated prior to our purchase" in 2022. The company owns The Six apartments, Towne Centre shopping mall, and other properties in the town. Repeated requests for comment from the South Carolina Community Loan Fund, over several months, were unsuccessful. Thousands more coming Charleston's zoning incentives are focused on the peninsula, but the city has also used development agreements to push for more workforce housing. Those agreements are negotiated contracts that often guide large developments, some covering hundreds or thousands of acres. All of the largest developments under way in Charleston have workforce housing requirements, and as they get built those are expected to result in thousands of below-market-rate apartments. "It's very exciting," said Geona Shaw Johnson, the city's housing director. "Those commitments are there, and will make a big impact for the community." One agreement allows developers to build up to 4,260 residences on the former landfill off Morrison Drive known as Laurel Island. It requires 10 percent of them to be workforce housing, in perpetuity, and another 10 percent to be workforce housing for a decade from the date they can be occupied. That's 852 workforce housing apartments, half of them with below-market rents forever. Thats the cats meow," said Robert Clement speaking for the Laurel Island development team. "Its got to be permanent. Other large developments with housing requirements in their city agreements include: The 9,000-acre Point Hope development (formerly Cainhoy Plantation) above Daniel Island. The agreement with the city allows for up to 11,042 residences, 10 percent of which must meet affordability guidelines. The 190-acre site of the Magnolia development in the Neck Area, on the Ashley River, is approved for 4,080 housing units, 15 percent of which are supposed to be workforce housing. Developers donated some land to the city to meet part of the housing commitment. The 3,000-acre Long Savannah development in West Ashley, west of Bees Ferry Road, could have 4,500 homes under a 2015 agreement with the city. About 400 of them are required to meet affordability guidelines. Together, just those four large developments could add nearly 3,000 below-market housing units to the city, the large majority of them workforce rentals. The workforce initiative is aimed at filling the gap between market-rate housing and low-income housing, so that people across the spectrum are able to live in the city and particularly on the peninsula. The idea is to try to blend income levels in these multi-family housing developments," said Summerfield. By connecting the development of workforce housing to optional incentives, the city avoids running afoul of state laws prohibiting rent control, while for-profit developers bear the costs and handle the management. In a towering new apartment building on Morrison Drive, Carlson is settling in to his new workforce housing rental after moving in during Bridge Run weekend. In the years ahead, Carlson could be disqualified from the workforce apartment as his income improves, but he's already in his 11th year with a below-market apartment on the peninsula. Im fully aware that Im the luckiest person I know," he said. "Im very happy and very grateful." Like so many people, he hopes to own a home in the years ahead. They met outside a Summerville night club in the early morning hours of April 8. Three hours later, he was dead. Three days later, she was charged in the fatal shooting. Hadden Smith, who his family called by his middle name Andre or "Dre," died April 8 in the parking lot of a West Ashley Publix grocery store. He is the father of five, according to his obituary. At 8:20 a.m. April 8, a Charleston police officer was behind the grocery store writing a report when he heard gunshots. After a brief search, he found the 34-year-old from Moncks Corner lying on the pavement. Smith's car "a white Audi with tinted windows, distinct aftermarket black rims, and a blacked-out front grill" as described in an affidavit signed by Charleston police detective Justin Schmidt and his phone helped police retrace his whereabouts in the hours leading up to his death and link him to his suspected killer. Ticara Bolden is charged with murder, armed robbery and a weapons offense. The 22-year-old woman from Summerville was taken into custody April 11. Though it's unclear what prompted the shooting, Schmidt's affidavit provided the following details: The two met around 5:30 a.m. April 8 at the Plush Bar and Grill on Bacon's Bridge Road in Summerville. Police said video and audio from the area around the night club showed Bolden asking patrons for help. Her car battery had died; Smith helped jump her car. At 5:36 a.m., Smith added Bolden's number to his cellphone contacts as "Cara," according to data extracted from Smith's phone. The pair drove away from the club in separate vehicles, though Bolden's Kia isn't seen in surveillance footage again. Their phones "remain together from the time the two left Plush to the time of the shooting," the detective wrote. Surveillance footage showed Smith's Audi S6 enter the Publix's parking lot at 8:12 a.m. Both phones are shown in that same area at the same time. At 8:22 a.m., Bolden called 911. The open line "recorded the sound of rapid gunfire and a male voice screaming," Schmidt said in the affidavit. "There is a pause and then a final gunshot." Schmidt described hearing the sound of a door closing, an engine starting and a car speeding away before the 911 call abruptly ends. Video footage showed Smith's car leave the grocery parking lot around the same time as the 911 call. Police found the Audi on April 10, parked at a North Charleston apartment complex, a 20 minute drive north of the Publix. Footage from the apartments showed the car park there at 9:48 a.m. April 8. "The vehicle remains within camera view with no person exiting or entering the vehicle until roughly 11:53 a.m." when Bolden exited the driver's side. She then entered an SUV and left the area, video showed. A witness who was in the Publix parking lot at the time of the incident told police that a third, unknown person was near the car when the shooting occurred. Lt. Corey Taylor, a spokesman with Charleston police, said that while they are still investigating, they are not looking for any other suspects. Bolden is being held at the Charleston County jail. WADMALAW ISLAND Jessica-Ann Dupree was heartbroken when her father died just over a year ago. The killing of her beloved Alfie and wounding of his snuggle mate Petunia both pet pigs earlier this month has been almost too much to bear. On April 3, Dupree left her Wadmalaw Island home to run errands. When she returned it registered that Alfie wasn't there waiting to greet her as he always did. She saw blood on the porch steps and through the living room into her bedroom toward the dog bed where Alfie and Petunia sleep every night. "Tunia was covered in blood," she recalled. "I reached for her and she made this growl that I had never heard before." Dupree rushed Petunia, a mini potbellied pig, to her vet's office. She thought maybe a wild animal had bit her, but the vet said she had been shot. Dupree rushed home to search for Alfie. She found Alfie, a miniature Juliana pig, lifeless. "These were pets," Dupree said. They were just like dogs, like their buddy canine, Bagheera, she said. They have their individual personalities, they come when they're called, they are housebroken, they wag their tails and they snuggle with Dupree on the couch. "Alfie was my little guy," she said. Petunia is wounded and traumatized, and Bagheera is sick himself and depressed, Dupree said. But her faith in humans has improved with the outpouring of prayers and kind words from the community, along with the backing of the Charleston Animal Society which has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Alfie's killer that is being investigated by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. A friend started a Go Fund Me account for Dupree to help with the vet expenses. Petunia required surgery. Aldwin Roman, vice president of operations and strategy at the Charleston Animal Society, said the group raised the alarm last year over the increase in the number of severe animal abuse and neglect cases. "It hasn't seemed to have gone away," he said. Animals may be considered property in South Carolina, but they are still life, Roman said, and "you have to worry what's going to happen next?" Violence against animals is tied to violence against humans, he said. Charleston Animal Society President Joe Elmore said the organization supports law enforcement any way possible to investigate these cases, such as bringing in special training for officers and providing forensic assistance. "We want these cases to be taken more seriously by elected leaders and for them to held accountable," Elmore said. Animal cruelty can be a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. But in a case just sentenced recently a 2019 case in which a dog was locked in a bathroom and left without food or water until it died the defendant was allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and received probation, Roman said. "This animal suffered and died a cruel, cruel death," he said. Dupree cannot fathom what why someone shot Alfie and and Petunia. "They were sweet, defenseless animals on their own property. How could someone do this?" Anyone with information is asked to call the Charleston County Sheriff Deputy Steven Jarvis through dispatch at 843-743-7200 or email sjarvis@charlestoncounty.org. Andrew Knapp, a spokesman for the sheriff's department, said the department has had reports last year of a pet dog shot off Washington Lane in Hollywood and a stray shot and wounded near the Maybank Highway on Wadmalaw Island, but there is no indication the incidents are related. Anyone who has a pet shot is asked to report the crime, Knapp said in an email. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov has held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Huseyn Amir Abdullahian, Trend reports via Azerbaijani MFA. The ministers discussed the current situation in bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Iran. Furthermore, the two sides announced the possibility of continuing negotiations and, if necessary, conducting bilateral visits. In addition, the ministers also exchanged views on regional issues. PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-15 10:13:53 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 1107 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers 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/Dental-Pluggers-Market/request-for-sample-report The global dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers 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 Dental Pluggers Market ReportThe global dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers 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 ReportDental Pluggers Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into double-ended, single-ended.The market by application is segmented into hospitals, dental clinics, other.Regions Covered in the Global Dental Pluggers 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 dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the dental pluggers 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 dental pluggers market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Dental Pluggers Market Research Report:AR Instrumed Deutschland, Carl Martin, DoWell Dental Products, FASA Group, Hu-Friedy, LM-Instruments, Lascod, Lorien Industries, Obtura Spartan Endodontics, Otto Leibinger, Prodont Holliger, Sklar Instruments, Smile Surgical Ireland Limited, Smith CareContact 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. Movie Title: The Trade Release date: 13th January, 2023 Cast: Blossom Chukwujekwu, Stan Nze, Rita Dominic, Ali Nuhu, Nengi Adoki, Waje, Chiwetalu Agu, Uru Eke, Gideon Okeke, Denola Grey, Charles Inojie, Mercy Aigbe, Abayomi Alvin, Dr. Sid, Francis Odega, Chimezie Imo, Kelechi Udegbe, Yemi Solade, Francis Onwochei, Angel Unigwe, Emeka Nwagbaraocha, Stephanie Isuma (Calabar Chic), and Shawn Faqua Run-time: 2 hours plus Across films written by talented screenwriter Jade Osiberu, one can easily point out a common feature: they explore social vices affecting our society. In other words, the stories and characters are a mirror of what we see on a local TV station, hear about on the streets, and read in the newspapers. With hit movies like Gangs of Lagos and Brotherhood, projects affiliated with Jade Osiberu bear promises of high stakes and thrilling action. However, after watching The Trade, which was recently released on Prime Video, one cannot help but feel the sharp pain of disappointment as it was a letdown. While its quite understandable that a story such as The Trade relies more on storytelling than action scenes, the 2023 movie had several other shortcomings that were not easy to ignore. In addition to its inability to incite several emotions in the hearts of viewers, the storyline lacked complexities and downplayed the potential of many characters. Acclaimed for being based on a true story, The Trade tells the story of a notorious kidnapper whose crimes have ravaged certain parts of Nigeria. The film tells us more about who he is, what his motivations are, and provides a roadmap to the events leading to his arrest. Despite being a missed opportunity to start off the year with a bang, The Trade is one of the few Nollywood films that pays close attention to details, includes a somewhat authentic representation of indigenous language, and optimises the skills of its actors. Plot In the opening scene, we see a man getting kidnapped. Unknown to the kidnappers, he has a strong relationship with their boss and is actually the mysterious criminal, whose identity has remained a mystery to the police. After a phone call, he was released and went to his hideout, where he asked a relative of his victim for a ransom. During a meeting with his accountant, his accountant proposes kidnapping a rich customer at his bank. Intrigued at the wealth status of the lady, Eric agrees to it and begins to make preparations for the ambush. The plan goes smoothly, and they are able to kidnap. Unfortunately, one of Erics gang members betrays him and lets the lady go. Meanwhile, a newly assigned police officer and his boss work tirelessly to uncover the mysteries surrounding the kidnappings. Although things seem to be at a dead end, the police come across a clue and begin to track down and interrogate anyone who is perceived to be working with Eric. Eric becomes fully aware of the investigation and makes a bold move to flee the country. Before doing this, he decides to meet up with his side chick, who, prior to his calling, had been threatened by the police. Long story short, the hands of the law eventually catch up with him and he is arrested. The Good The cast delivers excellent performances. Talents such as Stan Nze, Blossom Chukwujekwu, and Shawn Faqua stand out as they brought their A-game and were able to fully embody their characters, including the accents. Kudos to the crew also, as the cinematography was on point, including the special effects. The locations used felt realistic and not exaggerated as we see in most movies. A favourite and ambitious scene in this film definitely has to be when Erics car flips over. Simply genius. The producers also paid close attention to the details. For a brief moment, one might easily conclude that the police would suddenly be portrayed to know the identity of Eric, but the writer built up the incidents to the scene. There is also the use of police equipment. Its lovely to see that there wasnt an exaggeration in the manner in which the Nigerian police operate. Lastly, the exploration of certain themes and the strong messaging in this film make it worth watching. At the crux of The Trade are moral lessons on greed and betrayal, among many others. The Bad First, the movie was dragged out. There were quite a number of scenes that contributed little to no development to the plot. For a film that at the beginning seems to portray a smart and powerful kidnapper, the road to catching him felt cliche and simple. All it took was talking to witnesses, who literally pointed the police in the right direction. Honestly, there was a longing for several show, dont tell moments. It would have been great if there were subtle hints in each scene and the witnesses chose not to say anything or were killed. This would actually shed more light on the detectives and how they would use their wits to apprehend him. Simply put, more suspense elements! Characters were also downplayed a lot. There was so much more that could have been done for Charles other than killing him. Eric could have been positioned in a more ruthless manner. A surprise twist could have shown that the boss, Bukar, was working with Eric, and at the ending, we could have had one of the gang members escape, teasing a sequel. The storyline also felt predictable, and one could easily decipher the outcome of a particular scene. Final Verdict 7/10. The storyline seems married but offers good moral lessons. The Trade is now streaming on Netflix. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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. Supplementary polls for the governorship election in Kebbi State will be held in 142 polling units across the state. Elections will also be held in 23 units for the Kebbi north senatorial district election. There will also be supplementary elections in 10 House of Assembly and two federal constituencies in Arewa-Dandi and Koko-Besse. For the governorship election, there are 91,829 eligible voters in the affected polling units. The contest in the senatorial election is largely between Yahaya Abdullahi of PDP and Hussaini Kangiwa of APC. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the elections inconclusive following the cancellation of results in polling units in 20 out of 21 local government areas of the state. The contests are largely between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), being represented by Nasir Idris, and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has Aminu Bande, a former military general, as governorship candidate. Mr Idris currently has 388,258 votes with Mr Bande trailing him with 342,980 votes. The election was declared inconclusive because the difference of 45,278 votes that separates them is lower than the number of eligible voters in the areas, based on the Permanent Voters Card collected, which stand at 91,829. The APC in the state is led by Govevrnor Atiku Bagudu while the PDP is led by a senator and former governor, Adamu Aliero. Prior to the presidential and National Assembly elections on the 25 of February, the two parties were in bouyant moods and attacked each other relentlessly. While the PDP accused the APC of not fulfilling its campaign promises, the APC accused the PDP of being part of the mess since most of its members were in the APC before defecting. Although Messrs Idris and Bande are the governorship candidates, the contest on Saturday is seen as between Messrs Bagudu and Aliero, who were political allies until this election cycle. Bagudu and Aliero When Mr Aliero left the Senate in 2007 to join late President Umar Yaraduas cabinet as minister, he supported Mr Bagudu to take over his Senate seat. In 2015, he also supported Mr Bagudu to become governor while Mr Aliero returned to the Senate under the APC. But when it became obvious that at the end of Mr Bagudus tenure, he would vie for the Kebbi central senatorial seat, Mr Aliero dumped the APC and joined the PDP. He did not however leave alone. He took another incumbent senator, Yahaya Abdullahi, and other federal lawmakers with him. Defining Factors The outcomes of the presidential and National Assembly elections affected the APC in the governorship election on 18 March. Before the election, many thought PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, did not stand a chance against the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu, in Kebbi. That permutation was largely due to the influence of Mr Bagudu, who is a very strong ally of the former Lagos governor. But as it turned out, Mr Aliero led the PDP to victory. The opposition party got 285,175 votes while the APC got 248,088 votes. Mr Aliero also defeated Mr Bagudu in the senatorial election in Kebbi central district. Mr Aliero polled 126,588 votes while Mr Bagudu got 92,389, the former governor beating the incumbent with a margin of 34,199 votes. Another surprise was around the corner for the APC when a debutant, Garba Maidoki of PDP defeated veteran parliamentarian, Bala Ibn NaAllah, with 75,732 votes to 70,785 votes in the Kebbi South senatorial race The results gave the PDP the zeal to fight in the 18 March election. However, on that day, the APC won a majority in the state House of Assembly. The state has 24 assembly members but elections were suspended in 10 constituencies. Out of the 14 that were announced, APC won 11 seats while the PDP won only three. The 11 returning APC members can have an impact in the governorship election and swing the tide towards their party. One factor that will work in the favour of PDP is the protracted crisis in the APC in Kebbi State that led to the exit of Messrs Aliero and Yahaya with their supporters. The crisis did not end with their exit as several members alleged they were being persecuted for being sympathetic to the ousted senators. Several local lawmakers were suspected to have worked for Mr Aliero and it manifested few days to the presidential election. The governor was accused of not carrying party members along and of being an Abuja politician. While he was expected to be in Kebbi State in preparation for the rerun election, Mr Bagudu was mostly seen in Abuja with the president-elect, Mr Tinubu, or at the Presidential Villa. Top APC leaders like Mr NaAllah are not expected to have much influence following their defeat in the last election. The suspension of the member representing Koko/Besse constituency, Shehu Muhammad, on Thursday, by the APC also showed that the crisis in the party is far from over. The PDP may also use where the APC candidate, Mr Idris, comes from, Birnin Kebbi, same local government area as Mr Bagudu, to sway voters to their party. However, while the PDP can boast of Messrs Aliero and Yahaya (the two leaders of the party in the state) the APC candidate is taking a massive lead of 45,278 votes to the supplementary poll. This means that the PDP has a mountain to climb to cover that deficit. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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 government of the United Kingdom has responded to PREMIUM TIMEs letter requesting the details of the arrest and detention of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by its immigration officials at Heathrow Airport in London last week. It, however, declined providing sufficient details about Mr Obis ordeal as requested by this newspaper in its reply through the Home Office. In a short reply on Thursday the UK government said they do not comment on individuals cases. We do not comment on individual cases, Chloe Newman, senior communications officer Newsdesk Communications Directorate, stated in the reply on Thursday. Bothered about several unsubstantiated claims on social media over the issue, this newspaper wrote to the UK Home Office on 13 April, seeking to understand the circumstances surrounding Mr Obis ordeals in the European country during Easter for accurate reporting. The Obi-Datti Media, in a statement on Wednesday by its Head, Diran Onifade, said Mr Obi was detained in London by UK immigration officials over alleged impersonation. The statement did not, however, contain details of Mr Obis arrest and his subsequent release before returning to the country. READ ALSO: Specifically, neither the UK government nor the LP, in its statement, gave clarification on Mr Obis offences, when and how he was released, the conditions upon which he was released, the current status of the case against him and other related issues. More so, while the party claimed in its statement issued on Wednesday that Mr Obi was arrested over alleged impersonation, it failed to state the offences committed by the impersonator for which Mr Obi was arrested, harassed and eventually detained before he was released. It also remains unclear if Mr Obi was deported and if he still possesses a valid UK access visa at the moment following his last weeks ordeal in London. A similar enquiry was also forwarded to Mr Onifade but he has yet to respond at the time of filing this report. Meanwhile, the LP has denied media reports that the UK government had apologised to Mr Obi over his arrest, detention and harassment at the London airport as claimed by his party in the statement, Mr Obi has yet to speak on his ordeal in London. Mr Obi was one of the 18 candidates in Nigerias recent presidential election, in which he came third. The electoral commission declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, winner of the poll with over eight million votes against Mr Obis over six million votes. The LP candidate and four others are currently challenging the outcome in court. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. According to the combat training plan for 2023, practical exercises on fire training were carried out in Operations Commando units, Trend reports via Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense. Tasks on destruction of imaginary enemy targets in motion and motionless states by small arms, as well as standard armament of combat vehicles, were successfully fulfilled. During the exercises, the main attention was focused on increasing the skills of military personnel in using weapons and improving combat skills. The commandos accomplished the assigned tasks with high professionalism. 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. Supplementary elections are taking place in Sokoto State for the three senatorial and 11 federal constituency seats. The state has the highest number of National Assembly seats where rerun elections are being held. In the the presidential election of 25 February, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, polled 288,679 votes to defeat the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 285,444 votes. But the National Assembly elections could not be decided that day. However, in the gubernatorial election, the fortunes of the two leading parties were reversed as the APC candidate, Ahmed Aliyu, scored 453,661 to defeat Saad Umar who had 404,632 votes. Elections in Sokoto State have always been exciting especially since 2007 when then governor Attahiru Bafarawa fell out with his deputy, Aliyu Wamakko. The duo has since been in control of the politics of the state. In the 2023 general elections, Mr Bafarawa backed PDP candidates, including his son who contested for deputy governor while Mr Wamakko, who is contesting to retain his senate seat, is the defacto leader of the APC. Pundits believe that the elections were not concluded in the first instance because of the characters involved and their statuses. Mr Wamakko is slugging it out with the current deputy governor, Manir Dan Iya (PDP) for the Sokoto central senate seat while Governor Aminu Tambuwal (PDP) is hoping to unseat incumbent Ibrahim Danbaba (APC) in the Sokoto south district, just as a former commissioner, Shuaibu Gwanda Gobir (PDP) is in a tight battle with Ibrahim Lamido (APC) for the Sokoto east senatorial seat. The elections were declared inconclusive due to Issues including but not limited to over voting and violence leading to disruption of voting at some polling units. How they stand Mr Wamakko (APC) is leading Mr Dan Iya (PDP) with 11,732 votes in Sokoto Central, having scored 114,866 votes to the 79,991 votes scored by the PDP candidate. The zone has eight local government areas and there are 106,207 eligible voters in the 166 affected polling units in 46 registered areas. In the Sokoto South contest, Mr Tambuwal (PDP) is leading with 7,859 votes, having scored 87,850 to Mr Danbabas (APC) 79,991 votes. The zone has seven local government areas. There are 73,461 elegible voters in the 133 affected polling units where the rerun is taking place. And there are 44 registered areas. PDPs Gwanda Gobir is leading with 2,050 votes in the Sokoto East. He has 99,198 votes to the 97,147 scored by Mr Lamido of the APC. There are 48,075 affected eligible voters in the 90 polling units where the election is taking place. The zone has eight local government areas. Factors The outcomes of both the presidential and governorship elections are expected to have an impact on the supplementary elections. APC supporters, their party having won the latter election, will be hoping to repeat the feat by going out en masse to vote for their candidates in the Senate and House of Representatives rerun. On the other hand, PDP loyalists may not be so excited about the election especially those who believe the incumbent governor, Mr Tambuwal did not help their preferred aspirants in the primaries. The PDP went into the election with a divided house. The fact that they dont have the governors seat, some party supporters may decide not to vote or fight for the party. The PDP has the upper hand in the figures so far. Both Messrs Tambuwal and Gwanda Gobir lead in their zones while the deputy governor is behind APCs Mr Wamakko with about 11,000 votes. If the PDP can put more pressure on Mr Wamakko in the metropolitan local government areas, the margin may reduce, but the APC is strong in the central zone with the governor-elect being from the metropolis local government area. Bandits activities have also resumed in the eastern part of the state and though the PDP has been using it against the APC government, insisting it is the federal government that has not been serious in the fight against terrorists, voters may refuse to come out to vote especially in areas like Goronyo, Rabah, Wurno, Isa and Sabon Birni where there are recent reported cases of such activities. That may affect the chances of both candidates. The 48,075 eligible voters may not come out to vote in the affected areas. Another factor that may decide the elections is that civil servants that were hitherto afraid of voting for APC before the governorship election may feel it is now safe to do so since the governor in waiting is of the APC. Mr Tambuwal, who has lost in his bid to have his secretary government of the state, Saad Umar, become his successor and failed at the national level now that Atiku lost to Mr Tinubu, will give all it takes to get the senate seat because it is now his only ticket to political relevance in the next four years. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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. A coalition of civil society organisations has asked the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the speakership of the 10th House of Representatives to the South-east. The group, under the aegis of Civil Society for Good Governance, argued that zoning the position to the region is in the interest of fairness and equity. Dominic Ogakwu, the convener of the group, made the call on Friday during a press briefing in Abuja. Two candidates from the South-east have declared interest in the race. They are Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo) and Ben Kalu (APC, Abia). Mr Ogakwu stated that the North-east, North-west and South-west have all taken their turns at the speakership, hence, the ruling party should give the South-east the opportunity to occupy the position. Records indicate that since the return of democratic rule in 1999, the South-east geopolitical zone is the only zone yet to have the opportunity to produce a speaker of the House of Representatives. The nearest the zone has come is Deputy Speaker between 2011 and 2015. For the avoidance of doubt, from 1999 to 2007, the position of Speaker was zoned to the North-west with Rt. Hons. Salisu Buhari, Ghali Umar NaAbba and Aminu Bello Masari as Speakers. Also, from 2007 to 2011, the South-west produced Rt. Hon. Patricia Etteh and Dimeji Bankole presiding, and the North-west taking another chance between 2011 and 2015, with Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as Speaker and Emeka Ihedioha as Deputy. In 2015, the North-east produced Yakubu Dogara as Speaker. By 2019, it returned to the South-west again with the current speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, he said. Mr Ogakwu stated that the region has qualified candidates for the position, noting that there is a sense of alienation and marginalisation amongst the people of the Zone by the APC. He urged the ruling party to demonstrate that it is inclusive, equitable and responsive to all parts of the country, particularly the South-east. As a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious country, it is urgent and imperative that the APC promotes the tenets of Federal Character by zoning the Speakership to the South-east and strengthen the cords of unity and peaceful co-existence amongst our peoples. The ruling party has yet to declare a position on the zoning of the offices. Aside from the South-east, eight other candidates have also declared interest in the position. Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), Muktar Betara (APC, Borno), Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), Tunji Olawuyi (APC, Kwara) and Abubakar Makki (APC, Jigawa) have all declared interest. Others include Tajudeen Abbas (APC, Kaduna), and Aminu Jaji (APC, Zamfara). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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. A 21-year-old member of the US Air National Guard accused of leaking top secret military intelligence records online was charged on Friday with unlawfully copying and transmitting classified material. Jack Teixeira of North Dighton, Massachusetts, who was arrested by heavily armed FBI agents at his home on Thursday, made his initial appearance in a crowded federal court wearing a brown khaki jumpsuit. At the hearing, Bostons top federal national security prosecutor, Nadine Pellegrini, requested that Mr Teixeira be detained pending trial and a detention hearing was set for Wednesday. During the brief proceeding, Teixeira said little, answering yes when asked whether he understood his right to remain silent. The judge said Mr Teixeiras financial affidavit showed he qualified to be represented by a federal public defender, and he appointed one. After the hearing, three of Teixeiras family members left the courthouse, with a group of reporters trailing them for several blocks. They entered a car without making any comments. READ ALSO: US President Biden praises Buhari The leaked documents were believed to be the most serious U.S. security breach since more than 700,000 documents, videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010. The Pentagon has called the leak a deliberate, criminal act. This leak did not come to light until it was reported by the New York Times last week even though the documents were posted on a social media website weeks earlier. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday he ordered investigators to determine why the alleged leaker had access to the sensitive information, which included records showing purported details of Ukrainian military vulnerabilities and embarrassed Washington by revealing its spying on allies. (Reuters/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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. A 34-year-old woman, Nosimot Alalade, has been arraigned before an Abeokuta Magistrate Court in Isabo for allegedly pushing a staffer of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Silas Olaleye, down from the top of a ladder while on duty. Ms Alalade, who resides at No. 5, Amadiya Street, Olomore area of Abeokuta, was arraigned on Friday. She faces a three-count charge of assault, conducting herself in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace and acting in a manner to endanger the life of the complainant. The prosecuting officer, Olaide Rawlings, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on 12 April at around 1 p.m. at Olomore area of Abeokuta Mr Rawlings said the defendant assaulted the victim by pushing him from a ladder while performing his lawgul duty, which caused him permanent injury on his right leg. The prosecutor further stated that when the complainant and his team got to the defendants house, they asked for her bill and she could not produce it. In the process, the complainant was instructed by his team leader to disconnect the defendants light from the pole. When the complainant climbed the pole to disconnect the cable that carried light to the defendants house, she (defendant), out of anger, pushed the ladder which the complainant was mounting, she said. Mr Rawlings said that the complainant fell down from the ladder and sustained an open injury on his right leg. She said the defendant also acted in a manner that endangered the life of the complainant and also conducted herself in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace while on lawful duty. According to her, the offences contravene Sections 338, 343, 355 and 249 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun State, 2006. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The magistrate, M.O. Osinbajo, adjourned the case till 28 April for trial after granting the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000, with one surety in like sum. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State says there was a deliberate attempt by some unnamed persons to deny Igbo-speaking people of the South-east an opportunity to produce a Nigerian president in 2023. Mr Ikpeazu stated this on Wednesday when he met with the leadership of Nzuko Umunna, a pan Igbo political organisation, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Onyebuchi Ememanka, on Thursday. The delegation of Nzuko Umunna was led by Ozichukwu Chukwu and Josephine Anenih. The governor argued that the Igbos had made immense contributions to national development given that they reside in every part of Nigeria, but regretted that the conspiracy around them was very grave. He stressed that it was time for Ndi Igbo to leverage on their unity, compromise and understanding to craft and construct a pathway towards their political liberation in next elections. Igbos should not spend time fighting themselves but rather forge a common front for their future in Nigeria. That time has come for Igbos to become intentional about their strategic disposition in Nigeria and therefore, should expand conversations around the issue with a view to strengthening their relationship with other ethnic groups across the country, Mr Ikpeazu said. Speaking earlier during the gathering, the leader of the delegation, Mr Chukwu, said their visit to the governor was to further discuss the way forward for Ndi Igbo, and the need for them to come together and plan ahead, adding that although Nzuko Umunna is a political organisation, it is non-partisan. He equally lauded the governor for congratulating the Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti, on his victory as well as for urging other candidates not to distract him with court litigations. Background Before the 2023 presidential election, there had been calls from South-east leaders that the region should be allowed to produce a Nigerian president for the first time in 2023. Hope of many residents of the South-east was dashed when the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the two dominant political parties in Nigeria, picked their candidates outside the region during their separate presidential primaries in May, last year. But the hope was later rekindled after a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, dumped the PDP and defected to the Labour Party (LP) where he later emerged the partys presidential candidate in the 2023 election. Although Mr Obi was not the only presidential candidate from the South-east, the LP candidate enjoyed swelling support across the country ahead of the election, mainly in South-east and South-south regions. But the former governor later lost in the 25 February presidential election, after coming third in the exercise with a total of 6,101,533 votes. Bola Tinubu of the APC was declared winner after polling a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who scored a total of 6,984,520 votes. Mr Obi and Atiku are currently challenging the victory of Mr Tinubu at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja. Meanwhile, Mr Ikpeazu was a member of G-5, a group of five aggrieved PDP governors, opposed to the partys presidential candidate, Atiku, and its then national leadership. Led by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, the group had also campaigned unsuccessfully to have a southerner replace the then PDPs National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in order to achieve a regional balance since both Atiku and Mr Ayu are from the north. The G5 said their opposition to Atiku was majorly because of their belief that the next Nigerian president ought to have come from the south, since the current President Muhammadu Buhari is from the north. Governor Wike backed the APCs Mr Tinubu, now Nigerias president-elect, while Governor Ortom of Benue State supported the LP candidate, Mr Obi. It is unclear who Mr Ikpeazu supported in the election. He had said he would not support Mr Tinubu. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency rerun election in Akwa Ibom State because of violence. The state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Cyril Omorogbe, said this when he addressed reporters in his office in Uyo on Saturday. Mr Omoregbe said the election was cancelled in all the 17 polling units as a result of reported snatching of election materials, including Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation Machine System (BIVAS) and others I just want to give a brief update on what has happened today, in the case of the rerun election. The fact is that we had about four Local Government Areas (LGAs) where we conducted election and one of them was in the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency We were there this morning early enough at about 8:30 a.m., polling units were opened. A couple of hours after we opened the polls, I received a call that BIVAS machines were hijacked. So, I knew from then that we were in for a tough time. Two hours after that, I received another report that was not good. So, the rerun election in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency has been cancelled, he said. Mr Omoregbe added: I received reports from the collation officers that supposed to collate the result in the area, that election did not hold. The whole exercise in those 17 polling units were marred by violence as materials were either hijacked, disrupted, or people were being chased, among other things of that nature. From the collation officers in the field who were supposed to collate, they all came back and had written reports, and the result sheets they supposed to fill are all here. Apparently, there was no election for now. On the other constituency of Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, I am still expecting to hear from them, but I believe at this point things went well. Perhaps, in the next couples of hours, the result will be declared. The REC said the commission would take a decision on the matter after a meeting in Abuja. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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 Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has approved the posting of the recently-promoted Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, to man the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), at Force Headquarters, Abuja. Mr Egbetokum was the supervising DIG for the South-west geo-political zone, prior to his new posting. This is contained in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday in Abuja. Mr Adejobi said that Mr Egbetokun hails from Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun, and holds a BSc. (Hons.) Degree in Mathematics Education, an MSc in Engineering Analysis, and a Master of Business Administration degree. He added that Mr Egbetokun attended various courses both at home and abroad, and served in various investigative, operational, and administrative capacities, including as Commander Rapid Response Squad (RSS), Lagos. According to him, the DIG was the Head, Anti-Fraud, FCT Command; Commissioner of Police in Kwara State amongst others and was until his recent promotion, the AIG in charge of Zone 7, Abuja, comprising the FCT and Niger. Mr Adejobi said the IGP also approved the postings and redeployment of 36 Commissioners of Police (CPs) to various commands and formations. Amongst the 36 CPs are; CP Operations, DOPS FHQ, Zubairu Abubakar; CP Homicide FCID Abuja, Fom Joseph; CP Railway, Lagos, Emuobo Ekokotu; CP Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Nemi Iwo; CP General Investigations FCID, Abuja, Salman Garba; and CP PAP Western Lagos, Dungus Monguno. Others are CP Police Mobile Force FHQ, Audu Dabigi; CP Anti-Fraud FCID Annex Lagos, Patrick Atayero; CP INEC Abuja, Olaiya Mobolaji; CP CCR, Olaolu Adegbite; and CP DFA Force Intelligence Bureau, Disu Rilwan. They also include CP Armament FCH Abuja, Mohammed Dalijan; Force Provost Marshal, CP Dan-Mamman Shawulu; CP Servicom, R&P, FHQ Abuja, Clement Robert; CP X-Squad FCID Abuja, Rhoda Olofu; CP Anti-Human Trafficking, Onah Sunny, and CP PAP Eastern, Yetunde Longe, and 19 others. The IGP has instructed all newly-posted and redeployed officers to strive to ensure that their commands, formations, and departments comply with the Police Reform mandate. He also tasked them to ensure compliance with all standard operating procedures in the discharge of their responsibilities. The posting is with immediate effect, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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. Islamist group, Boko Haram, has killed at least eleven civilians during an attack at Buni Gari in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State. Security sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the attack occurred between Thursday and Friday on the outskirts of Buni Gari. The Nigerian Army 27 Task Force Brigade fighting the insurgents, stationed in the Buni Gari, recovered the corpses of the victims in a bush on Friday morning. A source in the army revealed that the soldiers combed the bush on Friday after the attack which left the town in panic. How it started On Thursday, two residents of the Buni Gari community went into the bush to fetch firewood, they were caught by the insurgents, one of them identified as Abba Gawi, 40, was shot dead, and the terrorist group asked the other person to go home and report the incident and tell people to come and recover the corpse, a source in the military said. He rushed home and reported the incident in the community, the community members decided to go to the bush Friday morning to recover the corpse, believing that the terrorists might have left by then, unfortunately, they ambushed those who went to fetch the body of the slained civilian and killed some of them. Ten of them mostly youth were shot dead at close range after their hands were tight to their back. Other people escaped and reported the incident to the soldiers at the Buni Gari, the soldiers were already on alert following the gunshots from the attack. The soldiers, led by an officer identified only as Aro, a major, moved to the scene in combat gear and armour vehicles, unfortunately, the terrorists fled the scene, and the soldiers recovered eleven corpses of the residents in the bush including that of one person initially killed on Thursday. Its not yet clear whether the terrorists kidnap 15 other people as being speculated in the town. People from the community said some of their members are still missing, the military source told PREMIUM TIMES. The police spokesperson in Yobe Dungus Abdulkareem confirmed the incident to reporters. However, said nine people were killed by the terrorists in the incident. The police did not provide further information about those who were reported to have been abducted by the insurgent. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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. Voter apathy trailed Saturdays supplementary election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ebonyi State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was a low turnout of voters in some of the polling units visited in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state. The supplementary elections are taking place in some constituencies in the seven affected LGAs in Ebonyi, including Abakaliki, Afikpo North, Afikpo South, Ezza North, Ezza South, Ikwo and Ivo. The election is being conducted in Ikwo to elect the representative for Ikwo North constituency in Ebonyi House of Assembly. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the elections inconclusive in the areas due to violence and irregularities. In Ndiogadoshi playground, polling unit 017 ward 02 in Ikwo Local Government Area, NAN reports that INEC officials arrived with materials at 9:25 a.m. In Ugbodo village hall and Olua playground, INEC Officials were present but voter turnout was low. An INEC official, who spoke in anonymity, told NAN that accreditation was going smoothly but expressed concerns about the apathy among voters. The BVAS is working well and accreditation is ongoing, the official added. Some eligible voters, who spoke to NAN, cited indifference among other things, as reason for their lack of interest in the process. Joy Nwanchor, a trader, said she could not have interest any more after the general elections. The voting is just a waste of time and energy because the votes do not count in any way in this country, Nigeria. So, no need for me queueing for voting, Mrs Nwanchor stated. Another voter, Sunday Chukwu, also expressed worry over the election processes, pointing out that there was a need to revamp the electoral body to have credible and reliable elections in the country. I cannot go out because the last elections were not encouraging. Whether I vote or not a winner will emerge, Mr Chukwu added. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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 Children and Gender Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka, Anambra State, has remanded A 35-year-old man in prison for allegedly raping his brothers two-year-old baby. The suspect, Joseph Egwuatu, was said to have raped the victim when he visited his brothers residence and reportedly sent a relative, who was caring for the baby, to an errand. The incident happened in Nzam, a community in Anambra West Local Government Area of the state. Mr Egwuatu, a resident of the community, was arraigned before the court on Wednesday, and charged for raping the child, according to a statement on Friday by Chidinma Ikeanyiownu, a media aide to the State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo. The offence is punishable under section 34 (2) of the Childs Right Law of Anambra State, 2004, the statement said. The charge was read and interpreted to the defendant, to the satisfaction of the Court. However, the Magistrate Court did not (take) defendants plea because the case is triable by the High Court, Ms Ikeanyiownu said. She said before the charge was read to the defendant, who was not represented in court by a counsel, the Chief Magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe, duly informed the defendant of his constitutional right to a defence counsel of his choice. Mr Egwuatu, the suspect, while speaking to reporters after the court session, denied committing the alleged offence, claiming that he only opted to help babysit the child, according to the statement. The suspect also claimed that he stepped out to get a few things done, but that while coming back to the house, he heard the child crying and he decided to check on her; but to his shock, he saw the child in a pool of her own blood, with a lot of tears in her vagina, which left him bewildered. He further told reporters that it was at the moment that one of their relatives stepped in, raised alarm and began to tell everyone that he had raped the child. He also stated that he had never attempted to harm anyone, let alone his own blood. The victim had since been taken to hospital for proper medical attention, the statement added. Commissioner reacts Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra State, Mrs Obinabo, expressed sadness over the incident, Ms Ikeanyiownu said. Mrs Obinabo assured that her ministry would vigorously pursue justice for the victim and ensure that the defendant, if found guilty, is punished in accordance with the law. The commissioner also hinted that her ministry would embark on media sensitisation programme to educate and enlighten residents of the state about the dangers and negative consequences of rape, child molestation, child labour and child abuse among others. She urged the residents to abstain from all forms of social vices in the society, especially those which endanger the life of a child, just as she pleaded with everyone to contribute their quota in changing the society positively. Prohibited in Nigeria Nigeria in 2015 enacted the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act, which outlawed all forms of violence against women and girls, including rape, female circumcision and forceful ejection, among others. Offenders, on conviction, face life imprisonment or a maximum of 14-year jail term, depending on the age of the offender and the type of violence committed. Although Anambra was among the first 14 states that domesticated the anti-rape law, many states are yet to do so. Several persons have been convicted of rape, especially teenagers, across the country A Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, South-west Nigeria, in May, sentenced a dismissed police officer, Mohammed Alidu, to life imprisonment for raping a nine-year-old schoolgirl in a police barracks. The court, in July, also convicted a Nigerian actor, Olanrewaju James, alias Baba Ijesha, of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. No criminal case will be initiated against the provocateur who burned the Azerbaijani flag in Yerevan, lawyer Alexander Kochubaev told journalists, Trend reports. "At the initial stage of the investigation, the investigative body noted the absence of corpus delicti. According to preliminary information, no criminal case will be initiated. Aram Nikolyan was released. A decision was made to refuse to initiate a criminal case, it was sent to the prosecutor for approval," he said. Moreover, a provocation was committed against Azerbaijan during the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championship in Armenia. Nikolyan, who is a designer and stylist, ran onto the stage, took the Azerbaijani flag from the hands of the flag bearer and burned it in front of everyone. In the footage, you can see that Nikolyan has an accreditation certificate. According to the Armenian press, he is considered a member of the organizing team and the person responsible for the design of the clothes of the show participants. 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 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Thursday that the supplementary election for the governorship seat in Adamawa State, north-east Nigeria, will be held in 69 polling units in 20 of the 21 local government areas of the state. Today, all eyes will be on the two major contenders incumbent governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and Aishatu Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) PREMIUM TIMES reported that INEC declared the 18 March governorship election in the state inconclusive after it cancelled the election in 69 polling units in the state following reported incidents of violence and overvoting. After the first round of voting last month, Mr Fintiri led with 421,524 votes while Binani scored 390,275 votes, thus, trailing with 31,249 votes. Other candidates in the election stand no chance of victory. They include Umar Ardo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who came a distant third with 6,865 votes. Others are Saad Tahir of NNPP, Mohammed Shuwa of ADC, Baba Inna of PRP, Husseini Tahir of AA, Babangida Umaru of ADP, Yahya Cholli of APGA, Babajo Bello of APM, Adam Isa of APP, Abba Maina of NRM, Maigana Musa of YPP, and Dadou Amron of ZLP. Among the governorship candidates, only Mustapha Otumba of the Labour Party withdrew from the race, on 23 February. He declared his support for Binani. Since the election was declared inconclusive, none of the fringe candidates has withdrawn from the rerun election despite having no chance of victory. Binanis Herculean Task Binani faces a herculean task in her bid to become Nigerias first woman to be elected state governor. She currently trails the incumbent with 31,249 votes. However, in the 69 polling units where elections were cancelled, the total number of registered voters is 42,785 while the Permanent Voters Cards PVCs collected in those polling units were 36,935. This means Binani will need to ensure that virtually all the eligible voters vote during the rerun and she must score about 90 per cent of the votes. Possibility of Election Petition The APC candidate, earlier in an interview on Channels Television, asked INEC to review the results of the governorship election in some local governments where she disagreed with the number of votes scored by the PDP candidate. She accused the governor and the PDP of using violence to manipulate the election, alleging that INEC ad-hoc staff were not present in some polling centres. Binani said although she is not afraid of running against the incumbent governor in a supplementary election, there is a need for a review of previous results. I am never afraid but all I am asking is that the INEC should conduct a review of the said LGAs so that it will bring out the real figures for all the candidates. That is just all I am asking and as soon as that is done, we would be home and dry and then we will be confident to go back to the field. That is just all I am asking, she said. INEC is, however, proceeding with the supplementary elections without reviewing the already declared results thus leaving Binani with the option of challenging the results at the election petition tribunal. On his part, Mr Fintiri told BBC Hausa service that he is confident of winning the rescheduled election. I have never lost sleep over the inconclusive election declared by INEC, because Im sure that at the end of it all, I will win. I have that belief, God the Almighty will give me victory. Even in the 2019 election, it happened that way, it was the same thing. The election was declared inconclusive by the INEC, and the margin of the vote between me and my challenger was less than the votes cancelled. The margin in 2019 was 32,000 votes then and the votes cancelled was over 40,000. When the inconclusive election was held, out of the 40,000 only 10,000 voted and I got almost 10,000 votes, Mr Fintiri said. INEC, Police prepared The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa, Hudu Ari, on Wednesday, said the commission is set for the governorship election. He told leaders of political parties that only one party agent accredited by the commission will be allowed at each polling unit and collation centre during the election. Mr Ari said the commission is committed to conducting a free, credible and all-inclusive election as it has no any favoured candidate. He urged relevant security agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute anyone involved in violent conduct including statements capable of inciting violence. Also, the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Muhammad Barde, cautioned politicians and their supporters against disrupting the April 15 governorship and state constituency elections in the state. Mr Barde who spoke during the Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting at the Adamawa INEC collation centre, Yola, on Thursday, said the police would be tough on proponents of violence. We promise to provide adequate security to enable INEC to conduct the exercise peacefully, the police commissioner said. At the event, the Adamawa State Director of State Security Service, Babagana Bulama, also expressed his agencys preparedness. He said that apart from the personnel they have on the ground, they are expecting reinforcement from their national headquarters as well as from Gombe and Taraba states. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print 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 Nigerian Army has refuted the alleged invasion of the residence of Emeka Ugwuoke, a retired colonel, and forceful eviction of his wife and children from his apartment in Enugu State. The army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. The retired colonels story Mr Ugwuoke had alleged that over 40 armed soldiers from 82 Division of the Nigerian Army had stormed his residence at about 1:15 a.m. on Wednesday to carry out the forceful eviction. The retired colonel said the invasion of his apartment by the soldiers and the forceful ejection of his family, followed his longstanding squabble between him and military authorities in the state over ownership of the apartment. The apartment is along Abakaliki Road, within an estate at the Government Residential Area in the south-eastern state. He claimed he bought the apartment from the Enugu State Government some years ago and that he had presented documents showing evidence of the acquisition but army authorities in Enugu allegedly refused to listen to him. Nigerian army speaks The Nigerian has denied the allegations. Mr Nwachukwu, a brigadier-general, said the apartment is part of the properties accommodating army officers in Enugu for over two decades, which are owned by the federal government. The army spokesperson, in a statement, said the apartment was allocated to Mr Ugwoke as his official residence, as a major in the army posted to the military intelligence brigade of the division and later reposted to the intelligence group as the deputy commander of the group in the division in 2007. The officer continued to occupy the house even after he was posted out of the division, sequel to his plea that his family be allowed to remain in Enugu for convenience, rather than moving them from place to place. It is however later discovered that the retired senior officer dubiously used the official letter head of his office on three different occasions to solicit the monetisation of the house through some officials of the Enugu State Government, Mr Nwachukwu said. He claimed that the army authorities would later observe in 2020 that the retired colonel was attempting to wrongly appropriate to himself the official quarters which was still the property of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army through the state government, prompting the divisions authorities to set up a committee to ascertain the status of the property. READ ALSO: The army spokesperson said the committee found, among others, that the apartment is among the properties owned by the Nigerian government and occupied by the parastatals and agencies of the federal and state governments after the civil war. This fact is corroborated by the search on the property from the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development which confirmed that there was no record of ownership of the property in its archive, he said. The committee also found that the apartment was among properties handed over to the division by an unnamed past administrator to ameliorate its accommodation challenges. It further found that the said property was not among 26 residential quarters officially handed over to the Enugu State Government in 2015. It is worthy of note that officers of the Nigerian army occupying institutionalised houses are expected to vacate such accommodation while on posting or retirement. However, the retired senior officer failed to comply, knowing fully of the rippling effects on accommodation status of other posted in and serving officers, the army spokesperson stated. No brutality Mr Ugwoke, the retired colonel, had alleged that his wife and children were brutalised by the soldiers who evicted them from the apartment. But Mr Nwachukwu described the allegation as outright falsehood intended to whip up undue sentiments. He stressed that the Nigerian army is a disciplined institution with utmost regard for the family institution and the vulnerable, particularly women and children. Emphatically, neither the wife nor children were brutalised, and no property was damaged in the process of eviction. The retired senior officers belongings were simply transferred from the house in question to his personal house at number 127 Park Avenue, GRA Enugu, to pave way for other serving officers to be accommodated, the spokesperson said. This was after serving the retired officer three previous official notices and several appeals for him to vacate the property after his retirement in 2021. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Danco Laboratories: Mifeprex FDA Approvals Remain Unchanged, April 14, 2023 NEW YORK, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This afternoon, the US Supreme Court issued an administrative stay of the April 7 order from Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas. This administrative stay, which runs until midnight on April 19, is a temporary measure that contemplates the Court ruling by then on applications from Danco and the federal government for a broader stay. The April 7 order suspended FDA's 2000 approval of Mifeprex and subsequent FDA actions regarding the drug, to be in effect while the underlying lawsuit challenging the approval proceeds. Danco and the federal government appealed that order to the Fifth Circuit, which removed the 2000 approval suspension, but kept in place the suspension of the subsequent FDA actions. Danco and the government then appealed to the Supreme Court for a stay of all of Judge Kacsmaryk's order. The administrative stay issued today stops Judge Kacsmaryk's order for the time necessary for the Supreme Court to rule on the requests for a full stay. The administrative stay means that the approved status of Mifeprex remains unchanged, including the 2023 revisions to the REMS that allow for dispensing from certified pharmacies and by mail. The ability to order and receive Mifeprex is therefore unaffected while the stay is in effect, and will continue if the Supreme Court grants the broader stay during the litigation. "We are gratified by this action by the Supreme Court," said Abby Long, Danco's Director of Marketing and Public Affairs. "It is temporary, but we look forward to the careful consideration we know the Court will give to these important issues." Because of the Court's administrative stay, Mifeprex remains approved for use through 70 days' gestation and with the dosing regimen approved in 2016. "Danco remains committed to working with healthcare providers, patients and state and federal governments to make Mifeprex available and accessible," Long said. Over 5 million women have used Mifeprex in the United States since its approval for the termination of early pregnancy in 2000. Mifeprex is ~97% effective in terminating early pregnancy; approximately 3% of women will require surgical intervention for ongoing pregnancy, heavy bleeding, incomplete expulsion, or other reasons such as patient request. MIFEPREX: Important Safety Information WARNING: SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS OR BLEEDING Serious and sometimes fatal infections and bleeding occur very rarely following spontaneous, surgical, and medical abortions, including following MIFEPREX use. No causal relationship between the use of MIFEPREX and misoprostol and these events has been established. Atypical Presentation of Infection. Patients with serious bacterial infections and sepsis can present without fever, bacteremia or significant findings on pelvic examination. A high index of suspicion is needed to rule out serious infection and sepsis. Prolonged heavy bleeding may be a sign of incomplete abortion or other complications and prompt medical or surgical intervention may be needed. MIFEPREX is only available through a restricted program called the Mifepristone REMS Program. Before prescribing MIFEPREX, inform the patient about these risks. Ensure the patient knows whom to call and what to do if she experiences sustained fever, severe abdominal pain, prolonged heavy bleeding, or syncope, or if she experiences abdominal pain or discomfort or general malaise for more than 24 hours after taking misoprostol. Contraindications Administration of MIFEPREX and misoprostol for the termination of pregnancy is contraindicated in patients with any of the following conditions: Confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy or undiagnosed adnexal mass (the treatment procedure will not be effective to terminate an ectopic pregnancy) Chronic adrenal failure (risk of acute renal insufficiency) Concurrent long-term corticosteroid therapy (risk of acute renal insufficiency) History of allergy to mifepristone, misoprostol, or other prostaglandins (allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, angioedema, rash, hives, and itching have been reported) Hemorrhagic disorders or concurrent anticoagulant therapy (risk of heavy bleeding) Inherited porphyrias (risk of worsening or of precipitation of attacks) Use of MIFEPREX and misoprostol for termination of intrauterine pregnancy is contraindicated in patients with an intrauterine device ("IUD") in place (the IUD might interfere with pregnancy termination). If the IUD is removed, MIFEPREX may be used. Warnings and Precautions Infection and Sepsis As with other types of abortion, cases of serious bacterial infection, including very rare cases of fatal septic shock, have been reported following the use of MIFEPREX. Healthcare providers evaluating a patient who is undergoing a medical abortion should be alert to the possibility of this rare event. A sustained (> 4 hours) fever of 100.4F or higher, severe abdominal pain, or pelvic tenderness in the days after a medical abortion may be an indication of infection. A high index of suspicion is needed to rule out sepsis if a patient reports abdominal pain, discomfort, or general malaise (including weakness, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea) more than 24 hours after taking misoprostol. Very rarely, deaths have been reported in patients who presented without fever, with or without abdominal pain, but with leukocytosis with a marked left shift, tachycardia, hemoconcentration, and general malaise. Uterine Bleeding Uterine bleeding occurs in almost all patients during a medical abortion. Prolonged heavy bleeding (soaking through two thick full-size sanitary pads per hour for two consecutive hours) may be a sign of incomplete abortion or other complications and prompt medical or surgical intervention may be needed to prevent the development of hypovolemic shock. Counsel patients to seek immediate medical attention if they experience prolonged heavy vaginal bleeding following a medical abortion. Excessive uterine bleeding usually requires treatment by uterotonics, vasoconstrictor drugs, surgical uterine evacuation, administration of saline infusions, and/or blood transfusions. Because heavy bleeding requiring surgical uterine evacuation occurs in about 1% of patients, special care should be given to patients with hemostatic disorders, hypocoagulability, or severe anemia. Mifepristone REMS Program MIFEPREX is available only through a restricted program under a REMS called the Mifepristone REMS Program, because of the risks of serious complications. Notable requirements of the Mifepristone REMS Program include the following: Prescribers must be certified with the program by completing the Prescriber Agreement Form. Patients must sign a Patient Agreement Form. MIFEPREX must only be dispensed to patients by or under the supervision of a certified prescriber, or by certified pharmacies on prescriptions issued by certified prescribers. Ectopic Pregnancy MIFEPREX is contraindicated in patients with a confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy because MIFEPREX is not effective for terminating ectopic pregnancies. Healthcare providers should remain alert to the possibility that a patient who is undergoing a medical abortion could have an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy because some of the expected symptoms experienced with a medical abortion (abdominal pain, uterine bleeding) may be similar to those of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Women who became pregnant with an IUD in place should be assessed for ectopic pregnancy. Rhesus Immunization The use of MIFEPREX is assumed to require the same preventive measures as those taken prior to and during surgical abortion to prevent rhesus immunization. Adverse Reactions Most common adverse reactions (>15%) are nausea, weakness, fever/chills, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, and dizziness. The frequency of adverse reactions varies between studies and may be dependent on many factors including the patient population and gestational age. This is the Important Safety Information. For more information, please see the Full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING and Medication Guide, available at www.earlyoptionpill.com . SOURCE Danco Laboratories BEIJING, April 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr Liu Jincheng, Chairman of EVE Energy, a leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer, was invited to speak at the 2023 China EV100 Forum, a three-day event focusing on the development of China's electric vehicle industry. Dr Liu's keynote speech titled "A New Stage for EVE Energy's Power Battery Development" shared insights on the current situation of batteries, challenges in fast charging technology, and the outlook for future development. Chairman of EVE Energy: Dr Liu Jincheng The China EV100 Forum is organized by China EV100, and co-hosted by Tsinghua University, the China Society of Automotive Engineers, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, and the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute. The event aims to promote the modernization of China's automobile industry and features discussions on global industry development trends, high-quality development of new energy vehicles, China's intelligent connected vehicle development strategy, and trends in core industry supply chains such as power batteries. "This is the second time EVE Energy has attended the China EV100 Forum. Our long-term strategy is to develop our lithium-ion battery technology and maintain a steady business structure with consumer batteries, power batteries, and energy storage batteries," said Dr Liu. "In addition, we have strengthened our cooperation with leading companies in the supply chain since 2018 and invested in more than 20 joint ventures to ensure supply and cost control." Dr Liu discussed the current state of the power storage battery industry, specifically in relation to lithium-ion batteries. He mentioned that developing these batteries is a long-term commitment due to the testing required to ensure their lifespan, which can take several years. He also emphasized the importance of having a long-term perspective when entering the industry and developing a sustained work ethic, even in the dynamic fields of power storage and batteries. His speech then covered the challenges and practical approaches to fast-charging technology. Dr Liu revealed that focusing on cost and lightweight designs is the current trend in the power battery industry. Safety used to be the primary concern, but after years of effort, it has been adequately addressed. Now, the focus is on optimizing the battery structure and cost. He believes fast-charging technology and network construction are critical to solving the final bottleneck problem affecting electric vehicles' development. In addition, Dr Liu suggested that improving fast charging to around ten minutes will significantly reduce the social cost of using electric vehicles. He also explained that EVE Energy had conducted successful fast-charging trials in Guangdong and Hubei, and they plan to expand further in partnership with companies in Huizhou and Jingmen. He also suggested that direct current should be used for superfast charging, as it doesn't require large-scale charging stations. Commenting on his outlook for the industry's development, Dr Liu stated that in the past two years, the company had focused on improving the performance of electric vehicle batteries by optimizing space and structure through design and thermal management. This has led to increased battery capacity and improved space utilization, which in turn has enabled longer driving ranges. One example of this approach he cited was the use of large cylindrical LFP batteries, which feature a new structural design improving space utilization and reducing the number of structural components, thereby lowering costs. For more information about EVE Energy, please visit https://www.evebattery.com/en. About EVE Energy Founded in 2001 and listed in Shenzhen in 2009, EVE Energy has developed into a global player in the market, providing core technologies and comprehensive solutions for both consumer and power batteries, especially in the Internet of Things and the energy internet. Currently, EVE Energy has set up a research institute with 60 doctors and over 3,400 interdisciplinary R&D engineers in materials, electrochemistry, structure design, and electronic circuit design, obtained over 5,910 national patents in China. The company launched a carbon reduction roadmap with a series of low-carbon reduction efforts in energy use, the manufacturing process, the supply chain, and resource management, and was named a "National Green Factory." SOURCE EVE Energy Co., Ltd BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Foreign countries military attaches, accredited to the Republic of Azerbaijan, visited the Academy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports, citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The visitors laid flowers at the bust of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, and paid tribute to the memory of the Great Leader. The Chief of the academy, Major General Baba Salayev informed the military attaches about the history of the educational institution, its activities, the upcoming goals and the educational process. Then an informative video was shown to the visitors. After the briefing, the military attaches visited the Heydar Aliyev Center in the territory of the academy. They got acquainted with a photo board depicting the political and social activities of the Great Leader. Thereafter, the guests visited the territory of the educational institution, library, laboratory, museum, canteen, sports, training complexes and educational buildings, watched the educational process with the cadets. In the end a photo was taken. NEW YORK, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The false eyelashes market size is expected to grow by USD 390.36 million from 2022 to 2027, progressing at a CAGR of 5.25%, as per the latest Technavio market research report. APAC is estimated to account for 35% of the market's overall growth. Another region offering significant growth opportunities to vendors is North America. The market for false eyelashes in the region is driven by a number of factors, including the rising number of working women, higher income and purchasing power, and the growing awareness about personal grooming and makeup. The introduction of customizable false eyelashes by companies such as Velour, an increase in celebrity endorsement, and social media influence also aid the growth of the false eyelashes market. Hence, all such factors will boost the regional market growth during the forecast period. For more insights on the market share of various geographical regions - Download a sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global False Eyelashes Market 2023-2027 False Eyelashes Market: Rising Awareness about Eye Makeup to Drive Growth The growing working women population is a factor that is expected to fuel the market growth for the false eyelashes market during the forecast period. Young and wealthy women are the primary target market for eye makeup products. To cater to the shifting consumer preferences and fashion trends, vendors in the market release new products. This results in market expansion as a result of ongoing product innovation and rising beauty consciousness. Additionally, the growing working women population resulted in an increasing number of households with two incomes, which, in turn, will boost the market growth during the forecast period. False Eyelashes Market: Multichannel Marketing An emerging trend in the false eyelashes market that is expected to impact market growth is multichannel marketing. Shoppers using multiple channels, both online or offline usually combine their purchases. Since consumers now shop at their convenience and have lower brand loyalty, manufacturers tend to take efforts to make sure that their products are easily accessible to consumers. If a brand's product is unavailable on the shelf, consumers tend to buy other brand products. Hence, brands have to ensure that their product is accessible to customers at any given marketplace or time. Hence, multichannel marketing is a major trend for the growth of the global market during the forecast period. To know about more drivers, trends analysis along with various market challenges - Download a sample now! Some of the key False Eyelashes Market Players: The false eyelashes market is fragmented, and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. Acelashes, Babil Lashes Factory Co., Bella Lash Extensions, Blink Lash Store, Esqido Ltd., Gianni Lashes, Gold Lashes Group, HB USA Holdings Inc., House of Lashes, Jauntsky Arts and Crafts Co. Ltd., JTFIL False Eyelash Co. Ltd., KISS Products Inc., Lash Affair, Lemer Lashes, Lilly Lashes LLC, NovaLash, Parfums de Coeur Ltd., PT. Bio Takara, Qingdao Elour Beauty, and The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. are some of the major market players. The report provides a full list of key vendors, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now False Eyelashes Market: Segmentation Analysis This market research report segments the false eyelashes market by distribution channel (offline and online), type (synthetic and natural), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The market share growth by the offline segment will be significant for the market growth during the forecast period. Offline channels enable users to choose from a wide range of brands through specialty stores; hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, warehouse clubs; and others (drugstores, salons and spas, department stores, and medical care centers). The eye makeup market has also been gaining visibility and reach owing to the growing presence of organized retail stores, which stock a variety of products from numerous brands. Additionally, customers seeking a large selection of goods in particular product categories frequently visit specialty retailers such as Sephora, which is a major retailer of beauty and personal care products. Hence, it is anticipated that during the forecast period, the offline segment will propel the growth of the global market. For additional information on the market contribution of each segment - Grab an Exclusive Sample Report Related Reports: The eye makeup market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.93% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecasted to increase by USD 5.83 billion. This eye makeup market report extensively covers market segmentation by distribution channel (offline and online), type (eyes liners, eye shadows, false lashes, and others), and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The increasing working women population is notably driving the market growth. The makeup base market share is expected to increase by USD 7.86 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 4.73%. The report extensively covers makeup base market segmentation by product (foundation, powder, concealer, and primer), distribution channel (offline and online), and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The growing demand among millennial consumers is one of the key drivers supporting the makeup base market growth. Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports for exponential growth and enhanced business outcomes. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform False Eyelashes Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.25% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 390.36 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 4.65 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 35% Key countries US, Canada, China, UK, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Acelashes, Babil Lashes Factory Co., Bella Lash Extensions, Blink Lash Store, Esqido Ltd., Gianni Lashes, Gold Lashes Group, HB USA Holdings Inc., House of Lashes, Jauntsky Arts and Crafts Co. Ltd., JTFIL False Eyelash Co. Ltd., KISS Products Inc., Lash Affair, Lemer Lashes, Lilly Lashes LLC, NovaLash, Parfums de Coeur Ltd., PT. Bio Takara, Qingdao Elour Beauty, and The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Browse for Technavio's Consumer Staples Reports Key Topics Covered: 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Type Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 09: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 10: Parent market Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 13: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2022 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027 Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 4 Historic Market Size 4.1 Global false eyelashes market 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size Data Table on Global false eyelashes market 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.2 Distribution channel Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size Distribution channel Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.3 Type Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size Type Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 5 Five Forces Analysis 5.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027 5.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027 5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.7 Market condition Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027 6 Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel 6.1 Market segments Exhibit 30: Chart on Distribution Channel - Market share 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Distribution Channel - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 6.2 Comparison by Distribution Channel Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Distribution Channel Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Distribution Channel 6.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 34: Chart on Offline - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Offline - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 36: Chart on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 38: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 40: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 41: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.5 Market opportunity by Distribution Channel Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Distribution Channel ($ million) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market opportunity by Distribution Channel ($ million) 7 Market Segmentation by Type 7.1 Market segments Exhibit 44: Chart on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 45: Data Table on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 7.2 Comparison by Type Exhibit 46: Chart on Comparison by Type Exhibit 47: Data Table on Comparison by Type 7.3 Synthetic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 48: Chart on Synthetic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 49: Data Table on Synthetic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 50: Chart on Synthetic - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 51: Data Table on Synthetic - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.4 Natural - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 52: Chart on Natural - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 53: Data Table on Natural - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 54: Chart on Natural - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Natural - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.5 Market opportunity by Type Exhibit 56: Market opportunity by Type ($ million) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Market opportunity by Type ($ million) 8 Customer Landscape 8.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 58: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 9 Geographic Landscape 9.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 59: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 60: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%) 9.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 61: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 62: Data Table on Geographic comparison 9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 63: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 65: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 66: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.4 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 67: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 69: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 70: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 71: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 73: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 74: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 75: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 77: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 78: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 79: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 81: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 82: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 83: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 84: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 85: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 86: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 87: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 88: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 89: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 90: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.10 Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 91: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 92: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 93: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 94: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.11 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 95: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 96: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 97: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 98: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.12 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 99: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 100: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 101: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 102: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 103: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) Exhibit 104: Data Tables on Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10.1 Market drivers 10.2 Market challenges 10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 105: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027 10.4 Market trends 11 Vendor Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 106: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 11.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 107: Overview on factors of disruption 11.4 Industry risks Exhibit 108: Impact of key risks on business 12 Vendor Analysis 12.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 109: Vendors covered 12.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 110: Matrix on vendor position and classification 12.3 Acelashes Exhibit 111: Acelashes - Overview Exhibit 112: Acelashes - Product / Service Exhibit 113: Acelashes - Key offerings 12.4 Babil Lashes Factory Co. Exhibit 114: Babil Lashes Factory Co. - Overview Exhibit 115: Babil Lashes Factory Co. - Product / Service Exhibit 116: Babil Lashes Factory Co. - Key offerings 12.5 Blink Lash Store Exhibit 117: Blink Lash Store - Overview Exhibit 118: Blink Lash Store - Product / Service Exhibit 119: Blink Lash Store - Key offerings 12.6 Gold Lashes Group Exhibit 120: Gold Lashes Group - Overview Exhibit 121: Gold Lashes Group - Product / Service Exhibit 122: Gold Lashes Group - Key offerings 12.7 House of Lashes Exhibit 123: House of Lashes - Overview Exhibit 124: House of Lashes - Product / Service Exhibit 125: House of Lashes - Key offerings 12.8 Jauntsky Arts and Crafts Co. Ltd. Exhibit 126: Jauntsky Arts and Crafts Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 127: Jauntsky Arts and Crafts Co. Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 128: Jauntsky Arts and Crafts Co. Ltd. - Key offerings 12.9 JTFIL False Eyelash Co. Ltd. Exhibit 129: JTFIL False Eyelash Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 130: JTFIL False Eyelash Co. Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 131: JTFIL False Eyelash Co. Ltd. - Key offerings 12.10 Lash Affair Exhibit 132: Lash Affair - Overview Exhibit 133: Lash Affair - Product / Service Exhibit 134: Lash Affair - Key offerings 12.11 Lemer Lashes Exhibit 135: Lemer Lashes - Overview Exhibit 136: Lemer Lashes - Product / Service Exhibit 137: Lemer Lashes - Key offerings 12.12 Lilly Lashes LLC Exhibit 138: Lilly Lashes LLC - Overview Exhibit 139: Lilly Lashes LLC - Product / Service Exhibit 140: Lilly Lashes LLC - Key offerings 12.13 NovaLash Exhibit 141: NovaLash - Overview Exhibit 142: NovaLash - Product / Service Exhibit 143: NovaLash - Key offerings 12.14 Parfums de Coeur Ltd. Exhibit 144: Parfums de Coeur Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 145: Parfums de Coeur Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 146: Parfums de Coeur Ltd. - Key offerings 12.15 PT. Bio Takara Exhibit 147: PT . Bio Takara - Overview . - Overview Exhibit 148: PT . Bio Takara - Product / Service . - Product / Service Exhibit 149: PT . Bio Takara - Key offerings 12.16 Qingdao Elour Beauty Exhibit 150: Qingdao Elour Beauty - Overview Exhibit 151: Qingdao Elour Beauty - Product / Service Exhibit 152: Qingdao Elour Beauty - Key offerings 12.17 The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. Exhibit 153: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Overview Exhibit 154: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 155: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Key offerings 13 Appendix 13.1 Scope of the report 13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 156: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 157: Exclusions checklist 13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 158: Currency conversion rates for US$ 13.4 Research methodology Exhibit 159: Research methodology Exhibit 160: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 161: Information sources 13.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 162: List of abbreviations About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio HAIKOU, China, April 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Hainan International Media Center (HIMC): The 3rd China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE, or Hainan Expo) is underway in Haikou City, the capital of China's southernmost province, Hainan. The Hainan Expo has presented boutique brands worldwide with broad business prospects as numerous enterprises from outside China look to the Hainan Free Trade Port to leapfrog their entry into the Chinese market. The exhibition halls at Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center were packed with visitors as the 1st public open day of the 3rd CICPE gets underway on April 14, 2023. The Pernod Ricard pavilion at the 3rd CICPE On April 10, the day the CICPE opened, Indonesia's largest coffee company, Kapal Api Group, opened up their first-ever location in China at Haikou's N Park Mall, in conjunction with Hainan's Mushan Coffee. "The policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port will provide a wealth of convenience when it comes to importing and processing products. This is why Kapal Api has chosen to set up in Hainan as a springboard for access to the Chinese market," Robin Setyono, CEO of Kapal Api Group, said that his company would join hands with Hainan's Mushan Coffee to expand into the Chinese coffee market. At this year's Hainan Expo, the global cosmetics giant Estee Lauder Companies exhibited 14 of its signature brands. On April 11, at the pavilion opening, the Global President of Estee Lauder Travel Retail Worldwide, Israel Assa, announced that the group would continue expanding its business in Hainan and innovating to improve tourists' buying experience with fresh scenarios and ground-breaking, high-quality products. During the CICPE, Estee Lauder signed a cooperation agreement with the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development and Haikou Comprehensive Bonded Zone Management Committee and announced that the group's Asia-Pacific travel retail logistics center and China area headquarters would be set up in the Hainan Free Trade Port. Top global wines and spirits seller Pernod Ricard has exhibited at the CICPE for three consecutive years and brought several of its brands to the expo this year, including famed cognac producer Martell. It announced that Sanya, a city on Hainan's southern coast, would be the second location of Martell's mangrove ecosystem protection program. Over 3300 premium brands from 65 countries and regions are exhibiting at this year's Hainan Expo. Statistics show that between April 10 and April 14, over 240,000 visitors filed into Hainan International Conference and Exhibition Center, the venue for the CICPE, to take a look at the latest in consumer products from around the globe. SOURCE Hainan International Media Center (HIMC) DUBLIN, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Trends and Technologies Poised to Change the Paradigm of Healthcare Delivery and Outcomes" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This analysis covers technologies enabling these trends, stakeholders, and impact factors, and includes roadmaps of these emerging trends and technologies. Industry initiatives, including industry activities, funding, and federal initiatives, are also analyzed. The healthcare industry is undergoing a massive transformation, with a high focus on personalization and patient-centric care. It is embracing digital transformation and becoming more consumer-/patient friendly. The changing socioeconomic landscape, the high prevalence of chronic diseases, the massive COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenge of resource limitations have driven the healthcare industry to develop unique technology innovations to address these issues. Understanding the industry landscape and the emerging technologies and research, the publisher has identified the top 4 emerging trends shaping the future of healthcare. Envisioning the 2025 scenario, we have identified precision medicine, digital transformation, decentralized healthcare, and preventive healthcare as the most critical healthcare trends of the future. Key Topics Covered: 1. Strategic Imperatives Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow? The Strategic Imperative The Strategic Imperative The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on the healthcare industry Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine Research Methodology 2. Growth Opportunity Analysis Healthcare Sector Transformation: 2025 Scenario Evolving Healthcare Industry Through Digital Transformation Emerging Healthcare Trends Mapping of Technologies and Trends Growth Drivers Growth Restraints Research Scope 3. Healthcare Trend No 1: Precision Medicine Macro-to-Micro Vision and Implications Implementation of Precision Medicine The Dynamics of Precision Medicine Technology Developments that Advance Precision Medicine Precision Medicine: Applications Precision Medicine: Technology Innovation Universe Precision Medicine: Incentivization, Interoperability, and Sustainable Policies will Drive Growth Precision Medicine Stakeholder Snapshot Precision Medicine: Current Gaps and Potential Opportunities Precision Medicine: Impact Factors and Development Roadmap 4. Healthcare Trend No 2: Digital Transformation Macro-to-Micro Vision and Implications Digital Transformation Improving Consumer Experience, and Providing Patient-centric Healthcare Digital Technologies Transforming The Healthcare Industry Digital Transformation Impacting Different Sections of Healthcare Industry Emerging Technologies Enabling Digital Transformation in Healthcare Stakeholder Ecosystem of Healthcare Digital Transformation Key Trends and Impact Factors, Roadmap of Digital Transformation 5. Healthcare Trend No 3: Decentralized Healthcare Macro-to-Micro Vision and Implications Decentralized Healthcare to Ensure Continuum of Care Decentralized Healthcare and Technologies Enabling the Trends Technology Innovations Enabling Decentralized Care Advanced Medical Device Technologies Enabling Decentralized Healthcare Advanced Medical Imaging Technologies Enabling Decentralized Healthcare Advanced Medical Diagnostic Technologies Enabling Decentralized Healthcare Digital Technologies Enabling Decentralized Healthcare Stakeholder Ecosystem of Decentralized Healthcare Key Trends and Impact Factors, Decentralized Healthcare Technology Roadmap of Technologies Enabling Decentralized Healthcare 6. Healthcare Trend No 4: Preventive and Predictive Healthcare Macro-to-Micro Vision and Implications What is the Role of Preventive and Proactive Healthcare? What is Driving the Adoption of Preventive Healthcare? The Dynamics of Proactive and Preventive Healthcare Preventive Healthcare - Implications Stakeholder Ecosystem of Preventive Healthcare Emerging Opportunities and Technology Trends in Preventive Healthcare Key Trends and Impact Factors, Roadmap of Preventive Health 7. Industry Initiatives Industry Initiatives Towards Precision Medicine Industry Initiatives: Strong Investment Portfolio to Bolster Precision Medicine High Funding Toward Home Care, At-home Diagnostics Industry Initiatives Toward Decentralized Healthcare Emerging Role of Federal Bodies for Decentralized Healthcare Largest Healthcare Industry Players Refocusing on Digital Transformation Digital Transformation Highlighted in Digital Health Funding Landscape 8. Growth Opportunity Universe Growth Opportunity 1: Inclusive and Diverse Genomic Research Growth Opportunity 2: Virtual Hospitals Growth Opportunity 3: Omnichannel Healthcare for Providers 9. Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bvryu5 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets NEW YORK, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of VBit Technologies Corp., VBit Mining LLC (Collectively, "VBit") securities, which were unregistered in the form of investment contracts, between January 1, 2019 and February 13, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 17, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased VBit securities, which were in the form of investment contracts, during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the VBit class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12202 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 17, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. 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 handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. 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 firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants violated provisions of the Exchange Act by making false and misleading statements and omitting material information concerning VBit's mining operations. The lawsuit also alleges that defendants violated the Securities Act by offering, selling and soliciting unregistered securities. To join the VBit class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12202 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. 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 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. PenFed Credit Union donated $50,000 to Honor Flight Network to sponsor historic flight from San Juan to Washington, D.C. April 12-14, 2023 TYSONS, Va., April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Two dozen Puerto Rican veterans arrived at San Juan Airport to thunderous applause, live music and an enthusiastic crowd waving American and Puerto Rican flags. The vets returned from the first Honor Flight in history from the island to Washington, D.C. where they visited the monuments and memorials built in their honor. PenFed Credit Union, the nation's second-largest federal credit union, partnered with the Honor Flight Network to make this unprecedented, all-expense paid trip a reality. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9150251-penfed-credit-union-honor-flight-veterans-puerto-rico/ "PenFed loves Puerto Rico. PenFed loves veterans. Sponsoring this Honor Flight for Puerto Rican veterans was not only the trip of a lifetime for them, but it was also a beautiful way to express our gratitude and appreciation for their service and sacrifice," said PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO, James Schenck. "It was an honor to be in San Juan at the airport to welcome them home." The Honor Flight trip included veterans who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. One veteran, 101-year-old Angel Acevedo Bernal served in all three conflicts. "When I heard about PenFed sponsoring this trip, it didn't surprise me. What they say is what they do. PenFed made our dreams come true," said Jose Irizarry, a Vietnam veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne Division. "I saw a Korean War veteran crying because he felt that everything he went through was erased today. We really appreciate this. A lot." The distinguished veterans visited several iconic locations in our nation's capital, including the WWII, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, as well as Arlington National Cemetery. "PenFed's generosity helped make this flight possible. The Honor Flight Network was proud to partner with the credit union to make this inspiring and emotional journey a reality for Puerto Rican veterans," said Honor Flight Network CEO, Meredith Rosenbeck. "Honor Flight trips provide veterans with an empowering sense of camaraderie and in many cases, closure." About PenFed Credit Union Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is America's second-largest federal credit union, serving 2.8 million members worldwide with $35.5 billion in assets. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading certificates, checking, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and a wide range of other financial services. Our mission is to empower members of our community to achieve their financial well-being. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow us @PenFed on Twitter. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on LinkedIn. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. About Honor Flight Network The Honor Flight Network was formed in 2005 with a mission of honoring our nation's veterans by bringing them to Washington, DC to visit the memorials and monuments dedicated to their service and sacrifice. The Honor Flight Network is currently comprised of over 130 hubs throughout the country dedicated to carrying out the Honor Flight mission. In addition to World War II veterans, the organization transports those who served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, intermediary operations, and in special cases of terminal illness or injury, veterans from more recent service eras. Since 2005, the Honor Flight Network has taken more than 250,000 veterans to Washington D.C. For more information, visit honorflight.org. SOURCE PenFed Credit Union NEW ORLEANS, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW). In November 2021, the Company disclosed that it could not timely file its quarterly report due to an internal investigation into accounting issues. On March 31, 2022, the Company disclosed a multitude of internal procedural and control failures, including "an additional material weakness" beyond the company's "previously identified internal control deficiencies." The next day, the Company finally filed its 3Q2021 report revealing that its "disclosure controls and procedures" suffered from an inadequate "control environment" and that "certain members of senior management failed to consistently message and set certain aspects of an appropriate tone at the top." Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit, charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. Recently, the court presiding over that case denied the Company's motion to dismiss, allowing the case to move forward. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Redwire's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to its shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Redwire shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-833-938-0905 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-rdw/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 960 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Paris, April 15 : France's Constitutional Council has ruled in favour of gradually raising the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030. "The Constitutional Council notes that, by adopting the contested provisions, the legislature intended to ensure the financial balance of the pay-as-you-go pension system, so as to guarantee its sustainability," the Council said on Friday. The ruling confirmed most of the contested provisions of the French government's pension reform bill, including raising the retirement age and ending most of the special pension schemes, Xinhua news agency reported. The pension reform, which French President Emmanuel Macron can now enact, will gradually raise the legal retirement age at the rate of three months per year until 2030. It will also guarantee a minimum pension of 1,200 euros net per month for those who have and will have contributed 43 years to the pension system. As for the request for a shared initiative referendum (RIP) filed by Left-wing politicians to fix the legal retirement age at 62, the Constitutional Council rejected it. Soon after the ruling of the Constitutional Council, spontaneous protests broke out across France. Major trade unions issued a joint press statement on Friday evening asking "solemnly" the French President not to promulgate the pension reform law, which according to them, is "the only way" to calm the violent protests in France. Ankara, April 15 : Turkey's Foreign Ministry has summoned Denmark's ambassador Danny Annan over the burning of the Muslim holy book of the Quran and a Turkish flag at a public demonstration in Denmark's capital Copenhagen. "It is unacceptable to allow these vile attacks under the guise of freedom of expression," the Ministry said on Friday in a statement, noting the act was allowed despite Turkey's warnings. Turkish media reported that an anti-Muslim group called 'Patriots Go Live' burned a copy of the Quran and a Turkish flag in front of the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen earlier in the day. Similar attacks took place in front of the embassy on March 24 and 31. The Ministry said such acts are condemned by all Muslims in the world, urging Denmark to prevent such provocations and take deterrent precautions, Xinhua news agency reported. It informed the Danish envoy that Turkey will continue efforts on multilateral platforms against similar anti-Islam attacks and hate crimes. United Nations, April 15 : The UN has voiced concern over a possible escalation of tensions in Sudan. "What we're seeing now is very concerning -- these reports of a continued build-up and mobilisation of various security forces. We're seeing that in Khartoum. We're seeing that in other cities in Sudan," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Friday. A calm situation and sustained commitment to democratic transition are essential as negotiations proceed, he told a daily press briefing as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. "We, along with the African Union, with IGAD (the Intergovernmental Authority for Development) and the Trilateral Mechanism, are engaging all stakeholders to calm these tensions and secure a political agreement as soon as possible to see a return to a civilian-led transition," he added. First version published at 13:39 BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. A criminal case has been initiated on the fact of the burning of the flag of Azerbaijan in Armenia, press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan told Trend. In connection with this fact, which is the embodiment of hatred and enmity in Armenia against Azerbaijan on ethnic grounds, the Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal case under articles 283.2.1 and 283.2.2 (incitement to national hatred by threatening to use force and using one's official position), as well as 324 (abuse of the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. "In order to bring Aram Nikolyan and other persons, who committed this crime aimed at inciting national hatred and enmity, to national and international judicial responsibility, appeals will be sent to the relevant authorities of foreign countries. Furthermore, cooperation on this issue with international organizations will be provided. And the public will be supplied with detailed information about the progress and results of the investigation. Azerbaijan once again proves its commitment to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination adopted by the UN General Assembly, and the principles according to which those responsible should be punished. Furthermore, the country also calls upon the international community to strongly condemn Armenia, including calls for ensuring that this country abides by its obligations in the field of international law and international humanitarian law," the statement says. United Nations, April 15 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the swap of about 900 conflict-related detainees in the Yemeni war, said his spokesman. "The Secretary-General joins the (UN) Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, today welcoming the start of the release operation of conflict-related detainees. Nearly 900 are being released by the parties over three days, starting today," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, on Friday. The swap comes under the implementation of the plan agreed by the parties at the last meeting of the Supervisory Committee on the Detainees' Exchange Agreement, which took place in March in Switzerland, he added. The Supervisory Committee is co-chaired by the office of the UN special envoy and the International Committee of the Red Cross with the parties as members, Xinhua news agency reported. The parties have committed to meeting again in May to organise more releases, said the spokesman. Grundberg said that this release operation comes at a time of hope for Yemen. He urged the parties to immediately and unconditionally release all arbitrarily detained individuals, Dujarric added. Asked whether the special envoy and the Secretary-General believe there are prospects of a broader and permanent deal in Yemen by Eid al-Fitr on April 21, the spokesman said that making calendar predictions is a dangerous game. "That is not to underestimate the importance of what is happening today and over the next two days, as well as the talks we've seen hosted by the Omani authorities. It is all very hopeful. But it demands a continued political determination from all the parties to rally around and support the UN-supported political process," said the spokesman. Ankara, April 15 : Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his country should make a new constitution to embrace the dreams of all its people, local media reported. "Let's make a new, civil, libertarian constitution that embraces the dreams of all the people of this country," Erdogan, who was speaking in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Friday. He made the remarks at a houses groundbreaking ceremony in Turkey's largest Kurdish-majority city which was still affected by the February 6 earthquakes, it reported. "In this Turkey, no one can be despised or marginalised due to their origin, belief, language, or attire," Erdogan added. Erdogan said Turkey plans to construct enough buildings in a year to meet the needs of earthquake victims, adding that 3,19,000 houses would be built in that period, Xinhua news agency reported. On February 6, two powerful earthquakes struck 11 Turkish provinces, killing more than 50,000 people in the country. An estimated 14 million people, or 16 per cent of Turkey's population, were affected by the disaster. Rome, April 15 : Lazio registered their fourth consecutive win in Serie A as they sailed away with a 3-0 victory over Spezia. Ciro Immobile's spot-kick put the Biancocelesti in charge in the first-half, Felipe Anderson doubled the lead straight after the break, before Marcos Antonio completed the scoreline in the dying minutes, reports Xinhua. With the win, Lazio consolidated their second-place with 61 points, eight points ahead of third-placed Roma who host Udinese on Sunday. Elsewhere, Cremonese edged Empoli 1-0 thanks to an early strike from Cyriel Dessers. Kalaburagi : , April 15 (IANS) Former Karnataka minister Baburao Chinchansur, who recently joined Congress from BJP, was injured in a car accident in the city on Saturday. While Chinchansur suffered serious injuries on face and legs, his gunman and the car driver escaped with minor injuries. He is undergoing treatment at the United hospital. He is contesting from Gurmitkal constituency in Kalaburagi district on Congress ticket. According to police, Chinchansur was travelling from Yadgir district to Kalaburagi at 1 a.m after campaigning. Near Akashwani building, his car turned turtle when the driver attempted to avoid a big pothole. The locals rushed to the spot and rushed the Congress leader to a hospital in an ambulance. His condition is stated to be out of danger and he is responding well to the treatment, doctors said. Chinchansur is a leader from Koli community and has vowed to defeat BJP in Hyderabad -Karnataka region. He had played an important role in the defeat of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. New York, April 15 : Indian-origin Sikh community leader and Kern County businesswoman, Raji Brar has been appointed to the California State University Board (CSUB) of Trustees, a powerful leadership post at the US's largest system of public higher education. Brar, a California State University (CSU), Bakersfield double alumna, will be welcomed on board at its meeting in Long Beach in May. "The CSU is so special because your professors get to know you," she said in a university statement. "They help open doors for you and mentor you at a level that you can't get at a UC. Many folks that do end up going to a CSU need a mentor, and I was blessed to get that at CSUB. I felt so confident after having a degree and a master's, and there's a gazillion stories like mine, of students who have obstacles to overcome." Owner and chief operations officer of Countryside Corporation since 2003, Brar also holds many leadership positions in Kern County and is co-founder of the Bakersfield Sikh Women's Association. She earned a bachelor of science degree in biology and a master of science degree in health care from CSUB and is a member of the CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame. A first-generation American, Brar is the oldest child of Sikhs from Punjab who came to the US with nothing in the mid-1970s and first raised their children in Central Valley farm labor camps. Her mother only got as far as the fifth grade and can't read or write, according to Brar. "They said, 'What's the point? You're a girl'," she said. "My mom felt so limited in her opportunities. She worked in the fields and at Burger King, which is the only fast-food place she could work because you would say the orders into the mic, and not have to read the screen. She would tell me in Punjabi all the time, 'You have to get an education. It's your life partner, it will never leave you and no one can take it from you'." Brar attended CSUB because it was close to home, affordable and accessible, a top priority for the new trustee. "There is a light inside Raji that she shares with our entire community through her many acts of kindness and tireless commitment to public service," CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny said. "She will bring a unique perspective to the Board of Trustees, and this Valley that we love will be well-represented through her voice. This is a proud moment for the Roadrunner family and our region." Brar is the third person affiliated with CSUB to serve on the Board of Trustees, following terms by student Krystal Raynes and alumnus John Nilon. Kolkata, April 15 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit West Bengal again in May, sources said on Saturday. In all probability, the occasion will be on May 9 when the country will be celebrating the birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Sources from the BJP state committee said that they have requested the minister to visit the state often. To which, the minister had expressed his desire to come to the state again on May 9 and attend the function celebrating Tagore's birthday. "Although nothing has been finalised, there is a possibility that if the Union minister comes to the state again next month, he might also address a rally besides participating in a function celebrating Tagore's birthday," a state committee member said. Currently, Shah is on a two-day state visit and is slated to return to the national capital on Saturday. Notably, while addressing a public rally at Suri in Birbhum district on Friday, he said that if the people gifts BJP 35 of the 42 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool Congress government will collapse much before the end of its scheduled tenure. During the speech, his attack against Trinamool Congress and the state government were mainly on two points, namely the incidents of scams, especially in recruitments and the recent clashes over Ram Navami processions in the state. After coming back to Kolkata on Friday evening, he offered prayers at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple founded by legendary philanthropist Rani Rashmoni and known for its association with Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Sarada Devi. The same night, he met the top leaders of state BJP, where the minister was requested to visit the state more frequently. Party sources said that during the meeting, Shah also said that the clean image, loyalty to the party and acceptability among the local people should be prime considerations in selecting candidates for the forthcoming polls for the three-tier panchayat system in West Bengal scheduled this year. Seoul, April 15 : North Korea appears set to hold celebrations for the 111th birth anniversary of the country's late founder Kim Il-sung on Saturday with dance performances and fireworks in Pyongyang. The North's state-run Korean Central Television said that a series of events will be held at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang to mark the Day of the Sun holiday later in the day, reports Yonhap News Agency. But it did not mention large-scale performances and events. As the North usually marks every fifth and 10th political anniversaries with major celebrations, Kim Jong-un, the North's leader and grandson of the late founder, is unlikely to attend the event. He previously appeared at military parades that marked the 100th and 105th birth anniversaries of his late grandfather in 2012 and 2017, respectively. Kim Jong-un also attended a mass rally last year to mark his grandfather's birthday. Pyongyang has revved up a festive mood for the late founder's birthday with a variety of arts events and commemorative stamps of its late leader. The anniversary comes as North Korea has been ratcheting up its provocations. On Friday, North Korea said it has launched a new solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. The North launched the new ICBM on Thursday, guided by its leader, to confirm the performance of "high-thrust solid-fuel engines for multi-stage missiles", according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The latest launch also came amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula as the North has not responded to routine cross-border calls through inter-Korean liaison and military communication lines since April 7. Pyongyang has recently conducted other major weapons tests, such as the launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM on March 16 and what it claimed to be underwater nuclear attack drones, in protest against combined springtime military drills between South Korea and the US. Kiev, April 15 : Ukraine will receive a total of $4.5 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year as Russia continues its full scale invasion of Kiev, the war-torn country's Finance Ministry said. Ukraine received the first tranche of $2.7 billion earlier this month, and expects to receive two additional tranches totaling $1.8 billion, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying. After his meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said the new Extended Fund Facility program endorsed by the global lender last month "will make a significant contribution to the financing of this year's budget deficit and will create the underpin for the reconstruction of the country and its accession to the European Union". Last month, the IMF approved a four-year Extended Fund Facility program for Ukraine in the amount of $15.6 billion to support the country's stability and economic recovery. Chandigarh, April 15 : In a shocking incident, a car driver on the phone dragged an on-duty traffic police constable for almost a kilometre in Punjab's Ludhiana on the bonnet. The incident was caught on the camera. The constable, Hardeep Singh, suffered injuries in the incident on Thursday. The police have registered a case against the driver identified as Fatehgarh mohalla resident Mukal Motu and his friend Monu for attempting to murder, besides other charges. As per the constable, he gave the signal to the car driver to stop, but Motu tried to drive the car over him. He fell on the bonnet of the car after which he was dragged. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramandeep Singh, the two accused have criminal records against them. Chennai, April 15 : At least 15 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who were traveling to Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy hill shrine in Kerala were injured after the bus in which they were traveling toppled near Kuttinakanam in Idukki district of Kerala. The pilgrims were from Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu and the bus toppled around 10 am near Kuttikanam on Saturday morning which is Vishu day in state (Kerala New Year day). Four of the 15 injured pilgrims are being provided treatment at the Peerumedu taluk hospital while others are at a private hospital in Kuttikanam. All the injured are said to be out of danger but are kept in hospitals for observation. Police said that the driver was overspeeding and lost control while passing through a sharp turn in Kuttikanam which is a high-range area of Kerala. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Each competition inspires more confidence, Israeli athlete Yael Aloni Goldblatt participating in AGF Trophy International Tournament in Rhythmic Gymnastics told Trend. Due to poor health, I cant say that this is my best performance, but I hope that by the next tournament I will be able to recover and perform better, she said. The Israeli grace noted that this is her first visit to Azerbaijan and she is very impressed with the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku. "The gymnastic arena in Baku is incredibly beautiful, and the competition hall is large and spacious. I have never performed at such venues before. I hope that I will come here again. By the way, today my team and I are planning to walk around the city, and see the sights," she added. The 3rd AGF (Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation) Trophy International Tournament in Rhythmic Gymnastics is held on April 14-16 at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku. In this competition, 119 gymnasts from 14 countries of the world are participating. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan is represented by 38 gymnasts - of which 20 graces perform in an individual program (six seniors, 14 juniors), and 18 athletes perform as part of teams in group exercises (one adult team, two junior teams). West Singhbhum : , April 15 (IANS/ 101Reporters) It all began in 2002 when Sonaram Biruli lodged a complaint against Narayan Biruli for grabbing his land in Tantnagar village in West Singhbhum district. After doing the rounds of Chaibasa civil court for two decades, the case was transferred to the manki-munda nyay panch (tribal custom court), the one and only such facility operational anywhere in Jharkhand. The most notable outcome of this exercise was that the nyay panch, which functions from the sub-divisional officer's complex in Chaibasa, managed to settle the case in record time. It was the first case to be assigned to the nyay panch from the Court of Deputy Commissioner (DC court) in March last year. The matter was resolved in favour of the plaintiff this January with only three hearings preceding the preparation of panchat (order), which was sent to the DC court for issue of formal judgment. The nyay panch has its origins among the tribal communities of Chaibasa-headquartered Kolhan division, which included West and East Singhbhum and Seraikela Kharsawan districts. Under British rule, mankis functioned as a quasi-police forum of tribal panchayat heads at the panchayat level. Similarly, the village heads who worked as a quasi-judicial forum with an additional role of revenue collection formed the mundas. After suppressing the Kol rebellion (1831-32) through military intervention, Sir Thomas Wilkinson was in 1834 anointed the head of the newly formed South West Frontier Agency (SWFA) to govern Chhotanagpur, which had seen tribal movements. When Ho tribals in more areas put up a show of resistance, the East India Company invaded their villages in 1837 and forced mundas and mankis to surrender. The same year, Wilkinson declared the formation of Kolhan Separate Estate by adding the captured Ho villages to the SWFA. The Wilkinson Rule, framed in 1834 for the SWFA's governance, came into effect in Kolhan region also, with an assistant political agent appointed to ensure smooth governance. This responsibility was later inherited by the Deputy Commissioner (DC). The Kolhan superintendent post, which was created to assist the DC, is similar to the role of today's sub-divisional officer (SDO). To get people in his favour, Wilkinson had allowed manki-munda self-governance, wherein the former dealt with criminal cases and latter executed civil cases. The Jharkhand government has recognised this traditional judicial system in February 2021 by bestowing it the power to work on three fronts -- revenue-related activities such as tax collection and reporting of land purchase and sale, maintaining law and order, and settlement of land disputes. As many as 26 pirs (groups of villages) and three zones (Kolhan North, Kolhan South and Forest Area) are present in 18 blocks of West Singhbhum district. Mankis, mundas and dakuas (helpers of mundas) function under the pirs, earning a monthly honorarium of Rs 3,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000, respectively, from the state home department. In all, there are 91 mankis and 1,247 mundas and dakuas each. How it works "The cases do not come to the nyay panch directly. The complaints are lodged with the SDO, DC court, or additional DC (ADC) court, from where they are transferred to the custom court. After the hearings, the decision is sent back for issue of a formal decree," explains Manki Munda Sangh general secretary Pratap Singh Kalonjia. "By and large, people accept the decision of the village heads because of their place in society. It is quite possible that they are dissatisfied with the civil court judgment, but never with that from the custom court," SDO Shashindra Kumar Badaik tells 101Reporters. Cheap, accessible and quick justice is possible through the nyay panch system. "It takes about 20 to 40 years for a case to be even heard in the civil court," says Kolhan Podahat Manki Munda Sangh president Ganesh Patpingua (50). The transfer of a case to the tribal court is accompanied by a letter, which contains necessary guidelines. So far, 21 cases have come up for hearing at the custom court. The cases of non-tribals can be heard, the only condition being that they should belong to the area coming under the Wilkinson Rule. Cases valued up to Rs 5,000 are filed with the SDO, whereas those above Rs 5,000 are examined by the DC or ADC court. The suit value was fixed in 1977 and has not been changed since then. "There is a proposal to increase the scope of cases reaching the SDO to Rs 50,000. Local MLA Deepak Birua has held a discussion in this regard with Jharkhand's Advocate General," informs lawyer Mahendra Doraiburu, who serves as a legal adviser to the nyay panch. Meanwhile, Birua tells 101Reporters that the topic of strengthening the nyay panch was discussed during a review meeting convened by Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Chaibasa last month. He confirms that there is a proposal to modify the case value. The plaintiff and defendant choose the manki or munda of their choice to present their side. The justice convener, who is elected mutually by the representatives of both the plaintiff and defendant, passes the verdict. Mostly mankis are chosen as conveners as they are the senior members. However, there is no bar on making a munda the convener. If a side is unhappy with the jury members, two more are selected to make it a bench of five. The plaintiff and defendant are given the chance to choose one more member each in such cases to maintain impartiality. The roles of mankis and mundas are passed from one generation to the next. If a munda does not have a son or if a new one needs to be selected, the manki of that area does that. Daughters are not selected for the post. If a manki needs to be selected, mundas of that area hold discussions and reach a decision. "The custom court functions in a formal way - there is a small court fee and an official stamp. The only difference is that here lawyers are not defending the parties involved," says Doraiburu. The nyay panch has a 10-member advisory committee consisting of prominent people of the tribal society. Some of these members can be from other communities too. Likewise, mankis and mundas can also be non-tribals, though the majority of the people occupying these positions are tribals. Only the employees appointed on behalf of the government such as accountants, assistant accountants and orderlies in the court get salaries. Once the dispute is settled, the plaintiffs and defendants can pay any amount to the jurors if they wish to do so. "There is a process to ensure that everyone is satisfied with the judgment. If the plaintiff and defendant are not satisfied with the decision of the nyay panch, an appeal can be made in the DC court. If they are still dissatisfied, they can approach the High Court," says Doraiburu. In the first case, the judgment was in favour of Sonaram, and both parties wholeheartedly accepted the decision. The mankis and mundas are held to a higher standard in the community. Bad behaviour is not acceptable and the sangh keeps a check on each other. The Manki Munda Sangh meets on the 13th of every month at Mangla Haat in Chaibasa to keep everyone updated about work. Mankis and mundas from different remote areas of the district participate and exchange ideas. Further measures to strengthen the system are on the anvil. "A file in this regard has been sent from the Chief Minister's Office for the final opinion of the Kohlan commissioner, where it is pending," an official concerned told 101Reporters. (Rahul Singh is a Jharkhand-based journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters, where this article was originally published.) New Delhi, April 15 : Amid the local manufacturing push and an upcoming widespread retail store strategy, Apple shipped $7.5 billion worth iPhones and iPads in India in FY22-23, data accessed by IANS has shown. In FY23, Apple shipped more than 7 million iPhones and half a million iPads in the country, registering a 28 per cent growth for iPhone shipments, according to initial estimates provided by market intelligence firm CMR. As Apple doubles down on domestic manufacturing in India, the tech giant is likely to garner 6 per cent market share in FY23-34, with selling more than 8 million iPhones in the country in the period. "In the FY22-23 period, Apple continued to accelerate its momentum in India, with double-digit growth in iPhone shipments year-on-year," Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, told IANS. Meanwhile, in the March quarter (the last quarter of FY23), iPhones registered 67 per cent growth, with 2.1 million shipments in the country. "In the most recent March quarter, a strong uptick in consumer demand in India catalysed the shipments of iPads and iPhones. Specifically, the current iPhone 14 series, and the previous iPhone 13 line-up constituted for a majority of the shipments," Ram added. iPhone 13 series garnered 48 per cent market share in Q1 2023, followed by iPhone 14 series at 44 per cent. For the entire FY23, iPhone 14 series logged 36 per cent market share in India. Looking ahead, Apple enjoys some favourable tailwinds in India, a strong future growth driver. "There is growing 'premiumsation' in the Indian smartphone market, backed by a healthy urban demand for premium smartphones. Domestic iPhone manufacturing in India continues to see a healthy uptick, and there is potential for concurrent iPhone production with China on the horizon," Ram told IANS. Apple will open its two flagship, own-branded retail stores, next week in Mumbai and New Delhi. According to reliable sources, Apple CEO Tim Cook will inaugurate Apple's own branded retail stores -- at Jio World Drive Mall in Mumbai and at Select CityWalk mall in Saket, Delhi -- a first for the tech giant which has doubled down on its India growth plans. "The new Apple flagship retail stores in Mumbai and Delhi, backed by aggressive sales initiatives, will fuel Apple's growth in the year ahead," said Ram. Rawalpindi, April 15 : The Pakistan army's top brass has affirmed to eliminate terrorism, extremism and instability in the country by following a "whole-of-the-system" approach which was approved by the government. According to a statement issued by the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the 257th Corps Commanders' Conference held in Rawalpindi reviewed the domestic and regional environment including external and internal security challenges Pakistan confronts, Geo News reported. The forum, under the chair of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, affirmed that the military leadership is cognizant of the full spectrum of the challenges and it "resolves to shoulder its constitutionally mandated responsibilities with the support of the resilient people of Pakistan". It also reiterated the commitment of the armed forces to fully support national responses against internal and external threats. Highlighting that the security forces are undertaking intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in areas along the western border, the forum emphasised that there was a need to adopt a "whole-of-the-nation and whole-of-the-government approach to eradicate the menace of terrorism on a long-term basis". The forum expressed its assurance to pursue the goals set by the National Security Committee (NSC) to turn the tide against terrorism through the coordinated application of all elements of national power, Geo News reported. Speaking during the National Assembly session a day earlier, the COAS said that negotiations with militants in the past helped terrorists regroup in the country. The army chief said the campaign will include representation not only from the security agencies but also from all departments of the government. "This is not a new operation but a whole nation approach." Ramallah, April 15 : Dozens of Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers in several West Bank towns and villages, authorities said on Saturday. In a statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said three people, including a child, were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets and 40 others suffered respiratory damage after inhaling teargas fired by Israeli soldiers to disperse Palestinians who threw stones at them, reports Xinhua news agency. Fierce clashes broke out between anti-settlement protesters and Israeli soldiers in the villages of Beit Dajan and Beita, near the city of Nablus, as well as in the village of Kafr Qaddum, located east of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank, according to local sources. In Beita village, Palestinians have been protesting against a nearby Israeli settlement that has been allegedly encroaching on the land of the village since May 2021. Israeli authorities have not commented on the incidents yet. Beita and Beit Dajan have been the sites of weekly protests against the expansion of Israeli settlements in the two villages. Official Palestinian figures indicate that over 700,000 Israeli settlers currently reside in 151 settlements scattered around the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel has controlled or blockaded these areas ever since. Lima, April 15 : The Peruvian government has announced a 60-day extension of the state of emergency in two provinces in the department of Loreto, as the country continues its fight against drug trafficking in its northeast border region, according to a decree. The extension will go into effect on April 19 and will allow continued actions by the National Police and the Armed Forces in the provinces of Putumayo and Mariscal Ramon Castilla, said the decree, which was published in the official newspaper El Peruano, reports Xinhua news agency. It clarified that the military will help provide services for "women and people in vulnerable conditions" in the process of detention, retention and police intervention. The state of emergency entails restrictions or suspensions of constitutional rights related to the inviolability of the home, freedom of transit and freedom of assembly, as well as personal liberty and security. Signed by President Dina Boluarte, the decree said that the measure was adopted after considering the recommendation of the General Command of the National Police. A Loreto regional police report regarding criminal organizations' illicit drug dealing and related crimes in the two provinces was also taken into account. Kolkata, April 15 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths probing the multi-crore teachers' scam in West Bengal conducted search operations at the residence, office and ashram of former block president of Nalhati in Birbhum district, Bivas Adhikari, on Saturday. Adhikari is known to be an extremely close confidant of Trinamool Congress legislator and the former president of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) Manik Bhattacharya, who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the recruitment scam. The search operations at the premises of Adhikari started on Saturday morning when another team of CBI was continuing similar operations at the residence of Manik Bhattacharya - Trinamool Congress legislator from Burwan in Murshidabad district - that started at 1.30 p.m. on Friday. Sources said that Adhikari came under the scanner of CBI after the arrest of Manik Bhattacharya last year. In February this year, expelled and arrested youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh also mentioned Adhikari's name as being involved in the scam. It is learnt that besides conducting raids at the residence, office and ashram of Adhikari at Nalhati, another team of CBI started a parallel raid at his residential flat at Amherst Street in North Kolkata. Both the CBI teams are being escorted by armed forces personnel. Sources said that this flat was mainly used as a guest house. Panaji, April 15 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a public meeting in Ponda, South Goa, on Sunday, a BJP officer bearer said here. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, former MP Narendra Sawaikar said that around 25,000 people will attend the meeting slated to begin at 4 p.m. "The South Goa seat is among 160 constituencies of the country which we lost for few votes. Hence, the party has concentrated on these constituencies and central leaders have already toured South Goa to take review," Sawaikar, who lost to Congress candidate Francisco Sardinha in the 2019 general elections, said. "We are expecting 25,000 people to attend the public meeting. I appeal to people to attend the meeting and listen to the speech of our senior leader," Sawaikar said. Ahead of the event, the Union Minister will also meet party leaders at around 3.15 p.m., he added. "Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, State President Sadanand Tanawade and others will speak. Our aim is to win both the Lok Sabha seats of Goa. Hence we are working in that directions." He also said that the joining of eight Congress MLAs in BJP and support of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party will definitely help party to get more votes. "This will be additional to us. Definitely it will help," he said. Chennai, April 15 : Actor-turned-politician and founder leader of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), a Tamil nationalist political outfit, Seeman has called on Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai to expose the corruption that took place during AIADMK regime. Responding to media queries regarding the corruption allegations levelled by Annamalai against DMK ministers and Chief Minister, Seeman said: "I welcome the corruption list published on ministers. This is nothing new. How much property do they have and how did they get them, everyone in the country knows that. But the question remains as to what action has been taken so far." "Not everyone in the AIADMK will become saints as the BJP has an alliance with that party," the NTK leader said, while calling on Annamalai to publish the list of "corrupt people from AIADMK". He further said that actions should be taken against both these Dravidian parties. "If you keep your mouth shut because you have an alliance with them (AIADMK), we will ask why you are having an alliance with a corrupt party," Seeman asserted. He also asked Annamalai to announce that his party will not have any alliance with corrupt political parties and that "the corruption of the AIADMK must also be disclosed". Belagavi, April 15 : Karnataka Opposition leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that he would welcome senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar if he joins the Congress. Talking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said, "BJP has not treated senior leaders right." The Congress leader questioned where is BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa who used to speak about the party and its policies. Siddaramaiah claimed that the Congress would benefit from the joining of the former Deputy Chief Minister from BJP Laxman Savadi. "We will give responsibility to Savadi for campaigning as per his wishes," he said. On senior BJP leader V. Somanna being pitted against him, Siddaramaiah said, "Somanna is an outsider and he will not get a single vote. There is a Congress wave in the entire state, he added. Siddaramaiah also stated that the third list of candidates of Congress is most likely to be released on Saturday. Savadi will campaign for Congress party in Belagavi and other parts as well. Meanwhile, Union Coal, Mine and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has held a closed-door meeting with Shettar at his residence. After the meeting, Shettar is holding another meeting with his supporters and is likely to announce his decision. Phnom Penh, April 15 : Cambodia on Saturday broke its own Guinness World Record for the largest Madison dance involving 4,999 participants. A Guinness World Record adjudicator announced that the participants performed the five-minute Madison dance at the famed Angkor Archaeological Park complex in Siem Reap province to celebrate the traditional Khmer New Year, which kicked off on Friday for three days, reports Xinhua news agency. The Madison dance is quite popular in the kingdom during Khmer New Year celebrations and wedding receptions. Cambodia's Union of Youth Federations organised the dance, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen's youngest son Hun Many. Guinness World Record official adjudicator Tomomi Sekioka said she had concluded going over all the evidence and was amazed by the incredible teamwork and seriousness of people participating. "I can now confirm that with 4,999 participants, the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia has achieved a new Guinness World Record title. Congratulations!" she declared the result. Sekioka said Cambodia set a new Guinness World Record for the largest Madison dance, beating its previous record of 2,015 participants in 2015. Speaking at the event, many said it was another pride for Cambodia after the Southeast Asian nation on Tuesday broke a Guinness World Record for the largest display of 3,917,805 origami hearts, beating the previous record held by Britain. "It again reflects our spirit of love, unity and solidarity for the pride of our nation," he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Today, at about 15:00 local time, information was received about an explosion in the territory of the Yashma village of Azerbaijans Khizi region, Trend reports. The operational-investigative group, consisting of employees of the prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, immediately went to the scene and took the necessary actions. During the preliminary investigation, it was reported that the explosion occurred after the residents of the city of Sumgayit Bakhtiyar Huseynov (born 1976), Khankishi Guliyev (born 1979) and Rashad Abilov (born 2006), picked up a warhead found in that area. As a result of the incident, Khankishi Guliyev and Rashad Abilov were killed, and Bakhtiyar Huseynov was injured. On this fact, the prosecutor's office of the Khizi region initiated a criminal case under article 314.3 of the Criminal Code. The preliminary investigation is ongoing. New Delhi, April 15 : The Delhi government has called a special session of the Legislative Assembly on April 17, a day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned to appear before the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam case. According to sources, the Assembly will discuss the fact that certain powers are creating an atmosphere against the developmental works being carried out by the AAP-led Delhi government. "In this special session, a committee report on the issue of unanswered questions from MLAs Rajesh Gupta and Atishi, and the Services Department, will be presented on the floor of the House," the sources said. In response to the CBI summon, Kejriwal has claimed that the central probe agencies were going to extreme heights to target their strongest political rivals. Referring to the arrest of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's, Kejriwal said on Saturday that these agencies have falsely claimed that 14 phones were destroyed, lying to the courts in affidavits, torturing suspects to extract falsified confessions and employing thuggish threats. The agencies have not found a single penny of ill-gotten wealth that they claim was amassed from the so-called liquor scam, the Chief Minister added. Raigad, April 15 : In a pre-dawn tragedy, at least 12 youths, including five minors, were killed while 28 others injured when a private bus plunged into a gorge on Mumbai-Pune Highway on Saturday, officials said here. President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and others mourned the tragedy and expressed condolences to the victims and their families. The Prime Minister has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each deceased victim, and Rs 50,000 for those injured, while Shinde has said that an ex-gratia of Rs 5,00,000 will be given to the families of the deceased and full treatment expenses of the injured shall be borne by the state government. Khopoli Police Inspector Shirish K. Pawar said that the accident occurred around 4 a.m. on the Pune-Mumbai arm of the old highway and the bus reportedly fell into the ravine at least 50 meters below, near the treacherous Borghat section. "From preliminary investigations, it appears that the driver may have lost control on one of the steep turns on the highway, but our priority is rescue work," said Pawar. At that early hour, there was limited traffic on the highway but some people managed to rush to the accident spot, summoned the Raigad Police, Fire Brigade, some workers from a nearby construction project and a local trekkers' group for help. A massive rescue operation was immediately launched with ropes and climbers went down to help the victims, numbering around 40-45 including the bus driver, locals said. According to Pawar and the district authorities, around 12 youngsters have died in the accident and the number of fatalities could go up. The injured were rushed to Khopoli Civil Hospital, Jakhotia Hospital, and MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai for treatment, and the condition of some is reported to be serious. A police official said that a majority of the passengers were members of the Baji Prabhu Music Group, Goregaon, and comprised five minors and other youngsters in their teens or twenties, who were returning home after performing at a programme in Pune on Friday. The deceased include Jui D. Sawant (18), Kritik Lohit (16), Rahul Gothan (17) (all from Goregaon); Abhay V. Sable (20) and Vaibhavi Sabale (15) of Malad; Harshada Pardeshi (19) of Mahim; Satish S. Dhumal (25), Swapnil S. Dhumal (15), Yash S. Yadav (20), Manish Rathod (25), Veer K. Mandavkar (6), and one person whose identity is yet to be ascertained. Meanwhile, scores of grieving parents and relatives of deceased and injured victims rushed from different parts of Mumbai to the accident spot and the hospitals in Raigad and Navi Mumbai. New Delhi, April 15 : Serendipity Arts Festival, which is scheduled to host its sixth edition in December in Goa has announced its lineup of curators for the upcoming edition. Sandeep Kumar Sangaru and Anjana Somany will be curating the section on Craft and bring forth varied crafts practices that blend traditional and contemporary practices. Quasar Thakore Padamsee who curated last year's theatre section of the festival is back to helm the theatre segment of the festival that will showcase an eclectic selection of plays. Food is closely linked with festivities and is an indispensable element of the festival, and for this edition, Chef Thomas Zacharias and The Locavore Team, will curate the important Culinary entries for the festival through a gastronomical journey that ties people and cultures. Bickram Ghosh, along with Ricky Kej will curate the Music section with a wide range of concerts covering diverse genres and addressing various social-cultural ideas and topics. Geeta Chandran and Mayuri Upadhya will put together classical, experimental, and contemporary dance performances and workshops. Visual Arts curators for this edition will be Veeranganakumari Solanki and Vidya Shivdas. Spread across multiple venues in Panjim and around Goa, the festival will continue to promote innovation and experimentation within the arts, adhering to its core values of sustainability, inclusivity, and accessibility. The festival will continue to be a celebration of community with region-specific projects, as well as workshops for people with special needs, as well as a dedicated segment with children's programmes. Speaking about the Festival, Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder & Patron, of Serendipity Arts and Founder of THE BRIJ, said: "South Asia's unparalleled cultural richness has been shaped by multiple influences over the centuries. While being an amalgam of many, our arts and culture still have their own unique richness. We are lining up top-notch curators and collaborators for the upcoming Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) in Goa this December as part of our journey to capture South Asia's richness and diversity and blend these with the best global art practices. While looking at multiple art forms we also investigate and present the inter-disciplinarity of the many art forms- broadly through visual, performing, culinary, and performance arts." This edition of the festival will also feature a set of special curators including Zubin Balaporia (Music), Vikram Iyanger (Dance), Elizabeth Yorke & Anusha Murthy with Edible Issues, who be the special curators for culinary arts. While Bhagyashree Patwardhan will return to curate a project around local Goan design practices. There might be additions to the list of special curators, closer to the festival. Smriti Rajgarhia, Director, Serendipity Arts Foundation and Festival, said: "We are happy to announce our new line-up of curators for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2023, who will help us in re-imagining the arts and will be creating an array of projects that are engaging, inclusive and immersive, prompting the public to think beyond the white cube and proscenium spaces." Patna, April 15 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday termed the CBI summon to his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in connection with the Delhi excise policy case as 'wrong', adding that an appropriate answer will be given in the coming days. "You know what they (BJP leaders) are doing to the opposition leaders. Everyone is doing great work for the development of their respective states. Arvind Kejriwal has done so many good things for Delhi and people have great respect for him. Still they are targeting him. When the time comes, they will be given appropriate answers," Nitish Kumar said. All opposition leaders are getting united in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," said Nitish Kumar on the sidelines of a conclave at a private hospital here. Bengaluru, April 15 : Karnataka Congress on Saturday announced the third list of 42 candidates for the state assembly elections. Former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi, who joined Congress from BJP, has been allotted the ticket from Athani constituency in Belagavi district. In the party's third list, Laxman Savadi's name appeared on the top. Interestingly, the party has not announced the ticket for Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency for which former chief minister and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar has locked horns with the saffron party. Sources explain that the Congress leaders have already approached and assured Shettar of ticket and position if he joins Congress. The party has named G.B. Malatesh as the candidate for Shikaripura constituency from where former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa's son B.Y. Vijayendra is contesting. Siddaramaiah's loyalist Umashree has been denied a ticket from Terdal constituency from where Siddappa Ramappa Konnur has been fielded. Film producer Umapathy Srinivas Gowda has managed to obtain a ticket from Bommanahalli constituency in Bengaluru. K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, who joined Congress from JD(S), has been allotted ticket for Arasikere constituency. The party has fielded Banavasi Rangaswamy from Hassan seat. Preetham Gowda is BJP's candidate here and since this is the only seat in the district, the saffron party is in no mood to lose it. The locals say that it is going to be a straight fight between BJP and JD(S) in Hassan. Congress had announced 124 candidates in the first list and 42 candidates in the second list. It is yet to announce names for the 16 seats. Chennai, April 15 : The Tamil Nadu police, which earlier gave permission to the RSS to take out a route march across 45 location in the state on Sunday, said on Saturday that the cadres must not wield sticks during the rally. The state police headquarters here issued a statement that said the organisers must ensure that no provocative slogans or speeches are made trageting any individual, religion or caste during the route march. The police also said that the route march must keep to the left side of the road and not block the entire road. Also, the organisers must make adequate arrangements for drinking water and ensure that proper first-aid kits are in place. They must also arrange for ambulance back-up and mobile toilets. CCTV cameras and fire fighting equipment must also be in place during the route march in consultation with the police. It may be noted that the Tamil Nadu police did not allow a route march by the RSS that was scheduled on Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 citing security reasons. The police had then stated that after the ban imposed on the Popular Front of India (PFI) by the Centre, there could be some issues during the route march and hence they cannot not allow it. The RSS had then approached the Madras High Court which granted permission to the rally, but the state government had challenged the high Court order. The Supreme Court later upheld the order of the Madras High Court and directed the Tamil Nadu government to permit the RSS to conduct the route march on April 16. New Delhi, April 15 : A woman was critically injured after her husband slit her throat in Delhi's Roop Nagar on Saturday, an official said. According to police, around 10 a.m., a call was received regarding slitting of throat at Roop Nagar police station following which a police team rushed to the spot. "The victim identified as Chanchal was rushed to Hindu Rao Hospital for the treatment," said the official, adding that at present, her health is critical and she is in ICU. During initial investigation, it was revealed that earlier in the morning, Chanchal's husband Rinku (32) had slit her throat with a sharp-edged object. Chanchal is a warden in a hostel at Kamla Nagar. "Police said that an FIR under section 307 (attempt to murder) has been registered and efforts are being made to nab the accused person Rinku," said the official. Bengaluru, April 15 : Delhi Capitals bowlers made a remarkable comeback to keep Royal Challengers Bangalore to 174/6 despite Virat Kohli's impressive fifty (50 off 34) in the 20th match of the IPL 2023 at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, here on Saturday. Apart from Kohli, none of the RCB batters could score big as the team kept losing wickets at crucial junctures against a disciplined Delhi bowling attack. Put into bat first, openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis gave RCB a decent start, adding 42 runs for the opening wicket. Kohli looked in fine touch right from the start and hit back-to-back boundaries against Anrich Nortje as 11 runs came from the first over. With the pacer getting smashed, skipper David Warner brought in Axar Patel in the second over and he kept things tidy for the Capitals. After Virat, it was Du Plessis' turn to hit a few boundaries and he did it against Mustafizur Rahman. Left-handed Axar came for his second over and Du Plessis dispatched the fifth ball for an 86m six over the long-on fence, taking RCB to 33/0 after 4 overs. With the main bowlers not making much impact, Warner introduced Mitchell Marsh into the attack. Marsh, who is playing his first match after joining the DC camp following his marriage, was welcomed with a boundary by Kohli and then Du Plessis hits the pacer for a four. However, Marsh had the last laugh as he removed Faf for 22 off 16 balls on a length ball on the off stump, courtesy of a sensational catch by Aman Khan at short mid-wicket. The Australian all-rounder could have two in two but Manish Pandey dropped new-man Mahipal Lomror's catch at point. Lalit Yadav came to bowl the final Power-play over and gave just four singles as RCB were 47/1 after 6 overs. Though Kohli was able to find occasional boundaries, Delhi kept things under control as spinners Lalit and Kuldeep Yadav didn't allow Lomror to bat freely. While Lomror was struggling to find his timing, Kohli was dropped by Kuldeep on his own bowling. Despite spinners doing well, Warner went back to Mustafizur and Kohli smashed him for a boundary six to bring his 50 in just 33 balls. However, the former RCB skipper couldn't continue longer as Lalit got rid of him with a full toss. Glenn Maxwell came to bat next and started from where he left in the last game, dispatching Lalit Yadav for two huge sixes. However, Nortje bowled a decent next over to pull things back and Marsh dismissed Lomror (26 off 18) to give Delhi an important breakthrough. Harshal Patel was sent ahead of Dinesh Karthik, and Shahbaz Ahmed and the all-rounder hit Axar for a boundary but the spinner dismissed him in the same over. Kuldeep, who came to bowl the next over removed Maxwell (24 off 14) and Karthik (0 off 1) in consecutive balls to break RCB's back, leaving them 132/6 after 14.2 overs. RCB, who needed some crucial runs lower down the order brought Anuj Rawat as a substitute, replacing him with Lomror but he couldn't deliver as expected. The left-hander played a slow knock (15 off 22 balls). It was Shahbaz Ahmed, who played a vital knock (20 and 12) in the end and took RCB to 174-6 in 20 overs. Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 174/6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 50, Mahipal Lomror 26; Mitchell Marsh 2-18) vs Delhi Capitals. Latest updates on IPL 2023 New Delhi, April 15 : A Delhi court on Saturday scheduled for April 24 to consider whether to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's second supplementary chargesheet filed against Raghav Magunta, Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra and five companies in the excise policy scam. Before the bench of Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court, Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta said that the investigation is in progress to find out the role of the accused named in the ECIR and other persons on various allegations. The ED, in its 2,000-page chargesheet, has statements of witnesses and accused persons as well as e-mails and other data. Though the probe agency is yet to chargesheet AAP leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, it has submitted before the court that Sisodia had planted fabricated e-mails to show that there was public approval for the policy. During the last hearing, the probe agency said that the 60 days given to complete the investigation against Sisodia were not over yet. The court then adjourned the matter for the next hearing on April 18. On April 5, the ED had informed special judge Nagpal that it had found fresh evidence indicating Sisodia's involvement in the alleged excise policy scam, and the investigation is at a crucial stage. The court had extended the AAP leader's custody till April 17 in this case. Bhopal, April 15 : Pankaj Mukheja won a battle of Railwaymen to clinch the men's 50m rifle 3-positions (3P) T3 trials at the M.P. State Shooting Academy Range here on Saturday. Also emerging triumphant at India's newest shooting destination on Day Three of the Group A national selection trials, was Haryana's Nancy, who claimed the women's 10m air rifle T3 trials, and her state-mate Rhythm Sangwan, who won the women's 25m pistol T4 trials, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) informed in a release on Saturday. Mukheja overcame Paris 2024 Olympics quota winner Swapnil Kusale 16-12 in a tight contest. This was after local hope and India's number one in the event, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar had logged a field-topping 591 in qualifications. Tomar fell just short of making it to the gold medal clash, shooting 407.4 in the ranking round to finish behind Kusale who shot 408. Mukheja with 413.7 was way clear at the top. In the women's air rifle, Nancy got the better of West Bengal's Mehuli Ghosh 16-10. Mehuli will be happy with her qualification round score of 633.8 which was the leading scorer in the 42-strong field. Shreya Agrawal was third for hosts Madhya Pradesh (M.P), after finishing the ranking round with 261.6. Haryana's Rhythm Sangwan continued her brilliant form clinching the women's 25m pistol with 32 hits in the medal match. Uttar Pradesh's Neha was second with 31 hits while Telangana's Esha Singh was third with 21 hits to her name. Among the juniors, Gautami Bhanot of M.P also continued her good form, which saw her win in Korea last year as well as the Khelo India Youth Games gold at the same venue, clinching the women's 10m air rifle T3 trials in the category. Delhi's Naamya Kapoor won the junior women's 25m pistol while her compatriot Shivam Dabas won the junior men's 50m rifle 3 positions competition. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. We immediately reacted to the Armenian provocation of burning the Azerbaijani flag at the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Champion in Yerevan, Head of the press service of the Azerbaijan Weightlifting Federation Kanan Mastaliyev told journalists, Trend reports. "We felt the support of Azerbaijani people. We knew that our people were with us. We couldn't stay there," he said. Will be updated London, April 15 : Six pets in Portugal and one in the UK were carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria similar to those found in their owners, according to a study. Dogs, cats and other pets are known to contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens that can cause human disease. In the study, researchers at the University of Lisbon in Portugal found bacteria resistant to third generation cephalosporins and carbapenems in dogs and cats and their owners. Cephalosporins are used to treat a broad range of conditions, including meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis, and are classed among the most critically important antibiotics for human medicine by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Carbapenems are part of the last line of defence when other antibiotics have failed. The finding underlines the importance of including pet-owning households in programmes to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance, said researchers. "In this study, we provide evidence that bacteria resistant to third generation cephalosporins, critically important antibiotics, are being passed from pets to their owners," said Juliana Menezes from the varsity's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. "Owners can reduce the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria by practising good hygiene, including washing their hands after collecting their dog or cat's waste and even after petting them," Menezes said. The team tested faecal samples from dogs and cats and their owners for Enterobacterales (a large family of bacteria which includes E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) resistant to common antibiotics. The prospective longitudinal study involved five cats, 38 dogs and 78 humans from 43 households in Portugal and seven dogs and eight humans from seven households in the UK. In Portugal, one dog was colonised by a strain of multidrug-resistant OXA-181-producing Escherichia coli. OXA-181 is an enzyme that confers resistance to carbapenems. Three cats and 21 dogs and 28 owners harboured ESBL/Amp-C producing Enterobacterales. These are resistant to third generation cephalosporins. In eight households, two houses with cats and six with dogs, both pet and owner were carrying ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria. In six of these homes, the DNA of the bacteria isolated from the pets (one cat and five dogs) and their owners was similar, meaning these bacteria were probably passed between the animals and humans. It is not known whether they were transferred from pet to human or vice versa. In the UK, one dog was colonised by multidrug-resistant E. coli producing NDM-5 and CTX-M-15 beta-lactamases. These E. coli are resistant to third generation cephalosporins, carbapenems and several other families of antibiotics. ESBL/AmpC-producing Enterobacterales were isolated from five dogs and three owners. In two households with dogs, both pet and owner were carrying ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria. In one of these homes, the DNA of the bacteria isolated from the dog and owner was similar, suggesting the bacteria probably passed from one to the other. The direction of transfer is unclear. All of the dogs and cats were successfully treated for their skin, soft tissue and urinary tract infections. The owners did not have infections and so did not need treatment. The study will be presented at the ongoing European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Bengaluru, April 15 : Manish Pandey's fighting fifty (50 off 38) went in vain as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Delhi Capitals by 23 runs in the 20th match of the IPL 2023 at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, here on Saturday. It was the fifth consecutive loss for the David Warner-led Delhi Capitals and they are yet to open their account in the ongoing season, lying at the bottom of the table. The Delhi Capitals bowlers made a remarkable comeback to restrict Royal Challengers Bangalore to 174/6 in 20 overs despite Virat Kohli's impressive fifty (50 off 34). Apart from Kohli, none of the RCB batters could score big as the team kept losing wickets at crucial junctures against a disciplined Delhi bowling attack. Chasing a challenging total, Delhi Capitals (DC) got off to a dreadful start. The team lost Prithvi Shaw (0) and Mitchell Marsh for 0 before Mohammed Siraj dismissed Yash Dhull for 1. David Warner got off to a start but could only manage 19 before being removed by Vijaykumar Vyshak. Abishek Porel also returned cheaply for 5 as Delhi lost half their side for 53 runs. Manish Pandey played a brilliant knock and along with Axar (21 off 14) kept alive Delhi's hopes in the run chase. However, once Axar and Pandey got out in quick succession in the 13th and 14th over respectively, it was an uphill task for Delhi Capitals. The likes of Anrich Nortje (23 not out off 14) and Aman Khan (18 off 10) tried their best but it was not enough as Delhi were restricted to 151/9 in 20 overs. Earlier, put in to bat first, openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis gave RCB a decent start, adding 42 runs for the opening wicket. Kohli looked in fine touch right from the start and hit back-to-back boundaries against Anrich Nortje as 11 runs came from the first over. With the pacer getting smashed, skipper David Warner brought in Axar Patel in the second over and he kept things tidy for the Capitals. After Virat, it was Du Plessis' turn to hit a few boundaries and he did it against Mustafizur Rahman. Left-handed Axar came for his second over and Du Plessis dispatched the fifth ball for an 86m six over the long-on fence, taking RCB to 33/0 after 4 overs. With the main bowlers not making much impact, Warner introduced Mitchell Marsh into the attack. Marsh, who is playing his first match after joining the DC camp following his marriage, was welcomed with a boundary by Kohli and then Du Plessis hits the pacer for a four. However, Marsh had the last laugh as he removed Faf for 22 off 16 balls on a length ball on the off stump, courtesy of a sensational catch by Aman Khan at short mid-wicket. The Australian all-rounder could have two in two but Manish Pandey dropped new-man Mahipal Lomror's catch at point. Lalit Yadav came to bowl the final Power-play over and gave just four singles as RCB were 47/1 after 6 overs. Though Kohli was able to find occasional boundaries, Delhi kept things under control as spinners Lalit and Kuldeep Yadav didn't allow Lomror to bat freely. While Lomror was struggling to find his timing, Kohli was dropped by Kuldeep on his own bowling. Despite spinners doing well, Warner went back to Mustafizur and Kohli smashed him for a boundary six to bring his 50 in just 33 balls. However, the former RCB skipper couldn't continue longer as Lalit got rid of him with a full toss. Glenn Maxwell came to bat next and started from where he left in the last game, dispatching Lalit Yadav for two huge sixes. However, Nortje bowled a decent next over to pull things back and Marsh dismissed Lomror (26 off 18) to give Delhi an important breakthrough. Harshal Patel was sent ahead of Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed and the all-rounder hit Axar for a boundary but the spinner dismissed him in the same over. Kuldeep, who came to bowl the next over removed Maxwell (24 off 14) and Karthik (0 off 1) in consecutive balls to break RCB's back, leaving them 132/6 after 14.2 overs. RCB, who needed some crucial runs lower down the order, brought Anuj Rawat as a substitute, replacing him with Lomror but he couldn't deliver as expected. The left-hander played a slow knock (15 off 22 balls). It was Shahbaz Ahmed, who played a vital knock (20 and 12) in the end and took RCB to 174-6 in 20 overs, which turned out to be a winning total in the end. Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 174/6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 50, Mahipal Lomror 26; Mitchell Marsh 2-18) beat Delhi Capitals (Manish Pandey 50, Anrich Nortje 23; Vijaykumar Vyshak 3-20; Mohammed Siraj 2-23) by 23 runs. Latest updates on IPL 2023 Chennai, April 15 : Two persons were killed while two others were injured when a blast occurred on Saturday at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi. The deceased have been identified as V. Thangavelu (55) and P. Karuppuswamy (28), both residents of Idaiyankulam village in Virudhunagar district. The injured individuals -- Karuppammal (54) and R. Marithai (45) have been admitted to the Sivakasi government hospital. The unit is owned by Praveenraj of Sivakasi and has a license from Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation. Police said that the incident occurred when the workers were manufacturing crackers in sheds and Karuppuswamy and Thangavel were filling chemicals for making ground chakras. The blast happened due to friction. Both the workers died on the spot. Chennai, April 15 : CPI Rajya Sabha Member Binoy Viswam has asked the Union government as to how Ernst & Young (EY), which has been fined overseas, has been selected as the consultant to restructure the government-owned non-life insurers. In a letter to Union Finance Secretary Vivek Joshi, the CPI leader has also claimed that Saurabh Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services, has pressurised the General Insurance Public Sector Association (GIPSA) to select EY through a tender process for rejigging the government-owned insurers. Viswam in his letter said: "Saurabh Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), for the reasons best known to him only, has pressurised GIPSA to select a consultant, i.e., Ernst & Young, through a tender process in the name of having profitable growth and efficiency in the PSGICs (public sector general insurance companies), for which a huge amount of public exchequer has been paid to this consultant." "But the question of serious concern is that how a consultant having a dubious character, which has been fined $100 million in the US for cheating on Certified Public Account Exam (CPA), has been selected by GIPSA, and not objected by the DFS," Viswam wondered. "A recent media report reveals that the said consultant has been very heavily fined of around 5,00,000 euro and the German audit watchdog banned Ernst & Young over the Wire Card scandal from taking new audit work of the companies of public importance," Viswam added. Viswam also told Joshi that the public sector general insurance industry at present is facing unrest due to organisational restructuring and unilateral imposition of key performance indicators (KPI)/closure and merger of offices in the name of restructuring. "Several media reports also confirm that the PSGI industry, which is worth more than one lakh twenty-five thousand crore (1,25,00,000+ crore) is being ruined," the letter noted. Viswam also raised the issue of GIPSA and DFS bypassing the orders of the Chief Labour Commissioner, Government of India, to have bilateral discussions with the stakeholders and started unilaterally implementing the recommendations of EY. The Rajya Sabha member said that more than 1,500 offices have been closed/merged by the managements of the four government-owned non-life insurers, resulting in denial of excess of general insurance policies to the general public of the country, especially in Tier II and III cities. Viswam urged Joshi for his immediate and effective intervention to ensure the sanctity of the authorities viz. Chief Labour Commissioner, and also to restore justice to all the working class and the policyholders of the general insurance industry. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in) Patna, April 15 : In what is being suspected as a case of honour killing, two teenage girls have been allegedly killed by their mother in Bihar's Vaishali district, the police said on Saturday. In fact, the woman -- Rinku Devi, has admitted to killing her daughters, aged 18 and 16, as they frequently used to elope with some youth. "I have killed the elder daughter first, followed by the younger daughter. Both of them used to elope with youth frequently. They had eloped with two youth 15 days ago. I gagged them until death," Rinku Devi said in her confessional statement. Om Prakash, SDPO Sadar range of Vaishali, said: "When we learnt about the incident in the morning, a team from Sarai police station went there for investigation. On noticing the police, the girls' father fled from the spot. He lives in Kolkata. We have detained their mother for enquiry. She confessed that she had killed them. "However, the way she appeared, we doubt if she had actually committed the crime. She is trying to shield her husband," the police officer said. "On the basis of a confessional statement, we have arrested her and raids are on to nab her husband. Rinku Devi claimed that she was miffed with her daughters and hence, she killed her. The bodies have been sent for postmortem," Om Prakash said. Meanwhile, Neeraj Singh, the Mukhiya representative of Shital Bhakurahan Panchayat, said: "Rinku Devi came to my house in the morning and said that her husband killed her two daughters. They had eloped 15 days ago and their father was angry over them. He had gagged their mouths until they died. After committing the crime, he fled from the spot." Guwahati, April 15 : Following the inclusion of Assamese language in the Constable (general duty) examination of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma extended his thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday. Sarma termed this as a Bihu gift to the people of Assam. He wrote on Twitter, "I am confident that the decision to allow Constable (GD) CAPF exams in 13 regional languages including Assamese will enable a large number of youths from Assam to serve Bharat Mata by joining our paramilitary forces." The exams will also be given in 12 additional regional languages in addition to Assamese, including Manipuri, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Urdu, Punjabi and Konkani. By allowing candidates from the Northeast to take the exam in their mother tongue, this measure is anticipated to improve their prospects. One of the flagship examinations conducted by the Staff Selection Commission, the Constable Exam (general duty) draws thousands of applicants from all over the nation. The move has been aimed to encourage regional languages and to give impetus to participation of local youths, particularly from rural areas, in the CAPF. New Delhi, April 15 : A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a woman inside a lift at a Delhi Metro station on April 4, a Delhi Police official said on Saturday. The accused, identified as Rajesh Kumar, is employed as a housekeeping staff at a private hospital. According to police, Rajesh had exposed his private parts and touched the victim inappropriately inside a lift at Jasola Metro Station in south Delhi. The incident was captured on security camera footage and local intelligence helped in identifying and locating the accused. "Upon confrontation, Rajesh attempted to flee the scene without boarding the metro train," said the official. A case under legal sections related to harassment has been filed by the police. The victim is an architect by profession and had objected to the accused's actions at the time of the incident. Madrid : , April 15 (IANS) La Liga leader FC Barcelona visit Getafe on Sunday in what could be a difficult afternoon for Xavi Hernandez's side. Barca have decided to travel to the Spanish capital by high-speed train, rather than fly, to cut down on emissions, with the club saying its players will use more sustainable forms of transport from now on where feasible. The weekend starts with Barcelona 13 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, although that lead could be down to 10 points depending on Madrid's result in Cadiz. Xavi has once again to deal with a long list of injuries, with Ousmane Dembele, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen all still on the sidelines and likely to remain out until the end of the month. That once again limits Xavi's options to rotate his side, and Barca have looked flat in recent matches, losing their Copa del Rey semifinal 4-0 to Real Madrid and drawing 0-0 at home to Girona, reports Xinhua. The Girona game highlighted Barca's problems, with five B-team players on the bench and only Ferran Torres as an attacking option to freshen things up. Franck Kessie could start on Sunday ahead of Sergi Roberto in central midfield to try to give Barca some more creativity, and perhaps Jordi Alba could come into the side for impressive youngster Alejandro Balde, but it's hard to see Xavi making many more changes. Getafe receive Barcelona after a tame 2-0 defeat away to Real Sociedad, but that game shouldn't be seen as a reference for a team that has only lost two of their last eight La Liga matches, although they are still only three points above the relegation zone. Barca will have to be wary of strikers Enes Unal and Borja Mayoral, as well as former Barcelona duo Munir El Haddadi and Denis Suarez on the break, but their main problem will be breaking down a five-man defence likely to sit deep and close down any spaces. New Delhi, April 15 : Over 1,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, will be deployed outside the CBI headquarters here in Lodhi Road on Sunday as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to appear at the agency's office in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case. According to officials, security measures will also be heightened outside the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) office located near Rouse Avenue Court. To prevent any trouble from AAP workers or supporters, an adequate number of barricades will be set up on the surrounding streets. "We have put in place a comprehensive security arrangement, and as he is a Chief Minister, there will undoubtedly be tight security for his safety," said a senior police officer. The official further stated that over 1,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, will be deployed outside the CBI headquarters to ensure that no unpleasant incidents occur. "Section 144 CrPC to be imposed in the area," said DCP (South) Chandan Chaudhary. The CBI has summoned Kejriwal to its office at 11 a.m. to appear before the investigation team as a witness in the excise policy case, according to a notice issued by the CBI. It has been announced that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and all Delhi Cabinet Ministers will accompany Kejriwal to the CBI office. Kejriwal has been summoned by the CBI for the first time in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case, which allegedly caused losses to the Delhi government and benefitted a group of liquor traders. Kejriwal's name was mentioned in the second chargesheet filed before a Special ED Court on January 6 by the Enforcement Directorate. Patna, April 15 : Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday criticised the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government for the hooch tragedy in Bihar's East Champaran district, saying the government is not revealing the actual number of deaths. At least six persons were killed and nine hospitalised after they consumed spurious liquor in East Champaran district, police said on April 15. However, the villagers claimed that 22 people died due to the hooch tragedy. Sushil Kumar Modi demanded an immediate meeting of all the parties to review the liquor policy, and also provide compensation to the victims' families. "The deaths happened in East Champaran in a liquor tragedy belonging to poor families. The victims belong to Dalit and poor families. The state government is hiding the actual number of deaths. The police officers are going to every house of the victims and applying pressure to not seek the post-mortem (exam). They are asking victims' families to cremate the bodies without post-mortem," Modi said. "The people who fell ill after liquor consumption are not undergoing proper treatment. There are no facilities of treatment for them in the hospitals. Hence, they are dying in the absence of treatment. The lives of the victims could have been saved if they were provided proper treatment," he added. Slamming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the senior BJP leader said: "After the Saran hooch tragedy, the CM announced that his government will soon call for all parties to meet to give compensation to the victim's families. So far, it has not called any meeting in this regard. I urge the chief minister to call for the meeting as soon as possible and give Rs 4 lakh each to the family members of the victims." "The Patna High Court has also asked the state government for the proper treatment to the hooch tragedy victims. The National Human Rights Commission has also recommended compensation of Rs 4 lakh compensation to the family members of the victims," Modi said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Lithuania could be interesting for Azerbaijan as a partner in the fields of high tech, IT, food industry, logistics, renewable energy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania told Trend. The source at the Lithuanian MFA reminded that two important bilateral visits took place over the last year: the Azerbaijani speaker of the parliament visited Lithuania, and the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda paid an official visit to Azerbaijan. "A great focus was placed on economic diplomacy. A delegation representing 15 businesses and business structures from Lithuania joined the President in Baku for the Lithuania - Azerbaijan Business Forum," the source said. As the MFA pointed out that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Lithuania in 2022 increased by 19 percent, with Lithuanian exports growing by 50 percent. Representatives of the public and private sectors of Lithuania and Azerbaijan signed seven memorandums of understanding for closer cooperation in the areas of trade, technology, digitization, transport and logistics, innovation, and small and medium-sized businesses, the ministry noted. Moreover, an agreement between the two governments on the international road transport has also been signed. "Azerbaijan is an important partner for Lithuania with a considerable potential for developing business relations, being one of the most important links between Europe and Asia with a growing role in the global market," the ministry said. New Delhi, April 16 : The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has said that they have arrested three persons, including two arms suppliers and one receiver. The gang has supplied 300 guns to Punjab-based criminals, police said. Alok Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell (Southern Range), said that the accused were identified as Rajinder alias Raju, Narender Singh alias Nitu alias Saphera and Pradeep Singh. A senior police official said that 21 pistols and an Etios car used in carrying firearms were recovered from their possession. Recovered firearms were meant to be supplied to the criminals and arms traffickers in Delhi and Punjab. "Inspector Ranjeet Sing Satvinder, ACP Attar Singh received the tip-off about the gang members and a team was formed to nab them. A specific information was received that Rajinder and Pradeep had procured a consignment of pistols from Madhya Pradesh and they had brought them in Delhi in their Etios car. They were about to supply it to one Punjab-based arms trafficker near Modi Mills Flyover. A trap was laid and they were held. Nitu was also held when he came to meet them," the police official added. Nitu was also previously arrested in a case of highway robbery and Arms Act in Patiala, Punjab. The accused have already supplied more than 300 pistols. Mogadishu, April 16 : Somali National Army (SNA) has killed at least nine al-Shabab militants and injured more after conducting an operation near Janale town in southern Somalia, officials said. The Chief of Defence Forces Odowaa Yusuf Rage told the Somali national news agency on Saturday that their forces took swift action against the militants who ambushed a convoy of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), nearly 90 km south of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. "Our forces killed at least nine terrorist militants who carried out an ambush attack on ATMIS convoy along the road between Bufow location and Janale district. Intelligence reports helped the army to defeat the militants," Odowaa said. He did not comment on if there were casualties of SNA soldiers during the operation, Xinhua news agency reported. The latest onslaught on al-Shabab extremists comes a week after the Somali government and local forces launched the second phase of the offensive operation against the group in the Hiraan and Galgudud regions in central Somalia, respectively. Amplify Surgical, Inc., a medical device company focused on innovative minimally-invasive surgery for the lumbar spine, today announced positive data from a retrospective study on its dualLIF System, the synthesis of dualPortal Spinal Endoscopy and dualX Dual-Expanding Interbody Technology. The study, The Use of Dual Direction Expandable Titanium Cage With Biportal Endoscopic Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Technical Consideration With Preliminary Results, was recently published in Neurospine, led by clinical researchers, Don Y. Park, M.D., Vice Chair of Quality and Safety of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, California and Dong Hwa Heo, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Department of Neurosurgery, Spine Center, Champodonamu Spine Hospital in Seoul, South Korea. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37016859/ The first description of dualLIF in the scientific literature, the study analyzed 10 patients on whom dualLIF was performed, over 6 months after surgery. Mean VAS leg scores, back scores, and ODI all significantly improved. Additionally, mean intervertebral disc heights and lumbar lordosis both increased notably. There were 0 incidental durotomies, wound infections, implant failures, or medical complications in this clinical series. Furthermore, postoperative radiographs at 6 months demonstrated no malposition, significant subsidence, or re-collapse of inserted cages. Results from the study indicate the efficacy of dualLIF (dualPortal endoscopic TLIF using the dualX dual-expanding cage) as a successful surgical technique for treating lumbar degenerative disease. Dr. Don Y. Park notes, This technical note marks the first ever publication that describes the dualLIF procedure in detail and demonstrates favorable early clinical experience in the United States. We showed significant improvement in clinical outcome scores and sustained radiographic improvement over a 6 month follow up after surgery. Importantly, there were no significant instances of subsidence or loss of correction in the early postoperative period, possibly due to the wide footprint and design of the dualX cage. These results provide support that the dualLIF endoscopic procedure can be effective in the early follow up period. Referred in the study as the dual direction expandable titanium cage, Amplify Surgicals dualX technology is a fleet of titanium, expandable interbody devices designed to expand in both width and height, implanted in lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF), posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) spinal procedures. The dualX portfolio contains varying footprints, heights, and degrees of lordosis with post-expansion bone grafting to provide an optimal anatomical fit for a clinically successful fusion environment. The dualPortal technique is Amplify Surgicals novel two-portal endoscopic approach to the spine that allows surgeons to easily learn and perform a wider array of lumbar spine procedures than the conventional one-portal technique. Also referred to as (unilateral) biportal endoscopy, dualPortal provides flexibility to perform endoscopic lumbar fusions with conventional expandable cages or dualX. Amplify Surgicals dualLIF synthesizes dualPortal Spinal Endoscopy and dualX Dual-Expanding Interbody Technology, integrating the enhanced visualization of endoscopic spine surgery with the advantages of minimally-invasive TLIF and dual-expanding interbody cages. About Amplify Surgical, Inc.: Amplify Surgical is a privately-held spinal device company located in Irvine, CA. The companys mission is to revolutionize minimally-invasive spine surgery by transforming ordinary procedures with groundbreaking surgical solutions that improve patient safety and outcomes. Camille, Andrew, and Remington represent all that McGlinchey stands for: excellence in the law, dedication to the community, and the highest professional standards, said Mag Bickford, Managing Member of McGlincheys New Orleans office and Chair of the firms Labor and Employment practice group. McGlinchey Stafford congratulates three Louisiana attorneys on their recognition by the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA)s Young Lawyers Division: Member Camille Bryant (New Orleans) was a recipient of the Top 40 Award, given to the state's top young lawyers who have made exceptional contributions to the legal profession and their community. Associate Remington Angelle (Baton Rouge) received the LSBA YLD Pro Bono Award for his work with Southern University Law Center (SULC)s expungement initiative. Associate Andrew Albritton (New Orleans) was selected as a finalist for the Hon. Michaelle Pitard Wynne Professionalism Award, which recognizes the high standards of professionalism in the legal community. Camille, Andrew, and Remington represent all that McGlinchey stands for: excellence in the law, dedication to the community, and the highest professional standards, said Mag Bickford, Managing Member of McGlincheys New Orleans office and Chair of the firms Labor and Employment practice group. Their contributions to our state and our profession are very deserving of this recognition. McGlinchey has a strong history of support and involvement with the LSBAs Young Lawyers Division, so the recognition of these three colleagues makes us very proud, said Zelma Murray Frederick, Managing Member of McGlincheys Baton Rouge office. Remington, Andrew, and Camille represent McGlinchey well in the community. We are grateful to have each of them as a part of our firm. Camille guides employers through a wide range of employment law issues, whether through litigation or advice and counsel. She is a go-to lawyer and thought leader on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) issues, and is also a trusted advisor to employers as they develop Environmental Social Governance (ESG) programs. A leader inside and outside McGlinchey, Camille chairs the firms African American Affinity Group, co-chairs the New Orleans Summer Associate Program, and is active in many other committees. She also represented McGlinchey in the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity (LCLD)s prestigious Pathfinder and Fellows programs and participated in the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI)s Regional Leadership Program. Camille was appointed to the Louisiana Board of Ethics, a 14-member body which regulates all state government employees. She also served as President of the Greater New Orleans Chapter of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, Inc. and Martinet Legal Foundation and is a past president of the New Orleans Association for Women Attorneys. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Pro Bono Project, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS), and the New Orleans Federal Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her leadership at the local and national level. Remington focuses on consumer financial services litigation, enterprise litigation, and cannabis litigation. He represents and advises companies of all sizes including national banks, insurance companies, lenders, and cannabis cultivators. He was recognized for his Pro Bono work the SULCs Expungement Initiative. Through the program, run by SULCs Office of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives, Vice Chancellor Marla Dickerson, her team of attorneys, and volunteers such as Remington meet with qualified Louisiana citizens and address clearing their criminal records at no cost. V.C. Dickersons team then drafts and files motions for expungement on behalf of these citizens so that they may qualify for a loan, pass a background a check, or qualify to buy a home. Since the programs inception, hundreds of motions have been filed to local and state courts. Andrew represents the firms clients in labor and employment matters, enterprise litigation, and government investigations. He chairs McGlinchey PRIDE LGBTQ+ resource group and is active in the firms Diversity Committee. As a law student, Andrew clerked in McGlincheys New Orleans office on three occasions, including as the firms LCLD 1L Scholar. Andrew was nominated for the Professionalism Award based on his leadership style and abilities, and his unwavering commitment to making his community a better place for all. Each year, the LSBA Young Lawyers Division solicits nominations for young lawyers and local affiliates (such as a local bar associations young lawyer section) for the awards listed below. To be eligible for consideration, individual nominees must be current members of the LSBA Young Lawyers Division (attorneys in good standing with the LSBA who have not yet reached the age of 39 or who have been admitted to the practice of law for fewer than five years). The Awards Committee, composed of YLD attorneys from every LSBA District, and the YLD Board select award winners. about mcglinchey McGlinchey Stafford is a premier midsized business law firm offering services in nearly 30 practice areas through a highly integrated national platform. McGlinchey attorneys leverage bold innovation, diverse talent, and leading-edge technology across our powerful network to serve clients at the local, regional, and national level. McGlinchey operates from 17 offices, 140 attorneys, licensed in 32 states. The firm currently has 18 attorneys and 11 practice areas recognized in Chambers U.S.A. and Chambers FinTech 2022, 53 attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers, 40 attorneys recognized in various Super Lawyers rankings, 44 practice area rankings awarded by Best Law Firms, and was named a Top Performer and Compass Award Winner by the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity (LCLD). To learn more, visit http://www.mcglinchey.com. ### Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Urban Park Concessionaires, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The Sacramento employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Urban Park Concessionaires, alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Urban Park Concessionaires is currently pending in the Nevada County Superior Court, Case No. CU0000627. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here. According to the lawsuit filed, Urban Park Concessionaires allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, (f) failed to provide wages when due, and (g) failed to pay sick wages, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections 201-204, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct. Additionally, Urban Park Concessionaires allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code 2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other California Class Members were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones as a result of and in furtherance of their job duties. For more information about the class action lawsuit against Urban Park Concessionaires, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County, and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and other types of illegal workplace conduct. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** Helping a child break the habit doesnt have to be a traumatic battle. Thumb sucking is normally nothing for parents to worry about for kids under 4 years old, says Douglas Ng, DDS, of San Luis Obispo Family Dentistry. Its a natural reflex to nursing, rarely causes problems and most kids give it up on their own by the age of 4; one in five may continue until around age 5. Ng has recently released some tips to help parents know when its time to help their child stop. Because infants get both nutrition and comfort when nursing, its natural for a toddler to associate sucking on his or her thumb or a pacifier with comfort. Stressful events in the family, moving to a new home, starting school, or even a new little brother or sister can cause children to start thumb-sucking after they have stopped the habit. Restarting the habit is rarely something for parents to worry about. Most will stop on their own fairly quickly. Any parent who is concerned about their childs thumb-sucking habit should talk with their dentist or pediatrician, says the San Luis Obispo dentist. Continuing thumb sucking past 4 or 5 can contribute to dental problems, especially when permanent teeth start growing in. Getting regular dental examinations from a very young age can quickly identify changes in the childs mouth that may become problems. The dentist can recommend the best corrective approach. Some of the most common problems that be caused by prolonged thumb sucking or even long-term use of the pacifier include: Problems with tooth alignment leading to an overbite or underbite Contributing to lisping, speaking, and chewing issues Contribute to protruding teeth that are more likely to chip or break, or damage the inside of the mouth Change the shape of the jaw or roof of the mouth More exposure to germs Aggressive thumb sucking may contribute to dental problems even in children under 5 years old Aggressive thumb sucking can also irritate the thumbs or fingers leading to sores and infection Helping a child break the habit doesnt have to be a traumatic battle. Distraction is the easiest way to change the behavior, says the San Luis Obispo dentist. Read a story Play a game or do some kind of art project that keeps the childs hands and mind busy When the child is feeling stress for any reason, comfort your child and remove or change the cause of stress Older children can participate in stopping their habit by choosing methods for stopping Rely on help and encouragement from the family dentist Praise for not sucking the thumb or pacifier Praise yourself for being calm and caring Dr. Ng has been helping Central Coast families with their dental needs and oral health since 2008. A California native from Southern California, he graduated with honors as a Regent Scholar from the University of California and then received his DDS from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. His dental office supports local schools and Dr. Ng is active with Easter Seals, often traveling overseas to provide dental care to underserved areas. Douglas NG, D.D.S. Family Dentistry 862 Meinecke Ave #203 San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 (805) 544-1246 PTI Fact Check: Social media post on Bathinda Military Station shooting incident shared with false claim; Details inside New Delhi, Apr 14 (Abhinav Gupta / Pratyush Ranjan PTI Fact Check): A verified Twitter handle shared a photo of an Army jawan parade, claiming the four Army personnel killed in the recent shooting incident at Bathinda Military Station were Hindu soldiers belonging to the 18 Horse Regiment. The tweet further claimed that the attacker was a Sikh soldier. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that all the deceased soldiers belonged to the 80 Artillery Regiment. The 18 Horse Regiment was part of the Pakistan Army, not the Indian Army. Also, the identity of the assailant/s has not been known so far. The social media post was shared with a false claim. Four soldiers at the Bathinda Military Station were killed in a shooting incident on April 12 this year. The FIR registered in the case has mentioned two unknown persons as assailants, and a massive hunt is underway to capture them. Claim A verified Twitter handle named Saffron Diaries shared a photo of the Army Jawan parade and claimed that the four soldiers killed in the April 12 shooting incident at Bathinda Military Station were Hindus who belonged to the 18 Horse Regiment. The user further claimed that the attacker was a Sikh soldier. Sources within the #IndianArmy have reported that a Sikh soldier allegedly killed four Hindu soldiers belonging to the 18 Horse Regiment at the Bathinda Military Cantonment, read the April 12 Twitter post. The post has garnered over 780K views, more than 180 likes and 130 retweets. Here is the link and archive link to the post, and below is a screenshot of the same: Investigation The Desk started the investigation by looking for similar claims on social media and found a Twitter post by another blue tick user named Khalsa. Here is the link and archive link to the Apr 12 post, and below is a screenshot of the same: The Desk then conducted a customised Google search with the keyword Bathinda Military shooting incident details and came across a PTI report published on Apr 13. Search on to nab assailants behind killing of four Army soldiers at Bathinda Military station, read the headline of the PTI report. Here is the link to the report, and below is a screenshot of the same: The four Army jawans, in their mid-20s, were sleeping when the firing took place around 4:30 am on Wednesday in their barracks near the officers' mess in the artillery unit, the report stated. According to an FIR, a jawan saw two unidentified men in white kurta-pyjama, their faces and heads covered with cloth, coming out of the barracks after the firing. One of them was carrying an INSAS rifle and the other an axe, the jawan said, according to the police FIR. The suspects, who were of medium height, went towards a forested area near the barracks on seeing the jawan, according to the police FIR, it added. The report further quoted the police saying that a massive manhunt was underway to capture the two assailants. The police also ruled out the possibility of any terror angle. The four soldiers killed in the incident have been identified as Sagar Banne (25), Yogesh Kumar J (24), Santosh M Nagaral (25) and Kamalesh R (24). However, no details have been disclosed so far regarding the identity of the assailants. In the next part of the investigation, the Desk accessed the FIR copy of the shooting incident at the Bathinda Military Station on the official website of Punjab Police. Below are a couple of screenshots of the FIR copy: The FIR was registered on April 12 based on the complaint lodged by Major Ashutosh Shukla, who has been posted as a Major in the 80 Medium Regiment since February 2022. According to Major Shuklas statement, Gunner Desai Mohan informed him about the firing incident inside the mess barrack at 4:30 am on April 12. He was also told that two unidentified men were seen coming out of the barrack. In the next part of the investigation, the Desk contacted the Indian Armys Media Interaction Cell to clarify the viral claim. The story will be updated accordingly. Subsequently, the Desk concluded that no official information was released on the identity of the assailant/s of the April 12 shooting incident at Bathinda Military Station. The Desk then cross-checked the following claim in the viral post that the four deceased belonged to the 18 Horse Regiment of the Indian Army. We scanned the official website of the Indian Army but couldnt find any mention of any regiment named 18 Horse. On one page, we found the names of 1 Horse, 4 Horse and 14 Horse regiments. Similarly, on three other pages, we found the mention of 9 Horse, 17 Horse and Central India Horse regiments. On a Google search with the keyword 18 Horse Regiment, the Desk found a gazette notification issued by the Pakistan government in 2020. The notification listed the officers appointed as Colonels of the regiment/battalion. One of the regiments mentioned was 18 Horse. Here is the link to the gazette notification, and below is a screenshot of the same: Further details on this claim made in the viral post are awaited in the response sought from the Indian Armys Media Interaction Cell. Subsequently, the Desk concluded that there is no 18 Horse Regiment in the Indian Army, but a regiment with the same name is in the Pakistani Army. Claim The four security personnel killed in the April 12 shooting incident at Bathinda Military Station were Hindu soldiers belonging to the 18 Horse Regiment, and the assailant was a Sikh soldier. Fact The authorities have released no official information on the identity of the assailant/s. The FIR claims there were two assailants, and the police have said that a massive manhunt is underway to capture them. Also, there is no 18 Horse Regiment in the Indian Army. There is a regiment with the same name in the Pakistani Army. Conclusion Social media users claimed that the four security personnel killed in the Apr 12 shooting incident at Bathinda Military Station were Hindu soldiers belonging to the 18 Horse Regiment, and the assailant was a Sikh soldier. In its investigation, the Desk found that no official information has been released on the identity of the assailant/s so far. We also found no 18 Horse Regiment in the Indian Army. The social media posts were shared with misleading claims. You can contact PTI Fact Check on WhatsApp Number +91-8130503759 and share any claim or social media post you think is essential to fact-check and want us to verify. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. The supply chain we use for book publishing is a lot like an old house. Bringing it up to date is a labor of love that takes a lot of planning, investment, and time. Only when you visit a neighbor who has reimagined their house, do you realize how far behind your own house is. Though the book industry has evolved with such innovations as online retailing, digital books, and new business models, our plumbing is largely the same as it was 15 years ago. Thats a problem. It limits the ability of publishers, retailers, and other partners in the supply chain to improve discovery, sell more books, and reduce costs. And it leaves too many questions that are difficult to impossible to answer. For example, theres no real-time data on how many books are printed each year, where they were printed, or the rate of returns by book typesuch as data specifically covering childrens booksacross the industry. Retailers who want to share sales data with publishers must use large Excel workbooks with hundreds of columns, which add costs for publishers to format and interpret. Publishers also have difficulty testing new marketing approaches because some distributors and retailers may not pick them up. These everyday failures in supply-chain communications are like inadequate plumbing. They add work and cost time and understanding. In some cases, they limit what publishers can test or where they can innovate. It doesnt have to be this way. Our neighbors are showing us what can be done. BookNet Canada maintains a metadata repository and API that anyone in the supply chain can use. Together, they make it possible to proof metadata and create web catalogs, and even build something entirely newlike 49th Shelf, a collection of Canadian-authored content, dynamically delivered from the metadata that BookNet maintains. In the U.K., Book Industry Commu-nication maintains protocols called BIC Realtime that allow publishers and their partners to communicate back and forth about inventory and returns. A payments clearinghouse called BATCH also gives retailers the opportunity to pay invoices from multiple publishers with one check or wire, with the system doing the work of apportioning the payments. The Dutch, French, German, and Norwegian markets offer a variety of solutions for improving the supply chainsome based on centralized repositories, others on implementation of existing standards for two-way communication across all industry players. The U.S. market could adapt many of these practices and solutions to improve discovery, sell more books, and streamline operations to focus on higher value-added activities. Over the next three years, we expect to help the industry create better metadata with more effective feedback on problems and inconsistencies, ultimately delivering greater sales. The Book Industry Study Group is currently gathering information to build the business case for change. The priorities are likely to include creating metadata repositories of record, implementing tools to automate and broaden sales and inventory reporting, and launching a payments clearinghouse across the U.S. market. Other goals may emerge as we engage broadly and deepen our analysis. Over the next three years, we expect to help the industry create better metadata with more effective feedback on problems and inconsistencies, ultimately delivering greater sales, as better metadata drives discovery. Other changes will increase understanding of industry trends and better establish the impact of publishers initiatives. Across the board, well also provide a platform for greater efficiency, as labor is redeployed away from reporting and payments processing. Of course, no single company or organization can fix the plumbing for the book industry. That takes agreements reached across the supply chain, from publishers and distributors to retailers, libraries, and industry service partners. Our industry has done it before: in the late 1990s, the Association of American Publishers began developing what is now the ONIX standard for metadata, to help retailers create online catalogs with more complete information. Around 2007, the industry moved to the 13-digit ISBN, which helped books enter mass market and specialty stores on a significant scale. These are important advances, but they are also a sign of our infrastructure challenge. It has been 16 years since the 13-digit ISBN was introduced. Any change effort will take time. To get the ball rolling, we will discuss these issues in detail at the BISG annual meeting on April 28. Anyone from the industry is welcome to attend. The industry-wide support well need represents an investment in the future of book publishing, ensuring we have a house were all happy to live and grow in. Brian F. OLeary is the executive director of the Book Industry Study Group. This summer, Scribner will launch a new poetry program, publishing one original volume of poetry by a contemporary poet each season. The program will be spearheaded by Scribner editorial director Kathryn Belden, executive editor Chris Richards, and assistant editor Emily Polson. All three will acquire books for the program and plan to be collaborative in their editorial efforts. Richards, who previously published poetry at FSG and Penguin Press, looks forward to drawing on his prior experience. We all have different sensibilities, which will serve the list well, he said. The great poetry of our moment is various and multivocal, as it probably always has been, and combining our distinctive tastes will allow us to better approach the breadth of whats being written today. Scribner has published a handful of poetry titles in the past, but this is its first attempt in a structured program. Belden and Richards noted several poetry gems on Scribners backlist, including volumes by William Butler Yeats and Edith Wharton, as well as Ntozake Shanges for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, which was reissued last year, with a new cover and an introduction by Jesmyn Ward. Scribner has also published the Best American Poetry series for more than 30 years. Edited by David Lehman and revolving guest editors (including Robert Hass, Tracy K. Smith, and Natasha Trethewey), its been called a mainstay of the poetry publication world by the Academy of American Poets. The programs inaugural title will be Bread and Circus, the second collection by Philadelphia poet laureate Airea D. Matthews, slated for May 30. In September, Scribner will publish Sam Saxs Pig, as well as the 2023 edition of Best American Poetry, curated by Lehman and guest editor Elain Equi. Slated for February 2024 is Diana Khoi Nguyens Root Fractures. Also, in the near future, Scribner plans to publish Pleasure Principle, the debut collection by poet Madeleine Cravens, a mentee of Louise Gluck and Shane McCrae. By way of marketing and publicity, Scribner will release a chapbook featuring selections from Bread and Circus, Pig, and Root Fractures; host a launch event series in the summer with group readings as well as gatherings for media, booksellers, and the poetry community; and present programming at the 2024 AWP conference. One of this programs unique features is its open submission period, the pilot program of which will run during the month of August. Submissions will be read by Belden, Polson, and Richards, with support from other advisers on the Scribner team. Though final details will be announced later this spring, the team will read up to 300 collections and respond to all submissions by the end of 2023. The intention of the open submission period, Richards explained, is to eliminate some of the hurdles that poets can experience when seeking a publisher. The trio dates the programs inception to when, last year, Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp suggested that someone at the company should publish poetry. Belden said she found the mere suggestion worthy of pause: the CEO of a Big Five publishing company wants to ensure poetry is publishedhow extraordinary! She volunteered, and with the support of Karp and Scribner publisher Nan Graham, Scribners poetry program was born. Before the team set to work, they researched how best to tailor the publishing process to poetry, presenting their findings to Scribner leadership. We decided if we were going to publish poetry, we would need to educate ourselves and our colleagues about the ways that poetry is different than prose, from the design and production, to the more delicate process of editing and vigorous support through publication, Belden recalled. How do you price poetry? Whats the range of advances? What format, hardcover or paperback, is best for publication? Who are the few agents that represent poetry? How do you reach poets who are unrepresented? How do we effectively market and publicize poetry? How do we serve readers? Richards called the program a labor of love, but added that it also makes good business sense. Theres no shortage of talent in American poetry, and no shortage of readers, he added. But there is a shortage of publishing opportunities. Romantic fantasy, increasingly marketed as romantasy, pairs the idealism of romance with the surrealism of fantasy, giving readers a break from dire headlines and humdrum daily life. One real big draw of fantasy is exploring these other worlds where you can ride a dragon, wave a wand, and suddenly, theres a nighttime of stars above you, says Liz Pelletier, CEO and publisher at Entangled Publishing. What would the world be like with a little magic? PW spoke with editors about how romantasy authors are giving their readers that magic. When Aragorn met Elizabeth Bennet The best romance stories portray all the joys and complexities of lovers learning to navigate their lives and emotions together, and romantasy offers fertile ground to explore that complexity against the backdrop of an imagined world that operates by its own rules. Aparna Vermas The Phoenix King (Orbit, Aug.) features an enemies-to-lovers romance between an heir who is hiding a terrible secret that could threaten her ascension to the throne and an untrustworthy former assassin assigned to her guard. Youre bringing in a lot of complex worldbuilding that layers into why theyre enemies in the first place, which informs their romance, says Orbit senior editor Priyanka Krishnan. It just interconnects very nicely. A courtesan meets a prince with an insatiable hunger for mortal experiences in Jennifer L. Armentrouts Fall of Ruin and Wrath, a September release from Tors Bramble imprint. For Ali Fisher, executive editor at Tor, the magic in Armentrouts world feeds directly into the couples relationship and fuels their growing connection. Another Tor release, T.J. Klunes Wolfsong (July; originally published by Dreamspinner in 2016), involves a friends-to-lovers romance between a human and werewolf; the characters abilities to shape-shift adds a dimension to their love story. Something that really works between these two genres is the idea of coming into a whole new world with entirely different social rules that go with various forms of magic, Fisher says. Adding romance to a fantasy story helps the world feel more familiar to readers, even when that world runs on magic and is populated by werewolves or elves. No matter how fantastical or speculative or strange the situation, its the relationships that anchor the core of those stories that make them shine, says Sarah Peed, senior editor at Del Rey. Peed edited Alexis Halls Mortal Follies (June), which PWs starred review called a fresh and delightful addition to the queer romance canon. In a magic-infused Regency England, a noblewoman enlists the help of an alleged witch to rid herself of a curse. We found love in a magic place The pandemic has increased the demand for new realities and new worlds, editors say, as readers search for relief from their trauma and stress. Weve seen so many readers who feel the need for escapism in the last three years, says Jessica Wade, executive editor at Ace. Wade acquired Genevieve Gornichecs The Weaver and the Witch Queen (July), a historical fantasy set in the 10th century that follows a witch who eventually becomes the queen of Norway and her childhood friend, who embarks upon a journey to save her sister after shes kidnapped by Viking raiders. Readers who are weighed down by their current realities are looking for a little hope, and the inherently hopeful nature of romance can break up the tension of fantasy stories high-stakes plots. Theres been such an outcry and need for something that just feels warmer, softer, and lovely, says Nivia Evans, senior editor at Orbit, who acquired Sara Hashems The Jasad Heir (July), an Egyptian-inspired fantasy about a queen on the run who strikes a deal with her enemys heir in exchange for her life. Claire Legrands A Crown of Ivy and Glass, a May release from Sourcebooks Casablanca, follows a young socialite with a physical intolerance to magic who is seeking a way to ruin her familys rival and strikes a deal with a man trying to redeem himself after his parents were compelled by a demon. Its another layer of escapism, which is something that I look for in books as a reader, and I think others are looking for as well, says Sourcebooks senior editor Annie Berger. Just the way you are Saga senior editor Amara Hosijo points out how the magic system in Chloe Gongs Immortal Longings (July) challenges readers to think about their identity and what makes them who they are. In this Antony and Cleopatrainspired tale, the characters can jump into any body of their choosing, so looks arent a factor in the romance. I continue to think about the ways that physical appearance and title and authority are conflated and how they play a role in love, Hosijo says. PWs starred review praised Gong for the way she probes her characters sense of identity in her wonderfully high-concept adult fantasy. Entangleds Pelletier agrees that identity is an essential part of romantasy. The Entangled imprint Red Tower will publish Rebecca Yarross Fourth Wing in May, which PWs starred review described as an epic tale of a reluctant dragon riders coming-of-age with a sexy dark academia aesthetic. Pelletier observes that one of the hallmarks of a good love story is one character seeing something innately lovable in another that no one else sees. Sometimes you dont even know youre special at the beginning, she says, and then you find out that you were always extraordinary. And they lived happily ever after The outlook for romantasys longevity looks bright, as the subgenre uniquely sets the stage for boundless relationship development over the course of a multi-book seriesa significant departure from the structure of traditional romances. Youre seeing what couples go through over multiple books and the challenges they have in these elaborate worlds, says Christa Desir, editorial director at Bloom Books, which published the fairy taleinspired romantasy Mountains Made of Glass by Scarlett St. Clair in March. We get to see all the machinations of the people who are trying to keep these two apart and how the couple is fighting against them. Another factor in romantic fantasys burgeoning popularity is YA readers graduating to adult titles and looking for their next dream, says Sourcebooks senior editor Mary Altman. YA author Maxym M. Martineaus first adult fantasy, Shadows of the Lost (Sourcebooks Casablanca, June) is an opposites-attract love story centered on an undying assassin who brings his lover back from the grave. A spin-off from her YA series, The Beast Charmers, Martineaus darker and more sexually explicit novel moves up in age range from YA to new adult, Altman says. Adrienne Procaccini, senior acquisitions editor at Amazon Publishing, notes that romantasy has a very strong coming-of-age angle about the power of finding oneself. The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg, due out from Amazons 47North imprint in August, features a young woman who is exiled from human society but finds sanctuary in the enemy city of trolls, where she unexpectedly falls in love with one of their kind. Like other editors interviewed for this piece, Procaccini sees romantasy as a nearly boundless realm. Theres a very strong appetite for romantic fantasy right now, she says. This genre has been around for a long time, and I dont think its going away anytime soon. Vivian Nguyen is a writer and editor in Southern California. Read more from our SF, Fantasy & Horror feature: It's Not Easy Being Greenwashed: PW Talks with Sim Kern The author of 'The Free People's Village' (Levine Querido, Aug.) discusses the intersections of art and activism. Ghosts in the Machine: New SF, Fantasy & Horror New science fiction grapples with artificial intelligence. Written in the Stars: New SF, Fantasy & Horror Love is in the airor the airless expanses of spacefor lovers of romance. The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation. This week, we discuss how Truth Decay affects national security; Americas gun violence problem; why blockading Crimea may be Ukraines best option; improving educational outcomes for kids in foster care; the benefits of investing in women's health research; and why the Army should be looking for slightly older recruits. Photo by Stephen Emlund/Getty Images Truth Decay and National Security Over the last two decades, Americans have been disagreeing more and more about objective facts. This division is part of Truth Decay, a phenomenon that has serious consequences, such as undermining public trust in government institutions, contributing to political gridlock, and eroding civil discourse. According to a new RAND paper, Truth Decay is also affecting the country's security and stability. Here are some examples: Truth Decay may drive policymakers to more-extreme positions on foreign policy and national security issues. If policymakers seek information that conforms to their preexisting views, then U.S. intelligence could appear less credible to them. The spread of false information can harm military recruitment, retention, and morale. Truth Decay makes the United States more vulnerable to foreign influence and information operations. The authors highlight the need to better understand these risks as a first step toward mitigating them. Otherwise, Truth Decay will remain a strong weapon in the hand of American adversary states. Photo by Eduardo Munoz/Reuters RAND's Andrew Morral on America's Gun Violence Problem Two high-profile mass shootings, two weeks apart: The attacks in Nashville and Louisville are the latest reminders that gun violence in America shows no signs of stopping. Andrew Morral, director of the RAND Gun Policy in America initiative, discussed the issue in a recent episode of Vox's podcast, The Weeds. He broke down why it's difficult to discern the effects of many gun laws, including an assault weapons ban; detailed recent trends in firearm laws; and explained what's behind America's failure to make policy changes that could save lives. Photo by Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters Blockading Crimea Might Be Kyiv's Best Option Ukraine is determined to reverse Russia's illegal seizure of Crimea. But Crimea's geography makes it difficult to invade. That same geography, however, could facilitate a modern-day siege, say RAND experts. Ukrainian forces could use uncrewed surface vessels to blockade and barrage Russian operations, allowing them to pin down and neuter the enemy in Crimea while they work to oust it from other parts of their country. Improving Educational Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care Kids in foster care experience far worse educational outcomes than other students. This is partly because of the frequent school transfers associated with transitioning in or out of foster care. A new RAND report explores how improved collaboration between the child welfare and public education systems could help address this problem. The authors interviewed both education and child welfare system representatives, as well as adults who were in foster care as kids, to identify potential solutions. Photo by Drazen Zigic/Getty Images There's More Than One Reason to Invest in Women's Health Research For decades, medical research focused on the male body, largely ignoring male and female biological differences. RAND's Chloe Bird explains how this bias has led to a gap in the evidence base for women's health. Bias has also fueled misconceptions that it would be too costly to close this gap. But RAND research has shown just the opposite: Greater investments in women's health research would provide a savings of billions of dollars over 30 years. That would make any investor take notice, Bird says. Photo by U.S. Army The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers The Army has missed its recruiting target twice in the past five years. Recruiters may want to focus on slightly older individualsand not just to make quotas. A recent RAND study finds that recruits in the 25-to-35 age range perform better in several key areas than those aged 16 to 18. Further, with recent layoffs affecting many highly skilled tech workers, recruiting older individuals could help the Army meet its increased need for cyber and AI expertise. When U.S. President Joe Biden met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego last month, the three leaders announced a crucial next step for the AustraliaUnited KingdomUnited States (AUKUS) security pact. Australia will purchase at least three, and possibly five, Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States and eventually, alongside Britain, deploy a new class of nuclear-powered submarines jointly developed by the three nations. The submarines plan is just one part of the deepening security collaboration among the three countries aimed at countering China. Next steps could include basing U.S. nuclear-capable platformssuch as strategic bombersin Australia as well as cooperation on hypersonic missiles, cyber operations, quantum computing, and in other areas. All this likely makes AUKUS more consequential for the regional military balance than any other of the so-called mini-lateral groupings, including the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) joining Australia, India, Japan, and the United States; or the Five Power Defense Arrangements among Australia, Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore. AUKUS is truly unique because of its exclusive focus on modernizing and enhancing the interoperability of the participants' military capabilities to deter and, if necessary, defeat China in a potential future conflict. Predictably, Beijing has railed against AUKUS. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin accused the three nations of engaging in hegemonic practice and said the deal demonstrates a Cold War mentality designed to contain China. Beijing has also raised concerns about AUKUS allegedly undermining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, with Wang warning the three partners against going down this dangerous path. Aside from China's, responses to AUKUS across the Indo-Pacific have been generally positiveor at least not negativesince the pact was announced in September 2021. Some countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, are concerned about the potential for nuclear proliferation. Overall, however, most Indo-Pacific nations either support AUKUS or avoid publicly opposing it, suggesting widespread and varied concerns about China's military buildup, growing power, and intentions in the region. This bodes well for AUKUS' ability to tie in additional allies and partners for the purpose of peacetime deterrence. In the case of AUKUS' closest friends, this could even extend to military operations in a potential war. As a stalwart U.S. ally with an increasingly strained relationship with China, Japan unsurprisingly supports AUKUS. During a call with Albanese last month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida noted that AUKUS would contribute to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region amidst an increasingly severe security environment. Last December, Tokyo released ( PDF ) its new National Security Strategy, which described Beijing's military activities as unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge. Aside from China's, responses to AUKUS across the Indo-Pacific have been generally positiveor at least not negativesince the pact was announced. Share on Twitter Japan's primary concern is its dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands (which Beijing calls the Diaoyu Islands). But in recent years, Tokyo has increasingly voiced its concerns over Beijing's military pressure against Taipei, as well. Writing in Foreign Policy, Hoover Institution scholar Michael Auslin argued that Japan belongs in AUKUS (making it JAUKUS?). Tokyo hasn't taken an official position, but it is unlikely to engage in any use of nuclear technology for warfare. Fierce domestic political opposition rooted in the public's memory of World War II still exists in Japan. Still, Tokyo is likely to find other parts of the AUKUS agenda, such as quantum computing, more appealing and politically feasible. South Korea, another critical U.S. ally, hasn't officially weighed in on AUKUS. Understandably, this is because South Korea focuses on North Korea and tries to maintain a delicate balance between China and the United States. However, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is clearly uncomfortable with Chinese assertiveness in the region. In June 2022 in Madrid, he became the first South Korean leader to attend and speak at a NATO summit, where the main topic of discussion was how the alliance could counter China and Russia. Under Yoon, South Korea is reportedly seeking to increase engagement with, and potentially join, the Quad, another security grouping designed in large part to check China. Yoon's administration is also poised to participate in the U.S.-led Chips 4 alliance, alongside Japan and Taiwan, in an effort to diversify semiconductor manufacturing away from China. When asked as an election candidate in 2021 what he thought of AUKUS, Yoon responded that Seoul did not need the type of nuclear-powered submarines headed for Australia. That said, since the recent test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile by North Korea, Yoon may well change his mind. There are other reasons for Seoul to consider nuclear-powered submarines; indeed, South Korean officials have privately suggested they desire the national prestige and expertise associated with having them. Additionally, polling shows 71 percent of South Koreans in favor of re-stationing nuclear weapons in their country. What's more, Yoon commented in January that South Korea might have to go nuclear to counter a nuclear-armed North Korea. Hence, Seoul might benefit from AUKUS-style arrangements in the future. That said, it is currently very unlikely Washington would accommodate it. Meanwhile, Taiwanfrequently the target of China's irehas understandably embraced AUKUS. In the most recent statement on the topic, in March, Taipei's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it welcome[d] the steady advancement of AUKUS, adding [the ministry] believes that this trilateral cooperation will strengthen deterrence capability in the Indo-Pacific and contribute to the maintenance of regional peace and stability. Taiwan probably hopes AUKUS speeds up and deepens defense collaboration so that the island can maximize deterrence or effectively leverage the pact in a future conflict. In Southeast Asia, AUKUS is more controversial. Despite China's encroachments in the South China Sea and elsewhere, virtually all nations are attempting to stay out of great power competition by neither endorsing nor condemning the pact. The region's only strong AUKUS supporter is the Philippines, another U.S. ally that also faces daily Chinese pressure in the disputed South China Sea. For the Philippine government in Manila, AUKUS is a helpful addition to regional security architecture. In 2021, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. noted that AUKUS should restore and keep balance rather than destabilize it. Among other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states, AUKUS gets cautious support. Singapore, for example, has not released a statement since last month's summit in San Diego. But in 2021, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and thenAustralian Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed the then-new pact, which Lee reportedly hoped would contribute constructively to the peace and stability of the region and complement the regional architecture. Vietnam, a key emerging U.S. security partner, has likewise remained cautious but supportive. In 2021, Vietnam refused to outright reject AUKUS, warning only that nuclear energy must be developed and used for peaceful purposes. Following the recent AUKUS summit, a Hanoi spokesperson said that peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world is the common goal of every country, and countries are responsible for contributing to this goal. Reading between the lines, this implies that China must do its part as well. Both Indonesia and Malaysia, while skeptical that the pact will be stabilizing, will not oppose it either. In public statements, they have focused only on the possible nuclear proliferation consequences. Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs merely commented last month that Indonesia expects Australia to remain consistent in fulfilling its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safeguards. Even Malaysia, a far more-outspoken skeptic, acknowledged in a statement the needs of countries in terms of enhancing defence capabilities even as it warned that AUKUS must fully respect and comply with Malaysia's restrictions on nuclear-powered submarines in its waters. Malaysia also urged all countries to refrain from any provocation that could potentially trigger an arms race or affect peace and security in the region. Even Cambodiaa virtual Chinese client statehas not opposed AUKUS outright, even as it expressed its concerns. In an exchange with Australia in 2021, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn remarked ( PDF ) that Cambodia, as a war-torn nation, expected that AUKUS [would] not fuel unhealthy rivalries and further escalate tension. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen last month wondered aloud why Cambodia accepted AUKUS' explanation that it would not inject nuclear weapons into the region while Western powers refused to believe Cambodian assurances that Chinese construction at a naval base in southern Cambodia was not for the Chinese military. Notably, Thailandanother U.S. treaty ally in Southeast Asiahas so far avoided commenting on AUKUS at all, perhaps to maintain cordial and productive relations with China, which it views more benignly than many other ASEAN countries. India, of course, is the most consequential nation to the success of Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy. It hasn't publicly weighed in on AUKUSbut in a highly telling move, New Delhi in 2022 voted against China and Russia's attempts in the IAEA to derail the pact on the grounds that nuclear sharing for submarine propulsion violated the NPT. New Delhi diligently worked behind the scenes with many IAEA states to uphold the merits of the AUKUS agreement, in a clear move to shut down Beijing. To be sure, there are other reasons for India's vote, such as the AUKUS nations' earlier assistance in getting India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an export control regime for nuclear material and technology, and AUKUS members' cooperation with India on counterterrorism. But the vote was primarily aimed at countering China, making it a win for AUKUS. The one region where the reaction to AUKUS suggests the broadest strategic realignment is Oceania, where there has been a surprising level of support. New Zealandwhich has a long China-friendly past and an even longer record of opposing any nuclear-related initiativesdecided, at Washington's invitation, to explore non-nuclear cooperation with AUKUS nations. The new defense minister, Andrew Little, said last month, When you look at the geostrategic situation we have in the Pacific at the moment, I think the longer-term challenge is that our partners and neighbors will say to us, 'We expect more.' His comments suggest that New Zealand feels obligated to further assist Pacific Island nations in offering alternatives to China's rise in the region. If most Indo-Pacific nations strongly or cautiously support AUKUSor refuse to condemn itthen Beijing will have more geostrategic and military implications to worry about than AUKUS itself. Share on Twitter Among Pacific Island nationswhich, like New Zealand, have traditionally been highly suspicious of anything nuclearAUKUS has surprisingly robust support. This month, the chairman of the region's most important multilateral body, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), said he was reassured by AUKUS nations' explanation of their plans and intentions. Fiji, the region's heavyweight and host of the PIF headquarters, openly supports AUKUS. Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa said, This is how Australia sees its role in the security aspects of the region, and we understand that. To be sure, the Solomon Islands, with whom China last year inked a new security agreement authorizing its navy ships to make routine port calls, expressed concerns over keeping the region a nuclear-free zone, as directed by the PIF's Treaty of Rarotonga. But only Tuvalu has thus far condemned AUKUS. Its foreign minister tweeted, As we discuss nuclear-powered submarines in the Pacific, we must also address concerns about increased militarization of the region. If most Indo-Pacific nations strongly or cautiously support AUKUSor refuse to condemn itthen Beijing will have more geostrategic and military implications to worry about than AUKUS itself. China will thus need to work overtime to undermine not only AUKUS, but also those who might enable it with their support, acquiescence, or silence. Besides China, the small handful of nations that have outright opposed the deal are largely pariah states aligned with Beijing, specifically Myanmar and North Korea. Beyond the region, China's no limits partner, Russia, opposes it too. But the fact that these countries are such a small minority suggests that AUKUSas long as it continues to assuage nuclear proliferation concernswill be viewed in the region as a legitimate counter to Chinese military excesses. Derek Grossman is a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California, and a former daily intelligence briefer to the U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs. This commentary originally appeared on Foreign Policy on April 12, 2023. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. On Monday at approximately 4:31 p.m., the Athens-Clarke County Police Department responded to a shooting that occurred on the 200 block of Hawthorne Extension, according to a press release from ACCPD. A 32-year-old man had been shot and sustained life-threatening injuries, the release said. EMS transported the man to a local hospital. The introduction and presence of COVID-19 worsened mental health among various demographics on a national level, according to a study from Mental Health America. The study found that Black individuals had the biggest increase in anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to other races and ethnicities, with a 5% increase in those screened who displayed symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety. Suicidal ideation also increased the most among Black youth and adults from 2019-2021, higher than any other group. Historically, Black women have often felt disrespected, unprotected and neglected, which have caused their mental health to look different from other symptoms of mental illness that exist. Disgruntled former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar resigned as MLA on Sunday after expressing anguish over denial of ticket to contest in the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections, and launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying 'those who had built the party are being thrown out of their own house'. IMAGE: Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar talks to mediapersons after tendering his resignation on Sunday. Photograph: ANI on Twitter Congress sources said Shettar is in talks with senior party leaders and may join the Congress on Monday. The sources told PTI that Shettar flew from Hubballi to Bengaluru on Sunday in a special helicopter and held discussions with Congress general secretary (Karnataka in-charge) Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress state chief D K Shivakumar, former minister M B Patil and veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. Meanwhile, shortly after the 67-year-old six-time MLA, who had also said he would quit the party, tendered his resignation, Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa, slammed him for deserting the outfit, and said people would not pardon him for his move. Shettar, an influential Lingayat leader from north Karnataka, and sitting MLA from Hubli-Dharwad Central, said some people with their vested interests had hatched a conspiracy to not field him this time. "Today those who are originally from the BJP are being thrown out from the party. Today I am going out from my own house. I have been driven out of my own house. This has hurt me deeply. Against this background, I have resigned from the legislature assembly," Shettar told reporters. He said the party's central leadership has not given any reason for not accommodating him. "Was age factor a reason? No. Were there any health issues? I am in good health. Did I run any club or indulged in unlawful activities or am I a rowdy sheeter? Nothing. There was no CD (sex scandal)," the veteran leader said. Recalling his contribution to the party, Shettar said he had worked with utmost integrity to build it for the past 30 years and the BJP too rewarded him position and respect. "Because of my work there is a party's presence in the rural areas. Today the party has grown strong under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." Asked about Yediyurappa's statement that the party gave Shettar power and position but still he left the outfit, he sought to know why the former quit the BJP (more than a decade ago) and formed the Karnataka Janata Party. (Yediyurppa subsequently returned to the BJP) "Yediyurappa too was given a good position. Why did he quit the BJP?" Shettar asked. Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, 60, and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh for a checkup. IMAGE: Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed being escorted to a hospital by police for a medical checkup, in Prayagraj before they were shot dead by three men. Photograph: PTI Photo The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews around 10 pm. The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels. The last rites of Ahmad's son Asad, who was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13, were performed here just hours before the shooting. Briefing reporters about the incident, Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, Ramit Sharma said the three assailants, who were arrested immediately after the incident, had joined the group of mediapersons who were trying to get sound bites from Ahmad and Ashraf. "In accordance with a mandatory legal requirement, Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf were brought to the hospital for a medical examination. According to preliminary information, three men posing as journalists approached them and opened fire. Ahmad and Ashraf were killed in the attack. The attackers have been held and are being questioned," Sharma said. Police constable Man Singh was injured in the incident as a bullet hit his arm, the officer said, adding that a journalist was also hurt after he fell during the commotion that followed the shooting. Video footage showed a man thrusting a gun at Ahmad's head as he talks to reporters and the former Samajwadi Party MP collapsing. The footage also showed the three assailants firing at the brothers even after they had fallen. IMAGE: Bodies of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed. Photograph: PTI Photo The bullet-riddled bodies of Ahmad and Ashraf were taken away from the spot as tension gripped the area after the sensational killings. Officials said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has formed a three-member judicial commission to probe the killing of Ahmad and his brother. They added that prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been issued in all districts of Uttar Pradesh. Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi: "Crime has reached its peak in Uttar Pradesh and the criminals are unfazed. When someone can be shot dead amidst a police cordon, then what about the safety of the general public? An atmosphere of fear is being created among the public due to this and it seems that some people are deliberately creating such an atmosphere." Ahmad, a former SP MP, and his brother were brought here for a court hearing in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case and were remanded in police custody. Ahmad's son Asad and one of his accomplices were killed in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13. The last rites of Asad were performed at the Kasari Masari graveyard here on Saturday amid heavy police security, with only a few distant relatives and locals present inside the burial ground. Incidentally, Ahmad and Ashraf were being questioned by the Uttar Pradesh Police at the Dhoomanganj police station, around 3 km from the burial venue. Asked by reporters to comment on Asad's death, his uncle Ashraf said, "Allah has taken back what belonged to him." IMAGE: Police personnel at the site where Atiq Ahmed and his brother were shot dead. Photograph: PTI Photo Umesh Pal, a key witness in the murder case of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal, and his two police security guards were shot dead outside his Dhoomanganj residence here on February 24. Based on a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered on February 25 against Ahmad, Ashraf, Ahmad's wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and nine others. A police team from Uttar Pradesh brought Ahmad, who was lodged in the high-security Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, to Prayagraj on March 26 to produce him in a court in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case. On March 28, the court sentenced Ahmad and two others to life imprisonment in the kidnapping case. In 2006, Ahmad and his aides abducted Umesh Pal and forced him to give a statement in court in their favour. Umesh Pal had got a complaint registered in this regard. The Supreme Court had in April 2019 directed that Ahmad be shifted to a high-security jail in Gujarat after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault of Lucknow-based real-estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in jail. Ahmad was named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the Umesh Pal murder case, police said. Among the most sensational murders in which Ahmad was allegedly involved was that of Raju Pal, the then BSP MLA who was shot dead in 2005. Ahmad moved the Supreme Court for protection, claiming that he and his family have been falsely implicated in the Umesh Pal murder case and he may be killed in a fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday night imposed Section 144 of CrPC in all the districts, in the aftermath of sensational killings of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Khalid Azeem alias Ashraf in Prayagraj. IMAGE: Police personnel at the spot where Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead while they were being taken for a medical checkup, in Prayagraj, Saturday, April 15, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo Ahmad (60) and his brother were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup. The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews around 10 pm. The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels. The last rites of Ahmad's son Asad, who was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13, were performed in Prayagraj just hours before the shooting. After the Prayagraj incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath convened a high-level meeting in Lucknow and constituted a three-member judicial commission to probe the killings. Briefing reporters about the incident, Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, Ramit Sharma said the three assailants, who were arrested immediately after the incident, had joined the group of mediapersons who were trying to get sound bites from Ahmad and Ashraf. "In accordance with a mandatory legal requirement, Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf were brought to the hospital for a medical examination. According to preliminary information, three men posing as journalists approached them and opened fire. Ahmad and Ashraf were killed in the attack. The attackers have been held and are being questioned," Sharma said. Police constable Man Singh was injured in the incident as a bullet hit his arm, the officer said, adding that a journalist was also hurt after he fell during the commotion that followed the shooting. Video footage showed a man thrusting a gun at Ahmad's head as he talks to reporters and the former Samajwadi Party MP collapsing. The footage also showed the three assailants firing at the brothers even after they had fallen. The Central Bureau of Investigation will question Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday in its probe into the excise policy scam, a move that has escalated the Aam Aadmi Party-Centre faceoff and became a fresh rallying point for opposition unity push ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday, April 15, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo As opposition leaders like the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Janata Dal-United supremo and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed solidarity with Kejriwal on Saturday and renewed calls to speed up opposition unity efforts to take on the BJP, officials said the CBI may ask the AAP chief about the policy formulation process, especially of the "untraceable" file which was earlier slated to be put before the Delhi Council of Ministers. Kejriwal is being summoned as a witness and is not an accused in the excise policy case in which his former deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on February 26. Sisodia was last month arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and is in judicial custody. The chief minister on his part said the Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as a ray of hope for the country and claimed that is the reason why efforts are being made to trample it. In his first reaction after being served a notice by the CBI to appear before it at 11 am on Sunday, Kejriwal said he will be present before the probe agency. Addressing a press conference here, he said no other party has been targeted in the last 75 years as the AAP. He also alleged that the agencies were torturing people to extract false confessions. Asserting that if he was "corrupt" then no one in the world was "honest", Kejriwal also claimed that BJP leaders were demanding his arrest and that if the saffron party had "ordered" the probe agency to arrest him, it cannot refuse doing so. Kejriwal said he will sue the CBI and ED officials for alleged perjury and filing false affidavits in courts. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju took a jibe at Kejriwal over his sue CBI and ED remarks, saying the AAP leader will file a case against the court if convicted. It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped. Kejriwal also wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin, saying democracy in India is being dealt blows every single day and the country's federal structure is in grave danger. "It is a foregone conclusion that democracy in India is suffering from blows every single day." Sources said that Kharge telephoned Kejriwal, and stressed the need for opposition parties to unite against the BJP ahead of the 2024 general elections. Kharge is learnt to have expressed solidarity with Kejriwal, they said. Nitish Kumar said Kejriwal will reply to "all the actions" initiated against him at an appropriate time. People know what is happening against him (Kejriwal). He is a well-regarded person and he has done a lot of developmental work in his state. He will reply to all the actions that have been initiated against him at the appropriate time, the Bihar chief minister told reporters in Patna. This is the reason that we are making efforts to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP-led central government. We will make all efforts and work unitedly." Kumar met Kejriwal in Delhi on Wednesday in his attempt to forge an alliance of opposition parties against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre before the 2024 general election. In his reply to a letter from Stalin, Kejriwal noted that "every tenet" of the India's Constitution stands compromised, be it liberty, equality, secularism, or fraternity. Making a strong pitch for opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK supremo recently said there should be collective effort towards ensuring federalism, equality and social justice. The AAP alleged that the Centre was "misusing" probe agencies to "harass" its leaders and preparing to arrest Kejriwal. It also alleged that the Centre was "scared" of the AAP and their aim was to finish the party. Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader and Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi asserted Kejriwal was the only politician speaking out on the issue of corruption, which was why efforts were being made to stifle his voice. As the political slugfest intensified, the BJP claimed that Kejriwal was trembling with fear following the CBI summons to him, and said he should take a lie detector test if he had nothing to be afraid of. At a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also slammed the AAP leader for attacking the central government over the summons and said it was not the time for rhetoric but accountability. Delhi Police will deploy over 1,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, outside the CBI headquarters to ensure the safety of Kejriwal, officials said. Security will also be tightened outside the AAP office in Rouse Avenue, they said. An adequate number of barricades will also be placed on the streets at both these places to ensure AAP workers and supporters do not create any trouble, they said. Officials said the CBI may also quiz Kejriwal on the statements of other accused where they have indicated the manner in which policy was allegedly influenced to favour some liquor businessmen and the 'South liquor lobby'. In addition, the agency may also seek his role in the formulation of the excise policy and his knowledge about alleged influence being cast by the traders and 'South lobby' members, the officials said. Kejriwal may also be asked if he was involved in the formulation of the policy before it was given approval, they said. The Congress on Saturday announced its third list of 43 candidates for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, and turned down the request of senior leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to contest from the second seat -- Kolar. IMAGE: The Congress has already fielded Siddharamaiah from Varuna constituency, earlier represented by his son. Photograph: ANI Photo Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who joined the Congress on Friday, has got the ticket from Athani in Belagavi district. Also, senior Janaat Dal-Secular leader K M Shivalinge Gowda, who had joined the Congress recently, has been fielded from Arsikere. The Congress has given tickets to at least 16 fresh faces in the third list. They include former Union Minister and Opposition's nominee for the Vice-President polls Margaret Alva's son Nivedit Alva, and former state Minister Motamma's daughter Nayana Jyothi Jhawar. The party had on March 25 announced the first list of 124 candidates and second list for 42 constituencies (including Melukote where it is backing the candidate of a different party) on April 6. With the third list of 43 candidates, the party has so far announced the nominees for 209 out of total 224 seats. The Congress has fielded former Mulbagal MLA Kothur G Manjunath from Kolar, the second seat from where Siddaramaiah wanted to contest. The Karnataka HC had in April, 2018 had disqualified Manjunath, who had got elected as an independent MLA from Mulbagal in 2013 polls, on a charge of furnishing an illegal caste certificate. According to party sources, as it got clearer that he will not get the ticket to contest from Kolar, Siddaramaiah himself is said to have favoured Manjunath, as the candidate, amid other aspirants. Stating that he was among those who demanded that Siddaramaiah should contest from Kolar and it continues to be his demand even today, Manjunath told reporters he was caught by surprise to see his name in the list, as he along with other leaders from Kolar only expected Siddaramaiah's name to be announced as the candidate. "I was surprised, I had not applied for a ticket from Kolar. Looking at my good work and organisational work, the party might have considered me for Kolar instead of Mulbagal, as I have a case going on there... Party high command has announced the list, but changing it is not a big deal, we want Siddaramaiah," he added. While Siddaramaiah's name was announced as candidate from his home turf of Varuna in the first list itself, the Congress Legislature Party leader had maintained that he wished to contest from Kolar too, as the second seat, if the party high command agrees. Siddaramaiah who currently represents Badami in Bagalkote district, had earlier announced that he will be contesting from Kolar, but backtracked after the party leadership reportedly cautioned him regarding the "risks" there, following which he opted for his earlier constituency Varuna, which is currently represented by his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah. However, Siddaramaiah under pressure from supporters and workers to contest from Kolar too, has been maintaining that he has expressed desire to the party leadership to contest from there, as his second seat, to the Congress high command, and it is up to them to decide. Several senior state Congress leaders had reportedly opposed Siddaramaiah contesting from two seats. Interestingly, announcement of a candidate comes a day ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to address a rally in Kolar, the same place where he made a remark on the Modi surname for which he was convicted of criminal defamation and also stripped of his Parliament membership. Former Minister Revu Naik Belamagi, who had quit the BJP and joined the Congress in 2022, has been fielded from Gulbarga Rural, while former Janata Dal-Secular MLA N H Konareddy, who joined the party in 2021, is a candidate from Navalgund. Amid doubts about Kusumavathi C Shivalli getting a ticket from Kundgol, the party has renominated her. The Congress has not announced a candidate for the Shiggaon Assembly segment yet from where Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is the BJP candidate. Speculations are rife that the Congress is planning to field a strong candidate against Bommai, and is considering fielding former Minister Vinay Kulkarni, who has already got a ticket from Dharwad. The Congress has also not announced a candidate to Hubli-Dharwad Central segment, from where senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar wants to contest, despite the party high command asking him to make way for others. Having fielded V Raghunatha Naidu from Padmanabhanagar segment in Bengaluru, where Minister R Ashoka is a BJP candidate, Congress now seems to be planning to field KPCC President D K Shivakumar's brother and Bangalore Rural MP D K Suresh from there. This after the BJP fielded Ashoka from the second seat of Kanakapura, from where Shivakumar is contesting. Responding to a question regarding Suresh contesting from Padmanabhanagar, Shivakumar said, "there is demand (for him to contest), we have given ticket to Naidu, let's see, we will discuss." The third list has eight Lingayats, eight Vokkaligas and five SCs, among others. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said he will appear before investigating agencies in the excise policy case and asserted that if he was "corrupt" then no one in the world was "honest". IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference after CBI summoned him for questioning in the now-scrapped liquor policy case on April 16, in New Delhi on Saturday, April 15, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo Addressing a press conference in New Delhi over the Central Bureau of Investigation summons to him in the excise policy case, he claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were demanding his arrest and that if the party had "ordered" the probe agency to arrest him, it cannot refuse doing so. The CBI has summoned the Aam Aadmi Party leader in connection with the case on Sunday. He has been asked to be present at the agency headquarters at 11 am to answer queries of the investigating team, officials said. The central probe agency has already arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case. It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped. Kejriwal also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for levelling allegations of corruption against him. "How can corruption be an issue for such a person who is submerged in corruption from head to toe," he said and cited the charges levelled against Modi by former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik. He further said that no party in the 75-year history of independent India had been targeted like the AAP because it has given hope to people which no other party has been able to do so far. "The AAP has given hope to people that it can remove their poverty, educate them and provide employment to their children. The prime minister wants to crush this hope," he said. In 30 years of BJP rule in Gujarat, in which Modi was the chief minister for 12 years, condition of not a single school could be improved, while the AAP government in Delhi turned around the government schools in five years, he said. "A temporary classroom had to be set up when the prime minister visited a school in Gujarat...," he quipped. Kejriwal said the BJP was trying to corner the AAP and it first sent AAP's number 2 and number 3 (Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain) behind the bars and now they wanted to catch hold of him. "The issue is not corruption or liquor scam. How could it be for a person who himself is submerged in corruption? I had cited various instances of corruption in my speech at Delhi Assembly in March and I got a call from Sanjay Singh (party MP) that I was next," said the AAP supremo. Batting for the now scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22 of his government, Kejriwal said it could have ended corruption. "The same policy has led to 50 per cent rise in revenue in the last one year," he claimed. Kejriwal alleged torture and threats to those arrested by the central agencies in connection with the liquor scam probe. "I want to ask the prime minister what is going on. They catch anyone and then torture them to name Kejriwal or Sisodia. That is their probe," he said. Kejriwal alleged that the CBI and the ED "lied" in the court that Sisodia destroyed 14 mobile phones to hide evidence. "The seizure memo of ED shows that it has four of the 14 phones, while one was with the CBI. Our own investigation has revealed that the remaining nine phone (numbers) were active and being used by persons like AAP volunteers," he claimed. Kejriwal further said that it has been alleged that a bribe of Rs 100 crore was taken, but he asked where was the money. "More than 400 raids were conducted...where is the money? It was said that the money was used in Goa elections. They questioned every Goa vendor whom we had employed, but could not find anything," he asserted. Later in a tweet, he said, "We will file appropriate cases against the CBI and the ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts." An associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was killed in an attack by rival gang members inside Tihar Jail on Friday evening, according to officials. IMAGE: Gangster Prince Tewatia, an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, after his arrest by the Delhi Police Crime Branch, in New Delhi, December 2, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo Prince Tewatia (33) was an undertrial prisoner lodged in ward 6 of central jail number 3 which has around 380 inmates, they said. "At around 5.30 pm today, Tewatia had an altercation with another inmate, Attatur Rehman, who is from a rival gang. Tewatia attacked him with an improvised weapon and members of both the gangs joined the fight that left four people, including Tewatia and Rehman, injured," a jail official said. "The injured were taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital. While three of them are stated to be stable, Tewatia was declared dead by the doctors," the official said. Apart from Rehman, Bobby and Vinay sustained injuries in the fight. A case was registered and an inquiry by the chief judicial magistrate has been initiated, the official said. He belonged to a middle-class family from Gaziabad and studied till class 12 at a private school in Delhi's Chirag Enclave. He had two siblings -- a younger brother and a sister. Tewatia's father retired from the DDA while his mother is a homemaker. Tewatia was previously involved in 16 criminal cases, including murder and attempt to murder, the police said. He was arrested for the first time in 2010 in a murder case. He produced a fake birth certificate in court so that he could be treated as a juvenile but was caught and charged with forgery. While inside a jail, he came in contact with gangster Rohit Chaudhary in 2013 and joined his gang. The following year, he came out on bail and started extorting money from cable operators, satta operators, and builders in south Delhi on the instructions of Chaudhary, the police said. Tewatia was a trigger-happy individual who would not hesitate to open fire at people, including his neighbours and even a live-in partner. In January 2015, he shot and injured his three neighbours and in February, he shot an advocate in the leg as he had a feud with him. In April 2015, he met a woman and entered into a live-in relationship with her. After a while, Tewatia wanted to move out but the woman refused so he shot her in the abdomen, police said. In a road rage incident in January 2016, Tewatia shot a person in the leg. When another motorist intervened, Tewatia, along with his associates Monu and Sunny, robbed his car and shot him in the leg. Tewatia was arrested and sent to jail in 2018. The following year, he had a fallout with Chaudhary over the sharing of crime proceeds and quit his gang. Sometime later, he joined Bishnoi's gang, police said. In 2019, Tewatia was released on parole for his marriage but escaped. Later that year, in a raid conducted by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, he was arrested and sent to judicial custody, the police said. The last rites of Asad Ahmad, the son of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, were performed at Kasari Masari graveyard here on Saturday amid heavy police security, with few distant relatives and locals allowed inside the burial ground. IMAGE: The mortal remains of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed's son Asad Ahmed being brought for the last rites, who was killed in an encounter in Jhansi, at the Kasari-Masari graveyard in Prayagraj on Saturday, April 15, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo The burial lasted for an hour, police said. Asad and his accomplice Ghulam, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were shot dead in an exchange of fire with the Uttar Pradesh Police near Jhansi on Thursday. Asad was the third of five sons of Atiq Ahmad and was absconding since the Umesh Pal murder case. Ghulam's burial took place at a graveyard under the Shivkuti police station area. "The last rites of Asad Ahmad have been completed, and it went for an hour. A few distant relatives of Atiq and some people of the locality were allowed to go to the graveyard. This was necessary from the security point of view," Joint Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, Akash Kulhari told PTI. He added that the burial of Ghulam took place at a graveyard under Shivkuti police station area. Earlier, Asad's uncle, Usman, reached the graveyard with the body of his nephew. Media was strictly restricted from entering the heavily guarded graveyard. Atiq had on Friday sought permission from a magistrate to attend the funeral of his son. His lawyer Manish Khanna had told PTI that since Friday was a holiday on account of Ambedkar Jayanti, the request had been sent to the remand magistrate. However, the burial took place before Atiq's application could be presented in the court of chief judicial magistrate on Saturday. IMAGE: Security personnel stand outside the Kasari-Masari graveyard where last rites of Asad Ahmed being performed. Photograph: PTI Photo Speaking to reporters in Prayagraj after Asad's burial, one of his distant relatives (grandfather) Hamid Ali, said, "A number of family members took part in the last rites. However, among the very close relatives, only his uncle ('phoophaa') attended the last rites." Ali added that initially arrangements were made to give a bath to the body at the ancestral place of Atiq Ahmad, but later it was told that the body will be taken directly to the graveyard. All the rituals, which are done before the burial of the body, were completed at the graveyard itself, he said. Ali also said, "No family members or relatives were stopped from coming to the graveyard, and the rituals pertaining to burial of the body were done properly. "We do not have any complaints with the administration, and everything was done in a good manner. Around 100 persons attended the last rites (of Asad)." Among Atiq's other sons, the eldest son Umar is lodged in the Lucknow jail, while the second son Ali is lodged in Naini Central Jail in separate cases. The fourth son Ahjam and the youngest son Aban are housed in a juvenile home in Prayagraj. Atiq's parents' remains are also buried in the same graveyard (Kasari Masari), according to Janu Khan, who claimed to have dug the grave of Asad. Atiq is presently serving life imprisonment in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case. Asad was caught on CCTV when Umesh Pal was killed and had been on the run for the past about 50 days, police said. On Thursday, police said an STF team led by two deputy superintendents of police reached Badagaon area in Jhansi district after getting information about the presence of gangsters. Asad and Ghulam, who were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, tried to flee on a motorcycle, police had said. They opened fire at the STF team when it surrounded them and the policemen retaliated, they said, adding the two men were killed in the exchange of fire. In a swipe at the Congress in Rajasthan over infighting, Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the party prefers Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over his former deputy Sachin Pilot as his contribution in filling its coffers with the "corruption" money from the state is higher. IMAGE: Amit Shah said that the BJP will go to elections on the basis of the work of the Modi government. Photograph: PTI Photo He said that Gehlot and Pilot are fighting unnecessarily as the BJP will form the next government in Rajasthan. "Pilot sits on dharna on any pretext... his contribution may be higher on the ground but his number will not come because his contribution in filling the coffers of Congress party is less and Gehlot's contribution is higher," Shah said while addressing booth-level party workers meeting in Bharatpur. The two Congress leaders are at loggerheads since 2020 after Pilot revolted against Gehlot's leadership. Pilot recently observed a one-day fast against his own government alleging inaction on corruption charges against the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government. "Gehlot ji is saying that I do not want to step down and Pilot ji is saying that I want to be on the chair. They are fighting unnecessarily because the government is to be formed by the BJP," Shah said. Shah alleged Gehlot has made the Rajasthan government "an adda' (hub) of corruption and has looted the state. This money of corruption has gone to the coffers of the Congress party. After Raje criticised the Gehlot government in her address over the law and order situation in the state, Shah said that she was being considerate as not only had crime against women increased under the Congress dispensation but it had fuelled casteism and crossed all limits of appeasement. "The Gehlot government has worked to nurture dynasty, has incited casteism and... violence by crossing the limits of appeasement. This government can take top marks in appeasement," Shah said. The Union home minister alleged that the Gehlot government does not take any tough steps to check riots due to the "greed of vote bank". "More than two dozen papers have been leaked in Rajasthan and Mr. Gehlot still wants power... do you want to score a century? The people of Rajasthan no longer want you," Shah said. Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is one of the most corrupt governments in the history of Rajasthan. People are fed up, he claimed. Shah exuded confidence that the BJP will form a government in Rajasthan with a two-thirds majority in the year-end assembly polls and win all 25 Lok Sabha seats in 2024. On the acquittal of the accused in the 2008 Jaipur bomb blast case, Shah alleged that the Congress government did not present proper arguments in the high court due to vote bank politics. Gehlot ji, you are doing politics over the victims of the bomb blasts... Do you think the people are not watching? They had made up their mind the very same day against your government when you had banned the Ram Navami procession and saffron flags, he said. He alleged that it was "a 3-D government in Rajasthan and three Ds stands for 'dange' (riots), 'durvyavhar' (ill-treatment) with women and 'Dalit' atrocities. Shah said that once the BJP was mocked for having just two parliamentarians by the Congress, but today the Congress doesn't even hold the status of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. He also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying that its result was seen in the recent assembly elections in the three Northeast states. "Recently, Rahul baba had taken out a massive Yatra. He walked in the entire country. He did a good job. Journalists had asked me what would be the result of the Yatra. Elections were held in Northeast states and the Congress party was wiped out," he said. He said that the BJP will go to elections on the basis of the work of the Modi government, the party ideology and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi "Modi ji worked to secure India from corona. Toilets were built in every house, 80 crore people are being given 5 kg food grains, Modi ji has done the work of opening bank accounts for more than seven crore people," he said, crediting the prime minister's work for the BJP's successive victories. Besides former chief minister Raje, BJP's state in-charge Arun Singh, state president CP Joshi, Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore were present at the event. Party sources said BJP booth presidents of four districts of Bharatpur division Bharatpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur and Dhaulpur and more than 25,000 workers of 4,700 booths of the division participated in the programme. The party had suffered defeat in this division in the 2018 assembly elections. In east Rajasthan, Bharatpur division has a total of 19 assembly seats in four districts and the BJP could win only one seat in Dholpur in the 2018 assembly elections. Sixteen seats were won by Congress and one each by the RLD and an Independent. Both RLD and independent candidates are supporting the Congress government. The event was seen as the beginning of BJP's campaign on the ground for the assembly elections to be held later this year. Opposition leaders on Saturday questioned the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh and demanded that the state government be dismissed after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj. IMAGE: Policemen attempt to apprehend an assailant who opened fire at Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed while they were being taken for a medical checkup, in Prayagraj. Photograph: PTI Photo The "cold-blooded" killings are the "height of anarchy" in Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali claimed. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said crime has reached its peak in Uttar Pradesh and criminals are unfazed. Ahmad (60) and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup. The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews around 10 pm. The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels. Reacting to the incident, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi: "Crime has reached its peak in Uttar Pradesh and the criminals are unfazed. When someone can be shot dead amidst a police cordon, then what about the safety of the general public? An atmosphere of fear is being created among the public due to this and it seems that some people are deliberately creating such an atmosphere." Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary asked if 'jungle raj' prevails in the state. "Nobody is sympathising with Atiq Ahmad because a criminal should be punished. But anyone who will see this video will question if we are a democracy. Every criminal has the right to be heard in court and be convicted there. But you can see they were killed in police custody in the open," he said. He further said, "The chief minister should answer what kind of law and order he has established in the state. Is this not jungle raj and a ground to call for emergency rule in UP?" Video footage showed a man thrusting a gun at Ahmad's head as he talks to reporters and the former SP MP collapsing. The footage also showed the three assailants firing at Ahmad and Ashraf even after they had fallen. The bullet-riddled bodies of Ahmad and Ashraf were taken away from the spot as tension gripped the area after the sensational killings. In a tweet, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said, "Two murders in UP: 1) Atiq Ahmed and brother Ashraf 2) Rule of law." Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP from Amroha Danish Ali said the "cold-blooded" murder of Ahmad and his brother is the "height of anarchy" in Uttar Pradesh. "This can't happen without a go-ahead from the top. In any other democracy the state government must have been dismissed for such a heinous crime against the rule of law," he said in a tweet. The three assailants who fired at Ahmad and Ashraf were arrested immediately after the incident. In a tweet in Hindi, Uttar Pradesh minister Swatantra Dev Singh said, "Sins and virtue are accounted for in this birth..." The tragic end of Ahmad and his brother came on a day the ex-MP's son Asad, who was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13, was buried in Prayagraj. Ahmad and his brother were brought to Prayagraj for a court hearing in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case and were remanded in police custody. Umesh Pal, a key witness in the murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two police security guards were shot dead outside his Dhoomanganj residence here on February 24. Based on a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered on February 25 against Ahmad, Ashraf, Ahmad's wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and nine others. A day after the Central Bureua of Investigation summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with an excise policy case, his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar on Saturday said Kejriwal will reply to "all the actions" initiated against him at an "appropriate time". IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a meeting, in New Delhi on April 12, 2023. Photograph: @ArvindKejriwal/Twitter Kumar was replying to questions from journalists who sought his views on the CBI summons to Kejriwal for questioning in connection with the excise policy case. "People know what is happening against him (Kejriwal). He is a well-regarded person and he has done a lot of developmental work in his state. He will reply to all the actions that have been initiated against him at the appropriate time", the Bihar chief minister said. According to the notice issued by CBI, Kejriwal has been called to appear at the agency headquarters at 11 AM on Sunday to answer queries of the investigating team as a witness in the case, officials said. Kumar also told reporters, "This is the reason that we are making efforts to unite more and more parties in the country against the BJP-led central government. We will make all efforts and work unitedly." The Bihar chief minister met Kejriwal in Delhi on Wednesday in his attempt to forge an alliance of opposition parties against the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre before the 2024 general election. The Bihar chief minister and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav had also met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the national capital. Speaking at a function in Patna on Friday, Kumar had called upon people not to vote for BJP in the coming general elections. "If people vote for BJP, they will destroy themselves. And if people vote against BJP, they will ensure not only their progress but also of the state and the country," he had said. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today A shower is possible early. Clear to partly cloudy. Low 34F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A shower is possible early. Clear to partly cloudy. Low 34F. Winds light and variable. Photographer / Multimedia Editor Has been working as a photojournalist since 2007, before moving into newspapers, he worked with an NGO called Project HOPE. He then went to work for the Press and Sun-Bulletin in New York, and then in New England working for the Brattleboro Reformer. The blast that occurred at a venue in Wakayama where Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was giving a speech should not affect the timetable of a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Karuizawa slated for April 16-18, the organizers told TASS on Saturday, Trend reports citing TASS. "So far, we have not received any instructions to amend the schedule of events," one of the organizers said. Announcements will be made if there are any changes to the timetable of G7 events, the organizers added. According to Kyodo News, police have established that a 24-year-old man from Kawanishi conducted the blast. There is still no information about his name or the motives of the crime yet. The head of government was evacuated to the Wakayama City Police Department but later left it to continue his itinerary of speeches in the prefecture. Japan holds the G7 presidency this year and will host the groups summit in Hiroshima in May. As the Karnataka Assembly election date nears, the political fight in the state has intensified with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday seeking clarification from Congress regarding its alleged relationship with the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing SDPI. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said. "The statement of SDPI leader Abdul Majeed that the Congress is pressurising him to withdraw his candidate from the election shows that he has some understanding and if it was just an isolated statement, SDPI's Mohammad Ilyas, the general secretary of the Congress, has also said that there was a coalition in 2018, which means it was very clear that the alliance was there in 2018 as well as in 2023," he said. Citing a media report, Trivedi said that many members of PFI are working with SDPI and asked if Congress has a "behind-the-scenes agreement with SDPI." "While this is such a dangerous topic that PFI was not officially banned then, today it is officially banned by law...We want to know from the Congress what is your behind-the-scenes agreement with SDPI, it should come before the country because it is a question of the country's security as well as Karnataka's security," he said. The BJP leader also alleged that Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar during the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' said that the word "Hindu" is bad. Bengaluru, Karnataka | During the so-called Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' the party's Karnataka state president said that the word Hindus is bad. I am asking Congress what is your relationship with SDPI and also your role behind PFI which has been banned by the government: BJP pic.twitter.com/M2XUxV4TRZ ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2023 "The previous Congress government in the state ignored Hampi Utsav and showed interest in Tipu Jayanti celebrations. In 2019, then-Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also paid tribute to Tipu. The PFI and SDPI organisations encouraged the protests against the Citizenship Act. These same organisations had also created the Hijab controversy," he said. The Assembly elections in Karnataka will take place on May 10. The counting of votes will take place on May 13. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni acknowledged anomalies in the handling of a Russian businessman who escaped from house arrest in Italy to avoid extradition to the United States and said Saturday she would speak with the justice minister to understand what happened. During a visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Meloni termed the case of Artyom Uss grave and vowed to get to the bottom of it when she returned to Rome. Uss, the 40-year-old son of a Russian regional governor, was detained in October 2022 at Milan Malpensa Airport on a U.S. warrant accusing him of violating sanctions. In November, a ruling from a Milan appeals court resulted in him being moved from jail to house arrest and outfitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet. He escaped from Italy on March 22, a day after a Milan court recognized as legitimate the U.S. extradition request, and surfaced in Russia earlier this month. For sure there are anomalies, Meloni told reporters in Ethiopia. The principal anomaly, Im sorry to say, is the decision of the appeals court to offer him house arrest with a frankly debatable motivation, and to then maintain that decision even after there was an extradition request. Because obviously in that case, the flight risk becomes more obvious. She welcomed the decision by Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio to undertake a disciplinary investigation, saying we have to have clarity. But she also said Italy didnt have detailed intelligence information from the U.S. Justice Department about the nature of the person. Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica reported Saturday that U.S. authorities made clear that the Russian presented a very high flight risk in two notes to Nordios office one from Oct. 19, two days after Uss arrest, and the other sent after he was granted house arrest on Nov. 25. The U.S. asked for Uss to remain jailed pending the outcome of extradition proceedings and cited six cases in the past three years in which suspects escaped from house arrest in Italy while extradition requests were pending, Repubblica quoted the notes as saying. The newspaper said Nordio assured the U.S. in a Dec. 6 note that the electronic monitoring bracelet put on Uss and his required periodic check-ins with police were sufficient. Repubblica cited the Milan court's reply to Nordios investigation as saying the justice minister had the authority at any time to impose tougher restrictive measures on someone in extradition proceedings. Meeting the global target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 will require developed nations to scale up their emission reduction efforts, India said at the G7 Ministers Meeting on Climate Energy and Environment in Japan's Sapporo on Saturday. This will create opportunities for developing nations like India to address the needs of its people, which will also build resilience against the adverse impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and pollution, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said at the plenary session of the G7 minister's meeting. He also emphasised that developing countries require access to adequate means of implementation, finance, and technology to effectively combat climate change and address environmental challenges. "The global goal of reaching net zero by 2050 needs enhanced emission descaling by developed nations. This will provide space for countries like India to achieve the development required for its people, which will provide necessary defence against the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and pollution," he said. Net zero means achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out. "IPCC AR 6 report re-emphasises that development is our first defence against climate change," Yadav said. "We do hope that developed countries will make good on their commitments on finance for combating climate change and provide for the same for dealing with the environmental degradation and biodiversity loss," a statement quoting the minister said. Yadav said while efforts have been made to establish policy frameworks to tackle climate change, it is now imperative for governments worldwide to engage individuals and promote greater public participation in the fight against climate change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last year launched 'Mission LiFE' (lifestyle for environment) which calls for a global mass movement for inducing behavioural changes focused on "mindful and deliberate utilization" of resources. The G-7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. During the G-7 summit in Germany last year, the participating countries established a shared objective of transitioning towards a predominantly decarbonized electricity supply by 2035. At an event in New Delhi last month, Yadav had said that India is free to use its resources to fulfil the energy needs of its people and countries historically responsible for climate change cannot ask it to stop its development. India firmly believes that any action to combat climate change must be based on the principles of equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC). Equity essentially means that each country's share of carbon dioxide emissions is equal to its share of the global population. The CBDR-RC principle recognises that each country is responsible for addressing climate change but developed countries should bear primary responsibilities as they account for most of the historical and current greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Union Environment Ministry, India is home to 17 per cent of the global population but accounts for only four per cent of global carbon emissions. Developed nations with the same percentage of population account for nearly 60 per cent of carbon emissions. The Earth's global surface temperature has risen by around 1.15 degrees Celsius as compared to the pre-industrial (1850-1900) average and the CO2 spewed into the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution is closely tied to it. Major damage had already been done before the 1990s when economies like India started to develop, reports suggest. According to the "Global Carbon Budget Report - 2022", more than half of the world's CO2 emissions in 2021 were from three places -- China (31 per cent), the US (14 per cent), and the European Union (eight per cent). Ranking fourth, India accounted for seven per cent of global CO2 emissions. However, at 2.4 tCO2e (tonne carbon dioxide equivalent), India's per capita greenhouse gas emission is far below the global average of 6.3 tCO2e, according to a report released last year by the United Nations Environment Programme. Per capita emission in the US (14 tCO2e) is far above the global average, followed by Russia (13 tCO2e), China (9.7 tCO2e), Brazil and Indonesia (about 7.5 tCO2e each), and the European Union (7.2 tCO2e). The G7 ministerial meetings will kick off on Saturday in Japan as part of Tokyo's presidency over the group. Sapporo will host talks on climate, energy and environment from April 15 to 16 and foreign ministers will meet in Karuizawa from April 16 to 18, Trend reports citing TASS. Environmental issues According to the Kyodo news agency, the Japanese government expects to include a provision approving the discharge of radioactively treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the text of the document to be adopted at the end of the meeting in Sapporo. The Japanese authorities want to point out that the G7 welcomes the transparency of the upcoming dumping process. In addition, Tokyo intends to enshrine the progress of local authorities in the issue of reuse of land cleaned during the decontamination of soil after the accident at the nuclear power plant. Problems in energy sector The issue of supplying Japan with resources is very important to local authorities, and it could cause a heated discussion at the G7 ministerial meeting. The situation in the country is complicated by the fact that some thermal power plants have been shut down, and the process of restarting nuclear power plants is going very slowly, due to the fact that regional administrations often do not give the necessary permission. Another negative factor was the global rise in energy prices. According to the Kyodo news agency, this summer Tokyo could once again face difficulties with supply and demand for electricity, and in the event of an abnormal heat wave, it could face the threat of shortages. Achieving unity A Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman told a TASS correspondent that the Japanese authorities hope to show "unshakable unity" at the talks of foreign ministers in Karuizawa. The diplomat pointed out that it was not only about unity within the G7, but also about the willingness to fully cooperate with the international community. Among the main topics of the meeting are the situation around Ukraine and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region. "Security in Europe and security in the Indo-Pacific region cannot be discussed in isolation from each other, these are closely related topics," the Japanese diplomat noted. In turn, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, in his speech at the Summit for Democracy in March, said that participants at the Karuizawa meeting were to voice the G7 position that the association would not tolerate unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force anywhere in the world. JJ, a worker at the Joy House community center in Mae Sot, Thailand, holds a music therapy class. Originally from Myanmar, hes working on his masters degree in music therapy in Bangkok. Every Tuesday morning, a handful of Myanmar refugees visit her office in the Thai border town of Mae Sot to talk about the terror of fleeing violence and their anxiety about the future. The psychiatrist, who asked not to be identified, is familiar with the trauma her patients share, having fled Myanmar herself. As the only Burmese-speaking psychiatrist in town, she hears their stories free of charge about their journey to Thailand, where they then face new stresses risk of arrest by Thai police, the struggle to support themselves and the worry about family members left behind. Many of them have post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or anxiety. Thailand hasnt ratified the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention and so doesnt officially recognize refugees, but allows thousands to stay in border camps. Many newcomers from Myanmar try to survive on their own, under the radar and many dont seek mental health help, or dont know it exists. There is no future, and basic needs are not fulfilled, [not even] security because Thai police are always waiting to arrest people. So sometimes I feel like it is beyond my ability, she said. I can see six to seven people in a morning once a week, but it is totally not enough. The Mae Tao Clinics psychiatric care unit where she works is one of a handful of grassroots efforts that has sprung up in the last year to address the growing need for mental health care for the thousands of displaced peoples along the Thai-Burma border. Rising depression Rates of depression and anxiety within Myanmar have risen since the February 2021 coup, according to one mental health services provider working in counseling that requested anonymity to protect the continuity of their work. They found that the highest averages came from Karenni state, which borders northern Thailand, where 38 percent of surveyed individuals reported experiencing moderately severe to severe depression. People take part in a yoga class at the Joy House community center in Mae Sot, Thailand. The center offers 11 classes a week for adults and children in art, music therapy, yoga, and cooking. Credit: RFA Other border regions, such as Mon and Thanintaryi States, also reported higher rates among small surveyed populations. In people under 25 nationwide, 37 percent indicated they had symptoms of moderately severe to severe depression. The study reports that suggested treatment for a diagnosis of moderately severe depression is treatment with medication, therapy, or both. But too often, they receive neither. While data on the diaspora in Thailand is minimal, preliminary research by another anonymous nonprofit supporting Myanmar migrants in Thailand found only 7 percent of those on the border contacted a counselor during periods of stress. Among the newly arrived political dissidents and refugees, nearly half reported they had no income and a third attributed mental distress to their restricted movement without documentation. Although the Mae Tao Clinic and other community initiatives are located in Thailand, they say mental distress relating to displacement, migration and trauma are apparent on both sides of the border. The mental health services provider of the initial study told RFA the higher levels of depression in Karenni State and along the Thai border are likely due to the increased violence in the area. Due to more violence, there are more refugees and these refugees are more likely to be traumatized or simply feel helpless and hopeless as they had to leave their home and everything behind, the group said. Meeting a Need Nyunt Naing Thein, a Myanmar counselor, trainer and technical support provider at Mae Tao Clinic, helped open the psychiatric unit in August. Even though I wanted to open it, we had no human capacity to do it, he said, adding that some newly arrived migrants had already been able to access medication. Psychiatric cases are coming up actually, they are already in the community. Before the psychiatrists arrival, the clinic had previously been unable to prescribe medication for anxiety and depression and did not stock it. I convinced the woman in charge from the Mae Tao Clinic and some responsible persons of the clinic that they should buy some medication, the psychiatrist explained. She said medication wasnt necessary in all cases, but it was a healthier alternative to substance abuse problems she sees growing more common. Some come in simply for a sympathetic ear. But she has also seen cases of anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, and less commonly, cases of psychosis that require medication. Participants in the Joy Center yoga class do the childs pose. Credit: RFA Since the coup began, Nyunt Naing Thein has organized training for hundreds of aid workers and medical professionals on psychological first aid and basic counseling training, focused on empathetic listening, mental health awareness and emergency response to trauma. Theyve also organized mens and womens groups, where people in need of social support can talk about the issues theyre experiencing. Thriving Shortly after the volunteer psychiatrists arrival, Nyunt Naing Thain started working as network coordinator for a mental health and psychosocial support alliance among Mae Sots civil society organizations on the border. They dubbed the organization Shin Than Yar, or thriving in Burmese, and use it to share collective resources for training. In addition to this alliance, a recently opened community center, Joy House, has also gained quick popularity in the border town. Catering to the large number of Myanmar residents residing in Mae Sot, the center offers 11 classes a week for adults and children in art, music therapy, yoga, and cooking. The center says despite only opening three months prior, some 250 adults and children have attended classes, with yoga sometimes spilling out of the main room and onto the porch outside. When I just started, people didn't really know what this therapy is. At the start, it was out of curiosity. Some people confused it with music theory, like teaching music, said a worker named JJ who holds a biweekly music therapy class at the center. A woman sits in the lotus position during a class at the Joy Center in Mae Sot, Thailand. Credit: RFA Originally from Myanmar, hes currently getting his masters degree in music therapy in Bangkok. Earlier this year, he began volunteering at Joy House, bringing his guitar along for classes that have attendees use colors, movement, and singing to describe their feelings. Then I tried to explain how music therapy works. Some people really know and want to be in a space where they can express emotions and they can release stress, he said. People started to come after that. Its like a space to get away from what theyre going through. Changing the Culture The ambitious projects arent without challenges. While participants feel safe inside the walls of the center, JJ says that their status in Thailand can still affect their ability to come to the center. When police are out doing traffic stops and checkpoints, which can result in bribes and arrests for the citys undocumented residents, attendance is noticeably lower. These days the traffic police try to keep watch of people who dont have enough documents, he said. So there are weeks that people don't show up because of the police. Mental health can also be taboo among migrants. The Burmese-speaking psychiatrist at the Mae Tao Clinic feels that although they are able to meet a need that was previously unaddressed, theres still more work to be done to de-stigmatize the care. She says patients often misunderstand signs of stress for physical health or heart conditions, and more often, they simply dont show up after being referred to her. Although they know Im there, actually, most of the people dont want to come to the clinic to see a psychiatrist because its like labeling them as psycho people, she said, adding that over 60 percent of referrals dont show up. Despite this, she says the border is where she is able to do the most good and hopes that the conversation surrounding mental health will continue to progress. It takes time, she said about spreading the word. In the meantime, shes continuing training at the clinic for staff. Im a guest here I want to empower them. If Im not here, they can continue the care program. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Analysts say the move would be a positive one, though it could make China unhappy. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2nd from R) arrives for an official visit to Vietnam at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, April 14, 2023. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is hoping to upgrade relations with Vietnam to a strategic partnership from the current comprehensive one during meetings with officials in Hanoi on Friday and Saturday, amid Chinas rising regional power and aggression in the South China Sea. Blinken is scheduled to meet with senior Vietnamese officials to discuss our shared vision of a connected, prosperous, peaceful, and resilient Indo-Pacific region, the State Department said in an April 10 statement. Blinken also will break ground on a new U.S. embassy compound in Hanoi. Blinkens trip comes about two weeks after a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. July will mark the 10th anniversary of the 2013 U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership. Vietnam already has strategic partnerships with many U.S. allies, but the U.S. itself has remained at the lower comprehensive partnership level despite improvements in the bilateral relationship because disaccord over human rights hindered talks. But political analysts believe Vietnam may agree to boost the relationship this time around. Ha Hoang Hop, an associate senior fellow specializing in regional strategic studies at ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, a research center in Singapore, said he was certain that Vietnam would upgrade its partnership with the U.S. during Blinkens visit. A good and better relationship between Vietnam and the U.S. will certainly contribute to maintaining the stability and security of Southeast Asia, as well as of a broader region, he told RFA. It will also significantly make Vietnam more proactive, confident, and stronger in ensuring its stability and security given many complexities in the world and in the region. Vietnam has comprehensive partnerships with a dozen other countries, strategic partnerships with another 13, and comprehensive strategic partnerships with China, Russia, India and South Korea. A boost in relations between the U.S. and Vietnam would prompt China to react across the board in terms of security, economic development, trade and cultural exchange, Hop said. Even now, we all see that China does not want Vietnam to have good relations with other countries, he said because Beijing believes it would not bode well for its claims in the South China Sea over which it has sparred with Hanoi for decades. We all know they have used so-called gray zone tactics to disturb, annoy and cause instability, Hop said. Then, they gradually encroach and at some point when other countries, including Vietnam, let it go, they will achieve their sovereignty goals. Making Hanoi happy Prominent human rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh also waxed positive on the possible upgrading of bilateral ties between the U.S. and Vietnam. This relationship is considered in the context of the U.S.s strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, he said. The strategy, issued by the Biden administration in early 2022, outlines the presidents vision for the U.S. to more firmly anchor itself in the Indo-Pacific region in coordination with allies and partners to ensure the region is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure and resilient. Vietnams position and role is quite important to the U.S.s regional strategy, especially in terms of containing China in the South China Sea, said Dinh, a former vice-president of the Ho Chi Minh Bar Association. Therefore, the U.S. always tries to find ways to make Hanoi happy and deepen the bilateral relationship. He went on to suggest that for the U.S. regional security issues have taken precedence over human rights in Vietnam. But Dinh cautioned that to avoid upsetting China, the Vietnamese government must take a tactful and smart approach to upgrade bilateral ties with the U.S. and not hastily use the term strategic partnership. Doing so, in reality, the two sides can work on the issues that a strategic partnership allows us to do, which a comprehensive partnership does not. Chinas state-run Global Times newspaper on April 9 cited Chinese experts who said Blinkens visit may yield results in maritime security or improvement in economic cooperation, but it would not affect Vietnam's overall strategy because there are still inherent and structural contradictions ideological and historical issues between Vietnam and the U.S. Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Matt Reed. U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken says U.S. consular officers have not been granted access to Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is currently detained in Russia. Speaking on April 15 during a visit to Vietnam, Blinken added that Moscow should provide access "now." Gershkovich, the first American journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War, and the WSJ have denied he was involved in espionage. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on March 30 it had detained Gershkovich in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg and had opened an espionage case against him for collecting what it said were state secrets about the military industrial complex. On April 10, the U.S. State Department designated Gershkovich as being "wrongfully detained" by Russia and called for his immediate release, following earlier appeals, including from U.S. President Joe Biden. International journalist organizations have also demanded Russia release Gershkovich. Gershkovich, who hasn't been granted access to the lawyer hired by the WSJ, is being held at the FSB's Lefortovo prison, where Russia holds most suspects in espionage cases. The FSB said on March 30 that it had opened an espionage case against Gershkovich for collecting what it said were state secrets about Russia's military industrial complex. It alleged that Gershkovich was operating on instructions from the United States. A Moscow court agreed to a request from the FSB to hold Gershkovich under arrest for two months. Russia might be willing to discuss a potential prisoner swap with Gershkovich after his trial, a top Russian diplomat said on April 13. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the state-run TASS news agency that talks about a possible exchange could take place through a dedicated channel that Russian and U.S. security agencies established for such purposes. We have a working channel that was used in the past to achieve concrete agreements, and these agreements were fulfilled, Ryabkov said, adding that there was no need for the involvement of any third country. With reporting by AP and Reuters 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 new bill signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin that allows authorities to issue electronic notices to draftees and reservists is sparking fears of a new wave of mobilization for Moscow's war in Ukraine and prompting fresh conversations among Russians about leaving the country. When the Kremlin announced a partial mobilization of reservists in September as part of a drive to call up some 300,000 new personnel to fight in Ukraine, the decision led to a mass exodus of military-age Russian men and their families. Hundreds of thousands of Russians left to neighboring countries and other locations that had few entry requirements and allowed them to live and work for extended periods of time in order to avoid the draft. But as anxiety over another mobilization wave looms more than seven months later, Russians looking to avoid getting caught up in the war in Ukraine are facing a more difficult path ahead, including policies that could make it harder to leave the country and visa changes in many destinations that will limit Russians' ability to stay abroad for longer periods. "The universal advice is to leave as soon as possible," Ivan Pavlov, head of the human rights group First Department, told Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, adding that the new law could give military planners a mechanism for quickly beefing up their ranks in preparation for a new Ukrainian attack. The new April 14 law modifies Russia's military service rules that previously required the in-person delivery of notices to conscripts and reservists who are called up for duty. Now, the notices issued by local military conscription offices will also be sent electronically and be considered valid from the moment they are put on a state portal for electronic services, known as Gosuslugi. The law will also set up an electronic registry of all people required to serve and collect their personal data while creating a public list of all those who have been summoned for military service. Unlike in September, however, fleeing abroad is not as straightforward of a process as before, with the list of possible countries to receive Russian citizens shrinking. Popular destinations like Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Argentina have changed their laws and made it more difficult to establish residency and cut down the period that Russians can remain without a visa. Elsewhere, many European Union countries close to Russia -- such as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland -- have also restricted issuing visas and entry to its citizens. 'Not Welcome' Anymore How the new law works in practice remains to be seen. Russian officials deny another mobilization drive is planned and have said the database for electronic conscription notices is unlikely to be fully operational until the fall. But the law's swift enactment -- and its specifics -- are also already fueling fears that the Kremlin is preparing another wave of mobilization after it has suffered heavy battlefield losses and is believed to be facing manpower shortages in Ukraine. Under the new law, recipients who fail to show up for service after getting a summons would be prohibited from leaving Russia and have their drivers' licenses suspended and could be barred from selling their apartments and other assets. Similarly, activists and legal experts say Russian border guards could now use the online registry to further restrict travel for anyone looking to avoid military service. That potentially limited timeline, coupled with added challenges to leaving the country, is weighing on those inside Russia looking for an exit and those who have already left and are struggling with the bureaucratic and financial constraints of remaining abroad. Daria, a 35-year old from Omsk who arrived in Turkey with her boyfriend in October, told RFE/RL's Siberia Realities that they face limited possibilities moving forward and are worried about the new law. Like many Russians who spoke to RFE/RL, Daria asked for her last name to be withheld to avoid repercussions back in Russia. She says she and her boyfriend first left Russia following the mobilization announcement by car to Kazakhstan and then arrived in Turkey in early October, but quickly faced difficulties establishing residency in the country after entering on tourist visas. Turkey became a leading destination for Russians looking to flee the country following Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine due to the affordable cost of living and a straightforward legal process that would grant a tourist residence permit for a period of six months to two years if an applicant was able to show a corresponding lease on a property in the country. The lease could be extended and a residence permit of up to another two years could be issued. After five years of residency, preparations for a citizenship application could then be initiated. But Turkish authorities began tightening the screws already in March 2022 by adding restrictions on which kinds of rental properties could grant a residence permit, which were expanded again in July. By the end of 2022, a growing number of Russians began to have their applications rejected. Precise statistics on the number of rejections -- as well as the total number of Russians who have fled to Turkey to avoid military service -- are difficult to ascertain. However, the moderators of a Telegram channel for Russian speakers navigating the process in the country -- which has nearly 10,000 members -- say that the number of rejections is growing, with 237 rejections out of 371 applicants among group members alone in January. Daria says the Turkish authorities are often vague about the parameters for which applications are approved and the process, which often includes translations and notarization, can be costly. She says remote work in Turkey has begun to strain her finances and after their application was rejected they were given a short time period to leave the country and have since returned to Russia. "It was scary, [and] now everyone is waiting for the second wave [of mobilization]," she said. "The law [seemed] to change every five minutes there, and we foreigners are definitely not welcome in Turkey anymore." Few Alternatives For those rejected in Turkey, countries like Thailand, Vietnam, as well as Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Serbia have been alternative destinations, but room for Russians fleeing has been shrinking there as well. A total of 2.9 million Russian citizens entered Kazakhstan in 2022, although that figure also includes families and those with personal connections across the two countries' lengthy border. Denis, who asked to have his last name withheld to prevent reprisals, said he and his girlfriend chose the country in a panic in September as he was looking to leave Russia and chose Kazakhstan because it was relatively close to his home city of Novosibirsk in Siberia. Kazakhstan's policy at the time allowed Russians to do a "visa run" every 90 days to a neighboring country and then reset the period upon re-entry. But Kazakh authorities changed the law in January to close this loophole, and now citizens of countries that are part of the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Russia, are only allowed to stay in Kazakhstan for no more than 90 days within a single 180-day period. Like many other Russians in Kazakhstan who fled and are fearful of returning to face another round of mobilization, Denis faces two choices: leave or apply for a temporary residence permit. While Kazakh wages are lower than those in large Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, a growing number of Russians have chosen to stay and work in the Central Asian country for local employers. In 2022, according to official government figures, the number of Russians in Kazakhstan on work permits rose to 63,000 people, more than double the figure for 2021. Denis and his girlfriend are currently exploring other destinations but are not sure what options will be possible for them. "For the future, we came to the conclusion that you need to move away from Russia, to truly free countries," he said. "The world is big, and it does not end in Kazakhstan." A Russian missile strike on a museum in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupyansk killed at least one person and wounded 10 others, an attack that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described as "barbaric," as heavy fighting for the control of Bakhmut intensified over the past day, the military reported. 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. Oleh Synehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, told RFE/RL that the April 25 strike on the Kupyansk city center involved S-300-type missiles, one of which hit the Museum of Local History. Synehubov said rescue work continues, with officials saying at least one more person may be under the rubble. "The terrorist country is doing everything to destroy us completely. Our history, our culture, our people. Killing Ukrainians with absolutely barbaric methods," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram, adding, "We must and will respond!" Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces unleashed more waves of assaults on Bakhmut over the past day, but neither side managed to make critical advances in the monthslong battle for the city in the eastern region of Donetsk. "Fierce battles are going on for the city of Bakhmut," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its daily report on April 25, adding that Moscow's main push on the battlefield remained focused on the Bakhmut-Avdiyivka-Maryinka front line. Russian forces launched 62 air strikes and six missile strikes against Ukrainian military positions and civilian objectives, the General Staff said in its report. IN PHOTOS: As heavy fighting for control of the shattered city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine continues unabated, one Ukrainian unit explains how it is struggling to hold off Moscow's forces. Ukrainian defenders also repelled 43 Russian attacks on Bakhmut and Maryinka, the report said. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar, meanwhile, described the ongoing fighting in Bakhmut as a "continuous dynamic process." Malyar said on Telegram on April 25: "We can lose positions in battle today, and regain them the next day; that is why the military prefers to talk about the result after the operation is over." Malyar's comments came a day after Ukrainian commanders denied a Russian claim that mercenaries from the Wagner Group almost completely controlled the city. In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby warned that Russian forces can step up their offensive actions once the weather begins to get warmer. "We know that in the spring, when the weather improves -- and it is already starting to improve -- we can expect that the Russians will want to go on the offensive in some areas. We don't know exactly where and how they will do it, but we want to be sure that Ukrainians are able to defend themselves better against it," Kirby told Voice of America on April 24. At the same time, Kirby added, if Ukrainian forces decide to conduct their own counteroffensive operations, they must have the appropriate capabilities. Military experts have reported -- and Ukrainian leaders have hinted -- that a major spring counteroffensive by Ukraine is in the works. Russian state news agency RIA said on April 25 that Moscow has begun using its new T-14 Armata battle tanks in the war, firing on Ukrainian positions but not yet participating in a "direct assault." The tank has an unmanned turret that a crew controls remotely from "an isolated armored capsule located in the front of the hull," the report said. But, according to British military intelligence, Russian forces have complained about the poor condition of the first of the tanks to arrive. "Eleven years in development, the program has been dogged with delays, reduction in planned fleet size, and reports of manufacturing problems," the British intelligence report said. Off the battlefield, the International Working Group on Russian Sanctions, a pro-Ukraine group of scholars, called on Western nations to impose stricter sanctions on Moscow. The scholars called for a reduction on the price cap on Russian oil to $30 a barrel from $60; a total embargo on Russian steel, iron, and diamonds; and an easing of regulations to seize Russian assets abroad. The group consists of some 40 scholars -- including Michael McFaul of Stanford University and a former U.S. ambassador to Russia. With reporting by AP and Reuters A loud explosion was heard on Saturday near the area where Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was holding a public speech in Wakayama city in the west of the country, Trend reports citing TASS. According to the Kyodo news agency, an unidentified man threw an object resembling a smoke bomb or a flare gun before Kishida's speech, which then exploded. The man was detained by security. It is noted that the head of government was evacuated, he is now safe in the Wakayama City Police Department. In July 2022, Tetsuya Yamagami shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the back as he spoke at an election rally on a street in the city of Nara, southwest of Japan's main island of Honshu. The shooter was captured and arrested by the murdered politician's guards at the scene. The Turkish president called for the creation of a new constitution for the country that stands up for the publics hopes and dreams, Trend reports citing Daily News. "Let's make a new, civil, libertarian constitution that embraces the dreams of all the people of this country. This is a call for all 85 million (people in Turkiye)," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a groundbreaking ceremony for houses and the handover of over 1,400 houses and 17 shops in the southeastern province of Diyarbakr. Erdogan spoke of thousands of killings by the terrorist group PKK, saying the groups interest is not the Kurdish people, as they are "murderers and terrorists." "They are not interested in Diyarbakir. They work for the interest of whoever backs them," he added. Erdogan also met with earthquake victims in Diyarbakr during an iftar dinner. Speaking at the dinner, Erdogan noted that they, together with all the institutions, municipalities, NGOs and humanitarians, were striving to meet the needs and heal the wounds of Diyarbakr, and said: We broke the ground for post-earthquake houses yesterday in Malatya, and today in Diyarbakr. We will inshallah build a total of 16,500 residences and 2,360 village houses in Diyarbakr. We will make you live in your new homes by building a total of 18,860 residences and village houses in Diyarbakr. We will not leave our city until we remove all the traces of the disaster, and until our city returns to its normal life. PM Modi & Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida Cops arrested the accused on the spot NEW-DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed relief at the safe escape of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in a blast during a campaign, saying that India condemns all acts of violence. Prime Minister Modi tweeted, Learnt of a violent incident at a public event at Wakayama in Japan where my friend PM Fumio Kishida was present. Relieved that he is safe. Praying for his continued well-being and good health. India condemns all acts of violence." Advertisement Learnt of a violent incident at a public event at Wakayama in Japan where my friend PM @Kishida230 was present. Relieved that he is safe. Praying for his continued well-being and good health. India condemns all acts of violence. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 15, 2023 Kishida escaped safely after someone threw an explosive device during an event in the western port city on Saturday, local officials said. The police arrested the accused on the spot. Fact Check No 18 Horse Regiment in the Indian Army RSFC (Team Mohali) Few days back, four soldiers were died in the firing that took place around 4:30 am at the military station in Bathinda. After this incident, a post started going viral on social media according to which a Sikh soldier carried out this incident and allegedly killed four Hindu soldiers of 18 Horse Regiment. Twitter account "Khalsa" shared the viral claim and wrote, "According to the sources in the South Western Command of Indian Army, a Sikh soldier has possibly assassinated four Hindu soldiers of 18 Horse ex 33 Armored Division in Bathinda Military Cantonment. An Army level inquiry has been initiated against Sikh soldiers who have any ties with Amritpal Singh." Advertisement "Spokesman in its investigation found that the viral post is misleading. There is no 18 Horse Regiment in the Indian Army. The 18 Horse Regiment is part of the Pakistan Army and there is no confirmation that the person who killed the jawans was a Sikh soldier. " Spokesman's investigation; While starting the investigation, we first read the FIR registered in this case. Based on the complaint of Major Ashutosh Shukla of 80 Medium Regiment, the Punjab Police has registered an FIR against two unknown persons. According to the complainant, he reached the spot and saw that two persons were standing dressed in kurta-pyjama and one of the two unidentified persons had an INSAS rifle in his right hand and an axe in the other hand. According to the complainant, both the persons fled towards the forest. Advertisement According to police statements released after the incident, it appears to be an "internal" matter and has denied having a "terrorist" angle. According to the FIR, the four deceased have reportedly been identified. The names of the deceased are Gnr Sagar Banne, Gnr Kamlesh R, Gnr Yogesh Kumar J and Gnr Santosh M Nagral. Now let us start reading about 18 Horse Regiment. Let us tell you that the 18 Horse Regiment is not a part of the Indian Army but a part of the Pakistani Army. We found a gazette issued by the Government of Pakistan in the year 2020 containing the names of officers selected in the regiment and also a regiment named 18 Horse. The screenshot of the gazette can be seen below. Advertisement Now if we talk about the Sikh person according to the claim, then let us tell you that till now no information has been issued by the government or the army. There is no concrete information about this. We have tried to talk to Major Ashutosh Shukla in the last phase. As soon as we speak to them, this article will be updated on priority basis. Conclusion- Spokesman in its investigation found that the viral post is misleading. There is no 18 Horse Regiment in the Indian Army. The 18 Horse Regiment is part of the Pakistan Army and there is no confirmation that the person who killed the jawans was a Sikh soldier. Glassica CJSC, a resident of Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park under the management of the Economic Zones Development Agency (EZDA), will build a second factory for the production of glass products with an investment of AZN44.4m ($26m) on 2 hectares in the Industrial Park, Azernews reports. According to the information received from the agency, the company signed an agreement with the German company HORN Glass Industries AG, which has more than 130 years of experience in the field of glass-melting technologies. Further, the German company will carry out the design of the newly created enterprise, and equip it with modern technologies. As regards the the investment volume of the company, it is AZN44.4m ($26m), and the annual production capacity will be 160 tons of glass products. Moreover, a total of 160 people will be provided with permanent jobs. The company plans to sell its products in domestic and foreign markets. Glassica CJSC is an enterprise that produces glass products in the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park. The production capacity of the company is 50 tons of products per year. In addition to being sold in the domestic market, the products of the company are exported to Moldova, Romania, and Georgia. The US government will limit the access to classified information by US civil servants in light of the current leak of Pentagon materials, US President Joe Biden said in a written statement, Trend reports citing TASS. "I commend the rapid action taken by law enforcement to investigate and respond to the recent dissemination of classified U.S. government documents. While we are still determining the validity of those documents, I have directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information, and our national security team is closely coordinating with our partners and allies.," the US president said. In Chinese market, Hyundai Mufasa will be positioned below the Tucson and work as a replacement for the ageing iX35 Hyundai Mufasa is scheduled to make its public debut on April 18 at Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. Ahead of that, Hyundai has released the first official photos of the production variant. In China, Mufasa will be manufactured by Beijing Hyundai, a joint venture between Hyundai and Chinese state-owned BAIC Motor. Production version of Hyundai Mufasa looks more practical, as compared to the Mufasa Adventure SUV Concept that was unveiled last month. The SUV has a stately presence, a true-blue head turner on the streets. It will be launched first in China and can be considered for other markets at a later date. Hyundai Mufasa production model styling Hyundais Sensuous Sportiness design philosophy is clearly evident with the smooth curves and intense character lines of Mufasa SUV. Some of the signature features as commonly seen with Hyundai-badged SUVs include vertically-stacked sleek headlamps and a large grille seamlessly integrated with the lower grille and front bumper. Hyundai has revealed two colours for the SUV, a light blue and a grey variant. Both have the grille, air intake and bumper blacked out, which ensures a sporty profile for the SUV. Side profile is just as captivating with prominent wheel archers, thick body cladding, funky alloy wheels and blacked-out rear view mirrors and B and C pillars. Windows connect to the rear glass via a trim piece, something similar to that of Elantra. At rear, the interesting bits include full-width LED tail lights bordering a black panel that has HYUNDAI lettering. The SUV also gets a decorative diffuser and faux inlets. Details about interiors is likely to be available when the SUV debuts at Shanghai Motor Show. However, it wont be surprising if Hyundai releases some photos of the interiors before the SUVs first public appearance. It could get features such as premium sound system, large touchscreen infotainment system, head-up display, leatherette seats and ADAS. Hyundai Mufasa will be launched as a 5-seater SUV. Hyundai Mufasa performance, specs At the time of its launch, Hyundai Mufasa will be equipped with a 2.0-litre petrol motor. It generates 158 hp of max power. A hybrid option can be considered later, but there is no official confirmation. Mufasa will be available in front-wheel drive format. As revealed earlier, Hyundai Mufasa is 4,475 mm long, 1,850 mm wide and 1,686 mm tall. It is longer than Creta (4,300 mm) but smaller in comparison to Tucson (4,630 mm) or Mahindra XUV700 (4,695 mm). Dimensionally, Mufasa appears similar to the short wheelbase variant of Sportage available in European markets. In terms of its design, Hyundai Mufasa seems like a globally-relevant SUV. It can work in Indian market, as the SUV has a more dynamic profile as compared to bestselling Creta. However, it is not certain if Mufasa will be launched here. With its disc-shaped body, silvery belly and bright orange fins, the deep-diving Opah is an odd fish to begin with. Adding to its enigma, researchers recently found that theres not one or two, but six species of the creature, which looks something like a big, swimming manhole cover. Scientists, who published their findings in the journal Zootaxa, made that discovery after a buyer at a Honolulu fish auction noticed variations between the Opah on offer there. Some had much bigger eyes than others, and their spots and colors looked different. Advertisement Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration measured the fish, and then John Hyde and Matthew Craig, researchers with NOAAs Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, analyzed their DNA and physical traits such as eye size, fin length and spot patterns. Their findings dealt a thunderclap to the Opah family tree, splitting the species instantly into six. We initially thought there was one global species of spotted Opah, Hyde said. But as we investigated the new one in Hawaii, we discovered that there are two new ones in the Pacific, a new species that we described from the Southern Hemisphere from Chili, Australia and South Africa. There was a species that had previously been described but was thought to be a synonym, that we re-validated as a valid species from the Canary Islands. And the original Opah species, weve only found in the North Atlantic. Opah, also known as moonfish, are relatively rare, but regulators with NOAA Fisheries believe their population is stable. Theyre typically about 100 pounds, but linger in depths of 100 to 400 meters in the water column, Hyde said, making them difficult to spot or track. Despite their pudgy appearance, theyre fast, muscular predators with a special fish superpower; theyre the only fully warm-blooded fish, which probably helps them live and hunt in cold, deep waters. They arent usually targeted directly by fishermen, but are hauled in as bycatch in swordfish or tuna long-line fisheries. You can buy opah at San Diegos Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, or from select fish vendors. Its even more popular in Hawaii. Historically, its prevalent in the fish market in Hawaii, enough so that you can buy it at Costco, Hyde said. Its becoming more prominent here, as we get more commercial fisheries that are landing their catch in San Diego. Although theres no formal fishery for them, theyve become popular at the table. Three distinctive cuts of their sweet, firm flesh are used for dishes including steaks, sushi and fish sausage. San Diego chefs have even fashioned opah bacon from their belly cuts. Until now, scientists recognized two species. Southern Opah are slimmer than their northern counterparts more oval than round and inhabit oceans of the Southern Hemisphere. Opah the swimming silver frisbee we know here are found everywhere, from both hemispheres in all oceans from tropical, temperate and sub-polar waters, according to the study. At the Honolulu fish auction, however, fish buyer Garrett Kitazaki noticed strange distinctions between the fish for sale. Their eye size, in particular, varied substantially. If no one had noticed before, it was probably because they hadnt seen many opah side by side. When theyre sitting next to each other, the eye size is pretty apparent, Hyde said. But these animals have been rare enough that you dont necessarily have enough animals sitting next to each other to notice. One situation where you might is at the fish auction in Honolulu, where they happened to land both species. Following up on Kitazakis observations, Karen Underkoffler and Megan Luers from NOAA Fisheries took measurements and tissues samples, and shipped them to Hyde and Craig. Hyde ran genetic tests on a region of DNA called the bar code region, which showed five distinct genetic lines. Craig compared those results to physical characteristics, searching through worldwide fish museums, collections of preserved fish dating back as far as the 1820s, where scientists can check out specimens to study. You go into a giant room and see if they have specimens, he said. They have basically jars and jars of fish that are preserved in alcohol, and say I would really like to look at these three specimens, and they pack it and mail it to you. You get a moist fish that you keep in alcohol at your work station to study it. Their combined research showed that the globally dispersed Opah species was actually five including one that had been previously described as a potentially new species. Adding that to the Southern Opah made a total of six species. Their discovery adds fuel to efforts to study and survey the fish, and develop fisheries management plans for each of the species, the researchers said. It just shows how much we still dont know about things in the open ocean, Hyde said. This is a species that has been known to science for hundreds of years. We can buy it at Costco, we can buy it at dockside markets, but this is a well-known species that we still dont know that much about. deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan Cash App Founder Bob Lee Allegedly Killed by Nima Momeni Over Dispute Regarding Sister, Court Documents Reveal (Photo : Facebook screenshot ) IT consultant Nima Momeni is accused of fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee through the heart after an argument concerning Momeni's sister, Khazar Momeni, according to court documents released on Friday. The police claim that prior to Lee's murder on the streets of San Francisco in the early hours of April 4, Momeni and the late tech entrepreneur had a phone conversation about Khazar, who is married to someone else. An anonymous witness informed the police that Nima questioned Lee about his sister, asking if Khazar, who is married to a renowned plastic surgeon, was "doing drugs or anything inappropriate." Advertisement Lee, 43, allegedly assured Momeni that nothing improper had occurred. The police did not provide further details on the nature of the relationship between Lee and Khazar, who is not named in the court documents. The witness informed the police that it was unclear whether Lee and Khazar had an "intimate relationship." At the time of his murder, Lee was estranged from his wife, with whom he had two young daughters, and had relocated from California to Florida with his father. On the night of the murder, Nima is accused of driving Lee to a "dark and secluded area" in San Francisco, where he allegedly stabbed him through the heart with a kitchen knife. The police claim that Momeni brought the knife from his home, indicating that the murder was "planned and deliberate." Around the time of Lee's murder, Khazar reportedly texted him to check on his well-being. The court documents quote her message as saying, "Just wanted to make sure you're doing ok. Cause I know Nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you. And thank you for being such a class man, handling it with class. Love you, selfish pricks." Nima Momeni was arrested on Thursday morning following an extensive investigation. He made his first court appearance on Friday, attended by his sister and her husband. From the dock, he made a heart sign to her, and she reciprocated. Nima's formal arraignment is scheduled for April 25, and if convicted, he faces over 20 years in prison. Researchers have designed a low-cost, energy-efficient robotic hand that can grasp a range of objects -- and not drop them -- using just the movement of its wrist and the feeling in its 'skin'. Grasping objects of different sizes, shapes and textures is a problem that is easy for a human, but challenging for a robot. Researchers from the University of Cambridge designed a soft, 3D printed robotic hand that cannot independently move its fingers but can still carry out a range of complex movements. The robot hand was trained to grasp different objects and was able to predict whether it would drop them by using the information provided from sensors placed on its 'skin'. This type of passive movement makes the robot far easier to control and far more energy-efficient than robots with fully motorised fingers. The researchers say their adaptable design could be used in the development of low-cost robotics that are capable of more natural movement and can learn to grasp a wide range of objects. The results are reported in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems. In the natural world, movement results from the interplay between the brain and the body: this enables people and animals to move in complex ways without expending unnecessary amounts of energy. Over the past several years, soft components have begun to be integrated into robotics design thanks to advances in 3D printing techniques, which have allowed researchers to add complexity to simple, energy-efficient systems. The human hand is highly complex, and recreating all of its dexterity and adaptability in a robot is a massive research challenge. Most of today's advanced robots are not capable of manipulation tasks that small children can perform with ease. For example, humans instinctively know how much force to use when picking up an egg, but for a robot this is a challenge: too much force, and the egg could shatter; too little, and the robot could drop it. In addition, a fully actuated robot hand, with motors for each joint in each finger, requires a significant amount of energy. In Professor Fumiya Iida's Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory in Cambridge's Department of Engineering, researchers have been developing potential solutions to both problems: a robot hand than can grasp a variety of objects with the correct amount of pressure while using a minimal amount of energy. "In earlier experiments, our lab has shown that it's possible to get a significant range of motion in a robot hand just by moving the wrist," said co-author Dr Thomas George-Thuruthel, who is now based at University College London (UCL) East. "We wanted to see whether a robot hand based on passive movement could not only grasp objects, but would be able to predict whether it was going to drop the objects or not, and adapt accordingly." The researchers used a 3D-printed anthropomorphic hand implanted with tactile sensors, so that the hand could sense what it was touching. The hand was only capable of passive, wrist-based movement. The team carried out more than 1200 tests with the robot hand, observing its ability to grasp small objects without dropping them. The robot was initially trained using small 3D printed plastic balls, and grasped them using a pre-defined action obtained through human demonstrations. "This kind of hand has a bit of springiness to it: it can pick things up by itself without any actuation of the fingers," said first author Dr Kieran Gilday, who is now based at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. "The tactile sensors give the robot a sense of how well the grip is going, so it knows when it's starting to slip. This helps it to predict when things will fail." The robot used trial and error to learn what kind of grip would be successful. After finishing the training with the balls, it then attempted to grasp different objects including a peach, a computer mouse and a roll of bubble wrap. In these tests, the hand was able to successfully grasp 11 of 14 objects. "The sensors, which are sort of like the robot's skin, measure the pressure being applied to the object," said George-Thuruthel. "We can't say exactly what information the robot is getting, but it can theoretically estimate where the object has been grasped and with how much force." "The robot learns that a combination of a particular motion and a particular set of sensor data will lead to failure, which makes it a customisable solution," said Gilday. "The hand is very simple, but it can pick up a lot of objects with the same strategy." "The big advantage of this design is the range of motion we can get without using any actuators," said Iida. "We want to simplify the hand as much as possible. We can get lots of good information and a high degree of control without any actuators, so that when we do add them, we'll get more complex behaviour in a more efficient package." A fully actuated robotic hand, in addition to the amount of energy it requires, is also a complex control problem. The passive design of the Cambridge-designed hand, using a small number of sensors, is easier to control, provides a wide range of motion, and streamlines the learning process. In future, the system could be expanded in several ways, such as by adding computer vision capabilities, or teaching the robot to exploit its environment, which would enable it to grasp a wider range of objects. This work was funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and Arm Ltd. Fumiya Iida is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement that Mohamad El-Gharawi, the assistant administrative attache at the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum, was killed on Monday. An informed Egyptian source revealed to Al Qahera News TV Station the behind the scene details in the evacuation and airlifting home of Egyptian soldiers who were in Sudan on a training mission at the time of the start of the fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF earlier this week. Immediate reactions to last weeks killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee were depressingly predictable: people trying to weave a high-profile crime in San Francisco into the growing online opus of the citys downfall. As usual, social media fearmongers like Elon Musk claimed it was more evidence that the city is devolving into chaos, and some media outlets like Fox News fanned the flames with click-baity, ratings-driven sensationalized coverage. Turns out, police believe Lee was killed in the early hours of April 4, by Nima Momeni, a 38-year-old tech entrepreneur, who was his acquaintance. At a press conference on Thursday, police officials made it clear that Lees death had nothing to do with homelessness in the city, which was baseless conjecture peddled by some people online, including entrepreneur David Sacks. This is more about human nature and human behavior than it is our city, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said. They knew each other. With SFPDs facts now contradicting the fiction that was being pushed online, the folks who tried whipping the public into a frenzy days ago will undoubtedly move on to find another tragedy to co-opt. But the damage is already done theyve stoked the irrational fears many people have of the dangerous unhoused person harming them at night. In Lees case, there were numerous reasons for people not to jump to conclusions: FBI data show that most people who commit homicides know the people they kill; and Lee still had his cell phone, which could be considered odd if he were the target of a mugging, as speculated by some on Twitter. In modern times, we know the screeching calls for stricter policing in San Francisco are a coded us-versus-them argument. Them, in this instance, are the marginalized, unhoused people least able to defend themselves when theyre villainized in public discourse and who are far more likely to be the victims of violent, targeted attacks than the general public. And considering that Black people make up about 40% of San Franciscos homeless population, the hysteria around the unhoused committing crimes doubles as a racist dog whistle. Its sad how in the reactions to the killing, you could see people trying to blame Black and marginalized people before they even had details on what happened, said Lance Wilson, a communications strategist for the Worker Agency, which often focuses on justice system reform in the Bay Area. These frantic, reactionary public safety dialogues online dont push San Francisco in a more positive direction. They worsen class and racial tensions. I wouldnt have to point this out if more people waited for facts to emerge after a shocking crime instead of exploiting the moment to push a political agenda, or drive a wedge between communities that would accomplish more as allies. Yet, far too many people seem unwilling to change their minds about the prevalence of violent crime in San Francisco, no matter what the data says. As a result, politicians, looking to quickly assuage public anxieties, push for more policing and more policies that are less tolerant of social ills. Too often the issue of crime is conflated with serious issues of housing instability, lack of health care and jobs, Brian Cox, director of the Integrity Unit at the San Francisco Public Defenders Office, told me. You wont find this kind of nuanced conversation on Twitter, which is built on brevity and compelling narratives that help sensationalized news stories go viral. Dry statistics about crime rates just dont get the same kind of likes and retweets as images of people looting luxury retailers or smashing the windows of a car to steal a backpack. And nobody wants to be lectured on Twitter about how inequalities in income, housing and health care access can lead to the urban disorder theyre seeing in videos of someone using drugs or in mental distress in the middle of the street. Yet its these videos that are far more common online than ones showing a grisly murder. It isnt some new fact that violent crime, urban disorder and public anxiety have a shaky connection with one another. In every Gallup poll since 2005 where U.S. adults were asked if crime was worse than the previous year, at least 60% responded affirmatively. Meanwhile, violent crime in this country has been on a downward trend for decades, including in San Francisco, yet city residents say they feel less safe than they have in over 20 years. In an interview with The Chronicle on Friday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said politicians changing the narrative that the city is a dangerous place is clearly something we have to continue to work on. They better work quickly. Crime narratives have power, and when enough people leap to judgments based on flawed ones, the harm marginalized communities experience lasts long after the narrative gets corrected. The killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, stabbed three times in a secluded corner of one of the most affluent neighborhoods in San Francisco, stunned a city and raised an outcry from critics who blamed it on an environment of lawlessness and social disorder here. But after an investigation that led to an arrest, police and prosecutors say the shocking slaying was instead a personal attack, and that it followed a series of tense exchanges between Lee and tech entrepreneur Nima Momeni, possibly over Lees relationship with Momenis sister. Here, according to court documents and reporting by The Chronicle and other sources, is how this crime that shook the city unfolded: April 3 3:30 p.m. A friend of Lees, described in court filings as Witness 1, arrives at an apartment on the 1500 block of Mission Street in San Francisco to meet a group that includes Lee, 43, and a woman later identified as Khazar Elyassnia, the sister of Momeni, the 38-year-old murder suspect. The friend recognizes Elyassnia from at least one previous encounter with Lee, and knows her marriage may have been in jeopardy. He will later tell detectives he did not know whether she was romantically involved with Lee. The group is drinking alcohol when the witness arrives. Later on, Lee and the witness go to Lees room at the Hotel 1 on Mission Street, where the witness overhears a phone conversation between Lee and Momeni about Momeni picking up his younger sister at the Mission Street apartment, according to court filings. Momeni appears to be interrogating Lee, who tries to reassure Momeni that Elyassnia had not taken drugs, and that nothing inappropriate had happened. Eventually Lee and Witness 1 head to the witness apartment. The location of that apartment was not disclosed in court documents. 8:31 p.m. A white, late model BMW Z4 pulls into the Millennium Tower luxury condominium high-rise at 301 Mission Street, where Elyassnia owns a unit. It was not clear whether she was home at the time. A man clad in a white T-shirt and pants, identified in court filings as Momeni, exits the car and walks into the glass-sheathed skyscraper. Olga R. Rodriguez/Associated Press April 4 12:30 a.m. Lee leaves the apartment on Mission Street and heads to the Millennium Tower. 12:39 a.m. Surveillance cameras capture Lee entering the Millennium, wearing dark clothes. 2:03 a.m. Momeni and Lee take an elevator together to the lobby of the Millennium, then leave the building and climb into Momenis BMW. At this point, Momeni is wearing a black beanie and a tan and white jacket. Momeni drives Lee to an area near a Caltrans fence on the 400 block of Main Street in Rincon Hill, where they park for several minutes. 2:25 a.m. The men get out of the car and stand on the sidewalk for about five minutes. 2:30 a.m. In footage obtained by police, Momeni lunges at Lee with a kitchen knife, stabbing him three times in the hip and chest, with one wound penetrating his heart. Lee staggers down the block, leaving a trail of blood. Momeni departs the other way, pausing briefly at a Caltrans fence near the spot where investigators later found the knife. Then he peels out in the BMW. Surveillance video from a condominium high-rise that faces the scene of the slaying shows Lee wandering the street, trying to flag down passing cars, though no one stops, according to Robert Schneider, the residential services manager of the building, who described the footage to The Chronicle. 2:34 a.m. Lee calls 911, screaming Help, someone stabbed me into the phone, according to a report from the San Francisco Standard. 2:35 a.m. Video obtained by the Daily Mail shows Lee, dressed in slacks and a black sweater, lurching toward the Portside apartment complex at 403 Main Street. Clutching a cell phone in his right hand he tries to ring the building intercom with his left before collapsing in front of the entryway. 2:36 a.m. In the video Lee pulls himself up to his knees, rocks back and forth, then appears to wave at someone as he gets up, placing a hand over his wounded chest. 2:40 a.m. Police arrive, render emergency aid and take Lee to San Francisco General Hospital, where he is later pronounced dead. April 5 2:27 a.m. Twitter CEO Elon Musk and other players in the tech world post on social media about Bob Lees tragic death, blaming the incident on what they perceive as out-of-control violence San Francisco. Musk challenges San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, asking if the city will take stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders under her administration. Jenkins later pushes back, calling the tweet reckless. April 11 Police search Lees phones using pass codes provided by his family. Scouring the call logs, they find a FaceTime call between Lee and Nima Via Khazar. They also discover a text message from Elyassnia: Just wanted to make sure your doing ok cause I know Nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you and thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class love you selfish pricks. April 13 5:05 a.m. San Francisco police officers in SWAT gear surround the Besler building on Harlan Street in Emeryville, where Momeni lives in a second-floor loft. Residents awaken to a voice bellowing over loudspeakers: We have a warrant for your arrest, come out with your hands up. 9:19 a.m. Sheriff deputies book Momeni into jail on suspicion of murder. 12:30 p.m. Mayor London Breed, Police Chief Bill Scott and Jenkins, the district attorney, announce murder charges against Momeni along with a special allegation of using a knife. Although they disclose few details about the case, Scott reveals that the two men knew each other and that police served two search warrants in San Francisco in addition to the search and arrest warrants in Emeryville. Breed and Jenkins denounce the social media posts including Musks tweet that sowed fear about a growing crime wave, speculation that misled the public and threatened to interfere with the investigation, Jenkins said. April 14 9 a.m. Momeni appears in court, wearing an orange crew neck sweatshirt and orange pants. Attorneys agree to postpone his first hearing until April 25, as his defense lawyer, Paula Canny, is out of town. A judge rules that Momeni will remain locked up in San Francisco County Jail until then. Canny said in a phone interview with The Chronicle that she believed Momeni was innocent and that prosecutors did not have a convincing case for premeditated murder. 11 a.m. Prosecutors file a motion to keep Momeni in jail without bail. Three alleged Fremont gang members were charged with murder for a shooting on a major Bay Area highway that killed a 5-year-old girl last week, the Alameda County District Attorneys Office said Friday. Humberto Anaya, Kristo Ayala Valderrama and Emmanuel Sarango were each charged with one count of murder in the death of Eliyanah Crisostomo, a kindergartner who was fatally shot on Interstate 880 on April 8. The family was driving between Fremont and Milpitas on their way to dinner when Eliyanah was struck by a bullet that pierced her heart. She was riding in the third-row seat next to her brother, officials said. My heart goes out to Eliyanahs family. There is no reason young children should die on our Bay Area freeways, said District Attorney Pamela Price. This behavior is absolutely unacceptable. We will not stand for gun violence and these three defendants will be held accountable for their despicable actions. The three defendants, allegedly Fremont Surenos gang members, were accused of firing into the car, believing it to be a rival gang car. The men allegedly flashed gang symbols and purposely fired into the familys car. They are also being charged with seven counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle. The suspects were arraigned Friday at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin. It was not immediately clear how they pleaded. The defendants were also allegedly involved in a shooting that occurred just before the murder. Fifteen minutes prior to the freeway shooting, two of the suspects got out of their car, a red Honda Accord, and shot at a man on the 37000 block of Fremont Boulevard as he ran away, escaping injury, officials said. A witness told police the suspects drove by and commented about the red clothing the victim was wearing, officials said. The suspects have been charged with an additional three felony counts each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Two of the suspects were also charged with felony counts of carrying a concealed firearm within a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm on ones person in a city. The men were arrested in Santa Cruz, where the vehicle was located. California Highway Patrol authorities had previously shared little about the incident, saying only that the family approached a CHP officer around 6:40 p.m. and told them that a child in their vehicle was struck by gunfire, The Chronicle reported. Eliyanah was taken to a hospital, where she died. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Antioch residents say they feel a mix of outrage, disgust and humiliation amid revelations that police officers used homophobic and racist language in text messages to describe the East Bay citys people. The texts, sent among at least two dozen officers, called Black residents gorillas, monkeys and water buffalo, and used a raft of other slurs, including n and faggot, leaving city officials and residents in a stunned fury. Proclaiming himself disgusted with the texts, Mayor Lamar Thorpe laid the problem at the feet of an embedded police culture that has to change. Only culture creates this, he said. The offensive texts, from 2019 to 2022, came to light in investigative reports from the Contra Costa County District Attorneys Office part of a larger ongoing probe into police behavior that were first reported by the East Bay Times. At least 24 officers were involved, according to the mayor. A Friday letter from the public defender to the district attorney indicated that it could be 45 or more. One report, released publicly on Thursday, depicts officers, sergeants and other supervisors engaged in the objectionable texting, including one officer promising a prime rib dinner to anyone who would shoot Thorpe, who is Black, with a rubber bullet. A message that one officer sent to a private citizen contained an image doctored to show a naked Black man sitting on George Floyds neck. In other texts, officers made light of using force during arrests and joked about violating civil rights. Im only stopping them because they black. F them. Kill each other, was one text from Officer Eric Rombough, the report said. The same officer was quoted in this exchange: I was bummed that beast was so fat cuz he didnt bruise up very fast, Rombough was reported as texting to Sgt. Joshua Evans in December 2020 in reference to a Black person. It never looks good on black (sic) guys, Evans responded, according to the report. Just like jobs and responsibilities, came the response from Rombough. The disclosures have intensified debate about police accountability and are further eroding public trust in police as the growing city struggles to find a way forward. Nearly a quarter of Antiochs police force, including the president of the police union, is now on paid leave. Thorpe has called for an internal audit of the Police Department, and some City Council members question whether culture change is possible. Council Member Tamisha Torres-Walker, a staunch police reform advocate, said she wants to believe reform and new police policies can lead to culture change, but added, I am not hopeful. The police chief tasked with repairing the lost trust, Steven Ford, has held the top post for just six months. He condemned the offensive texting, apologized to the community, and in a Thursday statement said hes taken immediate action to ensure a thorough investigation by an external independent entity. He did not elaborate on that entity. I promise to hold accountable the officers expressing racist or bigoted beliefs, biased insensitivity, and those boasting about harming members of the community, the statement said. Shagoofa Khan, a 22-year-old Antioch activist who has organized protests against the department, said she was stunned when she saw her name in a vulgar 2020 text attributed to Evans. What I saw was utterly humiliating to me, Khan told The Chronicle. I not only felt disgusted, but I also felt violated. Khan and at least three other people whose names are in the texts plan to file a federal civil rights lawsuit. The revelations come amid continuing transformation in Antioch. Population has grown as the city offers a more affordable alternative for residents priced out of San Francisco. Antiochs population of nearly 115,000 is up nearly 12% over 2010. In 2000, white residents made up 65% of Antioch, while Black and Latino residents accounted for under 10% and 22%, respectively, census data shows. The white population has continued to drop, to 36.5% in the 2020 census, while Black and Latino residents accounted for 20% and 35%, respectively. Torres-Walker, a former Pinole resident who bought an Antioch home in 2015, has experienced the racial tensions. Her white neighbors have called police on her for noise complaints during the day, she said. And in December 2021, police detained her two sons as they rode dirt bikes. Two of those officers were accused in the report of sending racist text messages. It just made my chest heavy, especially because these are people that are supposed to be responding to you in your most vulnerable moments, Torres-Walker said. Shes not hopeful about prospects for change within the department but said, That doesnt mean we stop trying. The county public defenders office is reviewing cases involving the officers in the text scandal and called on the district attorney to immediately pause all criminal filings and current prosecutions involving Antioch police. The public simply cannot have trust or confidence in any criminal prosecution involving APD, wrote Public Defender Ellen McDonnell. No one should be charged with a crime based on the report of a police department so thoroughly riddled with corruption. She requested dismissal of all pending public defender cases involving police and the release of incarcerated public defender clients. The text messages emerged from an investigation that began last year when the FBI and the district attorney started looking into Antioch and Pittsburg police officers alleged assaults, use of cocaine and steroids, cheating on tests and other offenses, according to the East Bay Times. Dozens of criminal cases involving the officers have been dismissed. The district attorneys report said the range of crimes include those of moral turpitude, and a federal grand jury is considering charging officers. Michael Rains, an attorney who represents some of the accused officers, did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did the police union. John Burris, a civil rights attorney who has represented Antioch families alleging police brutality, said the text messages are outrageous and troublesome. This is a department with no discipline and no accountability, Burris said. Robert Collins, whose son Angelo Quinto died after Antioch police restrained him, told The Chronicle the department should be subjected to state or federal oversight similar to the federal oversight of Oakland police. That oversight has been in place for 20 years after four officers known as the Riders were accused of assaulting and conspiring to frame West Oaklanders on false charges. I dont think Antioch can do it by itself, Collins said. We need outsiders to step in because its too ingrained in the culture. As anyone who has served on active duty can attest, the specters of war never really leave you. For 16 years, the trauma I came home with after my military service led to nightmares and cold sweats, and panic attacks during the day. I tried everything I could to end my suffering but, in the end, there was only one thing that worked. But our government wont allow veterans to access it. In 2003, I was an 18-year-old Army airborne infantryman. After two tours of active duty one in Afghanistan and another in Iraq, Id seen more bloodshed than anyone should. But in 2005, I returned to Iraq for my third tour this time permanently attached to the special operations Delta Force, running clandestine missions that Im still not allowed to talk about. I was shot at every day for 23 consecutive days and hit by two improvised explosive devices. I watched a team of medics burn alive after hitting a roadside bomb and saw a toddler liquify as a speeding Humvee smashed through his tiny body. I witnessed 9-year-old girls prostituting themselves for military food rations. What I saw was extreme but not unusual. Whatever their experiences, all my sisters and brothers-in-arms suffered invisible scars. Years later, as many of us continue to bear the cost of our service, we need access to whatever drugs can help us heal. Much of what is currently offered though does not work for everyone. In 2019, after years of self-medicating with alcohol, I finally went to the Department of Veterans Affairs for treatment. It was there that I got my first Xanax pill and felt an instant release. But the peace wouldnt last long. What began as a way to manage post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety quickly turned into a way to get high. Soon I wasnt even swallowing my pills I was chewing them and eventually snorting them. After two months, daily Xanax withdrawal became a staple of my life. When my pills ran out, I turned to heroin. A year of abuse followed. It would take an overdose and a three-night stay in the hospital to finally stop. My experience is not unique. According to Pew Research Center, 1 in 5 veterans report struggling with substance abuse for the first few years after leaving the military. And overall, more than 1 in 10 veterans have been diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder, according to a 2017 study. Addictions can range from alcohol to prescription medications to illicit drugs or, as in my case, all three. After being released from the hospital, I knew I needed to find an alternative treatment. It was then that I came across the use of guided psychedelic therapy. Through the help of a friend, I found someone who offered the service and tried it. The treatment was unlike anything Id ever experienced. During my sessions, I was able to mentally put myself in a safe position at the center of my disturbing combat memories. It was like a lucid dream that played in slow motion. The full physicality of my memories was available. I knew every building, every street, every vehicle. I could hear each sound associated with my trauma in complete isolation. It was as if each nuanced piece of memory was only invoked when I centered on a particular aspect. It allowed me to compartmentalize each component of my trauma so I could focus on one specific element without having the chaos of the collective experience muddle my concentration. The impact was instantaneous. Following my first of three sessions, the trauma that had occupied every day of my life diminished to the point I could reflect on my time in combat without experiencing debilitating panic and anxiety. My memories were not vanquished, but they were manageable. I could think, talk, and most importantly to me, write about my experiences. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration lists psychedelics like MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, DMT (Dimitri) and psilocybin as Schedule 1 drugs which according to its definition, means they have no medical use and a high potential for abuse. But my experience and the research say otherwise. Although studies on psychedelics are limited because of their Schedule 1 status, some researchers have managed to obtain special permission albeit through a slow and highly restrictive process from the DEA to study the drugs. But even with limited studies, the results are compelling. According to a Phase 3 study of MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD, two months after their final session, 67% of participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. In other words, the drug cured them. And despite how the DEA classifies them, psychedelics are generally not addictive. To be sure, psychedelics are not the end-all-be-all of treatment. As Ive learned, therapy is always a coordinated necessity. But I can say with certainty that had I not experienced the healing power of psychedelics, Id be dead from alcohol, heroin or my own hand. Prescription drugs and traditional therapy are failing many of our veterans. By denying our service men and women access to psychedelics, our government is failing them, too. Oakland author Maggie Tokuda-Hall got swept up in the nationwide movement to silence discussion of racism and other biases when publishing giant Scholastic asked her to remove the word racism from the authors note of her book Love in the Library for a licensing deal. On The Chronicles Fifth & Mission podcast, she tells host Cecilia Lei why she said no. Tokuda-Hall, the author of several childrens books including Also an Octopus and The Mermaid the Witch and the Sea, was ecstatic about the opportunity to bring her book about a love story inside a Japanese incarceration camp to schoolchildren. But faced with cutting crucial historical context, she says, [T]his is not a moment for compromise. This isnt a place where I can make that decision." On Fifth & Mission, she discusses her response to Scholastic, the movement to censor and ban books across the country, and why its so important not to whitewash history in childrens stories. The following is an excerpt of the conversation, edited for clarity and brevity. Hear the full conversation with Tokuda-Hall in the podcast player embedded here or on the April 17 episode of Fifth & Mission, which you can find on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Cecilia Lei: Maggie, youve authored a number of bestselling books for children. Love in the Library has been a bit different, though. Its a personal story about your family. Tell me why you wanted to write it. Maggie Tokuda-Hall: I wrote the text for Love in the Library right after President Trump was elected into office, and his absolute first thing that he did with power was try to sign the Muslim or travel ban into existence by executive order. And it was clear to me right then like a chill went down my spine as a Japanese person and as a Jew what kind of direction he was trying to take our country in immediately, and it was horrifying. And I tried to kind of think about what I had to offer in a moment like that that was unique to me. I was going to do all the things I needed to do. I was going to write my postcards and make my calls and do my protests. But I was also aware that in our family we have this beautiful story of resilience and strength in the face of incredibly punishing, state-sanctioned racism. And I wanted to be able to share that with our youngest readers. Courtesy Red Scott Cecilia Lei: Love in the Library is this beautiful story about how your grandparents met while they were incarcerated. It was published in early 2022. What has the reception to the book been like since then? What have you heard from readers, from families, parents who have shared the book with their loved ones? Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Largely the response has been really kind and meaningful to me. I hear from a lot of other people whove had ancestors or family who were incarcerated who this story means an awful lot to. Ive heard from other people whose grandparents met and fell in love in different incarceration camps, and who this means a lot to. And from people who didnt know much about this history at all, and it was a way in to talk about it with their kids. And then I also get a spattering of people who are very angry about it. Not so much the love story aspect, everyones fine and comfortable with that. But in the authors note, Im very clear about situating what happened to my grandparents within American history. Its not an aberration, and I was unwilling to talk about it that way. And so thats largely what the authors note is about, and that is when I get hate mail. Cecilia Lei: Well get into that authors note more in just a bit. But you recently got an email with this incredible offer from Scholastic to license Love in the Library. Now, Im not in the publishing world, but I know Scholastic. As a kid, I loved saving my allowance to order books from them. I loved their book fairs at my school. How big of a deal is Scholastic for an author like you? Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Its a huge deal. Its like if there is a public school, theres a strong chance Scholastic has a direct relationship with them. They have a unique place in the marketplace in childrens books that is so valuable and so singular to them. And so to receive an opportunity from Scholastic that they want to license one of your books is a big deal, and especially for a story where you hope that it will have a place in the classroom, a story like Love in the Library, which I did really largely write with the intention that it go into schools. It means a lot. Cecilia Lei: So, Maggie, you get this incredible opportunity, but its contingent on one thing: Its contingent on a change to your authors note, which appears at the end of Love in the Library. There are two cuts that they suggest to make. It cuts the word racism, and then theres a suggestion to cut an entire paragraph. I was wondering if you could read that paragraph for me, which Scholastic wanted to omit. Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yes. As much as I would hope this would be a story of the distant past, it is not. It is very much the story of America here and now. The racism that put my grandparents into Minidoka is the same hate that keeps children in cages on our border. Its the myth of white supremacy that brought slavery to our past and allows police to murder black people in our present. Its the same fear that brings Muslim bans. Its the same contempt that creates voter suppression, medical apartheid and food deserts. The same cruelty that carved reservations out of stolen sovereign land, that paved the Trail of Tears. Hate is not a virus. It is an American tradition. Cecilia Lei: Why did you want to put that authors note originally when you wrote this book? And what would the book be without that context? Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Its such a good question, and its something that I think about all the time and that I thought about very seriously when I did this. So, typically, authors notes in picture books about Japanese incarceration talk about Pearl Harbor and World War II, and I think, of course, that is all important context. But one of the things that to me was of utmost importance was to situate it within this American history of it happening of state-sanctioned, perfectly legal racism. Thats what happened to my grandparents. Even after Korematsu v. the United States, the ruling was not that this can never happen again. The ruling was like, Oh, we shouldnt have done this, particularly to Fred. And so it was an opportunity to me to ensure that my grandparents story not be whitewashed into something simple, into just a nice love story about people who happened to meet. It had to be told in its full truth, and its full truth is this backdrop of incredible state violence. You know, my grandparents lost everything when they were incarcerated. My grandfather had two pharmacies at the time when he was put in there and lost them both. And he had worked so hard to build that up. People lost their homes, their businesses, they lost everything. And its not a thing that just happened to us. It is not a uniquely Japanese American experience to have experienced racism in this country and to have it be perfectly legal. And when we elide that truth, when we refuse to acknowledge the full scope of what has happened, we make any kind of healing or progress or change from it impossible. Cecilia Lei: Youve made the decision to not accept Scholastics offer, and youve blogged about this, sharing how you went about that decision making. You do note that you got a lot of support from your publisher, Candlewick. But at the same time, how did making that decision feel for you? Youre an author. Youve made this career out of telling stories to children, telling the truth to children. And heres a deeply personal and important story about your family, and your voice is getting censored. Just tell me, how has it been for you? Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Honestly, pretty excruciating. Its been a terrible few days. I got the email while I was pushing my daughter in her stroller and I saw Scholastic wants to license your book and I actually made a noise out loud in public because I was so excited. It was immediately tempered by the edit that they were asking for was just ludicrous. And I think I waffled around, Well, could I let them do it anyway because I just want this opportunity so badly? for probably a full minute of just like in denial that maybe there was a way to make this work, maybe there was a compromise. But as soon as I looked back at the red line that they had given me and the word racism was gone, it was clear this is not a moment for compromise. This isnt a place where I can make that decision. And so, I feel sure that I am doing the right thing, and I am proud of the decision that Ive made. But being put in a position to have to make that decision has been so offensive for so many reasons and has been so disheartening as well, because you worry, you know, like childrens authors were like fighting over nickels. This is not a gangbusters business thats chock-a-block full of money. So opportunities can be thin on the ground, and saying no to one is painful, especially one where it puts you in direct contact with classrooms, where its like this amazing opportunity to become part of a curriculum. That cant be understated how meaningful those books are in kids lives. And to have that opportunity kind of dangled in front of me but at this horrible price was really sad. This industry will say a lot of things about wanting diverse voices and about supporting people of color or whatever it is. But when push comes to shove, our voices and our perspectives are the first thing that they are willing to jettison from the ship. Just this whole time I was like, I wish this hadnt happened. I just wish this hadnt happened. Listen to the full conversation with Tokuda-Hall in the podcast player embedded above or on the April 17 episode of Fifth & Mission, which you can find on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. On Friday, Scholastic published a statement in response to the backlash theyve faced since Maggie raised her concerns. In it, Scholastics president and CEO Peter Warwick writes that the requested edit to the authors note was wrong and not in keeping with Scholastics values. He continues, No division will request edits to any published books for our collections moving forward, something that has been, and remains, our policy. Scholastic expressed hope that theyll still be able to share Love in the Library as part of their collection. Those conversations are ongoing. Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images Ana de Alba, the daughter of immigrant farmworkers who rose to be an attorney whose clients included immigrants and low-income workers before becoming a judge, was nominated Friday by President Biden to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. She and Irma Ramirez, nominated to the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, would be Bidens second and third Latina appointees to the appellate courts, more than any previous president. De Alba was born in Merced in 1979 and worked in the fields as a youngster. At her Senate confirmation hearing for the federal court in Fresno last June, she testified that the first time she ever slept on a bed was as a teenager, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who tracks judicial nominations. Varun Nikore, who has been organizing Asian American and Pacific Islander voters for 25 years, calls whats going to happen Sunday in San Franciscos Portsmouth Square the next big test of the communitys growing political power. After seeing national AAPI turnout jump 10 percentage points between the 2016 and 2020 election more than any other racial or ethnic group Nikore, executive director of AAPI Victory Alliance, wants to see whether the community is ready to take the next step. That step is scheduled to happen at 1 p.m. in the heart of Chinatown, where Nikores left-leaning AAPI Victory Alliance will join forces with the youth-led March for Our Lives for a rally and news conference on gun violence an issue it hasnt waded into much. Sundays rally will focus on Wells Fargo, whose headquarters is in San Francisco. Organizers are calling on the bank to sever its ties with the gun industry. The bank has been the gun industrys top financier, Bloomberg News reported in 2018. The banks CEO Charles Scharf said in 2020 that its relationship with the National Rifle Association was declining. It had previously backed the NRAs line of credit and mortgage loan commitments. But activists say the banks relationship with the gun industry is still too cozy. In a letter to the bank last month, Nikore urged it to stop financing an industry whose profiteering has directly cost lives in our communities and the communities where Wells Fargo operates. Edith Rocio Robles, Wells Fargo corporate communications assistant vice president, told The Chronicle in an email, Wells Fargo has a long history of supporting the AAPI community and stands in solidarity with the community in the face of senseless violence. We listen carefully to all voices and all points of view in the ongoing firearms debate, and we take each of them seriously. Our communities, schools, places of business, and neighborhoods must be kept safe from gun violence. Sunday will provide a provocative split-screen image in the gun control debate. The San Francisco demonstration is taking place on the final day of the National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis, where the top Republican presidential candidates and hopefuls are scheduled to either appear or send a message. But AAPI voters two-thirds of whom support Democrats are headed in a different direction on guns. Nikores eyes were opened by a Hart Research poll last year of 2,000 AAPI voters living in battleground House districts who said gun safety was their most important non-economic issue. As someone who has been involved in AAPI organizing for over 25 years, it shocked the heck out of me because guns have never registered in the top 10, Nikore told me. It was typically always education and immigration were the top two. But it is hard for any community to escape the never-ending toll of gun violence. Sundays gathering is scheduled less than a week after a gunman killed five people at a Louisville bank and three weeks after a shooter murdered three adults and three children at a Nashville elementary school. It comes nearly three months after a gunman killed 11 people and injured nine others, many of whom were Asian American seniors, at a dance club in Monterey Park. They are among the 155 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Those incidents are resonating. A March AAPI Data survey found that 84% of Asian Americans worry about being the victim of a mass shooting compared with 74% of Blacks and Latinos who feel that way, and 59% of whites. That same survey found that 75% of Asian American respondents felt gun violence was a bigger issue to them than the year before more than any other racial or ethnic group except Black respondents, who felt that way in equal measure. Nikore believes interest in the issue soared during Donald Trumps presidency, particularly after he began repeatedly calling the COVID-19 pandemic the China virus, which correlated with a rise in racist sentiment against Asian Americans. One in 6 Asian Americans said they experienced a hate crime or hate incident in 2022, up from one in eight the previous year, according to AAPI Data. In response, gun ownership has increased among AAPI communities. Some gun rights supporters sought to take advantage of the growing fear in the community by marketing more intensely to them. A March 2021 tweet from the Gun Owners of America account said: Want to #StopAsianHate? Buy a rifle. Seeing an opportunity to exploit the fear spurred by these horrific attacks, the firearms industry has moved swiftly to expand its efforts targeting the AAPI community, according to a 2021 report from the Violence Policy Center titled How the Firearms Industry Markets Guns to Asian Americans. The community is feeling the impact of gun violence in other ways. While incidents of firearm suicide among young Asian Americans are lower than other racial or ethnic groups, it increased 168% over the past decade, according to a 2022 report from Everytown for Gun Safety. The statistics are alarming, but not shocking, Zeenat Yahya, director of policy for March for Our Lives, told me. For a lot of young folks, this is something that is top of mind. Galvanizing that fear and anxiety into a political movement, however, will be challenging, Nikore conceded. When newer immigrants come to this country, he said, their first priority is to provide for their families, work hard and keep their head down, just trying to ensure that their kids dont have to work as hard as they do. I think (Asian Americans) have been kind of forced into more political participation and civic activism largely due to the election of Donald Trump in 2016, Nikore said. Nikore said he knew of only a handful of local AAPI political organizations before Trumps election, but four years later, there were close to a dozen. What AAPI Victory Alliance is trying to do with the 20-month corporate accountability campaign it is launching Sunday, he said, is to move to the next level of engagement outside of politics. Nikore calls it the 2.0 AAPI movement. San Francisco saw the political power the community flexed in the recalls last year of District Attorney Chesa Boudin and three school board members, two campaigns that were driven in part by Asian American voters. The hope is to take that activism national. Nikore wants AAPI voters to do more than vote. We want to get to the point where if we dont like something or we really believe in something we want to get active, Nikore said. We want to cause and drive social change and political change. Sunday marks the very beginning of that next step. Thats the whole reason why we put this campaign together, he said. Were trying to test this theory: Is our community really ready for this? In an interview with Ahram Online on Tuesday, the spokesman for the Sudanese Armed Forces, Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of violating a new three-day ceasefire brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia less than half an hour after it came into effect on Monday. WINDSOR LOCKS Tech-savvy burglars who have targeted homes in Connecticut and Massachusetts broke into a local residence after getting detailed information on the security system from the homeowner's co-worker, according to arrest warrants obtained Friday. Matthew Colon, 31, of West Springfield, Mass., was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny. Enrique Santiago, 37, of Springfield, Mass., faces charges that include first-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, stealing a firearm and conspiracy. Police said they expect to arrest a third man in the case, which is connected with other break-ins that included advanced surveillance and information about when homeowners would be away, according to the warrant for Colon. Early on May 20, 2022, a Green Manor Terrace resident called police from Long Island, reporting that a security camera showed two men walking through his backyard. Officers who interrupted the break-in found a shattered rear sliding glass door and a trail of discarded evidence near the house, including a Wi-Fi jammer, two-way portable radio, glass punch tool, pry bar and bolt cutters, according to the warrant. The thieves had cut through a chain link fence and disabled surveillance cameras both manually and with the Wi-Fi jammer, but one camera by the pool was out of range of the jamming device and continued recording, Windsor Locks Detective Sgt. Jeff Lampson wrote in the arrest warrant affidavit. The homeowner reported $4,200 in cash missing, along with men's watches, jewelry and his wife's 9 mm pistol, the warrant said. On May 26, a resident two houses away from found a pillowcase containing the watches, handgun and other items that the victims verified were theirs, police said. The locations of the bag of loot and the backpack with the Wi-Fi jammer showed the burglars fled in different directions after the break-in, police said. Federal law prohibits the use or operation of jamming devices and federal investigators are interested in the case, Lampson said Friday. He said police in the area are starting to see more use of the devices in residential burglaries. In this case, however, police said DNA proved the thieves' undoing. During a daylight canvass of the Green Manor Terrace area on May 23, a homeowner told police she found a pair of gloves she had not seen before and handed them over to investigators. Police submitted swabs from the gloves and other evidence they suspected the thieves had touched to the state forensic laboratory. On Aug. 16, the lab reported an "offender hit" from DNA on the gloves to Santiago, Lampson wrote in the warrant. Police said the same DNA was connected with two previous burglary investigations, including a car break-in in Middletown from 2010 and a 2012 burglary in South Hadley, Mass., where firearms were stolen. Santiago was arrested in both cases, according to the warrant. Santiago told Windsor Locks investigators through his lawyer that a man who drove a black sedan and whose father owned a remodeling company coordinated the Green Manor Terrace burglary, the warrant stated. When Lampson asked the homeowner if he knew a person matching that description, the man immediately identified Colon, a co-worker at a home health care business in East Longmeadow, Mass., Lampson wrote in the warrant. The homeowner said he considered Colon a friend and had told him about his trip to Long Island last May, the warrant stated. The victim also said Colon and his father had helped him remodel his house, the warrant stated. He said Matthew Colon had been to his home numerous times and was aware of the surveillance camera system, the warrant said. Confronted with the victim's statements and evidence from the burglary, Colon told police he had been "wheeled in" to the burglary scheme by the third suspect in the case, the man police said they expect to arrest soon, according to the warrant. That suspect's girlfriend also worked at the home health care business with Colon and the Windsor Locks victim. Other workers at the business reported their homes in Massachusetts had been burglarized, including a woman who said Colon had been at her house to help fix a gazebo before the break-in, Lampson wrote in the warrant. Cellphone records showed calls between Colon, Santiago and the unidentified suspect in the Windsor Locks burglary before and after the break-in, the warrant stated. Police said the third suspect is a felon with a long criminal record that includes armed robbery and numerous burglaries. Santiago also has a long rap sheet, including convictions in Connecticut for burglary and larceny, the warrant stated. Massachusetts investigators said they believe he is part of a criminal organization involved in targeted burglaries, according to the warrant. He posted $150,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Hartford on May 31. Colon posted bond of $100,000 and is to appear in court on May 2. Lan Sena is battling stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma, but that's not stopping her from living her best life. Sena had the opportunity to go skydiving in Hawaii, and you guessed it, she chose the full experience while on the dive. "I said, 'I want the full experience.' So we did some tricks. We spun in the air for a bit, and we did a 60-second free fall," said Sena. NEW YORK The murder plot Anthony Zottola initiated was chilling. Working with a leader of a notorious street gang, federal prosecutors said, Zottola planned to kill his father, a reputed Mafia associate with a Bronx real estate empire, and his brother, who helped the father install jukeboxes and pool tables at bars and restaurants. At stake were more than two dozen residential and commercial properties worth millions of dollars. Anthony Zottola wanted to control them, prosecutors said, and saw his father, Sylvester Zottola, and his older brother, Salvatore, as obstacles. As part of the plot, a group of brutal and bumbling assassins tracked Sylvester Zottola for about a year before fatally shooting him in late 2018 as he sat in his SUV at a McDonalds drive-thru in the Bronx. Anthony Zottola was convicted last year of murder-for-hire and conspiracy, and on Friday, a federal judge sentenced him to life in prison, the mandatory minimum. The judge, Hector Gonzalez, said Zottola had subjected his family to a reign of terror. Earlier in the day, Gonzalez had sentenced Himen Ross, who prosecutors said killed Sylvester Zottola and shot Salvatore Zottola, to life in prison. Before his brother was sentenced, Salvatore Zottola addressed him in court. You had everything in life, he said. What you did to Dad, to myself and to this entire family is unimaginable. Next up was a sister, Deborah Ann Zottola, who told her brother she loved him. I will not dig you a deeper grave, she added. In his own remarks to the court, Anthony Zottola did not apologize for what he had done but expressed love for his wife, his children and my sister Debbie and my brother Sal. During his eight-week trial, prosecutors described how Anthony Zottola had turned against members of his close-knit family, which lived for decades in the Bronx neighborhoods of Pelham Bay and Locust Point, a sedate enclave on Long Island Sound. The small cluster of brick houses his father built on adjoining Locust Point lots were meant for the family to live together in what they called Zottolas Court, Salvatore Zottola testified. Mottos such as Our foundation is built from love were carved into the homes facades. In making their case, prosecutors outlined a broad conspiracy that included a network of hit men hired by Bushawn Shelton, described by authorities as a high-ranking member of the Bloods street gang. At times, according to testimony and evidence, the hit men resembled the hapless criminals in Jimmy Breslins 1969 novel The Gang That Couldnt Shoot Straight. A tan minivan they employed as a getaway car often would not start, and a getaway driver parked on a quiet street near Salvatore Zottolas home once infuriated Shelton by smoking marijuana the gang leader believed might signal their presence. There were several unsuccessful attempts to kill Sylvester Zottola. Someone tried to shoot him as he drove on the Throgs Neck Expressway, prosecutors said, but he escaped by driving in reverse. Later, men lurking inside his home stabbed him in the neck. Another time, an assailant broke into the Zottola family office with a gun with the goal of killing Zottola but fled after he accidentally tripped a panic alarm. One hired killer, Ron Cabey, testifying as a government witness, described how he strode up to Sylvester Zottola on a Bronx street in summer 2018, pointed a pistol at him and pulled the trigger, only for the weapon to misfire. Cabey said Zottola began firing at him as he fled. Cabey was arrested within hours by police officers in Manhattan. He soon pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and began cooperating with authorities. Investigators subsequently arrested Shelton at his Brooklyn home and retrieved thousands of text messages he had exchanged with Anthony Zottola a step-by-step account of the assassination plot. Some texts showed that while expressing concern about the attempts on his fathers life, Anthony Zottola had given Shelton information about the older mans movements and whereabouts and those of other relatives. After Salvatore Zottola took a picture of a car used by two hired killers, Anthony Zottola warned Shelton that the men needed a new one. The two often texted in code, prosecutors said: Sylvester Zottola was the actor, and murder attempts were scenes. On the day Zottola escaped the attempted expressway shooting, Shelton wrote to Anthony Zottola that the actor had gone in reverse in the middle of shooting a scene. Zottola replied that he was changing the location of the last scene. We going to film in his dressing room, he wrote. Hours before the attack on Sylvester Zottola at his home, Anthony Zottola wrote: I get keys to dressing room. That night, prosecutors said three men entered Sylvester Zottolas home, waited for him and then stabbed him multiple times in the torso and neck before fleeing. Salvatore Zottola testified that he learned that his father had been attacked when a neighbor called to tell him. When he arrived at his fathers home, Salvatore Zottola said, he found him leaning against a wall. There was blood everywhere, he testified. Anthony Zottola arrived at the home too, Salvatore Zottola testified, adding that his brother waited for investigators to leave so he could go in and clean up the house. When a police officer asked for security camera footage, prosecutors said, Anthony Zottola provided video that did not show the attack. He also cleaned the blood up, prosecutors added, then charged his father $3,450 for the work. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. SALEM, Ore. (AP) An Oregon man has been indicted on murder and other charges in the death of his 62-year-old mother at her home in November. Robin Hethorn, of Monmouth, pleaded not guilty Friday on two counts of second-degree murder, robbery, theft, ID theft and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in Theresa Hethorns death, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. STRATFORD Landlords and tenants locked in a dispute over rent hikes will soon have option to resolve their disagreements, other than fighting it out in court. The Town Council voted at its monthly meeting Monday to establish a fair rent commission that will investigate rent complaints and mediate conflicts between property owners and renters. The newly approved seven-member body, which will be made up of residents appointed by the mayor, will have the authority to block rent increases the members deem excessive. The board will also have subpoena power and the ability to level fines against landlords who violate its rulings. The vote was held to comply with a new state law mandating that towns with 25,000 or more residents establish a fair rent commission by July 1. But the commissions approval also came after residents urged the council to support protections for tenants. Renters in Connecticut clean your bathrooms, teach your kids, manufacture machine parts and are raising their children in what should be long-term homes not investment opportunities for out-of-state mega-landlords, Jason Ruiz, a Nichola Avenue resident, told the council at a recent meeting. If we expect the next generation to choose Stratford as their home, it needs to become affordable for the average renter. About 20 percent of households in Stratford rent their homes, according to U.S. Census data. The figures show that 65 percent of those households are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. According to the fair rent ordinance, the commission will consider the tenants income, the size and condition of the unit, the frequency of rent hikes and whether the added charges will be reinvested into improving the accommodations, among other things, when deciding if a increase is harsh and unconscionable. In addition to blocking or limiting rent increases, the all-volunteer commission will have the power to order landlords to make repairs or other necessary changes if they determine a residence does not comply with health and safety regulations. Unlike other fair rent commissions around the state, Stratfords body will need a five-member supermajority to declare a rent increase excessive or to determine a landlord violated local or state rules. Assistant Town Attorney John Florek, who helped draft the ordinance language, said there are precedents for local commissions requiring more than a bare majority for a vote to succeed. For example, the zoning commission needs four of its five members to approve certain types of developments. It's not unusual where questions of importance are involved to require more than a simple majority be agreed that the decision is the proper way of handling it, Florek said. Kimberly Rice, D-4, who was one of two council members to vote against the commission, said she was concerned that the ordinance does not include any protections for tenants who face retaliation from their landlord for submitting a complaint. She argued the language should be redrafted to prevent retaliatory rent increases or evictions. Florek, however, said the state law mandating fair rent commissions does not include any requirements for specific retaliation protections. He noted state law already includes safeguards against such actions. The fact that this particular statute doesn't contain any express retaliation considerations does not mean that landlords have carte blanche to retaliate for tenants who legitimately complain about things, Florek said. The vote establishing the commission was supported by Gregory Cann, James J. Connor, Laura Dancho, Lesette Franceshi, William O'Brien and Ken Poisson. Chairperson Chris Pia and Rice voted against the proposal, while Kaitlyn T. Shake and Jean Marie Sutton did not attend the meeting. richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com; Twitter @RichChumney. WINNIPEG - Matthew Savoie scored once and added two assists as the Winnipeg ICE defeated the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors 5-3 in the opening game of their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinal series on Friday. Zach Benson, Owen Pederson, Connor McClennon and Graham Sward also scored for the ICE, who outshot the Warriors 37-29. Conor Geekie chipped in with two assists. Brayden Yager, Jagger Firkus and Maximus Wanner scored for the Warriors, who trailed 3-1 after the first period. The teams were tied 3-3 heading into the third. Ryder Korczak chipped in with two assists. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at the Wayne Fleming Arena in Winnipeg. Elsewhere in the WHL: --- REBELS 3 BLADES 1 Red Deer leads best-of-seven series 1-0 SASKATOON, Sask. Jace Isley scored at 14:19 of the third period to give the visiting Red Deer Rebels a 2-0 lead and some breathing room and they managed to hang on for a 3-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades in the opening game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. Jhett Larson and Christoffer Sedoff (empty-netter) also scored for the Rebels, who were outshot 24-20 in the tight defensive game. Jake Chiasson scored at 18:08 of the third period for the Blades to reduce the deficit to 2-1 but the Blades couldn't get any closer. Both teams went 0-for-3 on the power play. Game 2 is Sunday at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon. --- BLAZERS 6 WINTERHAWKS 4 Kamloops leads best-of-seven series 1-0 KAMLOOPS, B.C. Jakub Demek scored twice and Olen Zellweger chipped in with two assists as the Kamloops Blazers rolled over the visiting Portland Winterhawks 6-4 in the opening game of their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. Emmitt Finnie, Fraser Minten, Matthew Seminoff and Logan Stankoven also scored for the Blazers, who outshot the Winterhawks 38-32. James Stefan scored three times and Marcus Nguyen netted a single for the Winterhawks, who were tied 1-1 with the Blazers after the first period, but trailed 4-2 heading into the third. Kyle Chyzowski chipped in with two assists. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops. --- THUNDERBIRDS 4 COUGARS 1 Seattle leads best-of-seven series 1-0 SEATTLE, Wash. Dylan Guenther scored twice and Brad Lambert chipped in with two assists as the Seattle Thunderbirds edged the visiting Prince George Cougars 4-1 in the opening game of their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. Lucas Ciona and Nico Myatovic (empty-netter) also scored for the T-Birds, who outshot the Cougars 44-24. Koehn Ziemmer scored for the Cougars, who trailed 2-1 after the first period and the second period was scoreless. Game 2 in the series is scheduled for Saturday at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash. * This roundup was generated automatically with a CP-developed application. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2023. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A Kansas City hospital is suing Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey over what it calls his burdensome requests for records on gender-affirming care. In a lawsuit filed Friday in Jackson County, attorneys for Children's Mercy Hospital asked a judge to deny Bailey's 54 investigative demands for records and testimony despite the hospital facing no allegations of wrongdoing, The Kansas City Star reported. Bailey has demanded that the hospital provide records on any prescriptions for hormone blockers as well as surgeries for transgender patients, the lawsuit said. He's also asking for information on when the hospital has reported child abuse. Bailey's spokeswoman, Madeline Sieren, questioned the hospital's contention that its gender transition practices are evidence-based and said the facility is refusing to provide even a single document to explain its practices. That is very concerning," Sieren said. "We look forward to prevailing in this request for information and learning what is truly going on with Childrens Mercy in connection with gender transition issues. In February, Bailey, a Republican who was appointed attorney general in November, announced he was investigating the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital after an employee alleged the center was providing children with gender-affirming care without informed consent. Bailey has since expanded the investigation to other health care providers in Missouri. On Thursday, Bailey introduced an emergency rule that will impose several restrictions before adults and children can receive drugs, hormones or surgeries for the purpose of transitioning gender. Republican lawmakers across the country, including Missouri, have proposed hundreds of laws aimed at transgender people, with a particular emphasis on health care. At least 13 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors. Children's Mercy argues in its lawsuit that releasing the information sought by Bailey would violate state and federal laws, including those involving private medical decisions made between patients and doctors. The hospital also contends Bailey doesn't have the jurisdiction to investigate health care companies and physicians, which are regulated by the Missouri Board of Healing Arts. The lawsuit also argues many of Bailey's requests are poorly disguised interrogatories that have nothing to do with gender-affirming care. The hospital acknowledges the attorney general has the authority to investigate deceptive business practices under the states merchandise protection act but said the authority to use the law as an investigative tool has its limits. The demand letter sent to Childrens Mercy far exceeds those limits, the lawsuit said. The facility also contends that hospitals are not regulated under that law, and said the hospital cannot in good faith attempt to comply. Earlier this month, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri sued over Bailey's document demands to that organization as part of its investigation. Planned Parenthood also argued in its lawsuit that Bailey has no authority to investigate its clinic, which is inspected by the state health department. ROME (AP) Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni acknowledged anomalies in the handling of a Russian businessman who escaped from house arrest in Italy to avoid extradition to the United States and said Saturday she would speak with the justice minister to understand what happened. During a visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Meloni termed the case of Artyom Uss grave and vowed to get to the bottom of it when she returned to Rome. Uss, the 40-year-old son of a Russian regional governor, was detained in October 2022 at Milan Malpensa Airport on a U.S. warrant accusing him of violating sanctions. In November, a ruling from a Milan appeals court resulted in him being moved from jail to house arrest and outfitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet. He escaped from Italy on March 22, a day after a Milan court recognized as legitimate the U.S. extradition request, and surfaced in Russia earlier this month. For sure there are anomalies, Meloni told reporters in Ethiopia. The principal anomaly, Im sorry to say, is the decision of the appeals court to offer him house arrest with a frankly debatable motivation, and to then maintain that decision even after there was an extradition request. Because obviously in that case, the flight risk becomes more obvious. She welcomed the decision by Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio to undertake a disciplinary investigation, saying we have to have clarity. But she also said Italy didnt have detailed intelligence information from the U.S. Justice Department about the nature of the person. Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica reported Saturday that U.S. authorities made clear that the Russian presented a very high flight risk in two notes to Nordios office one from Oct. 19, two days after Uss arrest, and the other sent after he was granted house arrest on Nov. 25. The U.S. asked for Uss to remain jailed pending the outcome of extradition proceedings and cited six cases in the past three years in which suspects escaped from house arrest in Italy while extradition requests were pending, Repubblica quoted the notes as saying. The newspaper said Nordio assured the U.S. in a Dec. 6 note that the electronic monitoring bracelet put on Uss and his required periodic check-ins with police were sufficient. Repubblica cited the Milan court's reply to Nordios investigation as saying the justice minister had the authority at any time to impose tougher restrictive measures on someone in extradition proceedings. While leading Sudanese figures remain at loggerheads, the peoples eyes are now fixed on the agreement meant to settle the political crisis. Parties to Sudans political process are scheduled to sign a final agreement on 6 April to settle the political crisis and form a civilian government in which the armed forces play no political role. In Sudans political memory 6 April is of great significance. On 6 April 1985 the regime of Gaafar Numeiri was overthrown. Amid cycles of democratic civil rule in Sudan, three military coups were toppled by popular revolutions: on 24 October 1964 the people removed the rule of general Ibrahim Abboud; on 6 April 1985 Numeiri was toppled; and in December 2019, the Muslim Brotherhood led by Omar Al-Bashir was overthrown. Since the toppling of Al-Bashir, Sudan has been on a bumpy road, consumed by fights between the military and civilian forces over ruling a country already exhausted by Civil War, the cessation of South Sudan, the bloody conflict in Darfur, and famine striking parts of it. A civilian government was formed under Abdallah Hamdok, deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, headquartered in Addis Ababa. Hamdoks government remained in power for two years, before the military took over on 25 October 2021 under army commander Lieutenant General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan. The move ignited protests and the population stood divided into groups supporting or opposing the army. On 5 December, civilian forces, the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a paramilitary force, founded by Al-Bashir and drawing on Arab Bedouin tribes in the west of the country signed an agreement to target the protests of non-Arab farmers in Darfur and armed rebel movements in Darfur and Southern Blue Nile. However, the 5 December accord was a framework agreement made up of eight principles: handing over power to a civilian government without the participation of the armed forces; ensuring that the army should shun political, economic, and commercial activities; reforming the police and intelligence services and placing them under the authority of the prime minister; reforming the judiciary and the prosecution and launching transitional justice procedures; implementing the Juba Peace Agreement; removing the remnants of Al-Bashirs regime from power; drafting a new constitution; and holding elections by the end of the 24-month transitional period. This agreement was widely rejected by the Muslim Brotherhood and their Islamist current who had claimed they supported a civilian state. The communist party, which doesnt have much electoral weight but has a solid cultural base, also rejected the accord, claiming it did not decisively decide on the matter of keeping the army away from power and ignored justice issues. Sudan is left with no choice but to accept the framework and final agreements. Otherwise, the country will remain mired in supporting and opposing protests, said Faisal Mohamed Salem, who served as information minister in Hamdoks government. Salem, a veteran journalist, added that the problem now is not between civilian and military forces, but rather between two military leaderships, Al-Burhan and [Mohamed Hamdan] Dagalo. Dagalo, aka Hemedti, is the leader of the RSF, the forces accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, in the westernmost part of Sudan. However, Fayez Al-Salik, media adviser to Hamdok, disagreed with Salem, saying the two men share the same boat and neither of them can politically survive if they sacrifice each other. For many months Khartoum has been witnessing muffled struggles between Hemedti and Al-Burhan due to integrating the RSF into the armed forces. Army leaders are not in harmony with the fact that the military now comprises former rebels and the RSF. Meanwhile Hemedti is courting the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), leading some observers to suggest he is trying to book a place in the coming political arrangement. Amin Magzoub, a professor of political science in Khartoum, noted, I dont have confirmed information, but I can deduce the FFC and Hemedti have some sort of agreement whereby the latter will run for president with the support of the FFC. Neither does Magzoub have a logical explanation for the rapprochement between Hemedti and the FFC except that integrating the RSF into the army strips Hemedti and his fellows of the power that can be granted by tens of thousands of armed men, which is why he wants to be shielded by the rapprochement with the FFC. However, democracy-supporting FFC cant accept this arrangement, said Al-Salik, adding that if the FFC supports Hemedti a man who has accusing fingers pointed at him the force may lose part of their popular credit. It is no secret the FFC suffers wide rifts due to its rapprochement with the military, whereas neighbourhood committees comprising extremist youth reject the participation of the army. Moreover, none of Sudans political parties or organisations are elected and none have been close to power for very long since the Al-Bashirs Muslim Brotherhood ruled the country for 30 years. The Sudanese Professionals Association, the backbone of the FFC, was disassembled during the negotiations over the 5 December agreement. According to Islamists, the Sudanese Professionals Association doesnt enjoy considerable weight among professionals and the middle class, which resulted in the associations failure to secure victory in any syndicate and led them to found unelected groups such as the Central Committee of Sudans Doctors and the Sudanese Lawyers Assembly. The same goes for armed movements, formerly described as rebel currents, members of which were not elected by the national groups that claimed to have supported them. On this Sudanese stage, none other than the armed forces being a legitimate institution has real legitimacy, said Magzoub. Even the RSF doesnt enjoy the legitimacy of a regular army because it is formed of the tribal members of west Sudan. In the meantime, Al-Burhan and Hemedti are at loggerheads. Al-Burhan wants to see more parties engaged in the Sudanese formula, while Hemedti, and the FFC, are rushing the formation of a civilian government. According to Magzoub, Expanding the agreement will strengthen and complicate the deal. However, forming the government quickly will mean the armys exit from the political scene and result in the creation of a weak administration that does not represent everyone. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 April, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate IMATRA, Finland (AP) The construction of barbed-wired fence along Finlands long border with Russia - primarily meant to curb illegal migration - has broken ground near the southeastern town of Imatra less than two weeks after the Nordic country joined NATO as the 31st member of the military alliance. The Finnish Border Guard on Friday showcased the building of the initial three kilometer (1.8 mile) stretch of the fence to be erected in Pelkola near a crossing point off Imatra, a quiet lakeside town of some 25,000 people. Finlands 1,340 kilometer (832 mile) border with Russia is the longest of any European Union member. Construction of the border fence is an initiative by the border guard that was approved by Prime Minister Sanna Marin's government amid wide political support last year. The main purpose of the three-meter (10-foot) high steel fence with a barbed-wire extension on top is to prevent illegal immigration from Russia and give reaction time to authorities, Finnish border officials say. In 2015-2016, Moscow attempted to influence Finland by organizing large numbers of asylum-seekers to northern Finnish crossing points in the Arctic Lapland region. Russian authorities were seen deliberately ushering thousands of asylum-seekers - mostly from Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle East nations - to those border crossing points. The move was seen as a show of muscle by Moscow. The issue was settled when Finnish President Sauli Niinisto held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The flow of migrants stopped shortly thereafter. This is a scenario that Finland - a nation 5.5 million people that officially became a NATO member on April 4 - wants to prevent from repeating itself. Border officials are quick to acknowledge, however, that it was Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year - the main reason for Finlands quick push to join NATO after decades of military nonalignment - that prompted construction of the border fence. Border barrier fence was no kind of political topic before the war (in Ukraine). And actually, it wasn't a kind of plan of the Finnish border guard, Brig. Gen. Jari Tolppanen, head of the technical division at the Finnish Border Guard, told The Associated Press. All changed after the attack (of Russia against Ukraine). The pilot section of the fence is scheduled to be completed by this summer, while the barrier will eventually be extended to a maximum of 200 kilometers (124 miles). It will cover areas - in bits and pieces of separate length - mainly in southeastern Finland near the main border crossing points with Russia but it will also have sections up in the Arctic north in Lapland. In this new situation, we must have much more credible and much more independent border control, Tolppanen said. We need to strengthen our resources. And the fence is necessary in order to manage, for example, large-scale illegal immigration. Imatra is located a mere seven kilometers (4.4 miles) off the Russian industrial town of Svetogorsk in the Karelia region and is a few hours drive away from Russias second city of St. Petersburg. The town has a long history in dealing with Russians - tourists, day-trippers and permanent residents alike. Here in Imatra, were not so afraid about Russians because the border has always been there and it has never been open like between European countries, said Antero Lattu, vice chairman of Imatra City Council. He stressed that locals arent afraid of Russians but we're happy because of that fence." Erkki Jouhki, who works as a town planner, agreed but also stressed Finland's military capabilities. NATO membership gives Finland a strong back but we have a very strong army. its very well (armed) ... its a very modern army here because of Russia. The border fence project is estimated to cost a total of 380 million euros ($422 million) and is scheduled to be completed by 2026. Finlands long eastern frontier runs mainly through thick forests. In some places the Finnish-Russian border is marked only by wooden posts with low fences meant to stop stray cattle. ___ Jari Tanner in Helsinki contributed to this article. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine NEW YORK (AP) Former Vice President Mike Pence ramped up his criticism of fellow Republicans at a GOP donor summit Friday night, trying to paint his would-be rivals as straying from party principles as he inches closer to an expected presidential run. Speaking at a Republican National Committee donor summit in Nashville, Pence planned to criticize former President Donald Trump and others who have questioned the war in Ukraine and oppose entitlement reform and further curbs on abortion rights. He argued the party will be better served by candidates who espouse more traditional GOP views, according to excerpts shared by aides ahead of his remarks. Its becoming clearer every day that the upcoming Republican primaries will not just be a contest of candidates but a conflict of visions," Pence was expected to tell donors. One vision grounded in traditional Republican principles, and another vision driven by the promise of winning at the expense of our highest ideals. He said the partys route to victory rests on a well-worn path" it has "traveled for the better part of half a century," including support for strong national defense, limited government and traditional social values. We will win if we run boldly as Republicans, he was expected to add. We will lose if we run away from that proven American agenda. Pence is widely expected to launch a campaign for the White House in the coming weeks that will put him in direct competition with his former boss, who is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination. Pence, who was a loyal lieutenant to Trump in the White House, has spent the years since he left office distancing himself from the former president. That has included criticizing Trump's actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump's supporters violently stormed the Capitol building as Pence was presiding over the certification of President Joe Biden's win. Trump was furious with Pence for refusing to go along with his unconstitutional scheme to overturn the results, and the two have been at odds ever since. In his speech at the retreat, Pence continued to tacitly criticize Trump as well as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another likely candidate, saying the party must resist the politics of personality and the lure of populism unmoored to timeless conservative values. "If 2022 taught us anything, its that candidates that were focused on the challenges facing American families did well. But candidates focused on the past, on litigating the last election, did not do well," he was expected to add. Elections are always about the future. To win in 2024, the Republican Party must be the party of the future." The comments came hours after both men spoke at the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Pence's home state of Indiana, where Pence was greeted with a smattering of boos from the crowd. It was a reflection of lingering animosity from Trump's loyal base, which continues to harbor resentments over Pence's handling of the 2020 election. Trump, who will address the donor summit in Nashville Saturday, took a dig at Pence from the NRA stage, telling the crowd he hoped theyd given the former vice president a warm introduction. Still, he called Pence a nice and good man." Pence, in his remarks, was expected to continued to criticize those in his party who have questioned U.S. support for Ukraine after Russia's invasion. "Joe Biden wants to cut defense spending. But for some reason, so do some prominent Republicans," he was expected to say. DeSantis last month walked back his characterization of the war as a territorial dispute following criticism from a number of fellow Republicans who expressed concern about the potential 2024 presidential candidates dismissive description of the conflict. Pence was also expected to call out Trump for opposing reforms to Social Security and Medicare, such as increasing the age of qualification once a standard GOP talking point. Sadly, our former president has echoed Bidens pledge not to touch Social Security. I think we owe my three granddaughters better, he was planning to say. He was also expected to criticize those in his party who are shying away from further restrictions on abortion rights following a series of GOP losses. On the heels of the biggest pro-life victory in history, too many Republicans want to run away from the cause that has animated our party for half a century," he was going to say, according to the excerpts. Trump has warned that the party risks fallout from tight abortion restrictions, while DeSantis late Thursday signed a 6-week ban into law. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) Sudans military and a powerful paramilitary force battled fiercely in the capital and other areas, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict. A doctors syndicate said Sunday the death toll rose to 56, with at least 595 people wounded. The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the military and its partner-turned-rival, the Rapid Support Forces group. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup. Chaotic scenes unfolded in the capital of Khartoum, where fighters firing from truck-mounted machine guns battled in densely populated neighborhoods. Fire and explosions are everywhere, said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. We havent seen such battles in Khartoum before, said resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa. By the end of the day, the military issued a statement ruling out out negotiations with the RSF, instead calling for the dismantling of what it called a rebellious militia. The head of the paramilitary group, in turn, branded the armed forces chief a criminal. The tough language signaled that the conflict between the former allies, who jointly orchestrated the 2021 coup, was likely to continue. Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure appeared to be mounting. Top diplomats, including the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.N. secretary-general, the EU foreign policy chief, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission urged the sides to stop fighting. Arab states with stakes in Sudan Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also called for a cease-fire and for both parties to return to negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he consulted with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. We agreed it was essential for the parties to immediately end hostilities without pre-condition, he said in a statement early Sunday. The fighting comes after months of escalating tensions between the commander of Sudan's miltitary, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. It also followed years of political unrest since the 2021 coup. The recent tensions stem from disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Dagalo, should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudans unsigned transition agreement with political groups. The fighting erupted early Saturday. The two sides traded blame over who started and also made rival claims over who controlled strategic installations around the capital. By early Sunday, at least 56 people had been killed across Sudan and at least 595 wounded. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate said at least six of the deaths were reported in the capital Khartoum and its sister city Omdurman and another eight near Nyala, the capital city of the South Darfur province in the southwest. The syndicate said the casualty toll was likely higher, with many believed to be still uncounted in western Darfur region and the northern town of Merowe. The military said in a statement late Saturday that its troops had seized all RSF bases in Omdurman, while residents reported heavy airstrikes on paramilitary positions in and around the capital that continued into the night. After nightfall, sounds of gunfire and explosions were still heard in several parts of Khartoum, they said. One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport. There was no formal announcement that the airport was closed, but major airlines suspended their flights. Saudi Arabias national airline said one of its aircraft was involved in what it called an accident. Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a Boeing 737 for SkyUp, a Kyiv, Ukraine-based airline. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The doctors' group said two civilians were killed at the airport. Burhan, the armed forces chief, told the Qatar-based satellite news network Al Jazeera, that the day began with RSF troops harassing the military south of Khartoum, triggering the clashes. He said RSF fighters entered Khartoum airport and set fire to some planes. He said all strategic facilities including the militarys headquarters and the Republican palace, the seat of Sudans presidency, are under his forces control. He threatened to deploy more troops to Khartoum. Dagalo accused Burhan of starting the battle by surrounding RSF troops. This criminal, he forced this battle upon us, he said. Dagalo told Al Jazeera that he believed the fighting would be over in the next few days." The RSF alleged that its forces controlled strategic locations in Khartoum and the northern city of Merowe some 350 kilometers (215 miles) northwest of the capital. The military dismissed the claims as lies. The clashes also took place in other areas across the country including the Northern province, the conflict-ravaged Darfur region, and the strategic coastal city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, a military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. Pro-democracy activists have blamed Burhan and Dagalo for abuses against protesters across the county over the past four years, including the deadly break-up of a protest camp outside the militarys headquarters in Khartoum in June 2019 that killed over 120 protesters. Many groups have repeatedly called for holding them accountable. The RSF has long been accused of atrocities linked to the Darfur conflict. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, warned of a possible regional conflict if the fighting escalates. Shooting must stop immediately, he said in a video appeal to both sides posted on his Twitter account. Cameron Hudson, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank and a former U.S. diplomat, said the fighting could become wider and prolonged, calling on the United States to form a coalition of regional countries to pressure the leaders of the military and RSF to de-escalate. Volker Perthes, the U.N. envoy for Sudan, and the Saudi ambassador in Sudan, Ali Bin Hassan Jaffar, were in contact with Dagalo and Burhan to try to end the violence, said a U.N. official who asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Chad announced that it is closing its land borders with Sudan. ___ Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. AP NEW DELHI (AP) A passenger bus carrying dozens of members of a music troupe slid off a highway and fell into a gorge in western India on Saturday, killing 13 people and injuring 29 others, police said. The bus was on its way to Mumbai, Indias financial capital, in Maharashtra state, from Pune city, where the musicians held a performance, said Atul Zende, a police officer. The exact cause of the crash was not immediately known. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAPPORO, Japan (AP) Energy and environment ministers of the Group of Seven wealthy nations met Saturday in northern Japan, seeking to reconcile the world's heavy reliance on fossil fuels with the urgency of ending carbon emissions to stave off the worst consequences of climate change. The meetings in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo are aimed at forging a consensus on the best way forward, ahead of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May. We are facing the challenge of promoting reforms to resolve climate change ... and achieving energy security at the same time, economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told the ministers as the meetings began. Speaking on the sidelines of the meetings, U.S. Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said the G-7 was powerfully positioned to be able to lead in the effort to stem global warming. We appreciate Japan's leadership and its stewardship of G-7 this year. But differences persist over how, and how quickly, to end carbon emissions, especially at a time when the war in Ukraine has deepened concerns over energy security, complicating that effort. The talks in Sapporo will also focus on biodiversity loss and other global challenges. But climate change tops the agenda of the closed door meetings. At the G-7 summit last year in Germany, the countries set a common goal of achieving a fully or predominantly decarbonized electricity supply by 2035. U.S. officials voiced support for Japan's strategy centering on so-called clean coal, hydrogen and nuclear energy to bridge the transition to renewable energy. Others are pushing for a faster transition to renewable energy. The head of the United Nations recently called for an end to new fossil fuel exploration and for rich countries to quit coal, oil and gas by 2040. While emissions among the G-7 nations, especially in Europe, have begun falling, they are still rising globally, especially in big, increasingly affluent economies like India and China. The G-7 nations hope to lead by example, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in an interview Friday with The Associated Press. We expect that those countries see that this can be done and the nations that have the wherewithal to make these investments to be first out give hope to others to be able to do it as the technology lowers the cost, she said. The U.S. government's approval of fossil fuel initiatives such as the Willow project on Alaskas petroleum-rich North Slope have drawn criticism for their environmental impact and for running counter to President Joe Bidens pledges to cut carbon emissions and move to clean energy. There's a strong business case for climate-friendly policies, Granholm said, given the estimated $23 trillion global market in clean energy by 2030. People see people getting jobs in this area. People who start to drive electric vehicles who dont need to pay gasoline prices know that its much cheaper to drive EVs. Its all becoming obvious to people," she said while touring the Suiso Frontier, the world's first and only liquid hydrogen carrier, a showcase of the latest technology for what Japan's leaders call a hydrogen society. While Japanese farm fields increasingly are sown with solar panels rather than crops and its gusty coastlines are studded with wind turbines, the country still expects for about 60% of its energy to come from fossil fuels in 2030, with renewables accounting for up to 38%. New fuels and nuclear power would account for the rest. Meanwhile, Japan is scrambling to protect communities from extreme weather and other impacts from global warming. Sweltering summers, torrential downpours that trigger flooding and landslides, and violent storms have become the norm. In Sapporo, Japan is seeking an endorsement of its so-called GX transformation plan, which its leaders say is designed to foster energy sufficiency and phase out carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Legislation yet to be enacted would entail issuing 20 trillion yen ($150 billion) in bonds to help attract 150 trillion yen ($1.1 trillion) in combined public-private investment in decarbonization. The law also calls for a carbon-pricing system to make businesses pay for their carbon emissions. Environmental activists say the plan will keep the country's dwindling nuclear industry on life support while undermining the transition to renewable energy sources. As the world tries to overcome two crises of climate and energy, especially in Japan, we need to drastically increase renewables, said Takejiro Sueyoshi, co-representative of the Japan Climate Initiative, a non-government organization of 768 member companies and organizations. Discussions in Japan have gone backward as if we were in the 20th century. We must smash a wedge into the debate to push it forward rather than backwards, he said. The JCI urged the officials meeting in Sapporo to push for more ambitious targets, noting that Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy already get more of their electricity from renewable sources than Japans 2030 target and that despite its own faltering progress toward phasing out fossil fuels, the United States will get most of its electricity from renewable energy by 2035. There's no time left. The window for change is closing, but there is still hope. We need to use the sense of crisis as a turning point, Sueyoshi said. The G-7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. ___ AP writer Yamaguchi contributed from Tokyo. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Kenya's first earth observation satellite was launched into space Saturday after two aborted attempts earlier in the week. The African country's Taifa-1 was among the satellites on SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The rocket's launch had to be scrubbed twice previously due to bad weather. Kenyas satellite will fly over the country every four days and gather data for agriculture, land and environment monitoring, according to the Kenya Space Agency. Data from the satellite is expected in the coming months, and the agency has set up a team of analysts. It said says the information will be distributed free to government agencies and to private companies for a reasonable fee. The satellite was developed and designed by Kenyans but manufactured at Endurosat in Bulgaria at a total cost of 50 million Kenyan shillings ($371,000). Kenyans were eager to watch the Falcon 9's launch online. Some described having the Taifa-1 enter orbit as a moment of national pride. The country launched an experimental nanosatellite that lifted from the International Space Station in 2018. As of the end of 2022, 14 African countries had launched a total of 52 satellites, according to consulting firm Space Hubs Africa. THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) Four migrants and a suspected trafficker, all from Syria, died Saturday and six were others injured when their car collided head-on with another as it sped the wrong way on a major highway in Greece near the Turkish border, police said. The driver of the other car, a 46-year-old Greek man, also died in the collision, police said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SANAA, Yemen (AP) Hundreds of detainees from Yemens conflict were released Saturday as part of a major prisoner exchange that began a day earlier, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The deal, brokered by the United Nations last month, has been the most significant exchange of prisoners in Years. It comes amid concerted efforts diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the long-running war in Yemen. It involves the release of more than 800 prisoners from all sides of the war that began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Yemens capital, Sanaa, overthrowing the internationally recognized government. The government fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later, and the conflict turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the United States long involved on the periphery, providing intelligence assistance to the kingdom. However, international criticism over Saudi airstrikes killing civilians saw the U.S. pull back its support. The implementation of the three-day prisoner exchange started Friday with the release of 318 former detainees from all sides, including Maj. Gen. Mahmoud al-Subaihi, who was the defense minister when the war erupted, and Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The ICRC said all parties released a total of 357 war detainees on Saturday. Houthi prisoners were transported from Saudi Arabia and other government-held cities in Yemen to the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa, it said. Among those released were some two dozen Saudi and Sudanese troops from the Saudi-led coalition. The rebels also released relatives of late strongman leader of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh, according to the deal. Saleh had fought with the Houthis in the early years of the war, before changing sides, prompting the rebels to kill him in December 2017. Tariq Saleh, a nephew of the late president, is now leader of a powerful force in Yemens western coast area. The prisoner exchange came as the Houthis and Saudi Arabia on Friday wrapped up an intensive round of negotiations in Sanaa to revive an expired cease-fire and embark on talks to settle the conflict, according to the Houthis. Both sides would meet again for further talks, the rebels said. The Saudi-Houthi negotiations, brokered by Oman, have gained momentum following a deal last month between Saudi Arabi and Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran is the Houthis main foreign backer. The conflict in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Police in coastal Kenya found 15 emaciated parishioners on the property of a church pastor, and four of the people died after the group was rescued and taken to a hospital, authorities said. Police officials said investigators received a tip that dozens of people were starving to death after their pastor told them it was a way to meet Jesus. Most of the followers could not walk or talk when officers found them. Diplomats meeting in Saudi Arabia agreed Saturday that the Arab world must play a leading role in efforts to broker a solution to Syria's war, following talks aimed at easing Damascus's isolation. Diplomats meeting in Saudi Arabia agreed Saturday that the Arab world must play a leading role in efforts to broker a solution to Syria's war, following talks aimed at easing Damascus's isolation. Top diplomats from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- plus Egypt, Iraq and Jordan met in Saudi Arabia at the kingdom's request. They stressed the "importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis", according to a statement released by the Saudi foreign ministry early Saturday. They also discussed "the necessary mechanisms for this role" and agreed to intensify "consultations among Arab countries to ensure the success of these efforts". Backed by Iran and Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been shunned by many Middle Eastern countries and is a Western pariah over the war -- which has killed more than half a million people and forced about half of Syria's pre-war population from their homes. Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 over brutal crackdown of pro-democracy protests. But on Wednesday, in the latest sign of an easing in tensions with Damascus, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Jeddah, the first such visit since the war began. Mekdad and his Saudi counterpart discussed "the necessary steps" to end Damascus's isolation, according to a Saudi statement on Wednesday. And following the latest foreign minister meeting, top Arab diplomats "agreed on the importance of resolving the humanitarian crisis" in Syria and securing conditions that would allow for refugee returns, the Saudi foreign ministry said Saturday. Late Thursday, the prime minister of Qatar -- an opponent of Assad's government -- poured cold water on talk of Syria's possible return to the Arab League. "There is nothing proposed, it is all speculation," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said in a television interview. The Jeddah meeting is one of a flurry of initiatives following Saudi Arabia and Iran's landmark, Chinese-brokered announcement on March 10 that they would resume ties, seven years after an acrimonious split. On Friday, an exchange of nearly 900 prisoners from Yemen's civil war between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition got under way when flights carrying captives travelled between rebel- and government-controlled areas. The Saudi ambassador to Yemen this week held talks with Houthi forces aimed at ending the devastating civil war that has raged since the Saudi-led military intervention started in 2015. Overcome Gulf differences And late on Wednesday, gas-rich Qatar and its Gulf neighbour Bahrain agreed to re-establish relations, putting aside a long-running diplomatic feud. Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, and Shia theocracy Iran have long been vying for influence around the region, with Yemen and previously Syria among their proxy conflicts. But analysts say Saudi Arabia is now trying to calm the region to allow it to focus on ambitious domestic projects aimed at diversifying its energy-dependent economy. Although the Arab League takes decisions by consensus, unanimous agreement is unlikely, said a Riyadh-based diplomat who declined to be identified. "The meeting aims to overcome the Gulf differences over Syria as much as possible," the diplomat told AFP, singling out Qatar. "The Saudis are trying at least to ensure that Qatar does not object to Syria's return to the Arab League if the issue is put to any vote," the diplomat added. Search Keywords: Short link: Tease those bangs and press play on your favorite Michael J. Fox flick. This 1980s architecture is guaranteed to take you back to the future. Architect Ralph A. Anderson, who also worked on the Houston Astrodome stadium, debuted this 3,294-square-foot contemporary dwelling in Houstons Mid West neighborhood in 1988. The eye-catching home was recently listed for $465,000 and is pending sale. We had offers within 12 hours of listing, says Mark Fontenot, of Martha Turner Sothebys International RealtyCentral Houston Brokerage. I was surprised. I knew it was [either going to be] so popular, or it would sit on the market for six months, because it was unique and different. 'Sleek, contemporary' design That unique and different quality turned out to be the one-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhouse's selling point. Fontenot says buyers were drawn to the home's sleek, contemporary design." The steel-framed, brick home has had just two owners. Within the last few years, the house was gifted to Houston Christian University by the estate of the family who commissioned the design from the architect. 'Last project' This property was his last architectural project before he retired, says Fontenot of Anderson. He retired and passed away a few years later. The home's open floor plan spans three levels connected by a floating staircase that ascends from the entry, near a half-moon courtyard. In the sunken living room, a 21-foot ceiling coaxes in natural light. Entry Realtor.com Staircase Realtor.com Living room Realtor.com Kitchen Realtor.com One of the bedrooms Realtor.com One of the baths Realtor.com Office Realtor.com Third floor Realtor.com 'Still pretty much 1988' Its in excellent condition," Fontenot says. "Its in original condition. They havent changed a thing. Its still pretty much 1988. Some of the original features include a curved, glass-block wall in the entry and a brick surround fireplace. The kitchens yellow, silestone countertops and backsplash were imported from Spain. An elevator to the second floor could easily be expanded to the third floor, Fontenot notes. The home also has a two-car garage and is just steps from the community pool. The design itself is very different from the rest of the community," Fontenot says. The interior is a standout because of its size, compared to the surrounding smaller homes, which are "closer to 2,500 square feet," he adds. And perhaps unsurprisingly, this '80s time machine appears to have charmed its next owner According to the buyers agent, [they] dont plan to change anything with the house, Fontenot says. The post Back to the Future: 1988 Houston Mansion Attracts Multiple Offers in a Flash appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. In this weeks roundup, the Japanese low-cost airline Zipair plans to introduce San Francisco International-Tokyo Narita flights in early June; a French carrier adds more SFO-Paris flights this summer; JetBlue announces a third European destination; and international route news comes from British Airways, Delta, United, Turkish Airlines and Egyptair. In addition, low-cost Breeze Airways drops a key transcontinental route; Delta ends service to two small cities; Spirit adds Charleston, South Carolina, to its network; United cuts thousands of departures from its Newark hub this summer due to an air traffic controller shortage; Frontier allows earlier flight bookings for its all-you-can-fly passes; Spirit entices frequent flyers with elite-level status matches in its loyalty program; the FBI warns travelers about charging their electronic devices at airports; and the Transportation Security Administration plans to deploy hundreds of new high-tech scanners at airport checkpoints. The Japanese low-cost carrier Zipair said earlier this year that it planned to begin SFO-Tokyo Narita flights, but it didnt release a start date or schedule. Now it has: The company said San Francisco-Tokyo service is set to begin June 2, and tickets are already on sale. ZipAir set an initial schedule of five flights a week, using a Boeing 787-8. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has decided to relax its entry restrictions related to COVID-19 for foreign visitors effective May 2, according to the Kyodo News. This means it will drop the current requirement that international arrivals show proof of three COVID-19 vaccinations or a negative result on a test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. The changes come as Japan downgrades the status of COVID-19 to a common disease, Kyodo News said. Zipair said one-way standard economy fares on the new SFO-Tokyo route will begin at $325 for passengers age 7 and up, and seats that recline fully flat will start at $885. (Fares fluctuate, so those prices may not be available on all departures. Some media outlets have posted that Zipair is offering SFO-Tokyo flights for $91; this is technically true, but the $91 fare applies only to children age 6 and under.) The new service will offer SFO departures at 5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and the schedule is valid through Oct. 27. The SFO-Tokyo market is also served by United, Japan Airlines (Zipairs parent company) and All Nippon Airways (a partner in Uniteds Star Alliance). Zipair already operates the only nonstop service from San Jose Mineta to Tokyo and also flies from Los Angeles International to Tokyo. EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images More service to Paris is also coming to San Francisco International this summer. According to AeroRoutes, the Paris-based carrier French Bee has filed to double its SFO-Paris Orly flights from three a week to six, effective June 3 through Sept. 30. The company will use an Airbus A350-900 XWB on the route. JetBlue has revealed plans to add a third European destination: Amsterdam. The airline didnt give a starting date or schedule, saying only that flights would begin from New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport late this summer and that service from Boston to Amsterdam would follow. JetBlue already flies from New York and Boston to both London Heathrow and London Gatwick and is due to launch JFK-Paris Charles de Gaulle flights June 29. The new JFK-AMS service will use the same kind of aircraft that JetBlue deploys on its other European routes: a single-aisle Airbus A321LR (long range) with 24 Mint Suite lie-flat seats and 114 core seats (i.e., standard economy). JetBlue was wary of the new route after Amsterdam Schiphol announced it would set a cap on the number of flights allowed at the airport, but a Dutch court ruled this month that the government hadnt followed the law when it set that limit, thus giving JetBlue confidence there is room for it to enter the market, the company said. JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes called the New York-Amsterdam market long overdue for some competition since it's dominated by the major U.S. airlines and their global alliance partners (especially Delta/Air France-KLM), which, he said, have locked customers in with very expensive fares and mediocre service. STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images In other international route news, a continuing surge in demand for transatlantic travel has led British Airways to bring the super-jumbo Airbus A380 back to its Los Angeles-London Heathrow route later this year. The big jet is due to start flying from LAX on Oct. 29, replacing a 777-300ER on its 9:50 p.m. departure (BA268), thereby increasing the passenger capacity on that flight from 254 to 469. This week, Delta restarted JFK-London Gatwick service, operating daily 767-300 flights. The JFK-Gatwick route is also served by British Airways, JetBlue and Norse Atlantic. United Airlines, which says it's also seeing heavy demand for travel to Europe, will extend three seasonal transatlantic routes until Dec. 13 instead of ending them in October as previously planned. The three routes are from Washington Dulles to Lisbon, Barcelona and Rome. In mid-July, Turkish Airlines will add a fourth daily departure to its JFK-Istanbul schedule; the carrier also has a daily Newark Liberty International-Istanbul flight. Egyptair, which already has a daily flight from JFK to Cairo, now plans to add service from Newark, with a 787-9 departure three times a week beginning June 3. Delta resumed service to Cuba this week after a pandemic-related suspension, operating two daily flights from Miami to Havana. In domestic route news, Simple Flying reports that low-cost Breeze Airways has decided to end its six-month-old service from Los Angeles International to New Yorks Westchester County Airport in suburban White Plains, just north of New York City. The route is set to end after April 30. The airline cited the airports capacity controls and limited slot times for the decision to drop its only nonstop transcontinental route. Last year, Breeze had planned to begin San Francisco-Westchester nonstops with its A220s, but those plans never materialized. Delta Air Lines is dropping two more small cities from its route map. The Points Guy said Delta will end service June 5 to La Crosse, Wisconsin (which it serves once a day from its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub), and to State College, Pennsylvania (which currently has twice-daily flights from New York LaGuardia). Low-cost Spirit Airlines this week added Charleston, South Carolina, to its network, beginning daily service from Newark, Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale; on Sept. 7, Spirit plans to add five weekly flights between Charleston and Las Vegas. DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images United will eliminate more than 4,400 flights from July through September at its big Newark hub. Last week, we reported that JetBlue and American would reduce their schedules in the northeast this summer at the request of the Federal Aviation Administration, which is suffering from a shortage of air traffic controllers in the region. Now, United is doing the same. Instead of eliminating service on any routes, United will reduce the number of flight frequencies previously planned, mostly by just a few flights per week. The biggest cut will be on its Newark-Washington Reagan National route, which goes from 126 flights a week to 63. A few routes will see an increase in service, including Newark-Orange County, which gets a bump from 18 flights a week to 21. (See the complete list of Uniteds Newark schedule changes.) Frontier Airlines has moved up the start date for booking flights and travel on its GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly passes. The original date was May 2, but Frontier said this week that pass holders can use their passes from now through April 19 to book flights for travel through May 24 and during that period, its waiving the rule that pass flights can only be booked the day before departure (or no more than 10 days prior for international flights). The airlines GoWild! 2023 Summer Pass is on sale for $699 for a limited time, Frontier said. The price of its annual pass is $1,999. Ethan Miller/Getty Images Low-cost Spirit Airlines is offering a one-year membership in the elite levels of its Free Spirit loyalty program to individuals who hold similar status in the loyalty programs of 16 other airlines and 16 hotel chains. Those who apply through Spirit.StatusMatch.com and pay a fee of $49 can get Spirits Silver status, which provides faster access to security lanes and boarding, free seat selection at check-in, and fee waivers for overweight bags and award flight redemptions. A $99 fee gets you Gold status, which includes all the Silver benefits, plus a free checked bag, carry-on bag, and drink and snack on board; free seat selection at purchase; and waived fees for changing flights. The Silver and Gold elite levels also let members earn bonus points in the Free Spirit program based on their spending. Anyone planning to take electronic devices on their next trip (and who isnt?) should pay attention to a warning Tweeted by the FBI last week. Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers, the agency said. Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead. DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images The Transportation Security Administration is doubling down on its commitment to the new computed tomography (CT) scanners that examine carry-on bags at its airport checkpoints. The agency said this week it has placed orders for just over 1,200 scanners of various sizes. The machines will be installed in airports around the country beginning this summer, at a total cost of $1.3 billion if all units are purchased. TSA said it already has 634 of these units in operation at airports. The CT scanners are a technological step up from earlier machines. CT scanners apply sophisticated algorithms and create 3-D rotatable images to help operators detect explosives and prohibited items, the agency said. TSA officers can then view and rotate the image on three axes to analyze and identify any threat items that may be in a passengers carry-on baggage. WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 15, 2023 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albany NY 508 PM EDT Sat Apr 15 2023 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Schoharie County through 545 PM EDT... At 508 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over North Blenheim, or 14 miles south of Cobleskill, moving northwest at 25 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and pea 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... Jefferson, Summit, North Blenheim, West Jefferson, Beards Hollow, South Gilboa, South Jefferson, Baird Corners, Vorman Corners, Lutheranville, Ruth, East Jefferson, Five Corners, Arabia, Welch Corners, West Conesville, Mackey, Eminence, Owlsville and Charlotteville. 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. LAT...LON 4262 7463 4267 7464 4247 7436 4236 7442 4236 7444 4242 7462 4251 7471 TIME...MOT...LOC 2108Z 122DEG 20KT 4247 7445 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of east central Otsego County through 545 PM EDT... At 509 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Worcester, or 10 miles southeast of Cooperstown, moving west at 10 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and penny size hail. Worcester, Maryland, Westville, Westford, Milford, Schenevus, Cooperstown Junction, Elk Creek, Index and Toddsville. This includes the following highway exits... Interstate 88 between 18 and 19. Heavy rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to LAT...LON 4266 7472 4258 7467 4249 7495 4269 7499 TIME...MOT...LOC 2109Z 088DEG 7KT 4261 7476 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Ulster, northwestern Dutchess, southwestern Columbia and southeastern Greene Counties through 600 PM EDT... At 510 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Kingston, moving north at 5 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and half inch hail. Kingston, Saugerties, Rhinebeck, Hurley, Woodstock, Red Hook, West Hurley, Saugerties South, Port Ewen, Kenneth L Wilson Campground, Lake Katrine, Phoenicia, Mount Tremper, Rosendale, Marbletown, Veteran, Germantown, Tivoli, Centerville and Rolling Meadows. This includes Interstate 87 between exits 19 and 20. 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. This storm 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 4188 7388 4184 7411 4211 7436 4218 7385 TIME...MOT...LOC 2110Z 168DEG 6KT 4194 7402 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 15, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 140 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 513 PM CDT SAT APR 15 2023 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 140 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ANGELINA BOWIE CASS CHEROKEE HARRISON MARION NACOGDOCHES PANOLA RUSK SABINE SAN AUGUSTINE SHELBY The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southern Tyler County in southeastern Texas... Northeastern Hardin County in southeastern Texas... Central Jasper County in southeastern Texas... * Until 615 PM CDT. * At 514 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Warren, moving east at 20 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... Warren, Fred, Wildwood, Spurger, Caney Head, Village Mills, Ivanhoe and Hillister. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern De Soto Parish, southeastern Panola and northeastern Shelby Counties through 615 PM CDT... At 516 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Joaquin, or 10 miles north of Center, moving northeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch 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... Logansport, Tenaha, Joaquin, Longstreet, Stanley, James and Paxton. 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. This storm 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. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for northwestern Louisiana...and eastern and northeastern Texas. LAT...LON 3182 9418 3196 9426 3216 9388 3195 9376 TIME...MOT...LOC 2216Z 243DEG 16KT 3194 9411 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO LAKE CHARLES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 15, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... North central Jefferson County in southeastern Texas... Southeastern Hardin County in southeastern Texas... Northwestern Orange County in southeastern Texas... * Until 615 PM CDT. * At 517 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles east of Saratoga, moving east at 10 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... Beaumont, Lumberton, Silsbee, Kountze, Bevil Oaks and Lakeview. This includes Interstate 10 in Texas between mile markers 854 and 853. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of central Kenedy County through 600 PM CDT... At 517 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Kenedy County Wind Farms to near U S 77 Border Patrol Station. Movement was southeast at 10 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and nickel 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... Armstrong Ranch Airport. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 2680 9760 2697 9785 2705 9756 2696 9729 2695 9729 2689 9728 TIME...MOT...LOC 2217Z 297DEG 10KT 2700 9757 2696 9771 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO LAKE CHARLES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 15, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northeastern Hardin County in southeastern Texas... * Until 645 PM CDT. * At 548 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Kountze, moving northeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Kountze, Caney Head and Village Mills. 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 615 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN TYLER...NORTH CENTRAL HARDIN AND CENTRAL JASPER COUNTIES... At 549 PM CDT, multiple severe thunderstorms were located over Warren, moving east at 15 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. Locations impacted include... Warren, Fred, Wildwood, Spurger, Ivanhoe and Hillister. Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather WFO LAKE CHARLES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 15, 2023 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... North central Jefferson County in southeastern Texas... Southeastern Hardin County in southeastern Texas... Northwestern Orange County in southeastern Texas... South central Jasper County in southeastern Texas... * Until 700 PM CDT. * At 612 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Bevil Oaks, or near Lumberton, moving east at 10 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Beaumont, Lumberton, Silsbee, Kountze, Sour Lake, Bevil Oaks, Rose City, Pine Forest, Lakeview and Weiss Bluff. This includes Interstate 10 in Texas between mile markers 859 and 850. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Southeastern Tyler County in southeastern Texas... * At 614 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Warren, moving east at 10 mph. Warren, Fred and Hillister. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL JEFFERSON... SOUTHEASTERN HARDIN AND NORTHWESTERN ORANGE COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 615 PM CDT... The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. Please refer to the new warning. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight CDT for southeastern Texas. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of east central Bastrop and central Fayette Counties through 700 PM CDT... At 614 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Smithville, moving southeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 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... La Grange, Smithville, Muldoon, Floy, Plum, Buescher State Park, O'Quinn, West Point, Winchester and Kirtley. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. south central Texas. LAT...LON 2988 9682 2976 9712 3007 9721 3014 9707 3011 9704 3004 9702 3005 9698 TIME...MOT...LOC 2314Z 332DEG 19KT 3005 9713 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN TYLER...NORTH CENTRAL HARDIN AND CENTRAL JASPER COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED... Therefore, the warning has been allowed to expire. Please refer to the new thunderstorm warning. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern San Jacinto, western Polk and east central Walker Counties through 645 PM CDT... At 615 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Riverside, or 12 miles east of Huntsville, moving east at 15 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and pea size hail. Point Blank and Oakhurst. If on or near Lake Livingston, get out of the water and move indoors or inside a vehicle. Remember, lightning can strike out to 10 miles from the parent thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Move to safe shelter now! Do not be caught on the water in a thunderstorm. LAT...LON 3074 9542 3082 9540 3080 9512 3063 9514 TIME...MOT...LOC 2315Z 276DEG 11KT 3077 9535 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH _____ Copyright 2023 AccuWeather Egypt has lauded the start of a prisoner swap between the Yemeni government and Houthi militia under the patronage of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). A statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the move as important and a positive step towards renewing a truce and reaching a political settlement for lasting peace in Yemen. Egypt fully supports efforts to restore security and stability in Yemen and maintain its unity and territorial integrity as well as alleviate the humanitarian crises in the Arab country, the statement added. The conflict in Yemen started in 2014 when the Houthi rebels overran the capital of Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognised government from power. Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed in the violence and three million have been displaced. Two-thirds of the population receives food assistance. An initial UN-sponsored two-month truce agreed to in April 2022 by the government and the Houthis was extended twice, until 2 October. Since then, both the United States and the United Nations have blamed the Houthis for a breakdown in efforts to extend the cease-fire yet again. Search Keywords: Short link: BROOKLYN, N.Y. The son of a Bronx mobster was sentenced Friday to life in prison for orchestrating his own fathers murder in 2018 in an attempt to took over his real estate business. Anthony Zottola, 45, was handed down two life sentences from United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. Seventy-one-year-old Sylvester Sally Daz Zottola, a Bonnano family associate, was killed on Oct. 4, 2018, in a Bronx McDonalds drive-thru. The younger Zottola hired hitman Himen Ross, 36 to take out his father. Ross was also sentenced Friday to mandatory life in prison. Zottola hired co-conspirator Bushawn Shelton to kill his father and his brother, Salvatore, according to prosecutors. Among other attempts, on Nov. 26, 2017, Sylvester Zottola was menaced at gunpoint by a masked individual. On Dec. 27, 2017, three men invaded Sylvester Zottolas residence, struck him on the head with a gun, stabbed him multiple times, and slashed his throat. Zottola survived the attack. Then on July 11, 2018, a gunman shot Salvatore Zottola in the head, chest, and hand in front of his residence. Zottola survived the shooting. A tracking device on Sylvester Zottolas car allowed Ross to track him to the McDonalds restaurant where he was fatally shot. Shelton pleaded guilty in August 2022 to murder-for-hire conspiracy and murder- for-hire. He is awaiting sentencing. Over the course of more than a year, the elderly victim, Sylvester Zottola, was stalked, beaten, and stabbed, never knowing who orchestrated the attacks. It was his own son, who was so determined to control the familys lucrative real estate business, that he hired a gang of hit men to murder his father, Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Saturday Night Live will have yet another brand new episode this week, marking the third new episode in a row. On April 15, actress Ana De Armas will make her hosting debut, while Karol G will take on musical guest duties. De Armas is known for her roles in films Knives Out, Blonde and No Time to Die. SNL kicked off its 48th season on Oct. 1 with actor Miles Teller pulling hosting duties and Kendrick Lamar rocking out as musical guest. On Oct. 8, Brendan Gleeson hosted the show with musical guest Willow. Megan Thee Stallion was tabbed as host and musical guest on Oct. 15. Musician Jack Harlow also pulled double duty on Oct. 29 during the shows venerable Halloween episode. On Nov. 5, actress/comedian Amy Schumer hosted for the third time, while Steve Lacy made his musical guest debut. Comedian Dave Chappelle was welcomed back to Studio 8H for his third hosting gig on Nov. 12. He was joined by hip-hop group Black Star. On Dec. 3, actress Keke Palmer made her SNL debut alongside musical guest SZA. On Dec. 10, SNL greats Steve Martin and Martin Short hosted while Brandi Carlile returned as musical guest. Dec. 17 marked the final episode of 2022. It featured actor Austin Butler as host and Lizzo as musical guest. To audiences surprise, 11-year cast member Cecily Strong announced the episode would be her final, and that she was stepping away from the show. The first episode of 2023 featured Aubrey Plaza with musical guest Sam Smith on Jan. 21. Actor Michael B. Jordan hosted on Jan. 28 with musical guest Lil Baby. On Feb. 4, Pedro Pascal hosted with Coldplay as musical guest. Actor Woody Harrelson hosted the Feb. 25 episode with Jack White as musical guest. The first show of March featured Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, with music support from Kelsea Ballerini on March 4. Next up was Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega making her Saturday Night Live debut on March 11. She was joined by musical guest The 1975. Abbott Elementary actress Quinta Brunson made her SNL debut on April 1. Joining the Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner was rapper Lil Yachty. On April 8, SNL legend Molly Shannon returned to her old stomping grounds alongside musical guest The Jonas Brothers. If youre a cord-cutter or dont have cable, you can live stream SNL on Fubo TV or Peacock, NBCs streaming service. Both offer free trials. BTW: If you didnt know, Staten Islander Colin Jost is the longtime co-anchor of Weekend Update. Jost has been on the desk since 2014, and with the show since 2005. Fellow Staten Islander Pete Davidson left the show this past May following eight seasons. MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS SNL takes hit at Staten Island sewer rescue after Colin Jost gets pranked on April Fools Day Pete Davidsons new Peacock show Bupkis gets premiere date; see first look here Bebe Rexha announces release date for new album; Best Fn Night Of My Life tour set for this summer Firefighter-turned-Impractical Jokers star Brian Quinn continues to honor his roots by helping FDNY charity Impractical Jokers star Brian Quinn talks filming on Staten Island, celebrity guest hes still not over It was great: Staten Islander makes appearance in Trump skit on Saturday Night Live Pete Davidson involved in Beverly Hills car crash: Report Pete Davidsons Brooklyn apartment on the market at a reduced price, report says Pete Davidsons Brooklyn apartment goes back on the market, report says Country star Miranda Lambert to her former NYPD hubby Brendan McLoughlin: Ill be lovin you. Everyday. Pete Davidson removes Kim Kardashian tattoos, enjoys Hawaiian vacation with Chase Sui Wonders, reports say Pete Davidson living in $30K-per-month Brooklyn penthouse, spotted on low-key date with rumored girlfriend Chase Sui Wonders: reports This A-list movie star thinks Pete Davidson is the biggest celebrity in the world Joe Gatto says he had rough year, but is still good friends with former Impractical Jokers co-stars Miranda Lambert gives inside glimpse of life on the farm with former-NYPD hubby Brendan McLoughlin STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For the price of a candy bar, you can win $1,000 a week for life, with a guaranteed minimum $1 million payout. The New York Lottery has numerous $2 scratch-off games with top-prizes ranging from $10,000 to $1 million. Here are the $2 scratch-off games with top-prize tickets still in circulation as of Friday, April 14, according to New York Lottery data: TRIPLE WINNING 7S Top prize: $25,000 Top prizes remaining: 8 CASH X10 Top prize: $25,000 Top prizes remaining: 11 HOLIDAY LUCK Top prize: $20,000 Top prizes remaining: 3 WIN FOR LIFE Top prize: $1,000 a week for life (guaranteed $1 million minimum payout) Top prizes remaining: 4 LOOSE CHANGE TRIPLER Top prize: $30,000 Top prizes remaining: 2 CASHWORD Top prize: $10,000 Top prizes remaining: 12 FAST $100 Top prize: $10,000 Top prizes remaining: 4 CASHWORD DOUBLER Top prize: $20,000 Top prizes remaining: 20 777 MULTIPLIER Top prize: $25,000 Top prizes remaining: 1 MORE INFORMATION For more information about the New York Lotterys scratch-off games visit https://nylottery.ny.gov/scratch-off-games. The New York Lottery continues to be touted as North Americas largest and most profitable lottery, contributing $3.6 billion during fiscal year 2021-2022 to support education in New York State. New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education. It takes into account both a school districts size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of lottery school funding. New Yorkers struggling with a gambling addiction, or who know someone who is, can find help by calling the States toll-free, confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369). MORE NY LOTTERY COVERAGE NY Lottery: There are 11 top prize $10M tickets left in circulation for these scratch off games New change to NY Lottery Mega Millions ticket policy coming next month NY Lottery: How you can win $5K with a losing lottery ticket New York Lottery: These scratch-off games boast highest prizes, weekly payments for life These Staten Island stores have sold the most winning NY lottery tickets NY Lottery: 8 co-workers win $1M in Powerball, split prize FOLLOW GIAVANNI ALVES ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. EgyptAir announced Saturday a 72-hour suspension of its flights to and from Khartoum International Airport, due to the deteriorating security situation in Sudan. EgyptAir advised its customers to check their bookings for flights to and from Khartoum International Airport by contacting the airline's call center on the following numbers: 1717 (for calls within Egypt), 090070000 (for calls from landlines in Egypt), +97142306666, or +966122297777 (for international calls). Customers can also visit the airline's website or the nearest EgyptAir sales office or travel agent for more information, the statement added. Earlier today, Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Cairo is following the situation in Sudan with great concern amid the ongoing clashes, urging maximum restraint to "protect the lives and capabilities of the brotherly Sudanese people, and uphold the supreme interests of the homeland." Sustained fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in the Sudanese capital Saturday, including central Khartoum and the neighbourhood of Bahr. The RSF said they were in control of several key sites following fighting with the regular army Saturday, including the presidential palace in the capital and Khartoum airport, reported AFP. The General Command of the Armed Forces issued a press statement on Saturday, saying that rebel forces are conspiring against the state and national sovereignty, and have been engaging in acts of aggression against Sudan. In response, the armed forces have been fighting for the "right and national dignity" of the country, with soldiers shedding "precious blood" in the process. Tensions between the army and the RSF have simmered since the military take-over of the civilian government in October 2021. Search Keywords: Short link: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A proposed 100-bed facility for homeless men in Stapleton will be the subject of a Community Board 1 committee meeting on Thursday, April 20. The shelter is planned to open in the former New York Foundling building at 119 Tompkins Ave. It is one of three planned to open this year on Staten Island. The other two shelter sites at 1055 Hylan Blvd. in Grasmere, and a new structure being built in Tompkinsville at 44 Victory Blvd., which city officials now list the address as 1 Van Duzer St. are also scheduled to open during 2023. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio announced all three of the shelters during his tenure. He first announced the Tompkinsville site in early 2019, and announced the latter two shelters in March 2021. All three of the sites have faced pushback from community members and local elected officials. Those in opposition to the Stapleton location point out that the New York Foundling site is in walking distance of three neighborhood school buildings the Richard H. Hungerford School, PS 78 and Dreyfus Intermediate School (I.S. 49), which also houses the Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island. Thursdays meeting of the Clifton/Concord/Stapleton Area Committee is open to the public. It will be held at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Those interested in attending should check the boards website or its Facebook page for a link to join. There will also be a virtual meeting of Community Board 1s Mariners Harbor/Port Richmond Area Committee on Tuesday, April 18, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held via Zoom. To join the meeting, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86445462266. The meeting ID is 864 4546 2266. Community Board 2 Community Board 2 will hold a meeting of its full board on Tuesday, April 18, at 7 p.m. in the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, 1466 Manor Rd. Community Board 3 Community Board 3 has no meetings scheduled for this week. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC All Community Board meetings and meetings of their committees are open to the public. They provide an excellent opportunity for residents to learn about happenings in their neighborhoods and surrounding areas. Below is more information about the Islands three Community Boards: COMMUNITY BOARD 1 Arlington Castleton Corners Clifton Concord Elm Park Fort Wadsworth Graniteville Grymes Hill Livingston Mariners Harbor New Brighton Port Richmond Randall Manor Rosebank St. George Shore Acres Silver Lake Stapleton Sunnyside Tompkinsville West Brighton Westerleigh. The board chairman is Nicholas Siclari. The telephone number is 718-981-6900. COMMUNITY BOARD 2 Arrochar Bloomfield Bulls Head Chelsea Dongan Hills Egbertville Emerson Hill Grant City Grasmere High Rock Lighthouse Hill Midland Beach New Dorp New Springville Oakwood Ocean Breeze Old Town Richmond South Beach Todt Hill Travis. The phone number is 718-568-3581. The fax number is 718-568-3595. The chairman is Fred Guinta. The district manager is Debra A. Derrico. COMMUNITY BOARD 3 Annadale Arden Heights Bay Terrace Charleston Eltingville Great Kills Greenridge Huguenot New Dorp Oakwood Pleasant Plains Princes Bay Richmond Valley Richmond Rossville Tottenville Woodrow. The office phone number is 718-356-7900. The board chairman is Frank Morano; the district manager is Charlene Wagner. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The U.S. Coast Guard is assisting Mexican Navy officials in the search for three American sailors who have been missing since April 4, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The three sailors have been identified as Kerry OBrien, Frank OBrien and William Gross, according to a CNN report. They were considered to be experienced sailors, their families said in a joint statement, according to the report. The trio were aboard the 44-foot ship Ocean Bound when they left the Mexican city of Mazatlan en route to San Diego with a planned stop in Cabo San Lucas on April 6 for provisions and to report in before continuing on to San Diego, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The sailors never arrived in Cabo San Lucas or reported their location; they have not been heard from since April 4. The sailors families said cell phone pings were detected on April 4 off the coast of Mazatlan as calls to marinas in Cabo San Lucas. The calls are the last known contact with the Ocean Bound, according to the report. The Coast Guard issued urgent marine information broadcasts with their information to other sailors so they can keep a lookout for the missing persons and vessel. Rescue coordinators have contacted marinas throughout Baja, Mexico, but there have been no sightings of the vessel, according to the report. The sailing community has hundreds of additional vessels looking for our family members, said the families joint statement. The Coast Guard told the families it has a presumed current travel projection if the ship the sailors were on lost radio contact but attempted to continue its travels to San Diego at just North or South of Turtle Bay (Bahia Tortugas) on the Baja Peninsula, which is where it is focusing its search efforts. A long aircraft sweeps along the Baja Peninsula. The search parameters are reassessed each night to redefine the search parameters for the next day, CNN reported. Coast Guard officials urge anyone with information on the sailors or the sailing vessel to please contact the Coast Guard search and rescue coordination center at 510-437-3701. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. After years of back-and-forth in court, Queens-based Runway Towing -- which had a contract with New York City for towing services on highways throughout the five boroughs -- can no longer do business with the Big Apple, the Advance has learned. Runway Towing had the exclusive right to operate on the citys highways in a system overseen by the NYPD; the license to those exclusive towing rights is issued by city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). But after lawsuits alleging the company had been overcharging customers for years, and that the company ran an illegal racketeering enterprise, Runways towing contract with the city has been revoked. DCWP spokesman Michael Lanza told the Advance/SILive.com the appellate division denied Runways motion for re-argument, meaning they can no longer operate on behalf of the city throughout the five boroughs. Runway is not barred from applying for a license with the city in the future, but there is no guarantee a license will be granted to Runway. DCWP is committed to protecting New Yorkers from predatory businesses like Runway Towing, and were pleased that the appellate court ruled in the citys favor, Lanza said. The city rejected Runways renewal application, which the towing company fought. And the court had continued to issue a temporary operating letter allowing Runway Towing to continue working for the city while litigation was pending. DCWP has been working to sever ties with Runway Towing for years after allegations surfaced that the company had been overcharging customers. The allegations of overcharging were detailed in court documents tied to a bombshell lawsuit filed against Runway Towing Corporation in 2020. The back-and-forth in court nearly came to an end in January when an appellate court upheld the citys rational basis for denying Runway Towings permit renewal, meaning the Queens-based company would no longer be able to tow on the citys highways after Jan. 31. However, on Jan. 12, DCWP told the Advance/SILive.com that while the citys denial of Runways license renewal was upheld, the court subsequently granted Runway an application for a stay pending its ruling on their motion for re-argument. While the motion was being considered by the court, Runway Towing was told it could continue to operate ultimately getting three extensions until April 11. Runways argument that DCWP abused its discretion was rejected by the courts, and DCWP can apparently do whatever it wants without ever affording a licensee an evidentiary hearing, said Runways lawyer Errol Margolin. This is a fundamental due process violation as the DCWP simply issued a subpoena and then adjudicated the facts in secret. Runway lost its license, its livelihood, over whats essentially parking violations. This is shocking and unfair; Runway did not deserve this fate. Now, the city is free to persecute someone else, Margolin said. LAWSUITS ALLEGE OVERCHARGING The 2022 class-action lawsuit -- which, in addition to Runway Towing, names NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner (DCWP) Vilda Vera Mayuga, the NYPD, and DCWP as defendants -- was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court. That lawsuit is ongoing. And a class-action lawsuit filed against only Runway Towing in 2020 is also still pending. The Advance/SILive.com reported on Runways alleged overcharging and license rejection in 2021. Documents obtained by the Advance/SILive.com show dozens of drivers were charged by Runway more than permitted for distance towed, charged credit card fees, storage fees and other excess fees The documents shown to the Advance/SILive.com indicate charges higher than whats allowed by the citys administrative code, all of which are outlined in the lawsuit. The racketeering enterprises operated by defendant Runway Towing resulted in defendant Runway Towing failing to pay its employees legal wages, and knowing that Runway overcharged consumers with illegal tow rates, credit card charges, pull out fees, storage fees and administrative charges totaling millions of dollars, and defendant New York City Police Department and Defendant New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection permit defendant Runway to provide exclusive towing services on seven arterial highways in New York City, the 2022 lawsuit states. JUDGE PREVIOUSLY ANNULS CITYS DECISION TO DENY LICENSE; CITY APPEALS DECISION The city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) denied Runways 2020 tow truck company license renewal application, according to documents provided to the Advance/SILive.com. DCWPs denial alleged that Runway violated numerous laws and rules governing tow truck companies based on documents provided by Runway in response to a subpoena issued by DCWP However, the NYPD confirmed Runway was still towing as part of the departments New York City Arterial Highway Program. DCWP states it gave Runway more than one opportunity to provide documents after it was subpoenaed, but Runway did not provide all documents requested within the given timeframe, in addition to multiple extensions to produce needed documents. Runway was issued a temporary operating letter that allowed the company to continue towing even though its license was denied while Runway appealed the agencys decision. MORE FROM KRISTIN F. DALTON: Towing company accused of overcharging customers on Staten Island gets another extension to continue operating South Shore mobile outreach center for those struggling with drug addiction gets funding boost New NYC camera program targeting loud cars has been issuing $800 summonses Enhanced STAR property tax exemption deadline approaching: heres who qualifies, how to apply How much is the average tax return in 2023? Nearly 8 million refunds issued so far Joseph Pfeifer named First Deputy Commissioner, second highest civilian rank in FDNY NY Lottery: 8 co-workers win $1M in Powerball, split prize What U.S. state charges the most sales tax on weed? Heres a breakdown of all 21 states FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER. San Mateo, CA (94402) Today Clear to partly cloudy. Low 46F. SW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 46F. SW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! The national privacy watchdog has launched an investigation into American Express after receiving a complaint about data breaches and technology systems that raise potential national security risks for parliamentarians with accounts. The Age and Sydney Morning Herald revealed in November that an American Express employee used god mode powers to spy on his ex-partners financial transactions on nine occasions. In response, the company stated it was unable to restrict staff access to certain bank accounts. The national privacy watchdog is currently investigating American Express. Credit: istock The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) determined the company had breached privacy laws and awarded the complainant $2000 in damages, but did not order an apology and cleared the company of wrongdoing. The matter has now been escalated to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), which agreed to investigate after receiving a complaint outlining concerns about American Express on March 23, according to documents seen by The Sunday Age and Herald. If you dont know who Dr Glaucomflecken is, youre probably going to be confused as to why 900 people attended a talk by the American eye doctor in Adelaide earlier this month. If you do know who he is, you might be wondering why the crowd wasnt at least twice the size. Dr Glaucomflecken is the pseudonym of Dr Will Flanary, an ophthalmologist who works in Portland, Oregon. In between performing surgery and seeing patients, however, he makes videos. Lots of videos. Dr Will Flanary speaks at an event by the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases in Adelaide in April 2023. Credit: Andrew Beveridge In them, Flanary takes the world of medicine and applies a comedic warped lens, poking fun at himself and at the tropes of other specialties, while also laying bare the realities of working in medicine. He plays almost every role himself, with the occasional cameo from his wife, Kristin. Shes a huge supporter of me, spending weekends and nights wearing these funny costumes and doing these strange things and recording around the house, says Flanary. Im very lucky. Minister of Emigration and Expatriates Affairs Soha Gendy said on Saturday evening that her ministry is closely monitoring the situation in Sudan to ensure the safety of thousands of Egyptians living and studying in the country. Minister Gendy explained that 5,000 Egyptians are studying in Sudan and most of them are in the capital Khartoum. The total number of Egyptians in the country is around 10,000, she explained. The emigration ministry is maintaining round-the-clock communication with students and the leaders of the Egyptian community in the country, Gendy stressed. The ministry is also coordinating with the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum and all relevant authorities in Sudan to ensure the safety of all Egyptians in the country, she added. Gendy has called an emergency meeting of the National Committee for Monitoring the Affairs of Students Abroad to determine the status of Egyptian students in Sudan and prepare a report for a comprehensive plan for their evacuation. The minister urged the Egyptian community in Sudan to comply with the safety instructions issued earlier today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also by the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum amid fierce clashes in the capital and elsewhere in the country. All Egyptians in Sudan can call the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum at: (00249183) 777646 - 766183 Search Keywords: Short link: Advertisement Eating outBakeries Croissant wheels, moons and more: Welcome to the post-cronut world Emma Breheny April 16, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share The pastry cabinets at a new wave of bakeries display croissants that look more like intergalactic objects than traditional French pastries, as bakers strive to set themselves apart in a competitive market. Wheels dripping with pastel-coloured icing, two-tone striped croissants, rectangular Portuguese tarts and chunky crescents are some of the shapes spotted in Sydney and Melbourne as each city enters the post-cronut phase of baked goods. Crescents and wheels are among the unusual pastries baking at Drom Bakery in Bayswater, Melbourne. Eddie Jim The ability to eat with your eyes on Instagram and TikTok undoubtedly plays a role in experimentation. But bakers such as Yeongjin Park of Tenacious Croissant in Darlinghurst, Sydney, also bring their own cultural perspective and influences to the French craft known as viennoiserie. Park studied pastry and bread making in Korea before moving to Australia and teaching himself to make croissants. Now he creates pastries loaded with ingredients including black garlic, charred corn, octopus and bonito flakes, inspired by his upbringing and travels, plus art and architecture. The Portuguese tart at Tenacious Croissant is rectangular, not round. Supplied Advertisement Fortunately, I did not learn how to make traditional croissants from anyone, so I think I can think more flexibly and come up with various ideas, says Park. His bestseller is a rectangular pastel de nata (Portuguese tart) that dials down the sweetness, adds miso caramel and is scaled up in size. In Melbournes south, Drom Bakery debuted a month or so ago with three head-turning pastries that are inspired by the bakerys name (Swedish for dream) and the fact its bakers wake up while the moon is still in the sky. Drom Bakery owners (from left): Vinnie Kodladi, George Dardamanis, Mary Kodladi and Coners Buada. Eddie Jim Queues snake out the door for the slender chocolate-hazelnut crescent and two half-moon pastries that stand on end, sporting raspberry or caramel drips of icing. Demand is so great, theyve had to adjust their production from a planned 2500 pastries each week to 10,000. Advertisement Frenchwoman Agathe Kerr admits that her Earl Grey or coffee croissants at Melbournes Agathe Patisserie would be a little too bold in her home country, where she trained. But moving to Australia exposed her to flavours shed never had before, such as pandan and matcha, sparking a creative chapter in her viennoiserie. Agathe Patisserie uses ingredients such as matcha, pandan, coffee and raspberry in its croissants. Bonnie Savage Named after Boulangerie Viennoise which an Austrian entrepreneur opened in Paris in the late 1830s to sell crescent-shaped bread rolls popular in Austria viennoiserie today refers mostly to baked goods made with laminated dough. Similar to puff pastry, it includes escargots and croissants, as well as enriched breads like brioche. Cronuts and cruffins were added to the viennoiserie canon in the mid-2000s, as mash-ups of croissant dough with doughnuts and muffins. The current generation is even more maverick. Drom Bakery had moulds specially made for its semicircle and crescent croissants. At Tuga Pastries in Sydney, a mostly Portuguese bakery, moulds are also essential. Advertisement Michelle Minichiello of Tuga Pastries with a caramelised banana and pecan tugatelli. Janie Barrett Its tugatelle a portmanteau of Tuga and the rippled Italian pastry sfogliatelle is nearly as tall as an index finger at its peak, filled with the likes of chocolate ganache or mascarpone, and topped with fruit or marshmallow. Making them is a lengthy process that requires a steady hand to cut many strips of dough to create the grooves on top, reflected in the $14 price tag. The tugatelle is a finicky one, but we love it. When you eat it, its really crunchy, says owner Diogo Ferreira. Producing laminated dough items is already time-consuming and physically demanding. There are several phases of rolling and folding to embed blocks of butter into the dough, with long stretches of chilling to stop the butter seeping. Advertisement Agathe Kerr at her petite CBD shop, Agathe Patisserie. Bonnie Savage Creating dough of different colours, says Kerr, adds another layer of complexity to croissants, whether its her raspberry-striped croissant or a coffee variation. The difficulty is when you add something like that, it will have an impact on the yeast. It doesnt always rise the same, so we have to watch them more. Whats the pay-off for all those extra hours in the kitchen? If youre a pastry chef, its pleasant to challenge yourself and find new flavours. They dont always work out but when they do and people like them, its so rewarding. Agathe Kerr Advertisement Tuga and Drom are currently developing new flavours and maverick shapes. Youve got so many ideas, you cant put them all out at the same time. Its a very slow process, says Ferreira. As the number of bakeries continues to grow in each city, its also likely newcomers will feel the need to carve out their own niche. Classic viennoiserie shapes and how to pronounce them Viennoiserie vien-wah-zaree Advertisement A new pastry at Tuga is the pain de suisse, filled with chocolate and creme patissiere. Supplied A group of baked goods made with laminated dough, and the craft of making them. Croissant kwah-son The original viennoiserie item, based on crescent-shaped breads found across Europe. Pain au chocolat pan-o-shoko-la Advertisement The classic shape is a rolled rectangle of pastry around two chocolate batons. A chocolate croissant is a croissant shape with chocolate spread in the centre. Pain aux raisins pan-o-ray-san Unlike pain au chocolat, this is a spiralised pastry dotted with raisins and glazed. Sometimes called an escargot, after the shape of a snails shell. Kouign-amann quin-ya-man Derived from the Breton words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann), the other key ingredient in this round pastry is sugar, which is sprinkled over butter and around the outside of the tin to create caramelised layers. Advertisement Torsade tohr-sad Named for the French word for twist, these are often scattered with chocolate or other sweet ingredients, but Australian bakeries have used the shape to update the Vegemite-cheese scroll. Brioche bree-osh Roll the r when you pronounce this one, which isnt as flaky as the laminated pastries above but just as buttery. It can be filled with fruit or chocolate, and shaped into braids, fluted rounds, rolls or loaves. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up When Elsa started to miscarry at 12 weeks in Queensland in 2019, she attended an emergency department. She waited for several hours, watching people with minor injuries being sent through for care. She was then told it would be another three to four hours before someone would be able to see her, so she left. No one tried to give her any information or communicate with her. She miscarried her daughter Lucy at home in the shower that evening. In a panic, totally unsure what to do, she put her daughter in a container and put the container in the freezer. She contacted a private specialist the next day and was told to come in immediately. He examined her and found that the placenta was lodged in her cervix. Had Elsa not pursued medical care, this would have led to serious complications. Loading So while we can see the need for a wholesale shift in the way emergency department staff care for and treat patients experiencing miscarriage, if theyre going to be referring those patients to EPAS clinics, work must be done there too. Clinic staff need to be provided with specialist training, referral pathways for psychosocial support and specialist obstetric staff to back up the staff midwives and nurses. Some EPAS clinics in this country do have all of those things, but they are few and far between. This must be prioritised nationally as a matter of urgency. Beyond the gaps in care, there are also deficits created when the systems dont talk to each other. These systemic issues are broadly applicable across medicine but can compound emotional and physical trauma when it comes to miscarriage care. Stella was told in the 14th week of her pregnancy that her daughter Frankie had Down syndrome. The Melbourne hospitals genetic counselling service treated her with compassion and kindness. But before she could decide whether she wanted to proceed with the pregnancy or not, a scan at 16 weeks confirmed the baby had died in utero. It was then, in her distraught state, that Stella was told she would have to exit the hospital system and re-enter via the emergency department, essentially starting her hospital journey from scratch. She waited for hours in the emergency department with no communication, surrounded by pregnant women and newborns, only to be told upon admission that she would have to wait another week for a D&C to end the pregnancy. Eventually, she had the procedure, but three weeks later, at 20 weeks, she was sent a text message reminder that she was due for her 20-week scan. There were just all these ways that the system didnt link up, they really let the whole experience down, which is a real shame, she explains. Isabelle Oderberg has documented instances where women who have had miscarriages were sent reminders for check-ups as if they were still pregnant. Credit: TJ Garvie This is a common issue among people who experience early pregnancy loss. There is no flag system to notify the various health touchpoints that they are at risk of miscarriage or indeed no longer pregnant. So theyre often subjected to reminders and notifications because theres no way to extract their information. The systems dont talk to each other. When Alice found out she was pregnant with her second child, she attended her GP clinic and was referred to the local private hospital. But before she got the letter from the hospital confirming her first appointment, she started to bleed. She knew something was wrong. Her GP referred her for an ultrasound, but being too early for a definitive diagnosis, she was asked to come back in two weeks. The bleeding increased and her follow-up ultrasound confirmed a complete miscarriage. It was while she was grieving that she received a letter from the hospital to attend her first appointment for a pregnancy that no longer existed. In some hospitals overseas, medical notes of people who have experienced loss are indicated with a sticker on their file. This is particularly important for pregnancies after loss so medical professionals are aware they may be dealing with a patient who is experiencing PTSD or elevated anxiety. Im not aware of any hospitals in Australia at the time of writing who use this simple and zero-cost technique. Another systemic issue that compounds trauma for miscarriage patients is the location of the services they attend. Ive been active in online miscarriage support groups for over eight years. I hear one complaint repeatedly: when dealing with a threatened or confirmed miscarriage, the last thing you want is to be seated in a room with heavily pregnant patients. Its been described to me as a form of mental torture. According to NSW government guidelines, EPAS clinics are supposed to have a discrete waiting area, but many are located within maternity wards. Rose had a loss confirmed via ultrasound in regional NSW and was then referred to the local hospitals EPAS. They took three days to call her back. When she finally went in for her appointment, she was surrounded by pregnant women. Loading After a pregnancy loss, I had a follow-up with the lead obstetrician/ultrasonologist at the ultrasound clinic where I had almost all of my pregnancy scans. At the end of the consultation I asked the doctor (who I knew well) whether I could provide some feedback and he said, Of course. I suggested that when a patient attends for an urgent ultrasound for threatened miscarriage, they be seated in a separate area on the other side of the floor rather than in the main waiting area. Or they could even be offered to stay in the changing rooms until they were summoned for their scan. He looked at me, his face totally blank. Why? I explained that one of the most traumatic aspects of miscarriage is being seated in waiting areas next to heavily pregnant women talking about gender, names, and rubbing their bellies while you wonder to yourself, Why not me?, as your dreams of having a baby slip away. I said it was the complaint made more than any other in the numerous support groups I frequented. Huh, he said. Id never thought about it. He expressed his gratitude for the feedback and off I went. Three years later, as I was writing this book, I checked in at the clinic to see whether any changes had been made when patients attend with threatened miscarriage. Reader, they had not. We had the girls every second weekend and I remember how Tyche would often sit crying on the couch in her dads embrace come Monday morning. I always watched with a strange pang of longing. They knew each other in a way I never could. After six years, I realised that I wanted children but not with the girls father. I took my frustrations out on everyone, found fault for the sake of it. What I should have said was that I didnt belong. And when I finally returned to Australia for good, I convinced myself that Id meant nothing to the girls, because leaving them in the way that I had was too much for me to bear. I was suffering mentally and physically from such a huge rupture in my personal life and my main coping mechanism was to disassociate from what and who Id left behind. I relocated to Melbourne and took in my new independence. I convinced myself that Id meant nothing to the girls, because leaving them in the way that I had was too much for me to bear. Intrigued by internet dating, which was a novelty at the time, I filtered out men with children and went on a few blanched-asparagus dates bland and forgettable. One guy Andreas had not disclosed whether he had kids, but he sounded fun so I took a gamble. We emailed each other for a while and I admit my heart sank when he said he had a six-year-old daughter, who he acknowledged might be a game-changer for me. I could have ended it there, but Im an eternal optimist. Fifteen years later we are still together. Becoming a step-parent this time around was a far more considered and cautious experience. The context was vastly different, which made some things easier and others harder. Id been raised in Australia with English as my first language, whereas Andreas had migrated from Germany a decade earlier. When I met his daughter, Ishika, for the first time, it felt different. I knew what to say and how to be. Thankfully, she accepted my presence in her fathers life. With her Malaysian-Indian heritage, Ish also had brown skin like me. Visually, we made sense. When shopkeepers assumed I was her mum, wed share a furtive smile and choose not to correct them. Ish allowed me to mother her, and for all the years Id spent in therapy trying to fix and figure myself out, it was nurturing Ish that probably helped me the most. This is not to say it was easy. I resented Mothers Day, which felt exclusionary rather than all-encompassing. Andreas always spent time on a considered gift for his ex. Despite their issues, he was grateful that she was a very good mother to his daughter. On the contrary, there was little acknowledgment of how much time and care I was offering, both emotionally and practically. All the nights reading with Ish in bed. Or organising activities for the school holidays. And yet love like this was assumed, rather than celebrated. The one role I did not anticipate filling was the first one I got: Stepmother, writes Cath Moore. Three years later I became pregnant. I was incredibly excited, but I also lamented the fact that Andreas had already gone through the process of expecting a child. I also felt Ishs fear of rejection. I tried as much as possible to help her feel pride and ownership over her new role as big sister. I remember the day she came to the five-month ultrasound and we learned she was going to have a little brother. This is the end of the world! she said jokingly, but I knew shed been hoping for a little sister and I felt Id let her down. My contractions began on the day Ish turned 10. I willed the imminent arrival to take it slowly so they could have separate birthdays. He held off until lunchtime the following day. I will never forget the moment Ish met Felix: the look of utter amazement on her face. We all see them as full siblings with a slightly different family tree. I remember my mum came to a bring-your-grandparent-to-school day because none of Ishs biological grandparents lived in Australia. I also wanted her to show off Felix to her friends, most of whom had siblings. Throughout her teenage years, I struggled to understand what Ish needed from me. The goalposts could change overnight and suddenly Id done too much or not enough. At times Ish felt very known to me: how things would begin and end, what sat beneath her words, how I could offer comfort. I now realise that sometimes it suits Ish to talk through things with me because I have an objective distance her parents may not. Giving birth or adopting a child provides a certain legitimacy that often eludes step-parents. However, as I get older, parenting becomes less about holding on and more about letting go. Even though we are related by blood, I still find my son a wonderful mystery. Because of Felixs pale skin and straight light-brown hair, Ish will always look more like my biological child than he ever will. Sometimes I still dont feel like I have a family-membership card. They are all kin, but I only share blood with one of them. Sometimes I retreat into self-imposed exile, throw a tantrum like the spoilt only child I can be. However, at other times it is imposed upon me with careless words and divisive coalitions. Loading Though I found a stronger sense of self through raising Felix and Ish, it also reminded me of who I had lost. Tyche and Noriko were no longer an extension of their father but young independent women, and I slowly tried to repair my fractured relationship with them. Despite my fears, we were able to restore our close connection. Felix refers to Noriko and Tyche as his Belgian sisters. In fact, Felix pockets family like Pokemon cards. Who are they to me? he often asks. Hes especially enchanted by Ishs mother and closest cousin. I tend to feel a little fatalistic about bringing these disparate families together. Without one, I may not have found the other. Drivers with disabilities are fighting over parking spaces in Sydney as the number of reserved spaces fails to keep up with an increasing number of older drivers with permits. Data from Transport for NSW shows there were 417,000 mobility permit holders at the end of March compared with 389,000 five years ago, 336,000 in March 2012 and 277,000 in March 2007. The greatest increase has been in permits granted to people aged over 70: more than 267,000 drivers in this age group have a mobility sticker, compared with 195,000 a decade ago. The trend is in line with an increase in driver licenses being held by people in this age group. Serena Ovens, the CEO of the Physical Disability Council of NSW, said the increase in permit holders was making it more difficult for people living with a disability to find accessible parking. The north-west Sydney seat of Ryde has been called for the Liberal Party following a recount three weeks after the election took place. Jordan Lane will become the states newest MP, winning the seat by a handful of votes. He scored just 54 votes more than Labors Lyndal Howison, totalling 50.05 per cent of the 50,808 votes. Jordan Lane alongside former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet in March. Credit: Brook Mitchell The recount was announced on Thursday at Howisons request. NSW Electoral Commissioner John Schmidt said the recount was appropriate given the small margin of votes between the top two candidates. No errors in counting had been identified. Ryde is the last seat to be called in the election. I rubbed my hands together for warmth, turned the key to my modest London flat and opened the door to hear high-pitched screaming. I smelt fear, but that couldve been mine. How had this become my life? Stuck inside a rectangular box glue trap was a mouse pleading for its life. Wed resorted to glue traps because my local shop had sold out of the classic snap traps which kill mice instantly by breaking their necks. Theyd sold out because I had bought them all. I stopped counting after disposing of the 30th little carcass. Images of the rural mouse plagues sparked fears of a Sydney invasion. The number of rodents in the city is already estimated to be between 500 million and a billion. Credit: Dean Sewell This is a classic big-city war story, especially in densely populated metropolises with more than eight million residents such as London and New York. Indeed, The Big Apples big rat problem this week saw it appoint its first director of rodent mitigation. Kathleen Corradi has one $AU232,000-a-year job: to get rid of the citys cunning, voracious and prolific rats. I wish such a job had existed in London when I lived there and the screaming started. I hadnt considered what youre expected to do once a mouses fur sticks to a glue trap: drown it? I couldnt bring myself to do it. I locked eyes with the mouse. Its shrieks broke my heart. But then, to my surprise and horror, it contorted its body, bit off its trapped fur, spat it out and bolted back into its preferred hole; these opportunists can squeeze through holes the diameter of a pen. A Sydney council wants to make male and female public toilets gender-neutral in a bid to make them inclusive and welcoming. Inner West councillors last week voted unanimously to adopt a public toilet strategy that suggests the council take a positive decision to remove gender-based signs from public toilets. The strategy also recommends avoiding communal urinal facilities because of safety, maintenance and vandalism risks. If urinals are deemed necessary, provide single urinals with modesty screens. The Inner West Council wants to remove gender-based signage in favour of removing gender based signs in favour of signage to identify toilets and what features are within the facility, Credit: Rhett Wyman The Inner West Council Public Toilet Strategy features design guidelines to ensure facilities are welcoming, safe, accessible and inclusive. Three police officers have allegedly been assaulted by a teenage girl after what police described as a large street disturbance at a Gold Coast tram stop. About 10pm on Friday, officers were responding to reports of the alleged assault of a 39-year-old man, who had sustained multiple facial injuries along the Gold Coast Highway at Broadbeach. A 15-year-old girl was charged with three counts of seriously assaulting police. Police arrested a 15-year-old girl, but while taking her into custody, she became agitated and allegedly assaulted three officers. Two constables one female and one male and a male sergeant received face and body injuries, police said, and were taken to Pindara Private Hospital. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The discovery of the photofit came as a shock, not least because it looked nothing like the man sitting in the dock, accused of the crime. The digitally reconstructed image of the offender, based on the victims memory of a violent armed robbery at her home in Melbournes east, had been discovered midway through the trial by a junior law clerk. It would ultimately change the course of the case, prompting a jury to be dismissed, a judge to refer a detective to the states top lawyer for what he believed at the time to be an egregious and blatant act of misconduct, and an examination by internal police investigators and the corruption watchdog. The photofit completed by police in the days after the armed robbery (left) and Milad Khaia in 2015. It is now also central to a civil claim being brought by Milad Khaia, one of three men charged over the 2015 aggravated burglary, who bears little resemblance to the photofit. At the heart of the claim is the fact that this photofit was never provided to lawyers from either side, despite Victoria Polices obligation to disclose all evidence gathered during an investigation, regardless of whether it helps or hinders the prosecution case. Its not right and its not fair, says Khaia, who was found not guilty of the armed robbery in a later trial. Advertisement The robbery In the early hours of March 19, 2015, the home of the Sawan family in Malvern East was broken into by three men. Two were armed, one with a rifle and the other with a machete. Two were also wearing balaclavas, and as a scuffle broke out between the intruders and residents, a woman ripped the headwear off two of them, getting a good look at one face. The burglars fled and police were called. In June 2015, Khaia was arrested at the home he shared with his girlfriend in Pascoe Vale and charged over the violent incident, with police alleging he was the man whose balaclava had been ripped off during the crime. A balaclava left at the crime scene had the DNA of three contributors, one of which matched Khaia. Police also alleged that there had been calls between a phone belonging to Khaias then-girlfriend had his co-accused eight minutes after the robbery. However, DNA taken from the fingers of the woman who pulled off the balaclava excluded Khaia as a contributor. With Khaia on a community corrections order at the time, and a number of other serious offences on his record, he was refused bail. He spent more than a year in prison before the case went to trial. Due to issues with the prosecution case, the jury in the first trial was discharged and a second began in October 2016. A clerk assisting one of the lawyers discovered one line in a note at the very back of a large folder of material, which revealed that a photofit process had been undertaken in the days after the robbery. Advertisement It was the first time the lawyers from either side had heard of it. It had not been disclosed in the brief of evidence compiled by police. For Khaia, the discovery stunned him, particularly given how little he resembled the generated image. When they found there was a photofit thats when everything changed. It was purely an accident they stumbled across it. I was thinking, How is this fair? Detective Senior Constable Julie Doyle, a police officer with eight years experience who had taken charge of the aggravated burglary investigation, was called to give evidence before the judge. She admitted the photofit evidence hadnt been disclosed but claimed she didnt know she had to disclose it. Do you reckon if the photofit down the track had ... matched perfectly one of the men in the dock, you wouldve supplied it? she was asked by Khaias lawyer. Yes, she replied. Did you take the view that because it doesnt help the prosecution, you dont have to supply it? questioned Judge Roy Punshon. Advertisement Yes, I did, she replied. The judge said: You realise youve got a duty to disclose material that helps the defence? Yes, she said. In other words, exculpates people? he asked. Yes, your honour. The jury at the second trial was discharged an early question from the jury had raised concerns the jurors had prejudged the accused and a third trial commenced in November 2016. However, the new judge, William Stuart, discharged the jury again after he was satisfied Victoria Police had withheld exculpatory evidence. He described Doyles evidence as some of the most amazing he had ever read. Advertisement He also raised concerns about evidence given by the victim during the committal, months earlier. When the victim was asked whether her two statements were the only contribution she had made to the police investigation, she had looked at police informant Doyle. What causes you to look at her? the lawyer asked. Im just trying to think if there was anything else that I I dont want to say the wrong thing, thats all. So far as I know, yes, thats it. Judge Stuart believed this was a disingenuous answer from the witness and that Victoria Police had colluded with her to withhold exculpatory evidence. This was denied by both the victim and Doyle. In a rare and extraordinary move, he referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who then asked Victoria Police to conduct an internal investigation into Doyle. I have not in more than 38 years of involvement in the court as both barrister, and in the last almost five years as a judge of this court, come across anything like such a blatant and egregious act of misconduct by a police officer, said Stuart. This is a matter of the utmost gravity, going straight to the proper administration of justice. Advertisement Loading Cleanbill founder James Gillespie will send the report to every state and federal MP before a national cabinet meeting this month when health reform will again be on the agenda, as the Albanese government promises to overhaul the unfit Medicare system and state premiers escalate concerns about pressure on their emergency departments. People in Tasmania and the ACT have the poorest access to affordable primary care in Australia, with just 6.9 per cent and 5.5 per cent of their clinics bulk-billing, and the rest charging $47.44 and $49.11 on average in gap fees, respectively. Across NSW, the report found 49 per cent of the 2187 clinics surveyed offered bulk billing the highest rate in Australia while the average gap fee was $41.06, slightly above the national average of $40.42. The states bulk-billing statistics are bolstered by western Sydney, where all 10 electorates with the highest national bulk-billing rates are located, and in six of those the gap fees were less than $30. Blaxland had the highest bulk-billing rate, at 98.4 per cent, followed by Chifley at 97.8 per cent. Fowler was third, at 93.8 per cent, although one in five GPs was not taking new clients. One in 10 doctors clinics surveyed in NSW said their books were full. Bulk-billed doctors visits are sharply declining for several reasons: the government froze the rebate for almost a decade while the costs of running a clinic rose, and fewer medical graduates are choosing general practice as a career. The Cleanbill data, which has surveyed bulk-billing rates among individual GP clinics, shows different results to federal government data, which looks at the proportion of GP services that are bulk-billed, as well as the proportion of patients who have all their services bulk-billed, in each primary health network. That data, which Health Minister Mark Butler made available earlier this year, revealed the proportion of people who were always bulk-billed had dropped to 64.3 per cent last year from 67.5 per cent the year before. Gillespie said official health department data did not tell patients where GP services could be accessed and how available they were for new patients. By focusing on clinics, rather than services rendered, Cleanbills data complements the Commonwealth governments and offers unique insights into the state of Australian primary care that arent necessarily captured in government reporting, he said. Our listing of every GP clinic we could find across Australia represents the only comprehensive survey of GP availabilities and billing practices ever conducted ... The outcome is deeply concerning. Gillespie said his survey showed bulk-billing had also seemingly ceased to exist in the federal electorates of Mayo in South Australia, Fairfax in Queensland and Franklin in Tasmania. In these circumstances, its easy to see why hundreds of thousands of Australians per year delay or forgo care with a GP in their community because of concerns surrounding cost. These Australians almost inevitably end up in public hospitals. This should not be happening. Claydon said it had become increasingly difficult to see a bulk-billing GP in Newcastle. I hear from Novocastrians every week about how hard it is to see their doctor, and the rising out-of-pocket costs that come with a visit to the GP, she said. Loading Representatives of the portal Azexport.az under Azerbaijan's Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC) and the representatives of a Turkish company ODS Consulting Group held a meeting, Azernews reports. According to the information received from Azexport.az, the head of the portal Aykhan Gadashov made a presentation on the services provided by the portal. Later, representatives of ODS Consulting Group Teoman Engin and P?nar Seckin shared information about the services of the organization they represent. The meeting discussed directions of mutual cooperation, exchange of experience, and implementation of joint projects. It is of note that ODS Consulting Group has been operating since 2008. The company provides consulting services in areas such as manufacturing, logistics, corporate management, and international trade. The Egyptian embassy in Khartoum has urged expatriates in Sudan to exercise maximum caution by staying away from the areas of ongoing fighting and refrain from unnecessary movements until the situation stabilises. In a statement on Saturday, the embassy said that it is in communication with Egyptian citizens and students who are residing in Sudan to provide them with all necessary support. On Saturday morning, intense fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudanese capital. Earlier today, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it is following up on the status of Egyptian citizens residing in all parts Sudan amid the tense situation in the country. The foreign ministry called on all Egyptians in Sudan to appraise the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum of any dangers that they face in order to receive the necessary support. Also in the statement, the foreign ministry called on all Sudanese parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to "protect the lives and capabilities of the brotherly Sudanese people, and uphold the supreme interests of their homeland." In the afternoon hours today, EgyptAir announced a 72-hour suspension of its flights to and from Khartoum International Airport citing the deteriorating security situation in Sudan. Embassy of Egypt in Khartoum: (00249183) 777646 - 766183 Search Keywords: Short link: Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, have presented themselves as potential mediators for the war in Ukraine, declaring that negotiation is the only viable way out of the crisis. In a joint statement after their meeting in Beijing late on Friday, Xi and Lula avoided the words invasion and war and offered few specifics about how to bring Russia or Ukraine to the table more than a year after Russias invasion of its neighbour. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, inspects an honour guard with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony held outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Credit: Getty But Lula said he supported Chinas framework for ending the war in Ukraine, which does not call for Russia to withdraw its troops. He also called for Chinas territorial integrity to be respected concerning Taiwan, a similar stance to the one French President Emmanuel Macron took last weekend after his trip to China and meeting with Xi. The joint statement said that on Ukraine, Brazil positively received the Chinese proposal, which offers reflections conducive to the search for a peaceful way out of the crisis. The statement also said that the two leaders agreed that dialogue and negotiation were the only way to end the crisis and that China welcomed Brazils efforts toward peace. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called on Saturday on Sudanese sides to prioritise the language of dialogue and national consensus, and to uphold the supreme interests of the brotherly Sudanese people. This came during a phone call between President El-Sisi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss recent developments in Sudan, according to a statement released by the spokesman of the Egyptian Presidency Ahmed Fahmy, on Saturday evening. During the call, El-Sisi stressed to Guterres that Egypt is deeply concerned over the ongoing clashes in Sudan, warning of their dangerous repercussions on stability in the country. Sudan is passing through a critical historical moment, which necessitates the exercise of the utmost degree of wisdom and restraint, El-Sisi told the UN secretary-general. For his part, Guterres stressed his keenness on communicating with the Egyptian president in light of the pivotal role of Egypt in safeguarding security and stability in the region, especially in supporting the transitional phase in Sudan. The UN secretary-general said he calls on all Sudanese sides to cease all hostilities in order to restore calm and start dialogue to resolve the current crisis. Guterres warned that the escalation in fighting would have catastrophic consequences on and civilians and exasperate an already dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, according to Fahmy. Earlier in the day, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling on all sides in Sudan to exercise maximum restraint and to put an end to the armed conflict to preserve the lives of the Sudanese people and their resources. Since the early hours of Saturday morning, fierce clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have raged in the capital of Khartoum and elsewhere in the country with reports of tens killed or injured. Search Keywords: Short link: Climate focus shouldn't 'dilute' Africa development needs: World Bank official Washington, April 15 (AFP) Apr 15, 2023 The World Bank must ensure that its ambitious climate agenda does not come at the expense of the pressing development needs of its African members, a senior bank official said Friday. "We want to make sure that the development agenda is not diluted in the climate agenda," Abdoul Salam Bello, a member of the bank's executive board, said in an interview on Friday. Bello represents the interests of 23 African countries on the World Bank's executive board, including Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The World Bank estimates that developing countries will need $2.4 trillion every year for the next seven years just to address the costs of climate change, conflict, and the pandemic. - No development trade-off - Bello said his members all support the Bank's ambitious climate plans -- but they don't want to see other crucial ambitions sidelined in the fight against climate change. "The climate agenda is really something that we have been living through, where we say we need to address more resources to help address those challenges going forward," he said. But he added: "Climate is important, but we don't want to have a trade-off where we have an agenda that will be climate versus development." Alongside addressing climate change, the World Bank must continue to support the implementation of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, Bello said, which include eradicating poverty and hunger and supporting gender equality. Bello said the ongoing lack of access to cheap, abundant electricity is the most pressing issue for many of his 23 members. "You have 600 million Africans who don't have access to electricity," he said. "So how can we have economic transformation in our countries if the basic access for inclusivity is not there?" "This is a challenge, this is a key issue," he said. - Backing for Ajay Banga - Bello said that many of the 23 African countries he represents support Ajay Banga, the US candidate to lead the World Bank. As the sole nominee for the job, Banga is widely expected to replace David Malpass, who is stepping down early from the role amid criticism over his climate stance. The hope is that Banga will "help strengthen the focus of the World Bank on Africa," Bello said. "We believe that his role will be very important in helping the World Bank Group in private capital mobilization going forward," he said. Bello said the private sector will be "much more important" in the future because of the sheer scale of financing needs to meet the challenges posed by climate change. "We need to match the ambition -- the political ambition -- to address the level of challenges to match those with the resources that the institution needs," Bello said. G7 faces pressure on fossil fuels at Japan climate talks Sapporo, Japan, April 15 (AFP) Apr 15, 2023 G7 allies met Saturday for two days of "difficult" climate talks in northern Japan, facing pressure to show progress on key fossil fuel commitments in an example to other major economies including China. Campaigners have warned climate and environment ministers from the leading developed countries against backsliding on pledges to shift away from coal and natural gas at home and abroad. But a leaked third draft of a statement to be issued on Sunday at the meeting in Sapporo has relieved some experts, who had feared a more ringing endorsement of the need for overseas gas investments. "All in, given low expectations, it now seems a better outcome than many expected," said Ed King from the climate-oriented communications firm GSCC. The ministers want to show unity after a major UN climate report warned last month that 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming would be seen in about a decade. It called for "rapid and far-reaching" action to keep increases within relatively safe limits. However, as the energy crisis sparked by the Ukraine war squeezes G7 countries including Japan, Germany and the United States, divisions have arisen among the bloc. A French government source earlier described "difficult" discussions, but the country's energy transition minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher painted a brighter picture of Saturday's talks. She hailed "significant progress" in the joint statement, which she said sent "positive signals for the upcoming G20 and the upcoming COP" in Delhi and Dubai. "For the first time ever, the G7 said that we must accelerate the 'phasing out' of all unabated fossil fuels," and that there should be no more new coal-fired power plants, Pannier-Runacher told reporters. - 'Critical decade' - The latest draft statement, seen by AFP, calls on nations to take action "in this critical decade", urging a peak in global greenhouse emissions by 2025 at the latest. Experts say this language is aimed at China, the world's largest carbon emitter, which is targeting a peak in its carbon emissions by 2030. The draft also stresses the "urgency" of slashing global emissions by 60 percent by 2035 from 2019 levels, as recommended by the UN's IPCC panel of climate experts. Language on fossil fuels has been more contentious, however. Britain and France proposed new concrete targets, while other members including this year's G7 president Japan, which is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, and the United States have pushed a more conservative line. Ministers pledged at the last G7 climate ministerial in Germany to end new direct public support in 2022 for overseas fossil fuel projects that do not offset emissions. But this was watered down a month later when G7 leaders said the "exceptional circumstances" of Russia's war in Ukraine made gas investments "appropriate as a temporary response". Japan had sought language to solidify that exception, but instead the draft statement calls for "gas demand reduction" and sets multiple parameters around such investments. - Hydrogen controversy - Coal is another hotly debated topic, with different degrees of ambition put forward by Japan, the United States and Britain on global efforts to phase out fossil fuels in electricity systems. Japan had sought G7 recognition for its controversial strategy of burning hydrogen and ammonia alongside fossil fuels to reduce carbon emissions -- which climate activists say only serves to extend the lifespan of polluting plants. The draft statement simply notes that "some countries are exploring" the potential of the two fuels in the journey to net-zero emissions, adding that this should be "aligned with a 1.5C pathway". Governments around the world are also looking to the G7 talks for action on resilience funding for the developing nations most affected by climate change. Sultan Al Jaber, president of the COP28 climate talks, told AFP he had called for "available, accessible and affordable" global climate finance in Sapporo. The draft statement reaffirms the G7's commitment to an unfulfilled promise to provide developing nations with $100 billion a year to fight climate change. In the draft, the G7 vows to work with other developed nations "to fully meet the goal in 2023". Every year, in the spring and again in the fall, an enormous river of migrating birds flows over our state. The birds we see red-winged blackbirds, spring warblers, swallows, phoebes are just trifling numbers, compared to whats moving in the sky. And every year, inadvertently, we help kill some of those birds. We flood the night with artificial light. It confuses the birds who use the stars and constellations to mark their ways and they end up crashing into office buildings and houses. As many as a billion migrating birds may die this way each year in North America. And it is a simple thing to remedy. Hit the switch. Turn off the lights. Light pollution is the easiest pollution to fix, said Meredith Barges, co-chairman of Lights Out Connecticut, which is trying to get people and organizations to dim nighttime lighting. Its website is at www.lightsoutct.org The group has sponsored a bill now before the General Assembly that would require the state of Connecticut to shut off the lights at all state-owned office buildings between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. during the spring and fall migrations March 15 to May 31, and Aug. 15 to Nov. 15. The bill has passed committee muster and is now slated to go before the state House of Representatives for a vote. And while various intrigues at the state Capitol may yet ax the plan, Robert LaFrance, policy director for Audubon Connecticut, says theres a good chance it may move forward. The more time we spend talking to legislators about this, the more they get it, LaFrance said. The response has been bipartisan and in a supportive way. It may take a little time, but thats OK. Light pollution is everywhere. A UN report in 2022 for World Migratory Bird Day said that worldwide, 80 percent of the population lives with a lit night sky. In Europe and North America, its close to 99 percent Most birds especially neotropical songbirds like warblers, thrushes, vireos and tanagers migrate at night. There are fewer predators then and the air is cooler. During the day, they rest and feed, then move on. But fill the night with bright lights, and the birds can get disoriented. They fly toward the lights and into buildings. Craig Repasz, co-chairman of Lights Out Connecticut with Barges, said this confusion can continue into the daylight. They fly in circles and fly into windows, he said. Repasz has served as conservation chairman of the Connecticut Ornithological Association the state organization dedicated to birds and birding and as president of the New Haven Bird Club. In 2022, he spoke to Barges a third year student at the Yale Divinity School and a researcher with the Yale Bird-Friendly Building Initiative and realized there was no state-wide effort to make Connecticuts skies at least a little darker. The ornithological associations agreed to sponsor Lights Out Connecticut. There are cities, and individual buildings in the region that have signed on including The Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center in New York City but Lights Out Connecticut is the only state-wide organization of its type in New England. There is now a state-wide initiative in New York and several Midwest and Southern states have joined the campaign. Getting the state-owned office buildings to cut their lights would be a good start toward reducing light pollution in the state. It might encourage others cities, schools, churches and owners of commercial buildings to join in. It would also help illuminate the value of darkness to everyone. Barges and Repasz said homeowners can hit their own switches, shutting off unnecessary lighting during the spring and fall migrations. The Lights Out Connecticut webpage has a pledge button to enlist people in the cause. Having fewer lights on means youre using less electricity and less energy. In a climate-changing world, small things matter. And to add a less altruistic argument into the mix, it saves you money. In a state with high energy costs, darkness has value. Lights Out Connecticut cites a figure from the Office of Fiscal Analysis that estimates shutting the lights off in state-owned office buildings during migrations can save the state $2.9 million a year. I feel like this is such a no-brainer, Barges said. And maybe, it will reconnect people to the extraordinary occurrences, the river of birds, that are the spring and fall migrations. Birds can live without us, Barges said. Im not sure we can live without birds. CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect the bill would require lights to be shut off at all state-owned buildings. The article has also been updated to reflect the Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates shutting the lights off in state-owned office buildings during migrations would save the state $2.9 million a year. BETHESDA, Md. (AP) Cuba plans to resume accepting deportation flights from the United States this month, a Cuban official said, echoing U.S. concerns about the highest levels of Cuban migration in six decades. Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Cuba's deputy foreign minister, said flights are expected before the U.S. ends coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions on asylum on May 11, which is widely projected to increase the number of people seeking entry to the U.S. at the U.S.-Mexico border. The diplomat spoke in an interview with The Associated Press at the Cuban ambassador's residence outside Washington after what he called a productive meeting with U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials to discuss migration. We have a lot of common understanding, both parties, the United States and Cuba, about the nature of the problem, he said. Fernandez de Cossio said there was no agreement on the frequency of flights, which will depend on U.S. and Cuban capacity. But he said there was no reason they can't return to pre-pandemic levels of about twice a month. The last flight was in December 2020. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Cubans were stopped nearly 43,000 times at the U.S. border with Mexico in December, becoming one of the largest nationalities entering the United States. Numbers plummeted in January after President Joe Biden's administration announced that Cubans could fly to the U.S. if they applied online and had a financial sponsor and that they would be expelled back to Mexico if they crossed the border illegally. Were going to see if we can get one in the coming weeks and then to make that regular so that people can be easily removed, not to Mexico but directly to Cuba, Fernandez de Cossio said late Thursday. He said that numbers of Cubans fleeing on boats, particularly high-powered vessels associated with smugglers, have been rising after a fall earlier this year and that more Cubans were leaving the country to fly to Nicaragua as tourists, typically the first step for Cubans to travel by land to the U.S.-Mexico border. Fernandez de Cassio said the changes announced in January under which people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela can apply for humanitarian parole to come to the U.S. have been successful in reducing the numbers of Cubans trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. But he cautioned that it wasnt a long-term fix. It would be irresponsible for us or naive to think that this will be sustainable in the long term because there will always be a limit on the amount of visas, he said. It is unclear how many flights the U.S. will need to mount a serious deterrent to Cuban migration. The two countries have planned five removal flights since November, but each was called off for various operational issues, said Fernandez de Cossio, emphasizing that Cuba has supported the flights in theory. U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped more migrants last year than at any other time on record, largely driven by arrivals of people from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, countries with strained diplomatic relations. It has been extremely difficult for the U.S. to sponsor deportation flights to those countries, forcing the Biden administration to turn to Mexico for help hosting the migrants. The Biden administration has gone into overdrive preparing for the end of Title 42, the public health authority under which migrants have been expelled from the U.S. more than 2.7 million times without an opportunity to seek asylum on the grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. This week, the U.S., Panama and Colombia announced a plan to stop migration through the notorious Darien Gap in Panama, where people are often killed. It also began testing expedited initial screening for asylum at an undisclosed border crossing, hoping to quickly return those who don't pass. Fernandez de Cossio said he pressed during talks in Washington to alleviate economic sanctions against Cuba and changes to the Cuban Adjustment Act, which makes Cubans eligible for legal residency after one year in the United States. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WATERBURY Four men are facing federal narcotics charges for allegedly conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine across the city, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut. Gawayne Fisher, 47, of Waterbury; Terry Collins, 51, of Bristol; David Hing, 57, of Waterbury; and Derrick Pruden, 53, of Waterbury; were arrested on Thursday following a nine-month drug trafficking investigation, the office said in a press release. Prosecutors allege Fisher received heroin and fentanyl from Collins as well as narcotics from other suppliers. He then distributed the narcotics to various drug sellers, including Hing and Pruden. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics, also revealed that Fisher used a West Main Street apartment to store narcotics and Collins used a Yale Street residence as a heroin mill to process and package drugs for distribution, officials said. On Thursday, officials with the DEA, FBI, Connecticut State Police, and Waterbury, Naugatuck, Bristol and East Haven police departments raided both locations. They recovered a total of 16 kilograms of cocaine, six kilograms of fentanyl, an estimated 200,000 individual glassine bags containing a substance that field tested positive as fentanyl, drug processing equipment and $150,000 in cash. As fentanyl addiction continues to cause so much misery in our state and around the country, we are determined to interrupt the flow of this deadly drug, seize drug proceeds, and prosecute those involved to the full extent of the law, said U.S. Attorney Avery. It is alleged that these defendants flooded the Waterbury area with fentanyl and other drugs, and yesterdays seizures represent one of the largest we have seen in Connecticut to date, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a statement. I thank the DEA, Waterbury Police and our many partner law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation for their tireless efforts in taking these drugs off the street. Their work is saving lives. Officials said Fisher, Collins Hing and Pruden all appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Garcia in New Haven after their arrests. Fisher, Hing and Pruder were ordered detained, but Collins was released on a $100,000 bond. Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo hailed the arrests as the culmination of a successful multi-agency investigation. Our partnership with the DEA and the U.S. Attorneys Office continues to thwart drug trafficking in Waterbury, Spagnolo said. We look forward to continuing this important work with our federal partners to remove these drugs, and those involved in distributing it, from our community. richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com; Twitter @RichChumney. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Connecticut family on vacation this week in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was trapped in floodwaters and had to sleep in their car one night until they receded. Steve Morgan said he parked the rented Jeep Compass on higher ground in a grocery store parking lot when it was in danger of floating away with his wife Heather and their two children, Jaxon, 7, and Cameryn, 4. They bought snacks in the store and packages of paper towels for the kids to use as pillows. They stayed put for 12 hours, from 5:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., the Rocky Hill resident said. Fort Lauderdale saw the worst flooding in memory this week. Two feet of water turned streets into rivers, carrying cars and debris and shutting down Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, which didnt reopen until Friday morning, according to CNN. A months worth of rain fell in one hour Wednesday. That was the day the Morgans, tired of being in their condo because of the rainy weather, decided to take the kids to The Super Mario Bros. movie. When they left the movie, things were bad. We left the movie theater and our GPS was telling us it would take us an hour to get home, said Morgan, a sergeant with the Rocky Hill Police Department. The condo was only 4 miles away. Water was creeping up the sides of the car, and Morgan realized he had to get to higher ground. He found some at a grocery store that was about to close. When we turned into the parking lot, the entire nose of the car was under water, he said. They bought water, snacks, the makeshift paper towel pillows and settled in. It was something Ive never seen before, Morgan said. Cameryn was too young to recognize the danger, he said, although her older brother was a little nervous. Still, Morgan said, He was kind of excited to sleep over in the car. SOUTHBURY Two state employees were charged with intentional cruelty and failure to report abuse charges earlier this month following an investigation into the treatment of a resident at the Southbury Training School, according a state police arrest warrant affidavit. The 79-year-old man, who has an intellectual disability and is non-verbal, was admitted to Danbury Hospital after an aid at the state-run care facility noticed bruising on his chest while attempting to shower him the morning of Jan. 12, according to police. At the hospital, the man was found to have a broken bone in his upper arm, and the Southbury Training School reported no record of him sustaining any injuries, falls or any kind of trauma prior to that morning, according to the warrant. An investigation into how he sustained the injuries resulted in the arrests of two direct care providers David Benson, 27, of Torrington, and Howard Hawk, 52, of Waterbury who were each charged with intentional cruelty to persons and failure to report abuse. The director of the Southbury Training School could not be reached for comment or information on whether Hawk and Benson still work at the facility. Spokespeople for the Department of Developmental Services, which oversees the residential home for adults with intellectual disabilities, could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday afternoon. Bensons attorney, John Bowdren, did not return a request for comment on the case, and court records show no attorney has been assigned to represent Hawk. Connecticut State Police say the investigation remains open and active and that additional arrests are possible, although no one else had been arrested as of 11 a.m. Friday. "The Connecticut State Police would encourage any and all current and former employees at Southbury Training School to notify TFC. Dennis Keane #410 of any witnessed abuse or neglect or knowledge of where an individual was victimized," police state in the report. "That would include any investigation that was only administratively investigated at the time when you were represented by a delegate and were interviewed." "Let's protect those who can't protect themselves," police said. 'Unreported trauma' The physician's assistant who reported the incident to police noted that the patient is unable to walk or talk on his own, and said she believed the injuries were the result of unreported trauma, according to the warrant. A unit director at the Southbury Training School told Trooper Dennis Keane that Hawk recently returned to work following a 30-day suspension for neglect and was assigned to care for the victim the shift before the aid noticed bruising on his chest, according to the warrant. Keane said he spoke to Southbury Training Schools doctor, who estimated the trauma occurred during the second shift 2:30 to 10:30 p.m. Jan. 11 or third shift from 10:30 p.m. Jan. 11 to 6:30 a.m. Jan. 12, according to the warrant. Hawk was on duty both shifts, Benson worked the third shift and both men were assigned to the cottage where the victim resides, police state in the warrant. The warrant states that supervisors, in charge during the second and third shifts, told police they did not receive any notification about any injuries or incidents involving the victim that night. During a March 14 interview, Benson provided state police with typed notes detailing his duties, responsibilities and contact with the victim, as well as interactions with Hawk while working third shift, according to the warrant. In the notes, Benson allegedly claimed that one of the first duties he completed that night was ensuring that bed alarms for the victim and others were in working order, according to the warrant. The alarms are to notify staff if a patient falls from their bed, according to the warrant, and no alarm activations or bed falls were documented in the sleep data from the night of Jan. 11, and early morning hours of Jan. 12. Police said data showed the victim in bed at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 11. Benson, however, documented a loud outburst occurred involving the victim between 2:30 and 3:30 a.m. Jan. 12, according to the warrant. During a March 24 interview at Troop A headquarters, Hawk stated at no time on second or third shift did he observe physical injuries (on the victim) or how (the victim) suffered the injuries, according to the warrant. Hawk also claimed to have no recollection of putting the victim in bed and said another staff member might have done it, according to police, who said the other staff member reported having no contact with the victim on Jan. 11. Benson was arrested and charged April 4, and Hawk turned himself in to state police two days later. Cruelty to persons is a class D felony, while failure to report abuse is a violation. Hawk and Benson were each held on $15,000 bond prior to their arraignments at state Superior Court in Waterbury last week and later released on promises to appear, according to court documents. Hawk is next scheduled to appear in court May 1, while Bensons next court date is May 16. Bjoern Wylezich / TNS EAST HARTFORD A Dominican man who pleaded guilty to trafficking a substance comparable to fentanyl was sentenced to nearly six years in prison Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut. William Valerio-Palermo, also known as Willy, 37, a citizen of the Dominican Republic and formerly of East Hartford, pleaded guilty on July 6, 2021, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Valerio-Palermo will face immigration proceedings when he is released from prison, the office said. The city of Waterbury has never had a particularly easy time finding teachers, superintendent Verna Ruffin says, but this year was more difficult than ever. Amid a statewide educator shortage that has taxed poor, urban districts most, Waterbury had tried recruiting staff through alternative certification efforts and partnerships with local universities and various other initiatives but still found itself with more than 200 vacancies entering last fall. "We've always been challenged in some of the hard-to-fill areas, but this year it's been just about every position," Ruffin said. Ruffin had often heard teachers say they valued professional development, and she knew many struggled to pay for master's degrees. So, to distinguish Waterbury from other districts, she partnered with a national education talent development company to design a program called Waterbury U, which lets teachers in the district earn graduate credit through virtual classes and on-the-job learning opportunities, free of charge. As of late March, the program had 88 participants, Ruffin said, some of whom had already completed their courses. The idea, she says, is to draw educators into the district, invest in them and convince them to stay long-term. "It was really a step in the right direction for morale," said Tara Cusack, a high school teacher and Waterbury U participant who has already earned the credits she needed for an advanced degree and will receive a salary bump as a result. "It gives people an opportunity to earn more credits, earn more degrees and do so during their workdays and without having to pay for it." While other Connecticut school districts haven't gone as far as Waterbury in their recruitment and retention efforts, many have become more aggressive in that area. Hearst Connecticut Media reached out to more than a dozen Connecticut districts, nearly all of which reported workforce issues and most of which said they had taken steps to improve recruitment and retention. Those efforts have included job fairs, advertising campaigns, alternative certification programs and recruitment efforts as far afield as Puerto Rico, as well as pay increases through new collectively bargained contracts. They've come as lawmakers consider various proposals aimed at bolstering the teacher workforce statewide, including minimum salaries, improved benefits and professional development. Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, has pushed statewide fixes but also praised districts like Waterbury for their efforts locally. "In the grand scheme of things, the only way we're going to really shift the narrative around recruitment and retention is through multifaceted approaches," she said. "So I think that type of (development) program is something more districts should be looking at." 'This year has not been good' For many Connecticut districts, finding and retaining good teachers, particularly in special education and other problem areas, has been an issue for years. And in many places, the problem has only gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic, as a growing number of teachers have quit the profession. In some towns and cities, that has meant unfilled teaching positions and a reliance on long-term substitutes to fill gaps. In others, even some of the state's wealthiest suburbs, it has meant fewer applicants for openings and difficulty finding substitutes and paraprofessionals. According to data from the State Department of Education, Connecticut school districts had nearly 1,300 teaching vacancies and another 1,300 paraprofessional vacancies as of March, with most concentrated in the state's poorest districts, where salaries are often lower and working conditions more difficult. In Hartford, a spokesperson said this week that 11 percent of certified and non-certified positions in the district are vacant, with math, science, speech and English as a second language particular areas of difficulty. In Stamford, the local school district recently posted a list of 112 open positions for the coming school year, including 40 in special education. "A deep fear I have and probably a nightmare I have every night is what's next year going to look like?" Stamford associate superintendent Mike Fernandes said during a recent meeting. "This year has not been good, and I anticipate it might get worse." Though the problem is most severe in major cities, it stretches to the suburbs as well. In New Fairfield, superintendent Kenneth Craw said the applicant pool has been smaller this year, leading to a shortage in special education and other areas. In Shelton, superintendent Ken Saranich said his district is fully staffed with certified teachers but has struggled to find substitutes and paraprofessionals. New Milford superintendent Janet Parlato said her district has been unable to find a middle school French teacher and also faced a lack of paraprofessionals. "We have been able to come up with ways to cover both of these areas," Parlato said, "but having the proper amount of staff is the ideal situation." Even some of the state's wealthiest towns have struggled, though less than other districts. Darien administrators say they've struggled to fill special education vacancies and have found sparse attendance at job fairs, while Ridgefield's superintendent said problem areas there include special education, world language and science. Newtown's superintendent Chris Melillo said the district has seen a decrease in applicants, with many of those interested coming from nearby urban districts. Glastonbury superintendent Alan Bookman reported the same, saying that while his district is in decent shape, he knows neighboring ones might be struggling. "We will be fine in filling the openings we have," Bookman said. "However, some of our new hires come from other school systems, so those systems need to find new teachers." 'We owe it to our students' In districts across Connecticut, administrators have taken steps to improve recruitment efforts, varying in scale and urgency. New Fairfield, for example, recently held a "Sign and Sub" event, where prospective substitute teachers could show up, fill out some forms, sit for a quick interview and be approved as substitute teachers on the spot. Some school systems, such as Norwalk and East Hartford, say they have filled openings through relationships with local colleges and universities. Norwalk has also stepped up its advertising, a spokesperson said, with recruitment messages on banners, billboards, buses, lawn signs, at movie theaters and on the radio. Other districts similarly report recruitment campaigns through social media and paid advertising, as well as an increased presence at job fairs. West Hartford's interim superintendent said the town has benefited from the Connecticut Teacher Residency Program, which provides an alternative path to certification through a residency model, with the goal of diversifying the teaching profession in the state. Hartford has recruited teachers from Puerto Rico through a program called Paso a Paso, meaning Step by Step. In maybe the simplest recruiting tactic, some districts have raised educators' salaries. New Haven, for example, has offered teachers bonuses for taking on additional classes and, in November, agreed to a new contract with the local teachers union that will increase salaries by 15 percent over the next three years. Ansonia's superintendent said he hopes a new contract with teachers there will boost recruitment. A spokesperson for Connecticut's State Department of Education touted initiatives to recruit educators to the state, such as free one-on-one support for teachers, expedited certification for those relocating from certain other states and an oversight panel tasked with attracting candidates of color. In late March, Gov. Ned Lamont's administration unveiled a new evaluation and support system designed to enhance recruitment and retention. "We owe it to our students to provide them with the best possible education, and that starts with ensuring that our teachers are well-trained and supported," the governor said in a statement. 'I really don't want them to leave at all' Daniel LeVasseur, a fifth-grade teacher in Waterbury, had been planning to start looking into master's programs when the district first announced information sessions about Waterbury U. He decided to hold off and pursue his degree through the new initiative instead. "Right when we came back to school at the beginning of this year, they started advertising it to us, and I just went ahead and took advantage of it," he said. LeVasseur, who grew up in Watertown and Thomaston and began his teaching career in Waterbury just before the pandemic, said he has enjoyed the program so far, particularly leadership courses that he hopes will prepare him to become an administrator one day. He's grateful for the free master's degree and the signal that his district values him. "By announcing this program, to me, it's showing that they care about me, and they care about me growing as a teacher and there being the best teachers they can find in the district," he said. Waterbury's partnership with BloomBoard, a Pittsburgh-based education talent development company, allows up to 800 educators to participate in the Waterbury U over the life of the initiative. On top of the 88 participating as of March, Ruffin said the district expects a larger cohort to begin this fall. Educators who gain degrees through Waterbury U are required to stay in the district for at least three years, but Ruffin hopes they'll stick around much longer than that. "That's not the limit," Ruffin said. "I really don't want them to leave at all." Reporters Mollie Hersh, Sandra Fox, Kaitlin Lyle, Brian Gioiele, Kendra Baker, Steven Goode, Jonah Dylan, Jesse Leavenworth, Rob Ryser, Josh LaBella and Ignacio Laguarda contributed to this story. alex.putterman@hearstmediact.com. P olice have launched an investigation after a man was stabbed to death in West Norwood on Saturday evening. Officers were called to reports of a stabbing in a shop on Norwood Road just before 6pm. The man, 20, was found with knife injuries. Despite the efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers are working to inform his next of kin. No arrests have been made. A crime scene is in place and enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing. A Section 60 Order granting police additional stop and search powers has been authorised for the area from 7pm until 7am on Sunday. Anyone who has information, video or images that could help police should call 101 ref CAD 5605/15 Apr. T wo men have been convicted of kidnapping two women at a nightclub in Vauxhall. Dhari Alshammari, 27, of Wandsworth, was convicted of kidnap and rape at Isleworth Crown Court after being charged last July. Badr Alhadidi, 39, from Birmingham, was also convicted of kidnap. They will be sentenced at the same court on May 26. Detective Tony Larkin, who led the investigation, said: Alhadidi and Alshammari are two predators who set out that night with only one sinister intention in mind. They had a clear plan of how they were going to target the victim-survivors and thought they could get away with it. Theyve shown no remorse and have no idea how much harm and distress they have caused. The CCTV footage reviewed as part of our investigation was harrowing and showed real violence and monstrous treatment of the victim-survivors. I would like to thank the victim-survivors in coming forward and reporting this to police, they have been extremely brave. No matter when someone choses to report a rape or sexual assault, detectives will always listen to and support you. Both men approached the women on the dancefloor in the nightclub along Albert Embankment in Vauxhall at around 5.30am on Saturday, July 16 2022. CCTV footage inside the club showed Alshammari pour a vodka into some glasses while Alhadidi waited for the women outside the toilets. All four left the club around 6am. Alhadidi and Alshammari forced the victim-survivors into a car, manhandling them and having to support them to stand where they were incapacitated. They drove the women to an address at Beauchamp Mansions, Kensington. Further CCTV footage nearby showed Alshammari drag one of the victim-survivors along the pavement. Both were forced through a doorway where they collapsed. Alshammari raped one of the women inside the property. He then went to nearby McDonalds to order food before returning to his home. One of the victims later reported the incident to the police which led to the arrest of the two men on July 18 both were charged on July 27. M et Police officers have located a violent killer who had absconded while on escorted leave from a secure hospital in west London. Mosa Jamal Abid was on escorted leave when he visited a newsagents in Uxbridge Road, Ealing, and ran off at about 3pm on Monday, April 10. Following an appeal to find him, officers localed Abid after a member of the public reported seeing him in the Northolt area around 10am on Saturday. He has now been returned to hospital. Abid stabbed his cousin, Moamen Settar, to death in 2016 and was sentenced under the Mental Health Act two years later after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Abid also absconded in October 2019 from Homerton Hospital in Hackney, east London. N urses will stage fresh strikes over the first May bank holiday, with staff in emergency departments, intensive care units and cancer care set to take industrial action for the first time. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced on Friday that its members will walk out for 48 hours from 8pm on April 30 after rejecting the Governments pay offer. The union has urged ministers to offer an historic pay award to break the deadlock. It comes as around 47,000 junior doctors finished their 96-hour strike in a separate dispute over pay at 7am on Saturday. The British Medical Association (BMA) has urged the Government to engage in talks over junior doctors demands for pay restoration to 2008 levels. Ministers have claimed that would amount to a 35% pay rise. Asked whether the RCN would consider coordinating industrial action with junior doctors, the unions director for England Patricia Marquis told BBCs Newsnight: That is something that will have to be considered if not least because we are all in the same space We all work in the same places and therefore there may be an issue where our strikes do at some point either coordinate or overlap in some way as they have done in previous times when we havent necessarily coordinated but actually they have knocked alongside other unions in the ambulance service. We are having conversations with the BMA, not specifically around coordinating but more to understand what their asks are, what our asks are and also to understand how we can both work in a coordinated way, not necessarily on strike action but really to get the Government to understand how just how difficult the situation is for staff in the NHS and the impact its having on patients every single day. The crisis in our health and care services cannot be addressed without significant action that addresses urgent recruitment and retention issues and nursing pay to bring this dispute to a close urgently The RCN escalation followed a 54% vote to reject an offer of a 5% pay rise this year and a cash payment for last year. The turnout among RCN members employed on NHS Agenda for Change contracts in England was 61%. The move followed an earlier announcement by Unison that its NHS members had accepted the same offer by 74% on a turnout of 53%. Unisons head of health, Sarah Gorton, said the vote did not solve the staffing emergency in the NHS. RCN general secretary Pat Cullen has written to Health Secretary Steve Barclay to seek urgent re-opening of talks with the Government. She said: What has been offered to date is simply not enough. The Government needs to increase what has already been offered and we will be highly critical of any move to reduce it. After a historic vote to strike, our members expect a historic pay award. Mr Barclay said it was hugely disappointing that the RCN had rejected the pay deal. He said: Their decision to escalate strike action with no exemptions, based on a vote from a minority of members, is also hugely concerning. The NHS staff council, which recommended this offer, covers a number of trade unions who are continuing to vote, and I hope this offer secures the support of a majority of members. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said strikes would have an impact on efforts to bring down NHS waiting times. He said: It is very challenging in the NHS anyway, but if you add the pressure of strikes on to what is already a very pressured service, it makes it very difficult to bring down waiting times and were dealing with a record high in waiting times after the pandemic. The RCN will re-ballot its members in England to see if they want to continue taking industrial action because the current mandate runs out in early May. Unite and the GMB will announce the result of their ballots on the same deal in two weeks time. T hree people have been arrested in connection with potential co-ordinated disruption at Aintree Racecourse as animal rights activists gathered outside the track before the Grand National Festivals final day. A 25-year-old woman from London was arrested at about 11.20am on Saturday while a man was arrested around 30 minutes later. Another woman, aged 33, from the London area, was arrested in the Greater Manchester earlier on Saturday in connection with potential co-ordinated disruption activities at Aintree racecourse. The force said: Merseyside Police has been working with The Jockey Club and other partners to keep people safe during the Grand National Festival. We are aware of some people planning to protest at the event. This has been factored into our plans. We respect the right to peaceful protest and expression of views, but criminal behaviour and disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly. It comes after climate and animal rights group Animal Rising announced plans to scale fences and enter the track - with up to 300 activists - to prevent the race from starting. Activists also said they would block traffic by performing a slow march along Ormskirk Road, the main access route. About 30 animal rights protesters gathered outside Aintree Racecourse on Saturday morning. The annual Grand National race is set to start at 5.15pm. Dora Hargitai, 37, a volunteer with Animal Rising, said: "I do believe we can have non-violence on both sides. "The race has to stop. Today and forever." Claudia Penna Rojas, from the same group, said: "We will be slow marching around the perimeter and at some point we may peacefully try to make our way towards the track, again to prevent this race from happening because we know horses are being harmed." She added that if activists did get onto the track it would not be while horses were running because they did not want to put them in danger. One horse has died at the Grand National Festival - Envoye Special, ridden by James King - after it fell in the Foxhunters' Chase just after 4pm on Thursday. It is the 60th horse to die at Aintree in the past 23 years. I rish Premier Leo Varadkar has seen US President Joe Biden off from Ireland West Airport as he hailed a successful trip and said Ireland has an ally in the White House. Thousands of people attended the presidents speech in Ballina Co Mayo, waving Irish and American flags and cheering for Mr Biden as he completed his final engagement of his four day trip to Ireland. Mr Varadkar said that President Joe Bidens visit had the feeling of a homecoming. Speaking at Ireland West Airport late on Friday night, Mr Varadkar said: I thought the day went really well and tonight in Ballina was great. I know a lot of work went into it by a lot of people behind the scenes, I am very grateful to them for all they have done. Ballina was looking amazing, really good crowds and it really had the feeling of a homecoming. Just really happy with how everything has gone and I know they are very happy on the US side as well. I said at the start of it I hoped it would enable us to cement Irish-US relations; they have never been better in my experience and I think that has been achieved. Over the course of the trip Mr Biden has visited Co Louth, where some of his family have been traced to, visited a heritage centre in Mayo, and toured a pilgrimage site at Knock. But Mr Varadkar said that the visit was not just about Mr Biden exploring his family connections and heritage. There was a lot of business done too, it was a really big delegation, two cabinet secretaries, 15 to 20 members of congress, senior advisors, senior officials, so there were a huge number of other meetings happening around the place, he said. For example agriculture ministers met to talk about food security and to talk about food prices, the Tanaiste met with Secretary of State (Anthony) Blinken. At every level people were meeting their counterparts. Mr Varadkar had a private meeting with the president on Thursday where they discussed Northern Ireland, the US-Irish relationship and the war in Ukraine. The pair also met last month when the Taoiseach visited Washington DC over St Patricks day. And then obviously the meeting I had with President Biden in Farmleigh enabled us to develop on a meeting we had in the White House, Mr Varadkar said. It is often at the second meeting you are able to get past pleasantries quite quickly and get down to business. He added: It has been very useful. Without any doubt we have an ally in the White House, we have an administration that is looking out for Ireland and that is a really special thing to have the biggest political power in the world, the biggest economy in the world, that has a president, an administration that is interested in a small country of 5m people. In front of the thousands gathered in Ballina, Mr Varadkar thanked Mr Biden for his ongoing commitment to Ireland. Thank you, for your lifelong commitment to peace on our island, your friendship, for the leadership you have shown protecting all that has been achieved, and for everything you are doing to help build a better future here, in America and in our world, he said. In this place, history and hope are never too far apart. During his speech in Ballina, Mr Biden said the town has become part of his soul. It feels like coming home, it really does, he said. Over the years stories of this place have become part of my soul, part of my family lore. Mr Biden said he and his siblings were raised with a fierce pride in our Irish ancestry. The president left Ireland to fly to his home state of Delaware late on Friday night. A union representative has warned that all options are on the table when it comes to coordinating strikes between junior doctors and nurses. The NHS is braced for further chaos after nurses rejected a pay deal on Friday night raising fears they could co-ordinate future strikes with junior doctors. The Royal College of Nursing immediately said its members will walk out again for 48 hours from 8pm on April 30. Junior doctors remain locked in their own pay dispute and have threatened months of disruption and more strikes if ministers do not agree to their demands for a 35 per cent rise. Dr Arjan Singh, chair of the British Medical Associations (BMA) junior doctors committee, refused to rule out the possibility of coordinating industrial action with Royal College of Nursing (RCN). He told Sky News: We have a very close relationship with the RCN and every option is to be considered. He said the BMA is in full solidarity with nursing colleagues and condemned the governments pay offer to nurses as derisory and not reflective of years of pay erosion that they have endured or the sacrifices theyve made. The fresh wave of industrial action follows a vote in which 54 per cent of RCN members rejected an offer of a 5 per cent pay rise this year and a one-off bonus worth up to 3,789 for last year. The RCN had urged members to back the package, which it negotiated with the Government during a month of intensive talks. Health leaders say that doctors put patients at risk by walking out for four days this week, when an estimated 350,000 operations and appointments were cancelled - making it the biggest strike in the history of the NHS. If the two unions were to co-ordinate future action by walking out on the same days or alternating days, the impact could be even more devastating. Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned a coordinated strike would be completely unprecedented. We would be in uncharted territory, he told Sky News. It would be even more challenging to plan for, manage and mitigate all the enormous challenges it would present the service with. Doctors and nurses are fundamental to the delivery of care across the service. It really is deeply concerning if thats the scenario were facing. Nurses will strike at NHS Trusts across England for 48 hours from 8pm on April 30. Unison, who represent some NHS staff, voted to accept the same offer. For the first time, the RCN strike will also involve nursing staff in emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempt. The union will also launch a new ballot to update its strike mandate, which expires next month. The strike will affect some of the Londons largest hospitals including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. In a letter to Mr Barclay on Friday, the RCNs General Secretary Pat Cullen said the offer was simply not enough and said the government needs to increase what has already been offered. J apans prime minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unharmed on Saturday after someone threw an explosive device at a campaign event, officials said. Police wrestled the suspect to the ground as screaming bystanders scrambled to get away. Japanese media claimed a pipe-like object was thrown at Mr Kishida. The incident occurred as the prime minister began a speech at a port in the city of Wakayama. According to Japanese news station NHK, no injuries were reported while photos showed a young man being wrestled to the ground. Local police later confirmed that an arrest has been made on Saturday. One eyewitness told NHK that she saw an object flying overhead, adding: It gave me a bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast. Smoke billows after an explosion was heard near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas outdoor speech / TWITTER @AK2364N via REUTERS Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry. Last July, former prime minister Shinzo Abe died after being shott at close range during a campaign speech. Abes alleged assassin told investigators that he killed Abe, one of Japans most influential and divisive politicians, because of the former prime ministers apparent links to a religious group that he hated. The incident comes as foreign ministers from the G7 will begin to arrive in Japan ahead of the yearly summit. Nationwide local elections, including several by-elections for vacated parliamentary seats are also scheduled for April 23. U S president Joe Biden has received a physical piece of his familys past at a heritage centre in Co Mayo. He was presented with a 200-year-old brick recovered from the site of his familys ancestral home in Ballina. On his final day of engagements in Ireland, he spent more than an hour at the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre meeting people and learning more about his Irish roots. Ten of the presidents 16 great-great-grandparents are believed to hail from Ireland, and while he has links in Co Louth, those with Co Mayo associations are believed to be the strongest through the Blewitt family. The centre has earned a reputation for its genealogical research on the diaspora from North Mayo, and has access to more than 1.2 million records. The president was accompanied during the visit by former taoiseach Enda Kenny, who hails from Co Mayo, and his wife Fionnuala, as well as his son Hunter and sister Valerie Biden Owens to a musical welcome from a harpist and fiddle player. Mr Biden met historian Sinead McCoole who showed him three artefacts from the Jackie Clarke Museum in Ballina, including the cockade which Theobald Wolfe Tone wore on his hat at the time of his capture by the British in 1798. He also spoke to expert Brendan Walsh about the history of North Mayo, the Irish-American connections, and the background of the Blewitt family. Mr Biden keeps in close contact with the Blewitt family, who attended the White House St Patricks Day receptions in 2022 and 2023. The highlight of the visit was likely to be his meeting with former Fine Gael senator and councillor, Ernie Caffrey, whose shop and gallery is located on the site of the Blewitt ancestral home. Mr Caffrey, and his daughter Miriam, presented the president with a brick enclosed in a case from the cottage where President Bidens forebear Edward Blewitt once lived. Mr Biden said its a 200-year-old brick as he read an inscription on the case, adding: Thats incredible. Mr Blewitt, who is now in his 80s, said the president was delighted to receive the memento. We have a gift shop and a gallery, he said afterwards. Our family has been there for over 100 years. I extracted three bricks from the original fireplace and I presented one of them today to President Biden. He was delighted with it. He thanked me and he had a read of (the inscription) He made a few comments such as amazing. Edward Blewitt was a brick manufacturer who supplied 27,000 bricks to the building of St Muredachs Cathedral in Ballina in 1828. He lived in a cottage where Mr Caffreys shop is located. The only remaining part of the cottage was the fireplace, which contained the yellow-hued bricks. In the cathedrals minute book for 1928, it is noted that Mr Bluid was paid 21 from the bricks. They were used for the pillars in the nave of the Cathedral to hold the roof. Speaking after Mr Biden had spoken to him, Mr Caffrey said the minutes had spelt the Blewitt name phonetically, as Bluit. He said he was very honoured to meet the president, even though it involved waiting for him outdoors for several hours on a cool April day with periodic showers. It was worth getting frozen for a few hours. We will thaw out now, he said. Edwards family left the country during the Irish famine in 1850 to sail to America, like many others, for a new life. Mr Biden went on to walk through an archway in a stone wall and along a path lined with trees to a driveway where a group of people were assembled by a sign with a painting of the president at a lectern in front of a cathedral. President Ballina, Co Mayo, Ireland, it read. Mr Biden met his cousins from the area ahead of his address in Ballina on Friday evening. B razils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the US should stop encouraging war in Ukraine and start talking about peace. The President made the comments during a visit to China where he met President Xi Jinping. The United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace, the European Union needs to start talking about peace, Mr Lula told reporters in Beijing. He called on the US and its allies to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky that peace is in the interest of the world. Mr Lula also said the creation of the New Development Bank shows emerging nations can deliver social and economic changes together, and free themselves from the western banking system. The President began a visit to China by attending the inauguration of the former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff as head of the bank set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, collectively known as the BRICS. He said the bank, based in Shanghai, has great potential in that it frees emerging countries from submission to traditional financial institutions, which want to govern us. Brazils leader added that developing nations had enormous financial needs, but existing banks offered only limited credit. The Egyptian Armed Forces urged on Saturday evening for "the safeguarding of the safety and security of Egyptian troops who were in Sudan to conduct joint training with their Sudanese counterparts." In a statement, the Egyptian Armed Forces said it is closely following up on the events taking place inside Sudan following the eruption of clashes between the Sudanese Army forces (SAF) and the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since early Saturday. The Egyptian Armed Forces is coordinating with the concerned parties in Sudan to ensure securing the Egyptian troops who were conducting joint training with their Sudanese counterparts, the statement added without adding more details. The Egyptian Armed Forces statement was issued shortly after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is led by Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti Dagalo, released a video on its official Twitter account showing several personnel wearing Egyptian military fatigue who were purportedly apprehended at Marawi airbase in the north of Sudan. On Saturday morning, fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan amid soaring tensions in the country, which were triggered by the RSF deployment of its forces in Marawi on Wednesday. On Saturday evening, Hemedti told Al-Arabiya that the RSF is working to repatriate the Egyptian troops back to Egypt as soon as possible. Earlier in the evening, in separate statements to Sky News Arabia, Hemedti said that the Egyptian troops who are in the Marawi Airport are safe. Search Keywords: Short link: A new Russian conscription law shows that Moscow anticipates a lengthy conflict in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has warned. In an intelligence update, the MoD said that a new law allowing the Russian army to serve call-up papers electronically would remove an obstacle to recruiting more soldiers. Russia is currently in the process of calling up 147,000 men aged 18 to 27 between April 1 and July 15 to perform compulsory military service as part of its longstanding twice-yearly conscription cycle. The military had previously only been able to serve call-up papers by letter. The MoD said of the announcement: With individuals call-up data now digitally linked to other state-provided online services, it is likely that the authorities will punish draft-dodgers by automatically limiting employment rights and restricting foreign travel. They added that the measures do not specifically indicate any major new wave of enforced mobilisation. Russia is, for now, prioritising a drive to recruit extra volunteer troops. However, the measure is highly likely part of a longer-term approach to provide personnel as Russia anticipates a lengthy conflict in Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have been killed since the beginning of the Russian invasion last year. Colonel Andrei Biryukov, an official in the Russian army responsible for the draft, on Friday said the first conscripts would be dispatched to permanent deployment points on the territory of the Russian Federation from April 20. He said there would be no mass mailings of new electronic summonses to people of conscript age. Conscripts require many months of training and Russia has said they will not be sent into war zones in Ukraine. However, they provide the Russian army with a trained pool of personnel who can be pressured into signing up as professional soldiers. Tens of thousands of Russian men have fled abroad since the start of the war. Under new rules signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, citizens who evade the draft will be banned from travelling abroad and face other strictions including on loans and state benefits. In other developments, at least eight people including a two-year-old child were killed in the Russian shelling of Slovyansk in Ukraines eastern Donbas region. The strike was one of a long series of attacks to hit civilian areas in the war. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the brutal attack. The evil state once again demonstrates its essence," he wrote on Telegram. Just killing people in broad daylight. Ruining, destroying all life. A t least three people have reportedly died and dozens left injured following clashes between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group in the capital, Khartoum, on Saturday. The sound of heavy firing could be heard across Khartoum and its sister city Omdurman, where both the military and the RSF have amassed tens of thousands of troops after the government was toppled following a military coup in October 2021. Residents described chaotic scenes as firing and explosions rang out in densely populated neighbourhoods. Fire and explosions are everywhere, said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. Khartoum has become a battlefield, said Tahani Abass, a prominent Sudanese rights advocate who lives close to the militarys headquarters. The situation is very dire, and we dont know when it will be ended. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate said two civilians were killed at the airport, without specifying the circumstances. The committee said in a statement that another man was shot to death in the state of North Kordofan. Current tensions between the military and the paramilitary stem from a disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, should be integrated into the military and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudans unsigned transition agreement with political groups. John Godfrey, the US ambassador to Sudan, said he and his embassy staff were sheltering in place as heavy firing was heard nearby. The British embassy has also warned UK nationals to remain indoors as it monitors the situation. Mr Godfrey said the escalation was extremely dangerous and called for an end to the violence. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the situation as "fragile", while EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell called on all forces to stop the violence. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined calls for forces to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue. One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport, where clashes grounded commercial Sudan-bound flights from Saudi Arabia turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed on Saturday. Saudi Arabias national airline said one of its Airbus A330 aircraft was involved in an accident. Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire in the attack. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a SkyUp Airlines Boeing 737. SkyUp is a Kyiv, Ukraine-based airline. Meanwhile, the BBC reported that a correspondent for BBC News Arabic in Khartoum, Mohamed Osman, was beaten by a Sudanese soldier. The broadcaster said the army had stopped Osmans car while he was en route to his work and that he was taken to army headquarters in Omdurman. While explaining his movements to officers, he was hit in the head from behind by a soldier, the broadcaster said. G eorge RR Martin has revealed that the newly announced Game Of Thrones prequel series will most likely consist of six episodes. The American author, who is behind the fantasy book series A Song Of Ice And Fire which was turned into the hit HBO series about feuding noble families, wrote in a blog post that the new adaptation will be based on his novella The Hedge Knight. The book is about the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, in a period where the Iron Throne is still under Targaryen rule before the events of the original series. Egg, brother of Aemon Targaryen who became a Maester to the Nights Watch at Castle Black and appeared in Game Of Thrones (GOT), would later grow up to become Aegon V. He is also the grandfather of Aerys II, often referred to as the Mad King, who was the ruler of Westeros before King Robert Baratheon. The new series, given the working title A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, has received a straight-to-series order from HBO and will stream on Warner Bros newly unveiled service Max. Martin, who executively produced both GOT and House Of The Dragon (HOTD) series, wrote on his Friday blog: HBO has given us a greenlight to film for a full season (not just a pilot), most likely of six episodes though that is not set in stone, and wont be until considerably later in the process. He said the terrific pilot script has been written by Ira Parker, who was part of the staff for HOTDs Golden Globe-winning season one which stars Matt Smith and Emma DArcy and has been renewed for a second instalment. Parker is signed on to be an executive producer along with Martin, HOTD showrunner Ryan Condal and GOTs Vince Gerardis. Ira has assembled a small but very talented team, and they are at it already, building on the foundations laid down last year in previous creative summits and of course on the original novella, Martin added. He said if the new series is a success then the other short stories from book series Tales Of Dunk And Egg will also be adapted including The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight. Before we reach the end of the published stories, I will need to find time to write all the other Dunk & Egg novellas that I have planned, Martin added. There are gulp more of them than I had once thought. The author has so far not completed his A Song Of Ice And Fire series with sixth novel The Winds Of Winter and seventh book A Dream Of Spring, which are set to chronicle similar events to GOT. The TV series finished with eight seasons before the books were completed. Martin also said that there is still development on spin-off shows chronicling Corlys Velaryon, known as the Sea Snake, who appears in HOTD played by Steve Toussaint, and Dorne warrior-queen Nymeria. He added that there are others, both live action and animated projects being worked on and said development takes time. A plan to deal with the impacts of climate change in Niagara Falls is expected to go to city council later this summer for approval, with recommendations on strategies the city can take to cope with what experts are predicting will be increasingly hot, wet and wild weather in the decades to come. Since 2019 when it joined six other Niagara cities and towns in a partnership with Brock Universitys Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) on a project called Niagara Adapts the city has been actively involved in planning for climate change adaptation. As part of that work, residents were surveyed and showed strong support for the city to get going on strategies to mitigate climate change impacts: 86 per cent supported municipal resources being used for climate change adaptation, while only 18 per cent felt Niagara Falls is prepared to adapt to climate change, according to a climate change report that went to city council in October of 2021. At that meeting, council directed staff to prepare a followup report on an implementation strategy for the plan. Climate change is here in Niagara, Jessica Blythe, assistant professor at Brocks ESRC, told city council in a joint presentation with James Sticca, the citys manager of environmental services. We can see it in record heatwaves where primary school kids are being kept inside at recess with the lights off to keep them cool, we can see it in heavy rainfall events and increased flooding like the 2019 floods and we can see it in extreme weather events like the windstorm that damaged the arches in the middle of downtown Pelham, said Blythe. Going forward we can expect the weather to be warmer, wetter and wilder, she said. Sticca said projections show just how vulnerable the city may be to climate change. He said the average mean temperate that was 8.6 C from 1950 to 2005 is expected to hit 11.8 C by 2050 and 15.34 C by the year 2100, while the number of extreme heat days hitting more than 30 C that averaged seven from 1950 to 2005 is expected to hit 45 days by 2050 and 94 days by 2100. All that could mean devouring more electricity for air conditioning, more extreme storms that can overwhelm sewer systems and lead to large-scale flooding, more extreme, damaging wind storms that can tear down tree canopies crucial to combating climate change, and other negative outcomes. The city is working with ICLEI Canada, part of a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development, which are active in more than 125 countries. Erik Nickel, general manager of municipal works for the city, said adapting to climate change isnt a one and done initiative but will instead be an ongoing effort. Over the next few months we will continue to meet with a core working group consisting of key city staff and community leaders in order to refine the plan and develop an implementation strategy, he said. We felt it was important to adopt a framework that allows for ongoing review, refinement, and updates/edits to the plan, said Nickel. We anticipate that there will be more work to come in future years. A climate plan report, written in 2021 by Sticca, lists dozens of possible actions that could be taken, from strengthening tree protection through species diversification and creating energy conservation strategies for city facilities, to improving access to heating and cooling centres, encouraging electric vehicle charging stations as part of new developments, and exploring greener transportation options such as electric vehicles. People can still submit questions and comments at https://letstalk.niagarafalls.ca/climate-adaptation-plan. Nickel said more public input will soon be invited through surveys and through comments on a draft of the final plan before its presented to council by mid-to-late summer ahead of it being finalized. SHARE: Come next January, the University of Niagara Falls wants to erase all the doubts. Thats when the long-discussed and equally long-doubted school in downtown Niagara Falls plans to start its first two programs, Master of Data Analytics and Master of Management. The two programs were announced as part of the universitys community social event Saturday at WeinLokal in Niagara Falls (the former Hoops restaurant). The two programs in January will be followed by two more in the fall of 2024: Master of Arts in Digital Media and Global Communications, and Bachelor of Business Administration. The universitys website went active Saturday. The school is backed by private company Global University Systems (GUS), which operates 40 institutions worldwide, including six in Canada. All of it, hopes GUS chief executive officer Cyndi McLeod, gives local residents confidence that the university will indeed be a reality. Were here weve already hired people, she said. Were here actually recruiting for staff and faculty. The four-hour drop-in followed by a similar event in Toronto Sunday at the Fairmont Royal York was the first chance for the public to meet members of the university team and get detailed plans about its curriculum. It was also a job fair of sorts, with the school seeking administrative and academic positions. McLeod said the school aims to be a full campus within five to seven years, catering to 8,000 domestic and international students. Plans on how the school will be implemented in downtown Niagara Falls are still not finalized. Were still negotiating with space in downtown Niagara Falls, she said. Were in exploration of where we will have a campus, student accommodations, were still working on that. But our commitment to the city is that we will be part of the downtown revitalization plan. The plan is that the university will be in the heart of the downtown. The Niagara Falls campus will also offer a bio-medical program to align with the future South Niagara Hospital. Many of the other programs are developed around the digital economy, said McLeod. Everything that weve done, that weve created, has been around the vision of the region and the vision around the growth of the province of Ontario. Enrolment for the January courses begins in the fall. When operating at full capacity, she said the university will employ between 700 to 800 full-time staff. SHARE: KITCHENER The owner of a small Kitchener retirement home took an elderly female resident outside, stripped off her soiled clothing and washed her with a sponge, in full view of people on the street, a tribunal was told. The owner of the Zora Srpski Dom home then left the naked woman outside with a male resident, a female employee at a church across the street from the home told the Licence Appeal Tribunal. It would be difficult to overstate the gravity of this assault upon the basic human dignity of the victim, which goes directly to the health, the welfare and the safety of the residents, tribunal adjudicator Geoff Pollock said in a ruling released last month. The church employee was appalled by what she saw and called police, Pollock said. No criminal charges were laid, a Waterloo Regional Police spokesperson said. In a ruling last year, the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority ordered the retirement homes licence revoked due to a list of infractions. These are heavy, mostly untrue accusations ... Jovanka Jovic, owner/operator of Zora Srpski Dom, said in an email to The Record. The retirement home was set to lose its licence in September 2022, but Jovics appeal of the order put the revocation on hold. In a ruling released last month, Pollock dismissed the appeal. The licence will be revoked June 19. Zora Srpski Dom is a Serbian-language retirement home in a house on Madison Avenue South near Courtland Avenue East, on the edge of Kaufman Park. The home is licensed for eight residents. The incident with the female resident happened a few metres from the main entrance, Jovic said. The old woman suffers from Crohns disease, chronic infectious diarrhea that occurs suddenly, cannot be controlled and can infect other people if they come into contact with feces, she said in the email. I provided first aid to the resident, shielded her with my body, took off the infectious clothing, wrapped her in a towel and led her into the bathroom. ... The Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority has been told the facility will remain open when the licence is revoked but will offer only meals to residents, authority spokesperson Phil Norris said in an email. Since the facility has decided to only make one care service available to residents, it will not meet the definition of a retirement home under the Retirement Homes Act and will be an unlicensed facility, he said. Residents who require care services and want to stay in the facility after June 19, 2023, will have to arrange for those services on their own, either through a private provider or Home and Community Care Support Services. Other issues During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jovic refused to allow residents to have visitors or leave the retirement home, Pollock said. The reason for the policy was laudable: reducing, or eliminating, contact with the outside world, which in turn significantly reduces the risk of infection spreading to a vulnerable community, he said. However, this prohibition extended not simply to visitors such as family or friends, but to essential caregivers. The prohibition on leaving the facility also applied to visits to health care professionals such as dentists. These policies were directly contradictory to the directive of the chief medical officer of health. Jovic was zealous in guarding against COVID exposure because she and her son were unvaccinated, Pollock said. Initially, the residents were unvaccinated as well. (She) refused to let the residents get vaccinated as she believed that the vaccination process involved exposing people to the actual virus, which could in turn lead them to infect others. One woman testified she had to contact public health to get her mother vaccinated, Pollock said. Public health then wrote to Jovic, who eventually relented and let her get vaccinated. Both Jovic and her son later caught COVID, Pollock said. Whilst she was infected with COVID-19, (Jovic) continued to provide care for the residents of ZSD, he said, referring to the retirement home by its acronym. However, she neglected to administer the medication for several residents, for several days. And she failed to report a COVID outbreak to the chief medical officer of health, which put both residents and the wider community at risk, Pollock said. Absurd statement Jovic told an inspector in July 2021 that she wore personal protective equipment whenever she entered a residents room. The inspector testified this was an absurd statement to make, as there was not a single shred of evidence that ever took place, Pollock said. From 2018 to 2022, Jovic was cited seven times for failing to follow infection prevention and control procedures. The failings include misleading, or entirely missing, records of cleaning; improper cleaning of soiled undergarments; and numerous failings around COVID-19 screening, prevention and control measures, including during an outbreak in the home, Pollock said. The Home and Community Care Support Services Waterloo Wellington said residents wore the same clothes for one or even two weeks. The same clothes would be worn during the day and the night and would be visibly soiled, including with feces, Pollock said. Jovic covered the beds of incontinent residents with plastic tablecloths to protect the beds from urine, he said. (She) would also use a sponge to clean urine off the floor and later use that same sponge to wash down counters. In December 2021, Jovic called an ambulance to take a resident to hospital, Pollock said. The woman, 87, was vomiting and had diarrhea. Jovic told paramedics the woman had bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression and told the hospital the woman had Down syndrome, Pollock said. None of that was correct. The woman had dementia, which Jovic did not disclose, Pollock said. She was also allergic to penicillin, which Jovic did not mention. Because the resident spoke only Serbian and had significant dementia, she unable to tell paramedics about her allergy. Jovics omission could have had catastrophic consequences, Pollock said. The resident was extremely fortunate that her treatment regime did not involve the use of antibiotics. Although the home is licensed for only eight residents, an inspection in July 2021 found 11 people living there, Pollock said. Jovic maintained her transgressions were minor and that her conduct was improving. (Her) conduct has shown that she has been given opportunity after opportunity, which she has squandered, Pollock said. She has demonstrated convincingly that she is ungovernable and there is no alternative to revocation. Positive experience Zora Srpski Dom is the only Serbian-language retirement home in Ontario, Pollock said. One man testified his father had an extremely positive experience there. Living in a community in which everyone spoke his native tongue, where they ate traditional Serbian foods and where everyone had access to Serbian-language television was extremely important and comforting to his father, Pollock said. Other witnesses also testified about ZSDs importance to the Serbian community. Jovics son, Boban Jovic, a part owner who works at the retirement home, said in an interview this week that no residents have opted to transfer to another facility. This is a very nice place, very family oriented, he said. We know we didnt do anything wrong and it is proved because everybody is staying here. Pollock ruled the health, welfare and safety of the public especially the residents trump the nevertheless important value of receiving services in their native language and culture. The Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) demonstrated conclusively that Jovanka Jovic is no longer competent to operate the retirement home in a responsible manner, Pollock said. The RHRA regulates about 775 retirement homes in Ontario. Homes of all sizes may experience issues complying with the Retirement Homes Act, said Norris, the RHRA spokesperson. However, the revocation of a homes licence is not something RHRA takes lightly. We will attempt other means of bringing a home into compliance with the Retirement Homes Act before issuing an order to revoke a homes licence. Jovanka Jovic blamed problems at the home on outside care delivered by personal support workers. With this program, my health care services were reduced and I only prepared food and administered medicines, she said in an email. Every attempt I made to participate in the care of the patients was energetically rejected, she said, and deficiencies were attributed to me. SHARE: The owner of a property where a man allegedly confined and sexually assaulted women described him Friday as a man with two sides one kind and polite, one sinister. Meanwhile, an advocate says predators have been able to use the streets as hunting grounds because of a lack of accountability in the justice system and mistrust toward police from women who work in the sex trade. Richard Robert Mantha, 59, is accused of confining, drugging and sexually assaulting three women in the Calgary area. Police allege Mantha approached women who were working in the sex trade, drugged them and took them to a rural property east of Calgary, where they were physically and sexually assaulted. Mantha faces a total of 16 charges, including kidnapping, sexual assault, forcible confinement and assault with a weapon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred between December 2021 and March 2023. Police have not announced any further charges against Mantha but said theyre not ruling anything out and the investigation is ongoing. Experts and advocates say the case highlights the vulnerability of women in the sex trade and raises questions about communication and co-ordination between police services, as Mantha was charged with two sex crimes about a year ago before Calgary police collaborated with the RCMP and laid a further 13 charges. Court documents show Mantha was first charged with sexual assault and assault causing bodily harm in April 2022 by Strathmore RCMP. He failed to attend a court appearance on March 21 and a warrant was issued for his arrest. At some point last month, Calgary police got involved and made a connection between the same individual and alleged crimes that were being committed against sex workers in the city. Strathmore RCMP first received a report from an injured woman on April 22, 2022. On April 24, Mantha was arrested and released on an undertaking to appear in court on May 17, said Cpl. Gina Slaney with Alberta RCMP. Between that date and January 2023, the case was adjourned seven times due to issues with lawyers, she added. Mantha also had court dates in January and February, where the case was also adjourned. On April 6, 2023, Calgary police descended on a rural property on Vale View Road east of Calgary, where they arrested 59-year-old Mantha, and spent nearly a week searching, including with forensic trucks and cadaver dogs. A property owner who said Mantha was renting a storage shed on their property said the raid came as a complete surprise. I think were still in shock to be honest with you We didnt know anything, said Muriel Lock, who lives there with her husband Paul. According to Lock, Mantha did odd jobs and worked in construction and vehicle repairs. He seemed to have two different sides to him, she said. To me he was kind, polite, respectful. To other men, I would say he was antagonizing, looking for a fight, Lock said. She said Mantha was not supposed to be living on the property, but only renting a shed for storage. When they confronted him about it, she said he approached her husband in a way that intimidated them. She said she and her husband noticed Mantha had both male and female visitors and would frequently come and go with his truck in the middle of the night. He often made a lot of noise, she added, and described him as a hoarder. At some point, she said Mantha visited his mother in Quebec, but she was unsure how long hed been living in Alberta. Lock said shes disappointed with how the case has been handled she said RCMP first showed up to her property about a year ago and handcuffed Mantha, but she doesnt believe he was taken into custody. She said Mantha told her the police visit was about a dispute he was having with one of his customers. She said she and her husband were left in the dark at that time and continue to be. We were not allowed to know what it was about. I strongly feel something maybe should have been done and this could have been avoided, Lock said. The cops are not saying anything to us, she added. Lock said Friday she had just returned from court to seek a restraining order against Mantha. The arrest and charges did not come as a shock to Jacquie Meyer, founder and director of Her Victory, an organization that helps women who want to exit the sex trade or who have been forced into sex trafficking. Ive been talking about this for a year and a half with (police) about missing women and whats been going on as far as on the stroll, about women getting kidnapped, Meyer said, referring to what is known as the Prostitution stroll in Forest Lawn, the neighbourhood where police allege Mantha stalked his victims. Meyer said several of the alleged victims are being supported by her organization. Theyre shaken up, theyre rattled and they have a fear of being out here if this man gets out on bail, theres a fear for them, being in this community, she said. She said she works with Calgary police closely and while they are supportive and have increased their presence in the area, the problem is accountability for the offenders. That perpetrators out 48 hours later, in the same hunting grounds, outside on our blocks. So its frustrating for police, theyre doing their job, but the culpability, thats been very frustrating, Meyer said. She said she believes the three women who police have identified are not the only victims. Whether they come forward, I cant answer that, that will be up to them. But theres more, Meyer said. She added that many women working in the sex trade are hesitant to report to police which can lead to offences staying in the shadows. The girls rarely, rarely report, Meyer said. Theres ones that definitely dont want to go to police for fear of their safety of reporting some of them have their own criminal issues to deal with. Doug King, a professor of Justice Studies at Mount Royal University, said the allegations and subsequent arrest raise a number of questions. My mind eventually went right to the Pickton situation, because one of the problems there was the lack of interagency communication, between Vancouver police and Surrey RCMP, King said, referring to Robert Pickton, the notorious serial killer who confessed to killing nearly 50 women and burying them in and around his pig farm. The police have to answer the question about interagency communication, King added. When did they have a sense of who this individual might be and were they in communication with one another back and forth? I think its a good question to ask, but I dont think we should assume that the collaboration didnt happen. Calgary Police did not respond to a request for comment for further details on how they identified Mantha as a suspect in additional offences. Kim Arial, a lawyer who spoke in court on behalf of Mantha, told the Star she was unable to provide comment. On Friday, Arial told the court she was having trouble communicating with Mantha about the bail hearing and her retainer and asked for the matter to be adjourned to Tuesday. Court records show Mantha has previously faced charges for uttering a threat, possession of stolen property and missing court appearances numerous times. Manthas next court appearance is on Tuesday. With files from Alex Boyd Read more about: SHARE: The Toronto Zoo bid farewell to another long-time resident this week: 13-year-old North American river otter, Talise. On Friday, the zoo announced that the female otter passed away from what they suspect was an underlying heart issue. When she passed, she was under evaluation for a serious illness, the zoo said in a Facebook post. A heart problem would explain the fluid retention and heart murmur diagnosed while she was alive, and an abnormal heart noted at a preliminary post-mortem examination. Talise, whose name meant beautiful waters, joined the Toronto Zoo in 2010. She was found orphaned by a couple in Kenora, Ont. and hand-raised for her first three months by staff at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources before arriving at the zoo. (She) was so full of sass and energy. She bonded closely with her keepers because she was hand raised, the post continued, and she would regularly greet her Wildlife Care team in the morning by chirping for attention and for her breakfast. Talise eventually became a member of the Americas Pavilion and joined then-resident otters Neo and Maria. In 2016, Talise was introduced to a third friend, a male otter named RJ who still lives at the zoo. Although they didnt mate, the zoo said they got along swimmingly! In fact, both RJ and Talise were always together and if they werent competing over enrichment, they were often found snuggling up together. Talise kept RJ on his toes and she was definitely the boss of the habitat! Talise was also known for her eagerness and intelligence, with the zoo noting that keepers had to constantly figure out new enrichment devices to challenge her and encourage increased foraging time. The news comes just days after the zoo bid farewell to 25-year-old grizzly bear Samson who suffered progressive arthritis and was humanely euthanized on Monday. Described as a gentle and curious bear who was intelligent and motivated to learn new behaviours, Samson joined the zoo in 1998 after being found in Alaska wandering without his mother and undernourished. The grizzlys farewell was led by Indigenous Knowledge Keepers who honoured his spirit and the cultural significance of bears to Indigenous Peoples. With files from Kelly Skjerven MH Mahdis Habibinia is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: mhabibinia@thestar.ca SHARE: Ellie Bridgman spent her Thursday night shift at a local gas station in Union, Missouri, planning for the day shell lose access to gender-affirming treatments the transgender and nonbinary 23-year-old credits with making life worth living. A first-of-its-kind emergency rule introduced this week by Missouris Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey will impose numerous restrictions on both adults and children before they can receive puberty-blocking drugs, hormones or surgeries for the purpose of transitioning gender. Transgender rights advocates have vowed to challenge the rule in court before it takes effect April 27. But promises of swift legal action have done little to ease the worries of trans Missourians like Bridgman who say it may be time to flee the state. Before gender-affirming medical treatments can be provided by physicians, the regulation requires people to have experienced an intense pattern of documented gender dysphoria for three years and to have received at least 15 hourly sessions with a therapist over at least 18 months. Patients also would first have to be screened for autism and social media addiction, and any psychiatric symptoms from mental health issues would have to be treated and resolved. Some individuals will be allowed to maintain their prescriptions while they promptly receive the required assessments. Bridgman, who uses she/they pronouns, is autistic and has depression. She said she sees only two options: move across the country, away from all her friends and family, to a state that protects access to gender-affirming care, or accept the serious health risks that could come with illegally buying hormones online. She headed to a pharmacy Friday afternoon to pay out of pocket for all her remaining refills. Placing restrictions on transitioning for people with depression is just a way for them to completely bar us from transitioning at all, Bridgman said. For lots of trans people, dysphoria is the cause of depression. You cant treat the depression without treating the underlying dysphoria. Before Bridgman started hormone replacement therapy last summer, she said life felt meaningless and suicidal thoughts crowded her head. Gender-affirming care was her last chance at life, she said. The regulation comes as Republican lawmakers across the country, including in Missouri, have advanced hundreds of measures aimed at nearly every facet of transgender existence, with a particular emphasis on health care. At least 13 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors. Bills await action from governors in Montana, North Dakota and neighboring Kansas, and nearly two dozen other states are considering legislation to restrict or ban care. National groups advocating for LGBTQ+ rights contend the Missouri regulation based on a state law against deceptive and unfair business practices goes further than most restrictions enacted elsewhere. Three states have imposed restrictions on gender-affirming care via regulation or administrative order, but Missouris regulation is the only one that also limits treatments for adults. Cathy Renna, a spokesperson for the National LGBTQ Task Force, said the rule demonstrates how Republicans are now successfully broadening the scope of gender-affirming care restrictions beyond minors, which advocates had been warning about for months. When they see one thing work in one state, theyll try to replicate it in another, Renna warned. Baileys restriction comes after a former employee at a transgender youth clinic in St. Louis alleged that physicians at the Washington University Transgender Center were rushing to provide treatment without appropriate patient assessment. Bailey said he is investigating the clinic but has not yet issued a report. The claims of mistreatment have been disputed by others, including another former employee and patients. Neither Bailey nor the university responded to phone and email messages seeking comment. Dr. Meredithe McNamara, an assistant professor of pediatrics specializing in adolescent medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, said evidence widely supports maintaining access to hormone therapy and other gender-affirming care. As part of a consent process, Baileys rule requires that patients be shown materials containing nearly two dozen specific statements raising concerns about gender-affirming treatments a practice doctors like McNamara have denounced as a form of conversion therapy. There is no evidence that shows that psychotherapy as the only treatment is effective, she said. Stacy Cay, an autistic trans woman in Kansas City, has been stockpiling vials of injectable estrogen in anticipation of restrictions. The 30-year-old comedian and model realized she only required a small dose and has saved up enough estrogen to last about a year. When that runs out, she will have to travel across state lines to fill prescriptions or consider moving elsewhere. Cay said her persistent depression will cut off her access to hormones under the regulation and that her autism diagnosis could complicate her path to receiving future care. While the regulation does not specify whether autism disqualifies a person for gender-affirming care, it does mandate an assessment. A 2020 study from natural sciences journal Nature Communications estimated that transgender and gender-diverse people, or those whose gender expressions do not conform to gender norms, are 3-6 times more likely to be autistic compared to cisgender people. They were also more likely to have other developmental and psychiatric conditions, including depression. They know a lot of us are autistic, and its part of their strategy to paint us as unstable that we cant be trusted to make our own medical decisions, Cay said. Attorneys from Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union say they plan to challenge the new rule in court. Missouri falls under the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals the same court that upheld a preliminary injunction last year preventing Arkansas from enforcing a first-in-the-nation ban on trans children receiving gender-affirming treatments. Federal judges have also blocked enforcement of a similar law in Alabama. Republican legislators leading Missouris effort to ban gender-affirming treatments for minors said Friday that they have no plans to expand their legislation to include adults. Separate bills passed by the Missouri House and Senate would ban treatments for children younger than 18 but would impose no restrictions for adults who are covered by private insurance or willing to pay for their own health care. I believe it is detrimental to a persons body, probably even their psyche, to go through treatments like that, said state Sen. Mike Moon, lead sponsor of the Senate legislation. Adults have the opportunity to make decisions such as these. ___ Schoenbaum reported from Raleigh, North Carolina, and Lieb reported from Jefferson City. Associated Press editor Jeff McMillan contributed from Scranton, Pennsylvania. SHARE: HANOI (AP) Fifty years after the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam, Secretary of State Antony Blinken looked Saturday to strengthen Americas ties with its old foes in Hanoi as it seeks to counter Chinas growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Blinken and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh pledged to boost relations to new levels as they met just two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the U.S. troop withdrawal that marked the end of Americas direct military involvement in Vietnam. And it came as Blinken broke ground on a sprawling new $1.2 billion U.S. embassy compound in the Vietnamese capital, a project the Biden administration hopes will demonstrate its commitment to further improving ties less than 30 years after diplomatic relations were restored in 1995. Despite concerns over Vietnams human rights record, Washington sees Hanoi as a key component of its strategy for the region and has sought to leverage Vietnams traditional rivalry with its much larger neighbor China to expand U.S. influence in the region. We think this is an auspicious time to elevate our existing partnership, Blinken told reporters after meetings with Chinh, Vietnams foreign minister and Communist Party chief. This has been a very comprehensive and effective relationship and going forward we will continue to deepen relations, Chinh said. We highly appreciate the role and responsibility of the U.S. towards the Asia Pacific, or, in a larger scheme, the Indo-Pacific. He added that Vietnams communist government is keen to further elevate our bilateral ties to a new height. Along with a number of Chinas smaller neighbors, Vietnam has maritime and territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. The U.S. has responded by offering diplomatic support and bolstering military cooperation with the Philippines and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as a renegade province. Blinken noted that the U.S. is currently finalizing the transfer to Vietnam of a third Coast Guard cutter, which will complement existing maritime security cooperation that has seen Washington give Hanoi 24 patrol boats since 2016 along with other equipment and training. All of these elements bolster Vietnamese capacity to contribute to maritime peace and stability in the South China Sea, he said. Just last month, China threatened serious consequences after the U.S. Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in a move Beijing claimed was a violation of its sovereignty and security. The Paracels are occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. U.S. officials are reluctant to describe any visit to Asia in terms of China, preferring instead to discuss the importance of improving bilateral ties. But they frequently speak to broader concerns in the region that are clearly directed at China. We focused on how our countries can advance a free and open Indo-Pacific; one that is at peace and grounded in respect the rules-based international order, Blinken said. And five decades after the Nixon administration pulled U.S. combat forces out of Vietnam on March 29, 1973, Blinken said the U.S. is seeking a more strategic orientation with the country. Blinkens visit comes as the administration grapples with its own record of troop withdrawals and is facing congressional criticism and demands to explain the chaotic U.S. departure from Afghanistan two years ago. Some have likened that to the Vietnam experience, especially as it relates to the fate of Afghans who supported the 20-year military mission but were left behind when the Biden administration pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021. SHARE: 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. In a meeting with National Dialogue General Coordinator Diaa Rashwan, the human rights groups highlighted the need to secure an atmosphere that ensures the effective engagement of all parties in the dialogue, a statement by the dialogue read. They also stressed the importance of securing further freedom for the human rights groups work and passing legislation that would give these groups more room to work. Representatives of a number of rights groups attended the meeting, including from the Arab Organisation for Human Rights, the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, the Arab Youth Council for Integrated Development and the Arab Council Supporting Fair Trials and Human Rights (ACSFT). Representatives from Al-Mahrousa for Development and Participation, El Hak Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Human Rights as well as from the LIFE Foundation for Development and Community Integration were among the attendees. The meeting also saw the participation of the Egyptian Association for the Care of Prisoners and Their Families, the National Association for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms as well as a number of human rights experts. During the meeting, the participants discussed key issues regarding human rights and public freedoms, including those related to people with disabilities, women and freedom of belief. They also presented their proposals regarding reintegration of released prisoners into society, ensuring effective participation of youth and providing free legal assistance for the needy accused. They also discussed the issues of securing more fair trial guarantees and demanded speedy issuance of service cards for people with disabilities to receive the services allocated for them under the law. The participants stressed that they hope that the dialogue sessions would be public. This is the second meeting for Rashwan with representatives of the human rights organisations as the first meeting took place last Sunday. During the last meeting, 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 2019 law regulating the activities of NGOs and civil society in Egypt. The Ministry of Social Solidarity had already announced that 12 April was the final registration deadline. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for the dialogue during the annual Egyptian Family Iftar banquet in 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 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. Search Keywords: Short link: SANAA, Yemen (AP) Hundreds of detainees from Yemens conflict were released Saturday as part of a major prisoner exchange that began a day earlier, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The deal, brokered by the United Nations last month, has been the most significant exchange of prisoners in Years. It comes amid concerted efforts diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the long-running war in Yemen. It involves the release of more than 800 prisoners from all sides of the war that began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Yemens capital, Sanaa, overthrowing the internationally recognized government. The government fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later, and the conflict turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the United States long involved on the periphery, providing intelligence assistance to the kingdom. However, international criticism over Saudi airstrikes killing civilians saw the U.S. pull back its support. The implementation of the three-day prisoner exchange started Friday with the release of 318 former detainees from all sides, including Maj. Gen. Mahmoud al-Subaihi, who was the defense minister when the war erupted, and Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The ICRC said all parties released a total of 357 war detainees on Saturday. Houthi prisoners were transported from Saudi Arabia and other government-held cities in Yemen to the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa, it said. Among those released were some two dozen Saudi and Sudanese troops from the Saudi-led coalition. The rebels also released relatives of late strongman leader of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh, according to the deal. Saleh had fought with the Houthis in the early years of the war, before changing sides, prompting the rebels to kill him in December 2017. Tariq Saleh, a nephew of the late president, is now leader of a powerful force in Yemens western coast area. The prisoner exchange came as the Houthis and Saudi Arabia on Friday wrapped up an intensive round of negotiations in Sanaa to revive an expired cease-fire and embark on talks to settle the conflict, according to the Houthis. Both sides would meet again for further talks, the rebels said. The Saudi-Houthi negotiations, brokered by Oman, have gained momentum following a deal last month between Saudi Arabi and Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran is the Houthis main foreign backer. The conflict in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. Read more about: SHARE: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A Silicon Valley city councilman has been charged with perjury after he allegedly lied about leaking a grand jury report to the San Francisco 49ers last year that detailed a purportedly unethical relationship between the team and the city council, prosecutors said Friday. Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker is accused of providing the secret report titled Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Santa Clara City Council to the teams former top spokesperson and a local media outlet in 2022, days ahead of its official release. Becker then allegedly lied to the grand jury about the leak, prosecutors said, prompting the criminal charges. The 49ers play in Levis Stadium in the city of Santa Clara, about 35 miles (56.33 kilometers) south of San Francisco. Santa Clara County is broadly considered home to Silicon Valley. The city of Santa Clara owns the stadium and leases it to the team; fighting between the two groups has led to ethics complaints, legal disputes and years of bad blood. Al Guido, the teams president, and Larry MacNeil, the former CFO who worked extensively on the teams stadium project, were named in the indictment as witnesses who spoke to the criminal grand jury for Beckers indictment. The 49ers have cooperated fully with the District Attorneys Office in their investigation, and will continue to do so, team spokesperson Brian Brokaw said in a statement Friday. However, because this is an ongoing legal matter, the organization is not able to make any further comment at this time. Prosecutors say the team has bankrolled Beckers political career by spending $3.2 million through independent expenditure committees for his 2020 city council race, which he won, as well as his unsuccessful 2022 mayoral bid. The Unsportsmanlike Conduct report alleged that Becker and four other councilmembers regularly voted in a manner that is favorable to the 49ers and would routinely meet with the teams lobbyists but not disclose what was discussed. Becker faces a felony charge of perjury under oath, as well as a misdemeanor charge of willful failure to perform duty. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday. Becker did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday, and it was not clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. Councilmember Becker violated the publics trust, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. That an elected official would commit perjury and lie under oath before the grand jury strikes at the very heart of our justice system and requires accountability. Representatives for the Santa Clara City Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. SHARE: Candidates for Toronto mayor in Junes by-election are, in many cases, campaigning on platforms that call for safer platforms; that is, a safer TTC amid a rash of violent incidents on transit. No matter the cause or culprit behind these incidents, awareness of and stigma around the citys homeless and mentally ill residents, some of whom take shelter on the transit system, has shot up dramatically. A video shared widely on social media this month depicts people laid out, presumably sleeping, on the steps inside a downtown transit station. In other words an emergency once mostly ignored by the general public is now at the top of everyones minds and newsfeeds. Many want to know who is to blame and who can solve homelessness in Toronto. The truth however, is that there is no singular villain responsible for this intractable crisis. If there were, perhaps the tragedy unfolding on our streets and in our shelter systems would be easier to mend. But just as homelessness itself is a complex, many-layered emergency, so unfortunately is the failure to respond to it. In fact, it is a multi-system failure involving every level of government: specifically government leaders that pass the buck when what they ought to do is put their heads together to find solutions. Consider the fact that Torontos overall homeless population increased by more than 1,000 in the last year to more than 10,000 people in February. Yet, experts who study homelessness are in broad agreement that new budgets from the provincial and federal governments are insufficient to tackle the crisis in Toronto and beyond. Last month, the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness declared that while the 2023 federal budget includes $4 billion for an Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy, the sum falls far short of what is needed in a nation where the cost-of-living crisis is creating a homelessness crisis on the scale of Canadas largest natural disasters. Meanwhile, Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josee Houle, has issued a similarly scathing statement about a budget she believes falls drastically far short of what is required to stem the tide of housing loss and homelessness that is sweeping across the country. According to Houle, desperately-needed items missing from the budget include expanded and long-term funding for the Rapid Housing Initiative, a program that fast tracks the construction of deeply affordable homes for vulnerable Canadians. Surely expanded funding to such an initiative would go a long way in Toronto where the shelter system is at a breaking point. According to Gord Tanner, the general manager of city halls shelter, support and housing administration division, who spoke with the Stars Victoria Gibson recently, Toronto is spending $317 million dollars it doesnt have to operate shelters this year. Absent a major funding increase, the city could see shelter closures as early as the beginning of 2024. Though the provinces budget included $48 million for supportive housing services, the city remains in dire financial straits. Without greater financial support from higher levels of government, the city will be forced to dip into its scant reserves, a move that could, ironically, undercut the provinces own goals. Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie has warned that not spending on infrastructure will undermine the citys ability to support new home construction and meet the provinces housing targets. But lack of funds aside, it appears it is ultimately a lack of cooperation that many are lamenting. Tanner, for example, has expressed his frustration with the provincial government for neglecting to follow through on a 2021 recommendation made by Ontarios auditor general that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing take the lead on talks for a homelessness strategy in the province. Tanner told the Star that if heeded, such a recommendation could result in representatives from sectors like child welfare, mental health, and corrections, working together towards a common goal. Instead, governments have taken a fragmented approach to homelessness: an approach that favours piecemeal, short-term measures at the expense of a shared strategic plan. In the end, only a holistic approach will combat homelessness. Every level of government brings an element to the table that is key to the process, whether its the local knowledge required to choose the site of deeply affordable housing, the funds to build that housing, or the health resources to care for the residents. Nothing will change for the better at least until all hands are on deck. SHARE: Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sept 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sept 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (17) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sept 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (203) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (350) Sept 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (438) Jan 2014 (543) Feb 2014 (474) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (526) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sept 2014 (441) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (579) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sept 2015 (922) Oct 2015 (919) Nov 2015 (801) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (781) Feb 2016 (834) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (946) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (881) Aug 2016 (1035) Sept 2016 (966) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sept 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sept 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sept 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sept 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sept 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sept 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (737) Nov 2022 (718) Dec 2022 (692) Jan 2023 (662) Feb 2023 (611) Mar 2023 (692) Apr 2023 (545) The celebration of the Resurrection is the highest and most majestic expression of that endless love that embraces the whole of humanity and that defeats evil, says Cardinal Lucian, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia and Fagaras, in his pastoral address to the faithful. "It is the celebration of the Mystery of redemption from the slavery of sin and death, it is the celebration of the voice of the open Heaven, of God's love proved by the sacrifice of His Son's life, the price of the redemption of the human race. (...). God manifests and expresses His love, even if man continues to live the reality of his life disturbed by sin. (...). We Christians believe that the Resurrection is the true salvation of all mankind. Death and hell have been destroyed, and our sins have been forgiven. (...). Being enflamed by these, we are also indebted, like the women who ran with great joy to tell the disciples that the Lord is risen, to share our hope and our lives with all people," says Cardinal Lucian, who is also the Major Archbishop of the United Romanian Church with Rome. He says that the Saviour is in the hungry and the thirsty, in the imprisoned or foreign, in the naked or the sick. "He is alive and present in the human altar on every street corner, in the human altar on every hospital bed, or in the human altar that fights to save lives. We think in these moments of our brothers who have been tried hard by the war in Ukraine, but also the populations of Turkey and Syria, severely affected by the earthquakes that caused a real tragedy. They are our brothers. Their tears are our tears. God suffers with them and with us," says the high Greek-Catholic prelate. Cardinal Lucian emphasizes that the turbulent times we are living in show that there is a need for continuous conversion, extended from each believer to the entire Church, in its human and historical component. "The Word of God strengthens us whenever we face injustices in society and teaches us to overcome them as Jesus Himself did, testifying to the truth with love and forgiveness," says Cardinal Lucian, who also refers to the demolition of the Greek-Catholic place of worship from Ungheni, "a sad news, an unjust and unimaginable event in a democratic society and in the relations between the sister Churches". He also recalls the fact that 2023 is an occasion for the Greek Catholic Church to celebrate, because it is celebrating 170 years since the elevation of the United Romanian Episcopate of Transylvania to the dignity of Metropolitan. "Only through faith will we taste the meaning of the Resurrection! Faith illuminates, sustains and transforms us. Without faith we are alone, we are poor souls and we cannot see beyond the grave. (...). Just as we bring home the 'light', on the Holy Night of the Resurrection, let us also carry, day by day, the inner light of our faith where we live, where we work, where we study. This means to live as true Christians in our family, to do our duty according to Christian principles in the place at work, at school and in society," the head of the Romanian Church United with Rome also says in his pastoral letter. AGERPRES Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca wishes the Romanians who celebrate Easter this weekend that the joy of the Resurrection should bring them peace of mind, peace and happiness with their loved ones. "May the joy of the Resurrection of the Lord bring you peace of mind, peace, joy and the happiness of spending beautiful moments with your loved ones! Christ is risen!", Prime Minister Ciuca wrote in a congratulatory message posted on the Government's Facebook page. AGERPRES The Minister of Culture, Lucian Romascanu, says on the occasion of the World Art Day, marked on Saturday, that art remains an expression of freedom and urges to honoring artists and enjoy their creations. "Art, through all its forms of manifestation, has the power to bring us together and to be comfort or even support in difficult times, helping us not to lose sight of the essential and to move on. This year, the World Day of Art takes place on Holy Saturday, an extremely important day for Orthodox believers who await the Resurrection of the Lord, another occasion when we take care of our souls. So today, perhaps more than ever, I want us to celebrate by turn towards itself, towards the fundamental values of the Romanian people, and let's put beauty first. At the same time, let's not forget that art has accompanied humanity since ancient times and, beyond its social and identity valences, remains an expression of freedom. Let us let's honor the artists and enjoy their creations!", said the Minister of Culture, Lucian Romascanu. World Art Day, an initiative of the International Art Association within the XVII General Assembly in Guadalajara, Mexico, is celebrated on April 15, told Agerpres. Celebrated for the first time in 2012, the date was symbolically chosen to honor the memory of Leonardo da Vinci, a complex sculptor, painter, architect and inventor, born on 15 April, 571 years ago. As the nation watches a controversial abortion-rights ruling out of Texas move toward its likely showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court, Missourians should know the role of their state's top legal official. Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a friend-of-the-court brief in February that makes some tortured but telling arguments for outlawing a drug commonly used in medical abortions among his arguments is that easy availability of the drug could actually diminish women's right of choice by making it easier for abusive boyfriends to "coerce" them to obtain abortions. Did Bailey even pause at the irony that the policies supported by him and his fellow Missouri Republicans today coerce women throughout Missouri, including rape victims and minors, into carrying unwanted pregnancies to term? The opinion by a Texas-based federal judge last week overturning the Food and Drug Administration's approval, two decades ago, of the abortion inducing drug mifepristone could effectively outlaw the most commonly used method of terminating early-term pregnancies, even in states where abortion remains legal. Bailey, in his brief supporting the judge's stance, makes a strong if unintentional case for just how unreasonable Missouri's strict abortion ban truly is. Bailey's brief leans hard on the argument that medically induced abortions are "much riskier than surgical abortions." That claim is disputed by scientific data, but take it at face value for a moment in light of Missouri's near-total abortion ban: Missouri women who are desperate to end unwanted pregnancies, but who don't have means to travel to an out-of-state abortion clinic, literally have no choice but to turn to this method that Bailey maintains is more dangerous. He and his fellow Republican politicians have made sure of that. Bailey's brief brings up then misrepresents a horrific story shared a few years ago by U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, about changing her mind going into a surgical abortion when she was young, but being unable to convince the doctor to stop. Bush, who is staunchly pro-choice, presented the story as an example of the medical establishment's failure to listen to young Black women, but all Bailey came away with was that she was "coerced into obtaining an abortion." As if the central injustice today is that vanishingly rare scenario, rather than the now-common specter of states like Missouri forcing women (even rape victims) to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. The same backward logic is at play in Bailey's claim that "ready availability of abortions by mail means that abusive boyfriends or others will more easily be able to coerce women to obtain abortions." That strained argument aside, did Bailey think twice about raising the issue of abusive boyfriends, when legislative Republicans refuse to bar Missourians convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse from buying guns? Bailey's brief ultimately illuminates nothing so strongly as the Missouri Republican establishment's utter lack of self-awareness regarding the dystopia they have created for half their citizens. BRENTWOOD When you ask Michael Kupstas his preferred order at Lions Choice, he doesnt need to think about it: A roast beef sandwich with Swiss cheese, horseradish sauce and au jus, and a side of fries. But on Tuesday, Kupstas, former CEO of the Town and Country-based chain, went for something different: The chili lime crispy chicken salad, a seasonal item that had just returned to the menu. Ive been craving it for the whole winter, Kupstas said. Ive been anticipating this day. After leading the company for six years, Kupstas, 66, retired at the end of March. His successor, Fred Burmer, 65, stepped into the CEO role on April 3. As the lunch crowd began to simmer Tuesday at the Lions Choice restaurant on Hanley Road, Kupstas and Burmer discussed the challenges the company has navigated over the past few years, and their aspirations to expand the home-grown restaurant chain. Lions Choice was founded in Ballwin, in 1967, with the goal of serving working families when they didnt have time to cook at home. It was originally called Red Lion Beef, but that changed after the owners realized there was already a hotel chain by the name Red Lion. Kupstas has served as CEO since 2017, when the chance to be part of another quintessentially St. Louis brand pulled him out of retirement. Before Lions Choice, Kupstas had worked for 17 years at Panera, most recently as senior vice president and chief franchise officer. When he took on the job at Lions Choice, his goal was to ready the company for expansion. Weve got this wonderful brand thats loved by employees and guests. How do we update it? How do we get it ready for a growth spurt? Kupstas said. We know people like roast beef across the country, and this has the opportunity to be more than a St. Louis brand. The food is meant to be customized. Many loyal customers ignore the menu display. Youre not swimming upstream, asking for Texas toast, Kupstas said, referencing the preferred order of Lions Choice Brand Manager Jessie Crouch: roast beef on Texas toast with pepper jack cheese, honey mustard and horseradish. Today the restaurant chain is spread loosely across the Interstate 70 corridor between the Metro East and Kansas City, with 30 locations in total. The original owners attempted to expand further at one point, Kupstas said, giving franchises to friends and family in Florida, Oklahoma and Texas. But they were short-lived. During Kupstas tenure he added a chicken tender sandwich to the menu in 2021, and a plant-based meatball sub in 2022. Now, he said, customers can be vegan, vegetarian, high-protein, low-protein, keto or gluten-free. He also saw the company through the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread labor shortages that followed. At one point, Kupstas said, Lions Choice was down 25% from its typical, 550-person headcount. And though the workforce has returned to about 550, that number doesnt speak to the pockets of challenges that we have, he said. Its still the industrys biggest challenge, and the average hours each employee works has declined. The pandemic also put some of his expansion and remodeling plans on hold. Now, he said, Were dusting those plans off. Burmer, the incoming CEO, grew up in Florida. He started his career in restaurants as a part-time dishwasher at a Pizza Hut in Orlando, while he attended the University of Central Florida. He relocated to St. Louis from Atlanta, where he had served as chief operating officer of a YUM! Brands franchisee that included Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Long John Silvers restaurants. His go-to order at Lions Choice is roast beef with provel, and horseradish on the side. On Tuesday, he opted for the cluckin hot chicken tender sandwich, and French fries with chipotle ranch. Burmer said he has been studying the West Coast burger chain In-N-Out as a model for successfully expanding a regional brand. Founded in 1948 in the Los Angeles area, and despite its strong identity as a California chain, In-N-Out has expanded into other western states: Nevada, Arizona and Utah. It expanded to Texas in 2011, Oregon in 2015, and Colorado in 2020. When we go into new markets, were going to be bold about it, Burmer said. And make sure our operations actually back up our claims. Its not hard to get people to come try Lions Choices famous roast beef sandwiches, Burmer said. But when they do, it sure better be right. Otherwise, well be a flash in the pan wherever we go. Pope Tawadros II, the Pope of Alexandria and head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, led the Easter Mass on Holy Saturday at the Great Hall of the St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abbasiya district of Cairo. The Easter Mass was attended by a large group of worshippers as well as senior bishops, priests and deacons. On Friday, also at the Abbasiya Cathedral, Pope Tawadros II led the Good Friday Mass, which was attended by hundreds of worshippers as well as senior bishops and priests. Palm Sunday, which fell on 9 April this year, marked the first day of Holy Week. The Holy Week includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, which is Easter Eve. After attending the Easter Mass, Copts celebrate ending a 55-day fast referring to the festivities as the Big Eid. The Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Easter according to the Coptic calendar, which is also known as the Alexandrian calendar. The church sets the date of Easter according to the actual equinox and astronomical full moon observed along the meridian of Jerusalem - where the Crucifixion and Resurrection took place. In contrast, Western churches fix the date of the spring equinox to 21 March and bases its calculations on tables created by the church, rather than the actual astronomical full moon. Search Keywords: Short link: Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. STL Life Stay up to date on the best of STL Life: parenting, home fashion, travel, restaurant reviews, recipes and more. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy FRIDAY, April 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill that bans abortions in that state after six weeks, with exemptions only given up to 15 weeks for rape, incest, and the life and health of the pregnant woman. The new law will impact women in the state, as well as those in the region where many have traveled to Florida to access abortions when they have been unable to do so in their own states, NBC News reported. DeSantis had previously signed a 15-week abortion ban last year. That ban is now before the Florida Supreme Court, which means the latest ban is also on hold until the court rules on the earlier ban. All Republicans in the Florida Senate voted for the law, with the exception of two freshmen lawmakers in swing-seat areas, NBC News reported. Florida has seen an increase in abortions ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court and abortions have been restricted in nearby states, NBC News reported. Women seeking abortions increased from 3,988 in 2020 to 6,708 in 2022, according to the state's Agency for Health Care Administration. The White House had earlier noted the proposed six-week ban. "The President and Vice President believe women should be able to make health care decisions with their doctors and families -- free from political interference," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement when the bill was filed in March, NBC News reported. "They are committed to protecting access to reproductive care, and continue to call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law." Yield: 6 cups 1 quart (4 cups) very thinly sliced peeled yellow onions 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 6 cups rich chicken stock 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 12 slices toasted bread or crostini to fit in soup bowls 3 cups grated Comte, Gruyere or Swiss cheese Fresh chives for garnish 1. Thinly slice the onions and place in a large bowl. Toss to separate the rings and set aside. 2. Melt the butter in a 5-quart pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and salt. 3. Caramelize the onions very slowly over medium-low heat. It will take 30 to 50 minutes or more, stirring occasionally as needed. 4. As the onions cook they will release water, but if you notice sticking to the pan, add small amounts of water to prevent burning and release any flavorful pieces that develop on the bottom of the pan. 5. You want the onions to reach a deep brown almost the color of bourbon. At that point they are fully caramelized. 6. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the cooking onions, stirring it in completely to evenly distribute the flour. You dont want lumps in the flour before you add the stock next. 7. Pour 2 cups of stock over the onions, whisking as you go. Add the remaining 4 cups of stock in 2 cups at a time, whisking still to make sure no lumps are forming that need to be stirred down. 8. Bring the soup to a simmer and allow it to cook for 30 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, then stir in the sherry vinegar and ground pepper. 9. Turn the broiler on to medium high. 10. Portion the hot soup into 6 oven-proof bowls. Arrange 2 pieces of toasted bread on the surface. Top each bowl with cup of grated cheese, taking care to cover the bread. 11. Place under the broiler to melt the cheese. Keep a good eye on this as it only takes a few minutes, 2 to 4 minutes depending on the broiler. 12. Garnish each bowl with chopped chives. Per serving: 622 calories; 34g fat; 19g saturated fat; 97mg cholesterol; 29g protein; 50g carbohydrate; 11g sugar; 3g fiber; 1,225mg sodium; 660mg calcium To print the recipe, click here, then click the printer icon. ST. LOUIS St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Carlos F. Hurd and his wife, Katherine, left New York harbor on April 11, 1912, for a two-month holiday in Europe. Four days later, he woke up amidst one of the most stunning events of the 20th century. The Hurds were aboard the S.S. Carpathia, bound for Italy. At 5:40 a.m. on April 15, Carlos Hurd went topside to inquire about the commotion. A crewman, motioning to shivering newcomers, told him, "From the Titanic. She's at the bottom of the ocean." Four days out of Southampton, England, the pride of the White Star Line had struck an iceberg at 11:45 p.m. April 14 while on its inaugural run to New York. The Carpathia heard a distress call and reached the scene at 5:30 a.m., three hours after the Titanic went down with 1,503 passengers and crew. The Carpathia rescued 706 survivors. Hurd interviewed many of them, including a ship's officer who was at the helm when it struck ice. His 5,000-word report scooped the world on April 19 in the Post-Dispatch and the New York World, the Pulitzer newspaper in that city. The sinking of the Titanic. Here are seldom-seen photos of the rescue On April 14, 1912, the British liner RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 p.m. ship's time and began sinking. ( How he filed his dispatch is legend in the newspaper trade. The Carpathia's captain had refused to accept Morse code "wireless" transmissions from reporters, or accommodate Hurd. As the ship steamed into New York harbor, a tug sent by publisher Joseph Pulitzer drew alongside. Hurd had to evade the crew to toss his package, which he had tied to a buoy. It got entangled on a Carpathia guy line. A sailor, urged on by passengers, grabbed the package and returned it to Hurd, who dropped it to the Post-Dispatch's New York bureau chief on the tug. The stories filled four pages in Sunday's Post-Dispatch. An accompanying article by Katherine Hurd ran under the headline, "Stories of Women who Survived Titanic." Hurd, then 36, had been with the Post-Dispatch for 14 years. He and Katherine lived at 5577 Cabanne Avenue with their children. In 1917, Hurd wrote a gripping account of the race riot in East St. Louis. He covered politics, Veiled Prophet balls and the world wars. Katherine Hurd died in 1928. Carlos remarried, worked nearly 50 years at the newspaper and died in 1950 at age 73. One of his last assignments was writing a regular feature, "The Old Days." Read more stories from Tim O'Neil's Look Back series. ST. LOUIS Hundreds gathered in downtown St. Louis over the weekend to protest a wave of legislation to curtail rights for transgender people, including new emergency rules in Missouri putting restrictions on gender-related care such as hormone therapies and surgeries. Transition saved my life, and it saved the lives of a lot of trans people, said Zora Williams, 41, of St. Louis, at a protest Sunday near the Old Courthouse that drew more than 200 people. People deserve a right to this care. A rally Saturday in downtown St. Louis drew hundreds of transgender individuals, their partners, drag performers, members of the gay, lesbian, and queer communities, and other allies and protesters who said basic rights are under siege a message shouted throughout Kiener Plaza, across the street from the Old Courthouse, which helped produce the infamous Dred Scott decision, denying citizenship and freedom to African Americans. This is the beginning of fascism, said Kim Tucker, a volunteer organizer of the event from a group called Unity is Power. Trying to take away peoples rights. Protesters Sunday also marched from the Courthouse to the steps of St. Louis City Hall and back. The protest Sunday was organized by the Party for Socialism & Liberation, a group that tied support for transgender rights to other civil rights and social welfare fights. Organizers of both protests called for action in the wake of new emergency rules in Missouri that require 15 hours of psychological assessments over 18 months before gender-related treatments could begin, among other sweeping requirements. The rules, published by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, take effect April 27 and will apply to Missourians of all ages. Meanwhile, the Missouri House on Thursday gave final approval to legislation restricting health care for adolescents, one of a wide range of bills in Republican-led legislatures in Missouri and around the U.S. that aim to strip transgender individuals of access to gender-related care. While proponents have said they are trying to protect minors from life-altering medical decisions they might later regret, opponents have characterized the push as an attack on the transgender community. Local and national LGBTQ and civil rights groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union, blasted Baileys emergency rules as an effective ban on medical care for transgender patients. Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, which provides hormone therapy to patients 16 or older, announced efforts to scale up services to accept new patients before the new restrictions take effect, including pop-up clinics in St. Louis. Planned Parenthood said it provides care to more than 1,000 transgender patients currently. And protesters over the weekend vowed to continue to fight the restrictions and to organize to help transgender people access such care before the new emergency rules take effect, especially people who face barriers to health care or legal aid. We dont plan on stopping here, Tucker said Saturday. This wont be the only time that they hear from us. Williams, a nonbinary transgender woman, said Sunday that many in the transgender community seek gender-related care to become the person they want to be, something crucial for their health. Williams is worried that other people wont have that option in the future because of the new restrictions, and that their health will suffer. You cant stop people from transitioning, you can only stop us from transitioning safely, Williams said. Missouri Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, a Democrat newly elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, said that even if certain bills prevail at the state level, politicians in St. Louis will push to preserve rights at least at the city level. St. Louis will be a place of love, and well continue to fight for that, he said. The Tennessee Legislatures recent expulsion of two urban Democrats is being cited far and wide as a new kind of political offensive. Fundamentally, its not. Tennessees ruling Republicans were unusually ham-handed about it, but red-state politicians from Georgia to Florida to Texas to Missouri have, for a while now, been systematically undermining political representation of the blue-leaning cities in their states, in all kinds of ways. Its part of a broader GOP project to sabotage democracy anywhere it threatens their power. To recap: The so-called Tennessee three Democratic state House members from Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, the states three largest cities joined demonstrators in the House chamber protesting last months Nashville school shooting. Tennessees lax gun laws, like Missouris, are basically an engraved invitation for criminals and lunatics to load up. Republicans responded with resolutions to expel all three members from office for breaking House decorum rules. Thats the kind of infraction that would normally prompt censure, at most. Removal from office is rare and generally reserved for criminal offenses. In fact, just a few years ago, Republicans refused to expel a Republican House member who was credibly accused of past sexual misconduct against underaged girls. Ponder those priorities: Protesting the murders of children is grounds for expulsion; abusing them isnt. The House ultimately voted to expel two of the lawmakers, both Black men, while letting the third, a white woman, stay. Youd think that even in an Old South stronghold now controlled by the party of white grievance, someone would have paused to say, Wow, this looks bad. They apparently didnt care. They apparently didnt think they had to. They may yet find they were wrong on that front. Both expelled lawmakers were quickly returned to their House seats by their local elective bodies, thwarting the GOPs brazen attempt to disenfranchise more than 100,000 urban citizens. And the whole episode has enraged and energized Democrats around the country. Thats an appropriate response, but what happened in Tennessee shouldnt overshadow the less-brazen but equally chilling designs other red-state politicians have on democracy in the cities. Here in Missouri, where the Republican-led Legislature has refused to let St. Louis take a single step to counter the out-of-control violence fueled by the states insanely loose gun laws, theyre using the resulting crime wave as an excuse for a state takeover of the citys police force. As Mayor Tishaura Jones office noted last week, state control of the Kansas City police force hasnt prevented some of the most violent years in that citys history recently. The attempt by Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to remove Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner from office is a stickier issue because, well, Gardner is a catastrophe. But in a democracy, voters are allowed to choose badly (as four years under a sociopathic president recently reminded us). Whatever Gardners shortcomings, she was elected twice by city voters to her office; Bailey was appointed to his. Whats wrong with this picture? Other examples abound of red-state Republicans commandeering the democratic rights of urban voters. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott plans to pardon a man convicted of murder for shooting a Black Lives Matter protester, declaring that the judgment of the jurors and the elected progressive District Attorney in the liberal enclave of Austin cant be trusted. Georgias legislature attempted a state takeover of Atlantas elections on the false claim of voter fraud in 2020. In Florida last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis unilaterally suspended the elected prosecutor in Tampa for refusing to enforce the states draconian abortion law a refusal the prosecutors constituents endorsed by electing him twice. These banana-republic stunts come from a GOP that is increasingly, demonstrably out of touch with mainstream American society. Polls consistently show that on key issues like abortion, guns, taxes and civil rights, the nation is closer to Democratic than Republican thinking. In the past eight presidential elections, the Republican nominee has won the popular vote just once, and that was almost 20 years ago. In Missouri, voters have overruled their own lawmakers by referendum on Medicaid expansion, marijuana, the minimum wage, labor rights, political reform and more. But Republicans have seized supermajorities in statehouses around the country, due in large part to ruthless gerrymandering. In Missouri, for example, Democrats comprise more than 40% of the states voting population (based on the 2020 presidential results), but hold fewer than a third of the seats in the Legislature. That doesnt happen by accident. In that context, what was most surprising about Tennessees waltz toward tyranny isnt that the Republicans did it, but that they did it with the whole country raptly watching. They apparently think their partys war on cities has succeeded to the point that they no longer have to even pretend to respect the norms of democracy. The coming election season will determine whether theyre right. Kevin McDermott is a Post-Dispatch columnist and Editorial Board member. On Twitter: @kevinmcdermott. Email: kmcdermott@post-dispatch.com Welcome to Iola, Kansas The streets of Iola, in eastern Kansas, are safe now that officers have hunted down an 80-year-old driver for going three miles per hour over the posted 35 mile-per-hour speed limit. According to The Kansas City Star, driver John Sigg filed a lawsuit this week following an incident on April 16, 2021, in which he kept driving for a few minutes after an officer tried to signal him to pull over for speeding. Sigg says he thought the officer was following someone else. When Sigg finally pulled his car over and got out, he faced multiple officers who had responded to a radio call for assistance with a hot pursuit. One officer was particularly amped up, yelled for Sigg to get on the [expletive] ground, withdrew his Taser and zapped Sigg, who immediately collapsed. His lawsuit seeks $500,000 in damages. No more Tupperware parties? The company whose name has long been synonymous with re-sealable plastic food storage containers Tupperware has hit hard financial times, in part because that storied American gathering called the Tupperware party is about as fashionable today as hula hoops and rotary-dial phones. The iconic brand was founded in 1946 by one Earl Silas Tupper, who invented the first containers to bear the likeness of his name. But it was a single mother named Brownie Wise, in suburban Detroit, who came up with the concept of Tupperware parties, arranging them to sell the containers to friends. Tupper got word of it, hired her and revamped the companys strategy to sell exclusively through the parties. That worked well for decades. But later generations of women were less enamored of the idea of hosting parties around plastic bowls and kitchen chatter. Tupperware returned to store shelves only to find them crowded with modern competitors. The Orlando-based company issued a statement last week saying there is substantial doubt that it will continue as a going concern, The Washington Post reported. From the Annals of Stupid Crimes A Michigan man decided, for whatever reason that causes people to do bizarre things, to pose as a cop. He outfitted his silver BMW with flashing red and blue lights and started patrolling the roads. He pulled over one car too many. The driver, noting the youthful appearance and other unusual aspects about the demeanor of the person standing at her car door, decided to ask a few questions. She asked where he served, and he stated he was from the 12th Precinct in Detroit. When asked to show his identification, the cop, Christian Katan Mansoor, 18, said he needed to retrieve it from his car. The woman he had pulled over turned out to be an off-duty police officer. Mansoor decided to drive away. She pursued him. Other officers joined and eventually caught up with him about eight miles away. He was held on $5,000 bond. The Oakland, Michigan, sheriffs office issued a statement under the headline Karma Bites Phony Cop Trying to Pull Over Real Cop in Traffic Stop. Back in the saddle The Republican-controlled Tennessee House generated national controversy last week by voting to expel two Black lawmakers who had used a megaphone to stage a protest on the House floor in favor of gun control following a school mass shooting. State law allows local councils to name temporary replacements when a sudden vacancy occurs. The city council in Nashville, where expelled state Rep. Justin Jones is from, voted quickly to name Jones himself as his own replacement. Jones returned to the state capitol to the cheers of his supporters. Last Thursday, members tried to crucify democracy, but today we have a resurrection, he stated. Days later, the Memphis-area Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted to reinstate the other expelled lawmaker, Justin Pearson. This is the Democracy that is going to transform a broken nation and a broken state into the place that God calls for it to be, he told supporters at a Memphis rally. This is the Democracy that is going to lift up the victims of gun violence instead of supporting the NRA and the gun lobbyists. Gross, by any religious definition Buddhists regard the Dalai Lama as their foremost spiritual leader. But there are certain things about the 87-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner that no one anywhere should ever follow. He says he was just teasing when a young boy approached him and asked, Can I hug you? during an appearance in Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama motioned the boy forward, kissed the boy on the lips, then urged the boy to suck my tongue. That happened in February, but news of it only started circulating after a video began circulating on social media. The Dalai Lamas website posted this statement: A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused. His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident. Teasing, or was the Dalai Lama getting in touch with his inner pervert? Maybe were biased or just viewing this through a Western lens, as one of his supporters has said of the leaders critics. But no, this episode was disgusting. OMAHA, Neb. - The Biden administration is urging U.S. meat processors to make sure children aren't being illegally hired to perform dangerous jobs at their plants. The call comes after an investigation found more than 100 children working overnight for a company that cleans slaughter -houses, handling dangerous equipment like skull splitters and razor-sharp bone saws. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sent a letter Wednesday to the 18 largest meat and poultry producers urging them to examine the hiring practices at their companies and suppliers. The letter is part of a broader effort by the administration to crack down on the use of child labor. The Labor Department has reported a 69% increase since 2018 in the number of children being employed illegally in the U.S. "The use of illegal child labor particularly requiring that children undertake dangerous tasks is inexcusable, and companies must consider both their legal and moral responsibilities to ensure they and their suppliers, subcontractors and vendors fully comply with child labor laws," Vilsack said in the letter. Just last year, the Labor Department found that more than 3,800 children were working illegally at 835 companies in various industries. In the most egregious recent case, Packers Sanitation Services Inc., or PSSI, agreed earlier this year to pay a $1.5 million fine and reform its hiring practices after investigators confirmed that at least 102 children were working for the company at 13 meat processing plants nationwide. PSSI, which is based in Wisconsin, employs about 17,000 people working at more than 700 locations, making it one of the largest food-processing-plant cleaning companies. The plants where PSSI was found to be employing minors were in Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas. The Labor Department says it has more than 600 child labor investigations underway and officials are concerned about the exploitation of children, particularly migrants who may not even have a parent in the United States. Turkey recently told Russia that they would not need the second S-400 air defense system battery it agreed to receive from Russia. That was not a binding agreement and Turkey exercised its cancellation option. There were several reasons for this and the most obvious one was that, after over a decade of effort, Turkey had developed a full range of air defense systems and the last one, Siper, did what the S-400 did and, according to the Turks, did it better and cheaper. While Russia has exported S-400 to several countries, Russian air defense systems have a reputation for being effective but flawed. Even the Turks have exposed and exploited flaws in modern Russian air defense systems. The Turkish developed systems seek to be more reliable and less exploitable than Russian systems. For several years Turkey has been testing its new Siper SAM (Surface to Air Missile). Siper is somewhat like the American Patriot, the Israeli Davids Sling and the Russian S-400 systems. Siper is one of four SAM systems that comprise the new Turkish developed Hisar (Fortress) air defense system. Two Turkish firms have been developing this since 2007. With the completion of testing, Hisar provides Turkey with a modern air defense system for domestic use and export customers. Hisar consists of Hisar A, with a missile range of 15 kilometers, Hisar O with a range of 25 kilometers, Hisar U with a range of 100 or more kilometers and Siper with a range of 150 or more kilometers. The first two were in development from 2007 and Hisar A entered service in 2021 with Hisar O in 2022. Hisar U and Siper were the last to complete testing. Hisar A batteries, each with four-to-six launcher vehicles, were sent to Syria and Libya several years ago for some combat experience. Hisar A is mounted in a tracked vehicle that carries four ready-to-fire missiles plus with an electro/optical (visual) sensor and an FCS (fire control system) that can also operate with a radar each battery has. Hisar A is a heat seeking missile with a proximity fuze that detonates the warhead if the missile is close enough to do damage. Max altitude is five kilometers. The Hisar A missile uses INS (inertial guidance system) to get close enough to the target for the heat-seeker to take over. Hisar O uses the same tech as Hisar A but has a larger missile carried in a heavy truck with six missiles. Each battery has three launcher vehicles plus another vehicle with an AESA radar and FCS. Hisar O missiles have a max range of 25 kilometers and max altitude of ten kilometers. Each launcher vehicle also has its own visual FCS like that used on Hisar A. The battery AESA radar has a max range of 60 kilometers but is most effective at 40 kilometers or less. The battery has several vehicles to carry the radar, FCS and communications system. The radar FCS can track up to sixty targets at a time and assign targets to each of the launcher vehicles. Hisar U missiles are also truck mounted but use longer range radars and an FCS that does not support optical sensors. Siper missiles are larger still and only use a battery radar and more complex guidance system in each missile. Turkey will have all four systems in service this year or 2024, depending on manufacturing capacity. Compared to earlier development projects using complex tech, that may be optimistic and the Hisar A/O systems use tech that has been around for decades. Turkey has made this work, especially with their UAVs and the laser guided missiles they use. The other two air-defense systems are Korkut and Sungur. Korkut entered service in 2016 and has been used in Syria for nearly as long. Korkut is a tracked armored vehicle armed with twin 35mm autocannon that can fire 1,100 rounds a minute. This comes out to 18 a second, and most of the time Korkut will fire short (1-3 second) bursts. A Korkut battery consists of three 35mm gun vehicles and a command/control radar vehicle. The radar has a range of 70 kilometers while the 35mm guns are effective up to four kilometers. The 35mm gunner has an optical (visual) sight aided by the radar vehicle which also coordinates the fire of all three Korkut vehicles. Turkey is building enough Korkut equipment for 40 batteries and some are now in service. So far, Ukraine is the only export customer. Finally, there are Porsav and Sungur. Porsav is similar to the American Stinger, which the Turks currently use. Stinger is a 14.3 kg (31.5 pound) shoulder fired anti-aircraft system that fires its 10.1 kg (22.2 pound) missile out to 4,500 meters. Sungur is heavier and carried and used from a vehicle. Sungur is similar to the French Mistral, which uses an 18.7 kg (42 pound) missile with a max range of 6,500 meters. Porsav and Sungur have many common components and differ mainly in weight and range. Sugur and Porsav were both in service by 2022. Turkey is offering all five systems (Hisar, Siper, Korkut, Sugur and Porsav) to export customers. Turkish air defense systems are the latest addition to a large selection of weapons, ranging from small arms to armored vehicles, helicopter gunships, artillery and warships. Turkey gains a lot of favorable attention, and orders, from other Moslem nations. Software Presentation Highlights Benefits for Window Tint Professionals and Enhanced Customer Experience DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tint Wiz (www.tintwiz.com), a leading provider of window tint software solutions, showcased their innovative software at the recent Huper Optik / Autobahn / Edge dealer conference in Denver, Colorado. The event gathered industry experts and window tint professionals to discuss the latest trends and technologies in the field. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230414005469/en/ During the conference, Tint Wiz demonstrated the effectiveness of their software, emphasizing how it helps window tint professionals streamline their operations, enhance customer service, and boost revenue. Key features include fast scheduling and quoting, automatic appointment reminders, and review requests, all aimed at elevating the customer experience. Tint Wiz users spoke about the software's flexibility and ease of use, enabling users to capture reviews on various platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. This feature has been particularly beneficial to businesses looking to improve their online presence and attract more customers. With testimonials from very satisfied users, the presentation showcased the real-world impact of Tint Wiz's user-friendly platform. For more information about Tint Wiz and their revolutionary window tint software, please visit their website at www.tintwiz.com. About Tint Wiz: Tint Wiz is a leading provider of innovative window tint software solutions designed to help window tint professionals streamline their operations, improve customer service, and increase revenue. With a focus on delivering an exceptional user experience and powerful tools, Tint Wiz has become a favorite among window tint professionals. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230414005469/en/ Erik Devash [email protected] (844) 949-8468 Source: Tint Wiz In 2005, only two years after the US-led invasion of Iraq, she issued her first literary volume Sawaki Al-Koloub (The Heart Wheels) where she offered a carefully knitted together image of the Iraqi-diaspora that is diverse and tormented. In subsequent 18 years, Kachachi, now a celebrated Iraqi novelist, put out three other novels: Al-Hafida Al-Amerikiya (The American Granddaughter), Tashari (Dispersed) and Al-Nabiza (The Outcast). In 2022, Kachachi issued a selection of stories in Egypt through the Al-Dar Al-Masriyah Al-Lebenaniyah publishing house, Fi Belad Al-Takh Takh (In the Lands of Shoot-Outs). The selection continued to bring the past to the present and vice versa to draw a sequel of pictures that offer the reader close-ups on the deep sorrow that Iraqis learned to carry on whether they stay in a country that only resembles the country they know and love or when they just have to leave. Ahram Online: The Heart Wheels carries an intense narrative of the Iraqi tragedy that started some decades before the US invasion and evolved, following the invasion, into a saga of diaspora and agony. Was the war on Iraq in 2003 the thing that got you to start writing fiction? Inaam Kachachi: Yes, and this is not unusual. It is typical that wars prompt significant literary production. Personally, I was a fulfilled journalist. Then the war came and we started seeing some surreal accounts; things cannot be portrayed or even explained in news stories or features. AO: The characters that we get to meet through your novels and stories, whether they are in Iraq or in the diaspora, are loaded with a lot of yearning for an Iraq that once was but is no more. Whatever really happened to this Iraq of culture, art, diversity and coexistence, which you reflect on in your literature? How could such a country find its way towards an abyss? Was it the dictatorship or the invasion? Do you, as a journalist, believe that the dictatorship led to the invasion? Kachachi: The wars, the economic sanctions, the one-party rule and the collapse of the value of the national currency all took the country from one place to another. The set of values to which Iraqis have subscribed to, for generations, was heavily shaken [in the process] and there we were with new generations that simply subscribed to very different sets of values. And this is what I try to do with my novels and stories; I try to provide a close up on these changes. I am really occupied with this decay of the fabric of a history of coexistence that Iraqis, with their different sects and creeds, once had. I think that with the knowledge and the insights we have, we have a mission to keep ringing alarm bells on the dragons of sectarianism that hit Iraq and are still inflicting harm all across our country. Does this make a difference really? Does anyone hear what we are saying or care for what we are saying? I really do not have an answer to this question but I know that I am committed to keep on warning against sectarianism even if my words get very little echo. And here I have to say that there are many types of dictatorships in our region. However, for the peoples of this region, foreign invasion is the most offensive, irrespective of its reasons or claims. AO: The American Granddaughter carries a dream of a homecoming while Dispersed carries the fear of an unending diaspora. Today, when you, as a journalist, follow the news coming from Iraq and follow the state of affairs of Iraqis who are living all across the globe, do you feel that it is realistic to keep on dreaming of a homecoming? Do you think this homecoming dream has become secluded within older generations, including the generation of [those born in the 1950s] like yourself given that the younger generations may not have this affinity to an Iraq they never really knew? Kachachi: I am not even sure that for my generation the hope of a homecoming is still realistically there. However, a novelist cannot be constrained to the limitations of reality; a novelist has to have a hole in the wall to see the light of the day; a novelist needs to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel somehow, because this is the way for the novelist to keep on writing their narratives. [Pierre] Soulages is a French painter who did his canvas only in black; however, he used different shades of black to inspire from within these very dark shades a lot of brilliant ideas. AO: Away from fiction, you have a non-fiction book that came out [in French] under the title of The Words of Iraqi WomenWhy did you opt for non-fiction with this particular text while the words of Iraqi women in your fiction have said a lot about the Iraqi story? Kachachi: During the two Gulf wars Iran and Kuwait Iraqi novelists were taken to the fronts and their novels were loaded with the lexicon and images of the wars. This they did with their hands tied; they just could not express their rejection of a situation that was imposed on them. They knew that if they did they would instantly be accused of letting their country down. The authorities used this literature as a mobilisation scheme. They promoted this type of literature and rewarded its authors. It was impossible for the echoes of resistance to come from within the country. The cruelty had no mercy whatsoever. However, women found a way to implicitly express their sorrow over the losses they had. They spoke about the loss of loved ones those who died and those who just had to leave their homes and their country; they spoke about the bitterness of not having enough to provide for houses whose men were gone; they spoke of the agony of having to see husbands coming back subdued after having been prisoners of war and of this haunting phobic fear of a moment at the deep hours of the night when a truck comes to hand over the body bag of a family member who died on the battlefield. I portrayed all of these deep sentiments both in poetry and prose their words were to me literature of resistance I translated selected texts into French. AO: It was in the late 1970s that you left Iraq to study in France where you stayed since. Have you been back prior or after the invasion? How do you recall the night that Baghdad fell to the US Invasion? Kachachi: It was a night of horror; I was glued to the TV screen watching the fires of Baghdad as they were put on air on CNN. I was shivering. As a journalist I just could not handle the long distance set up. As soon as the strikes stopped, I had to go back. It was a fearful road trip through neighbouring Jordan. I arrived at the borders of my country to see the deep holes that the bombs left on the ground. I arrived to be received by the presence of the invading American tanks at the desert borders. It was a country with unguarded borders and no government. Heavy smoke was coming out of all government buildings that were put aflame. The ashes were coming down. I went home. I entered to find a place pack-full of memories that could still hold the light within. They were there just waiting for me as they got into the house. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blender Bites Ltd. (the Company, Blender Bites or Blender), (CSE: BITE, FWB: JL4, WKN: A3DMEJ), an award-winning Canadian company involved in the development and marketing of a line of premium, organic and plant-based pre-portioned frozen functional foods, is pleased to announce that, just weeks after partnering with actress and entrepreneur Juliann Hough, the United States (US) division of the worlds largest retailer (the Retailer) has come on line and will list a large selection of Blender Bites first to market 1-Step Smoothie and 1-Step Frappe innovations. The product listing follows an earlier agreement reached with the Retailer in March of 2023. The Retailer has one of the largest footprints as a major retailer in the US, serving close to 50 million American shoppers, each week. Blender Bites earlier announced listings with the Retailers Canadian division, and the addition of US division listings is an incredible opportunity to increase the Companys exposure and introduce its products to new consumers across North America, the largest smoothie market across the globe.1 The Companys momentum over the last few weeks has been tremendous. We have not only secured product listings with both the Canadian and US divisions of the worlds largest retailer, but we have also established a very exciting partnership with Julianne Hough. I am extremely proud of the entire Blender Bites team, and of all the successes we continue to achieve. I believe the stage is being set for Blender Bites to become a major player in the functional frozen food category, and that there is an incredible growth trajectory in our future. The Companys entire catalogue of products is comprised of 1-step smoothie innovations - Power BerryTM, Green D-ToxTM, Liquid SunshineTM, Daily Defen-CTM and Tropical GlowTM as well its brand new (March 2023 release date) 1-Step Frappe innovations Vanilla Bean-BioTM, Mindful MochaTM, and Caramel CollagenTM. Blender Bites full product line are expected to be on retail shelves of the Canadian division of the Retailer as early as May 2023. Commencing August 2023 the Retailers US division will offer its customers a large selection of Blender Bites products including Power BerryTM, Liquid SunshineTM and Daily Defen-CTM flavours from the 1-Step Smoothie line, across 1200 locations, as well as the Mindful MochaTM, and Caramel CollagenTM flavours from the Companys brand new (March 2023 release date) 1-Step Frappe line in 500 locations. The Company also wishes to announce that Chelsie Hodge, Blender Bites CEO and Founder, will host a special conference call for investors, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. PST/4:30 p.m. Eastern/10:30 p.m. CET. During this special investors address, Ms. Hodge will touch on some current and relevant events which the Company believes will impact future developments and will provide participants with an overview of the Companys direction for 2023. INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL: The conference call will be held on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. Pacific, 4:30 p.m. Eastern, 10:30 p.m. CEST. Please call in 10 minutes before the conference call starts and stay on the line. CONFERENCE PARTICIPANT CODE: 925031 DIAL-IN NUMBERS:Vancouver local: 778-819-8331Toll-Free Canada & the US: 1-800-201-7439Toll-Free Germany: 0 800 181 0665All Others: +1-778-819-8331 ABOUT BLENDER BITES Blender Bites is an award-winning Canadian company involved in the development and marketing of a line of premium frozen food products with a focus on functionality. Blender Bites was founded in 2016 and was first to market in Western Canada with a pre-portioned easy smoothie product that is free of any unnecessary inner plastic packaging. Blender Bites products are certified organic, vegan, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free and soy free. They contain no added sugars and are made in Canada. Blender Bites products are distributed internationally across Canada and the US, and are currently sold in over 900 stores, including Sobeys, Loblaws, Safeway, Save on Foods, Real Canadian Superstore, Whole Foods Market, Buy-Low/Nesters, IGA, Thrifty and Fresh Street. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Blender Bites Limited Chelsie Hodge, Chief Executive OfficerEmail [email protected] Telephone 236-521-0626 For further information, contact Blender IR Team at: Email [email protected] Telephone 1-888-997-2055 CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENTThis news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, and uncertain capital markets. Readers are cautioned that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. 1 https://www.imarcgroup.com/united-states-smoothie-market Source: Blender Bites Limited GUADALAJARA, Mexico, April 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) announces the following resolutions adopted at the Annual General Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders Meetings yesterday, with a quorum of 87.05% and 87.33%, respectively: ANNUAL GENERAL ORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS MEETING I. In compliance with Article 28, Section IV of the Mexican Securities Market Law, the following were APPROVED: a. The Chief Executive Officers report regarding the results of operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, in accordance with Article 44, Section XI of the Mexican Securities Market Law and Article 172 of the Mexican General Corporations Law, together with the external auditors report, with respect to the Company on an unconsolidated basis in accordance with Mexican Financial Reporting Standards (MFRS), as well as with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), each based on the Companys most recent financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, under both standards, as well as the 2022 Sustainability Report. b. Board of Directors opinion of the Chief Executive Officers report. c. Board of Directors report in accordance with Article 172, clause b, of the Mexican General Law of Commercial Corporations, regarding the Companys main accounting policies and criteria, as well as the information used to prepare the Companys financial statements. d. Report on transactions and activities undertaken by the Companys Board of Directors during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, pursuant to the Mexican Securities Market Law. e. The annual report on the activities undertaken by the Audit and Corporate Practices Committee in accordance with Article 43 of the Mexican Securities Market Law, as well as the ratification of the actions of the various committees, and release from further obligations. f. Report on the Companys compliance with tax obligations for the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2021, and an instruction to Company officers to comply with tax obligations corresponding to the fiscal year from January 1 and ended December 31, 2022, in accordance with Article 26, Section III of the Mexican Fiscal Code. II. APPROVAL of the ratification of the actions by our Board of Directors and officers and release from further obligations in the fulfillment of their duties as approved by the governing bodies. III. APPROVAL of the Companys financial statements for the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2022, on an unconsolidated basis, in accordance with MFRS for purposes of calculating legal reserves, net income, fiscal effects related to dividend payments and capital reduction, as applicable, and APPROVAL of the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with IFRS for their publication to financial markets, with respect to our operations that took place during the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2022; and APPROVAL of the external auditors report regarding both aforementioned financial statements. IV. APPROVAL that of the Companys net income for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, reported in its unconsolidated financial statements, presented in agenda item III above and audited in accordance with MFRS, which was Ps. 8,882,181,314.00 (EIGHT BILLION EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO MILLION ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FOURTEEN PESOS 00/100 M.N.), the allocation of Ps. 444,109,066.00 (FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR MILLION ONE HUNDRED NINE THOUSAND SIXTY-SIX PESOS 00/100 M.N.), towards increasing the Companys legal reserve, which represents 5% (FIVE PERCENT) of the net income, in accordance with Article 20 of the Mexican General Law of Commercial Corporations, with the remaining balance of Ps. 8,438,072,248.00 (EIGHT BILLION FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHT MILLION SEVENTY-TWO THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT PESOS 00/100 M.N.) to be allocated to the retained earnings account. V. APPROVAL that from the retained earnings account pending application which amounts to a total of Ps. 11,685,291,653.00 (ELEVEN BILLION SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE MILLION TWO HUNDRED NINETY-ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE PESOS 00/100 M.N.), a dividend will be declared equal to Ps. 14.84 (FOURTEEN PESOS 84/100 M.N.) pesos per share, to be paid to the holders of each share outstanding on the payment date, excluding any shares repurchased by the Company in accordance with Article 56 of the Mexican Securities Market Law; any amounts of retained earnings pending application remaining after the payment of such dividend will remain in the retained earnings account pending application. The dividend will be payable in one or more installments within 12 (twelve) months after April 13, 2023. VI. APPROVAL of the cancellation of the outstanding balance, as of the date of the General Ordinary Shareholders Meeting, under the Share Repurchase Program approved at the General Ordinary Shareholders Meeting that took place on April 22, 2022, which amounts to Ps. 499,486,566.00 (FOUR HUNDRED NINETY-NINE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY-SIX PESOS 00/100), and the approval of Ps.2,500,000,000.00 (TWO BILLION FIVE HUNDRED MILLION PESOS 00/100 M.N.) as the maximum amount to be allocated to the repurchase of the Companys shares or credit instruments that represent such shares for the 12-month period following April 13, 2023, in accordance with Article 56, Section IV of the Mexican Securities Market Law. VII. RATIFICATOIN of the four members of the Board of Directors and their respective alternates appointed by the Series BB shareholders as follows: Propietary Members Alternate Members Laura Diez Barroso Azcarraga Claudia Laviada Diez Barroso Ignacio Castejon Hernandez Carlos Manuel Porron Suarez Juan Gallardo Thurlow Eduardo Sanchez Navarro Redo Maria Angeles Rubio Alfayate Carlos Alberto Rohm Campos VIII. It is registered that there was no designation of person(s) that will serve as member(s) of the Companys board of directors, by any holder or group of holders of Series B shares that owns, individually or collectively, 10% or more of the Companys capital stock. IX. It was INFORMED to the Shareholders that this point was withdrawn in order to reconsider the voting method for independent members. This will be done at a forthcoming Shareholders Meeting to be held shortly. X. RATIFICATION of Ms. Laura Diez Barroso Azcarraga as Chairwoman of the Companys board of directors, and the designation of Ms. Claudia Laviada Diez Barroso as Alternate, in accordance with Article 16 of the Companys by-laws. XI. APPROVAL of (i) the compensation paid to the independent members of the Companys Board of Directors during the 2022 fiscal year and (ii) the compensation to be paid to the Companys Board of Directors for the 2023 fiscal year proposed by the Compensation and Nominations Committee. XII. It was INFORMED to the Shareholders that this point was withdrawn to be reconsidered in a forthcoming Shareholders Meeting to be held shortly. XIII. RATIFICATION of Mr. Carlos Cardenas Guzman as President of the Audit and Corporate Practices Committee. The Audit and Corporate Practices Committee will be comprised as follows: Carlos Cardenas Guzman, PresidentAngel Losada Moreno, MemberJoaquin Vargas Guajardo, Member XIV. It was INFORMED the report concerning compliance with Article 29 of the Companys bylaws regarding acquisitions of goods or services or contracting of projects or asset sales that are equal to or greater than US$ 3,000,000.00 (THREE MILLION U.S. DOLLARS), or its equivalent in Mexican pesos or other legal tender in circulation outside Mexico, or, if applicable, regarding transactions with relevant shareholders. XV. APPROVAL of special delegates that can appear before a notary public to formalize the resolutions adopted at this meeting. EXTRAORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS MEETING I. APPROVAL of the cancellation of 7,024,113 (SEVEN MILLION TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED THIRTEEN) shares held in the Companys treasury. II. APPROVAL to perform all corporate legal formalities required, including the amendment of SIXTH Article of the Companys by-laws, derived from the adoption of resolutions at this Shareholders Meeting, to read as follows SIXTH ARTICLE.- Common Stock. The common stock will be variable. The minimum fixed part of the capital is Ps. 8,197,535,635.20 (EIGHT BILLION ONE HUNDRED NINETY-SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE PESOS 20/100 M.N.), represented by 505,277,464 (FIVE HUNDRED FIVE MILLION TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR) ordinary shares, nominative, of Class I and without expression of nominal value, fully subscribed and paid. III. APPROVAL of amendment of the Company's Bylaws to add Article 29 Bis to create the Sustainability Committee, to read as follows: ARTICLE TWENTY NINETEENTH BIS. Sustainability Committee. The Company will have a Sustainability Committee, which will be integrated by 3 (three) proprietary members and their respective alternates, composed follows: the Chairman of the Committee and his respective alternate appointed by the Series "BB" Shareholders, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and an Independent Director and his alternate appointed by the Board of Directors. The Sustainability Committee may have a Secretary, not a member of the Board of Directors, designated by the Board of Directors. The members of the Sustainability Committee shall remain in office for one year or until the persons appointed to substitute them take up their duties. The Sustainability Committee shall have the following functions and faculties:1. Follow up on the strategic sustainability goals and objectives.2. Identify legal, social, labor, and environmental ESG risks that may affect the organization and define strategies to mitigate such risks.3. Provide suggestions, initiatives, and proposals that improve performance, promote innovation, and contribute to fulfilling goals and position the company's sustainable leadership.4. Promote dialogue and collaboration tools with priority interest groups to integrate them into the sustainable management of the business.5. Monitor the evolution of the strategy, ensuring a direct or indirect contribution to the goals established in the strategy.6. Ensure the delivery of information, data, and evidence of the results obtained from the actions established in the strategy for preparing an Annual Strategy Performance Report to the Board of Directors.7. Additional functions and faculties may be instructed by the Board of Directors from time to time. The committee may request the opinion of independent experts in cases where it considers appropriate. The Board of Directors will establish the guidelines for the operation of the Sustainability Committee. IV. APPROVAL of special delegates that can appear before a notary public to formalize the resolutions adopted at this meeting. Company Description Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexico s Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concessioner Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica and took control of the operation in October 2019. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that June involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 01 800 563 00 47. The web site is www.lineadedenuncia.com/gap. GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation. Alejandra Soto, Investor Relations and Social Responsibility Officer [email protected] Gisela Murillo, Investor Relations [email protected] /+52 33 3880 1100 ext. 20294 Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. Techmentum has further strengthened its cybersecurity operations by joining the ComptTIA ISAO (Information Sharing and Analysis Organization). Techmentum gains access to timely and actionable threat intelligence, cybersecurity best practices, and industry resources that help to enhance the cybersecurity resilience of its clients. Techmentum, a leading technology services firm, has joined the Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) of CompTIA, the world's leading technology association. As a member of CompTIA ISAO, Techmentum gains access to timely and actionable threat intelligence, cybersecurity best practices, and industry resources that help to enhance the cybersecurity resilience of its clients. Cybersecurity threats are becoming more sophisticated and frequent, and businesses of all sizes are at risk. At Techmentum, we take a proactive approach to cybersecurity and work closely with our clients to ensure that their systems, data, and operations are secure. Joining CompTIA ISAO is a natural step for us to strengthen our cybersecurity capabilities and stay ahead of emerging threats, said Michael Hornby, CEO of Techmentum. CompTIA ISAO is a community-driven organization that brings together cybersecurity experts, technology companies, government agencies, and other stakeholders to share threat intelligence and collaborate on cybersecurity issues. As a member, Techmentum will have access to a wide range of cybersecurity resources, including threat intelligence feeds, vulnerability assessments, incident response guidance, and industry insights. Our partnership with CompTIA ISAO will enable us to provide our clients with even better cybersecurity protection and guidance. We will leverage the collective knowledge and expertise of the ISAO community to stay ahead of evolving threats and help our clients mitigate risks, said Sue Fuqua, CTO of Techmentum. I am thrilled to welcome Techmentum to CompTIA membership and the CompTIA ISAO. Ive known Michael and Sue for several years and respect how they run the business, their focus on cybersecurity, and their clients. Its always great when a company the caliber of Techmentum joins the CompTIA Community and collaborates with industry peers to improve their business, their clients businesses, and provide access to all the CompTIA benefits to their employees. Im looking forward to their engagement," said MJ Shoer, Chief Community Officer at CompTIA. Techmentum has been providing technology services and solutions to businesses for more than a decade, and its expertise spans cybersecurity, cloud computing, network infrastructure, and IT support. The company has experienced strong growth in recent years and has a growing national client base. Joining CompTIA ISAO aligns with our mission of helping businesses utilize technology to contribute to their success. Cybersecurity is an integral part of that mission, and we are committed to providing our clients with the best cybersecurity protection possible. Our membership in CompTIA ISAO demonstrates our ongoing commitment to cybersecurity excellence, said Michael Hornby. About Us: Techmentum is a technology services provider founded in 2007 and headquartered in New Jersey. Techmentums mission is to help businesses utilize technology to be efficient and successful. Techmentum provides managed IT services, cloud services, cybersecurity, professional services, application integration, and consulting services for businesses across the United States. Please visit www.techmentumit.com for more information. Contact Info: Name: Cara Laveman Email: Send Email Organization: Techmentum Website: https://www.techmentumit.com Release ID: 89094151 If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact [email protected] to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours. BEIJING , April 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr Liu Jincheng , Chairman of EVE Energy, a leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer, was invited to speak at the 2023 China EV100 Forum, a three-day event focusing on the development of China's electric vehicle industry. Dr Liu's keynote speech titled "A New Stage for EVE Energy's Power Battery Development" shared insights on the current situation of batteries, challenges in fast charging technology, and the outlook for future development. The China EV100 Forum is organized by China EV100, and co-hosted by Tsinghua University, the China Society of Automotive Engineers, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, and the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute. The event aims to promote the modernization of China's automobile industry and features discussions on global industry development trends, high-quality development of new energy vehicles, China's intelligent connected vehicle development strategy, and trends in core industry supply chains such as power batteries. "This is the second time EVE Energy has attended the China EV100 Forum. Our long-term strategy is to develop our lithium-ion battery technology and maintain a steady business structure with consumer batteries, power batteries, and energy storage batteries," said Dr Liu . "In addition, we have strengthened our cooperation with leading companies in the supply chain since 2018 and invested in more than 20 joint ventures to ensure supply and cost control." Dr Liu discussed the current state of the power storage battery industry, specifically in relation to lithium-ion batteries. He mentioned that developing these batteries is a long-term commitment due to the testing required to ensure their lifespan, which can take several years. He also emphasized the importance of having a long-term perspective when entering the industry and developing a sustained work ethic, even in the dynamic fields of power storage and batteries. His speech then covered the challenges and practical approaches to fast-charging technology. Dr Liu revealed that focusing on cost and lightweight designs is the current trend in the power battery industry. Safety used to be the primary concern, but after years of effort, it has been adequately addressed. Now, the focus is on optimizing the battery structure and cost. He believes fast-charging technology and network construction are critical to solving the final bottleneck problem affecting electric vehicles' development. In addition, Dr Liu suggested that improving fast charging to around ten minutes will significantly reduce the social cost of using electric vehicles. He also explained that EVE Energy had conducted successful fast-charging trials in Guangdong and Hubei , and they plan to expand further in partnership with companies in Huizhou and Jingmen. He also suggested that direct current should be used for superfast charging, as it doesn't require large-scale charging stations. Commenting on his outlook for the industry's development, Dr Liu stated that in the past two years, the company had focused on improving the performance of electric vehicle batteries by optimizing space and structure through design and thermal management. This has led to increased battery capacity and improved space utilization, which in turn has enabled longer driving ranges. One example of this approach he cited was the use of large cylindrical LFP batteries, which feature a new structural design improving space utilization and reducing the number of structural components, thereby lowering costs. For more information about EVE Energy, please visit https://www.evebattery.com/en. About EVE Energy Founded in 2001 and listed in Shenzhen in 2009, EVE Energy has developed into a global player in the market, providing core technologies and comprehensive solutions for both consumer and power batteries, especially in the Internet of Things and the energy internet. Currently, EVE Energy has set up a research institute with 60 doctors and over 3,400 interdisciplinary R&D engineers in materials, electrochemistry, structure design, and electronic circuit design, obtained over 5,910 national patents in China . The company launched a carbon reduction roadmap with a series of low-carbon reduction efforts in energy use, the manufacturing process, the supply chain, and resource management, and was named a "National Green Factory." View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eve-energy-chairman-expresses-optimism-at-china-ev100-forum-301797417.html SOURCE EVE Energy Co., Ltd HAIKOU, China , April 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Hainan International Media Center (HIMC): The 3rd China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE, or Hainan Expo) is underway in Haikou City, the capital of China's southernmost province, Hainan . The Hainan Expo has presented boutique brands worldwide with broad business prospects as numerous enterprises from outside China look to the Hainan Free Trade Port to leapfrog their entry into the Chinese market. On April 10 , the day the CICPE opened, Indonesia's largest coffee company, Kapal Api Group, opened up their first-ever location in China at Haikou's N Park Mall , in conjunction with Hainan's Mushan Coffee. "The policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port will provide a wealth of convenience when it comes to importing and processing products. This is why Kapal Api has chosen to set up in Hainan as a springboard for access to the Chinese market," Robin Setyono , CEO of Kapal Api Group, said that his company would join hands with Hainan's Mushan Coffee to expand into the Chinese coffee market. At this year's Hainan Expo, the global cosmetics giant Estee Lauder Companies exhibited 14 of its signature brands. On April 11 , at the pavilion opening, the Global President of Estee Lauder Travel Retail Worldwide, Israel Assa , announced that the group would continue expanding its business in Hainan and innovating to improve tourists' buying experience with fresh scenarios and ground-breaking, high-quality products. During the CICPE, Estee Lauder signed a cooperation agreement with the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development and Haikou Comprehensive Bonded Zone Management Committee and announced that the group's Asia-Pacific travel retail logistics center and China area headquarters would be set up in the Hainan Free Trade Port. Top global wines and spirits seller Pernod Ricard has exhibited at the CICPE for three consecutive years and brought several of its brands to the expo this year, including famed cognac producer Martell. It announced that Sanya, a city on Hainan's southern coast, would be the second location of Martell's mangrove ecosystem protection program. Over 3300 premium brands from 65 countries and regions are exhibiting at this year's Hainan Expo. Statistics show that between April 10 and April 14 , over 240,000 visitors filed into Hainan International Conference and Exhibition Center, the venue for the CICPE, to take a look at the latest in consumer products from around the globe. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/foreign-firms-bet-on-hainan-free-trade-port-at-3rd-cicpe-301798244.html SOURCE Hainan International Media Center (HIMC) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at the Hanoi Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, April 14, 2023. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS By Humeyra Pamuk HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday expressed a desire to deepen their ties as Washington seeks to solidify alliances to counter an increasingly assertive China. In his first visit to the southeast Asian country as the top U.S. diplomat, Blinken met with top officials including Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The main topic was the possibility to upgrade bilateral ties. "For President Biden, for Washington, this is one of the most dynamic and one of the most important relationships weve had," Blinken said at a news conference capping a day of engagements in Hanoi. "Its had a remarkable trajectory over the last couple of decades. Our conviction is that it can and will grow even stronger." It remained unclear when an upgrade of formal ties could be agreed, but Blinken expressed hope it could happen "in the weeks and months ahead". Before his meeting with Blinken, Chinh said both sides were looking to elevate ties "to a new height", following a phone call last month between President Joe Biden and the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, a conversation he said yielded "great success". The diplomatic anniversary and the Biden-Trong call could lead to a meeting between the two in July or other high-level meetings, analysts say, although it is unclear what exactly the upgraded ties would entail. Blinken told reporters security was among the key components of the two countries' relations and noted this was growing, with Washington finalising the shipment of a third naval cutter to support Vietnam's coastguard. Washington and U.S. defence firms have openly said they want to bolster their military supplies to Vietnam - so far largely limited to coastguard ships and training aircraft - as the country seeks to diversify away from Russia, which is currently its main supplier. But military deals with the U.S. face many potential hurdles, as Washington's lawmakers might block arms sales over human rights issues. U.S. weapons are also expensive, risk triggering Chinese reactions, and may not easily be integrated with Vietnam's legacy weapons, analysts said. TRADING PARTNER Blinken's visit was part of a wider U.S. strategy in southeast Asia to build a coalition to counter China and deter any potential action by Beijing against Taiwan. Many countries in the region are reluctant to antagonise their giant neighbour, which is not just a military power but also a key trading partner and source of investment. For the U.S., Vietnam is a crucial southeast Asian trading partner that Washington wants to bolster ties with. But for Hanoi, it has been a difficult balancing act, between cooperating with Washington without upsetting Beijing, even though Vietnam has been alarmed by China's increasing claims in the South China Sea. The diplomatic calculus is further complicated by increasingly close relations between Beijing and Moscow, which last year declared a "no limits" partnership shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine although in Vietnamese waters the two powers have opposing interests as Russian firms extract gas in blocks claimed by China. Some analysts expressed doubts about the potential upgrade. "For one thing, there is no need, from Vietnam's perspective, to unnecessarily antagonize China ... Another is that Hanoi wants to avoid appearing openly part of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy designed to counter China," Rand Corporation Senior Defence Analyst Derek Grossman said. Blinken also broke ground on a new U.S. embassy compound in Hanoi after meeting the prime minister, a $1.2 billion project years in the making that he said represents "a significant step" towards strengthening ties. Blinken said progress on human rights was "essential" and a central focus of the relationship with Vietnam. Rights groups have regularly raised concerns over the communist country's treatment of dissidents. Earlier this week, a Hanoi court sentenced a prominent Vietnamese political activist to six years in prison for conducting anti-state activities, his lawyer said. After his meetings in Vietnam, including with Trong, Blinken will travel on Sunday to Japan to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven wealthy nations. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Francesco Guarascio in Hanoi; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and David Holmes) German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attend a joint press conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERS BEIJING (Reuters) -China's top diplomat Wang Yi "hopes and believes" Germany will support China's "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Wang made the remarks at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is visiting China until Saturday, adding that China once supported Germany's reunification. "To maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait, it is necessary to firmly oppose separatist activities related to 'Taiwan independence'," Wang said, adding that Taiwan's "return to China" was an important component of the post-World War II international order. On Friday, Baerbock said any attempt by China to control Taiwan would be unacceptable and would have serious repercussions for Europe. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell echoed her remarks. Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as a Chinese province, has never ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's government rejects China's position, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday it strongly approved of Baerbock's comments. "The Foreign Ministry thanks many high-level officials in the executive departments of various countries, including Germany, for their solidarity with Taiwan," it said. In a departure from the policies of Germany's former chancellor, Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz's government is developing a new China strategy to reduce dependence on Asia's economic superpower, until now a vital export market for German goods. German Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger visited Taiwan last month, a trip China denounced as "vile". China staged three days of military drills from April 8 around Taiwan, including simulated precision strikes with bombers and missile forces, after Tsai returned from Los Angeles, where she met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, infuriating Beijing. Wang also said China is willing to strengthen exchanges and communication with Germany to enhance mutual understanding and prepare for a new round of Sino-German government consultations. (Reporting by Liz Lee; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and William Mallard) By Ruma Paul DHAKA (Reuters) -Firefighters, supported by military personnel, in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka finally extinguished a blaze that had swept through a three-story shopping complex some 27 hours after it erupted, in the second such incident inside two weeks. Some 30 people, mostly firefighters, were injured during efforts to douse the flames, but there were no other casualties. The fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning, when most of the nearly 1,500 shops in the complex were shut. While the blaze was brought largely under control within four hours, it took longer to completely douse flames due to heavy smoke in confined spaces and flammable materials, mostly clothing items, fire service official Shahjahan Sikder said. Most of the stores in the three-storey building were fully stocked ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid later this month. Images showed shopkeepers and police trying to salvage the stocks, dragging out bundles of goods. Eid is just around the corner, and we lost everything. Such a great crisis came upon us at such a time, shop owner Mohammad Rubel said in tears. It was the second such incident this month. A massive fire ripped through another shopping complex in Dhaka on April 4, destroying some 5,000 stores. Several firefighters were injured during that incident. Lax regulations and poor enforcement have been blamed for industrial fires that have plagued Bangladesh. The country and major international clothing brands that manufacture there came under intense scrutiny after several disasters, including a fire at a garment factory in 2012 and a building collapse in 2013 that together killed more than 1,200 workers. While the garment industry has made strides to improve safety, hundreds of people have still died in fires in other sectors during recent years. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) FILE PHOTO: Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the Rapid Support Forces, greets his supporters as he arrives at a meeting in Aprag, Sudan, June 22, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Clashes between Sudan's main paramilitary group and the armed forces on Saturday killed at least 25 people, a doctors' group said, in an apparent struggle for control amid the country's halting moves toward elections after a military coup. The Sudanese Doctors' Union said 183 people were wounded in fighting between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It was unclear whether the victims were civilians. The group said it recorded deaths at Khartoum's airport and the nearby city of Omdurman as well as in the cities of Nyala, El Obeid and El Fasher, which are west of the capital Khartoum. The paramilitary RSF claimed to have seized the presidential palace, army chief's residence, state television station and airports in Khartoum, the northern city of Merowe, El Fasher and West Darfur state. The army rejected those assertions. The Sudanese air force late on Saturday told people to stay indoors while it conducted what it called an aerial survey of RSF activity, and a holiday was declared in Khartoum state for Sunday, closing schools, banks and government offices. Gunfire and explosions could be heard across the capital, where TV footage showed smoke rising from several districts and social media videos captured military jets flying low over the city. Eyewitnesses reported shooting in adjoining cities. A Reuters journalist saw cannon and armoured vehicles deployed on the capital's streets and heard heavy weapons fire near the headquarters of both the army and RSF. Army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan told Al Jazeera TV the RSF should back down: "We think if they are wise they will turn back their troops that came into Khartoum. But if it continues we will have to deploy troops into Khartoum from other areas." The armed forces said on Facebook it would not negotiate with the RSF unless the paramilitary force dissolved. The army told soldiers seconded to the RSF to report to nearby army units, which could deplete RSF ranks if they obey. The RSF leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, called Burhan a "criminal" and a "liar". The military and RSF, which analysts say is 100,000 strong, have been competing for power as political factions negotiate forming a transitional government. "We know where you are hiding and we will get to you and hand you over to justice, or you die just like any other dog," he said in an interview with the station. A prolonged confrontation between the RSF and army could plunge Sudan into widespread conflict as it struggles with economic breakdown and tribal violence, and could also derail efforts to move towards elections. The clashes follow rising tensions over the RSF's integration into the military. The disagreement has delayed the signing an internationally backed agreement with political parties on a transition to democracy. A coalition of civilian groups that signed a draft version of that agreement in December called on Saturday for an immediate halt to hostilities, to stop Sudan sliding towards "the precipice of total collapse". "This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country," they said in a statement. "This is a war that no one will win, and that will destroy our country forever." The RSF accused the army of carrying out a plot by loyalists of former strongman President Omar Hassan al-Bashir - who was ousted in a coup in 2019 - and attempting a coup itself. A 2021 coup ousted the country's civilian prime minister. RSF SAYS EGYPTIAN TROOPS SAFE Eyewitnesses reported fighting in many areas outside the capital. Those included heavy exchanges of gunfire in Merowe, northern Sudan, eyewitnesses told Reuters. The RSF shared a video that it said showed Egyptian troops who "surrendered" to them in Merowe. Egypt's military said the troops were in Sudan for exercises with their Sudanese counterparts. Hemedti told Sky News Arabia the Egyptians were safe and the RSF would cooperate with Cairo on their return. The video showed men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking to RSF members in an Egyptian Arabic dialect. Unconfirmed reports by open-source intelligence analysts said several Egyptian Air Force fighter planes and their pilots were captured by the RSF along with Sudanese weapons and military vehicles. Clashes also erupted between the RSF and army in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala, eyewitnesses said. International powers - the U.S., Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations, the European Union and the African Union - all called for an immediate end to the hostilities. After a phone call, the Saudi, U.S. and UAE foreign ministers called for a return to the framework agreement on the transition to democracy, the Saudi state news agency reported. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Burhan and Hemedti, according to Guterres' spokesperson, and appealed for a return to dialogue. Guterres also spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt's presidency said. Chad closed its border with Sudan while Ethiopia and Kenya called for restraint. A Saudi Arabian airlines plane came under fire at Khartoum airport and the carrier suspended flights to and from Sudan, the state-owned airline said. Egypt's national airline, Egyptair, said it was suspending flights to Khartoum for 72 hours. Social media video showed frightened passengers cowering on the floor of Khartoum airport and a destroyed U.N. aircraft on the tarmac. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum and Nafisa Eltahir in Cairo; Writing by Nafisa Eltahir, Michael Georgy, Giles Elgood and Cynthia Osterman; Editing by Alex Richardson, Jan Harvey, Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis) A man, believed to be a suspect who threw a pipe-like object near Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his outdoor speech, is held by police officers at Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, south-western Japan April 15, 2023, i By Kantaro Komiya and Chris Gallagher TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unhurt after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday. Kishida took cover after a loud explosion was heard while police subdued a man at the scene, Japanese media footage showed. A police officer suffered minor injuries in the incident, the Nikkei newspaper reported, citing Wakayama prefectural police. "Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue," Kishida said when he resumed his campaign speeches. "I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together." The incident echoed the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving modern leader, who was shot with a homemade gun last July while campaigning for a parliamentary election. Abe's killing shocked the nation, where gun crimes are exceedingly rare, and prompted a review of security for politicians, who routinely press the flesh with the public. Masato Kaburagi, a 35-year-old company worker who witnessed the incident, told Reuters security still seemed lax, as it appeared the suspect was first taken down by another bystander. "I never thought something like this would happen so soon after what happened to Abe," said Kaburagi, who attended the rally with his wife and mother. "I don't think I want to go to these political-related events anymore." By-elections in various regions for the lower house of Japan's parliament are to be held on April 23. G7 SUMMIT SECURITY UNCHANGED Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said police have been instructed to boost security, and that the government will do what is necessary to ensure security at a summit Kishida will host next month of the Group of Seven industrial powers in Hiroshima. Japan's foreign ministry said there would be no change to the security plan for a G7 foreign ministers' meeting starting on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa. Matsuno said the government would wait for results from the police investigation before commenting on a potential motive from the suspect. The incident late on Saturday morning occurred at the Saikazaki fishing harbour in Wakayama prefecture, some 65 km (40 miles) southwest of Osaka city. Kishida was being served local speciality seafood just before the explosion, media reported. News video showed Kishida looking behind him in surprise as shouts filled the semi-enclosed area near the waterside. A canister landed near his feet before being knocked away by a security agent. A man identified by the Asahi newspaper as a staffer of the fishery cooperative grabbed a young man in a headlock as police swarmed the suspect and dragged him to the ground. About 50 seconds later, an explosion rang out and a cloud of smoke could be seen near where Kishida had been standing. News footage showed crowds running away as several police officers appeared to pin a man to the ground before removing him from the scene. A 20-30 cm (8- to 12-inch) metal pipe was thrown and landed close to where Kishida was standing, NHK reported, citing an official at the scene. A 24-year old male suspect from Kawanishi city, charged with forcible obstruction of business, has refused to talk until his lawyer arrives, Kyodo news agency said, citing investigators. A representative of Wakayama's prefectural police headquarters told Reuters he could not answer questions about the incident. A woman on the scene told NHK that she saw an object flying overhead and "it gave me a bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast. Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry." (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya, Chris Gallagher, Elaine Lies, Daniel Leussink and Tokyo Bureau; Writing by Rocky Swift; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Simon Cameron-Moore and William Mallard) Scores of prisoners of war, including Saudis, were freed on Saturday as part of a cross-border exchange between a Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The flights connecting Saudi Arabia and Houthi-held territory in Yemen were part of a multi-day transfer involving nearly 900 detainees that comes amid peace talks which have raised hopes for an end to Yemen's eight-year-old war. The first flight of the day took off from the southern Saudi city of Abha before 9 am (0600 GMT), headed for Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa with 120 Houthi rebel prisoners, ICRC public affairs and media adviser Jessica Moussan said. It was followed by a flight from Sanaa carrying 20 former detainees, among them 16 Saudis and three Sudanese. Sudan is part of the Saudi-led coalition and has provided ground troops for the fighting. In addition, 100 Houthis were due to be flown on three flights to Sanaa from Mokha on the Red Sea coast, a town held by Yemen's coalition-backed government. An AFP journalist in Abha said at least three buses brought the prisoners onto the tarmac at Abha airport, which has previously come under attack from Houthi drones and missiles. Wheelchairs were positioned near the buses to take some of the prisoners to the plane. On Friday, 318 prisoners were transported on four flights between government-controlled Aden and Sanaa, reuniting with their families ahead of next week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The total number of prisoners of war on both sides is unknown. The ongoing exchange is a confidence-building measure coinciding with an intense diplomatic push to end Yemen's war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead from the fighting as well as knock-on effects like food insecurity and lack of access to health care. Path to peace? Analysts say that eight years after mobilising a coalition to crush the Houthis, the Saudis have come to terms with the fact that this goal will not be met and are looking to wind down their military engagement. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was a 29-year-old defence minister when the war began, has since become the kingdom's de facto ruler and is keen to focus on his sweeping "Vision 2030" domestic reform agenda. The Saudi exit strategy appears to have taken new impetus from a landmark rapprochement deal announced with Iran last month. The China-brokered agreement calls for the Middle East heavyweights to fully restore diplomatic ties following a seven-year rupture, and has the potential to remake regional ties. Saudi Arabia is also pushing for the reintegration into the Arab League of Iran ally Syria, more than a decade after its suspension over President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests. On Friday, the kingdom, which once openly championed Assad's ouster, hosted top diplomats from eight other Arab countries in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for talks on Syria, then issued a statement highlighting the "importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis". In Yemen, active combat has reduced over the past year following a UN-brokered truce that officially lapsed in October but has largely held. A week ago, a Saudi delegation travelled to Sanaa, held by the Houthis since 2014, for talks aimed at reviving the truce and laying the groundwork for a more durable ceasefire. The delegation, led by ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber, left Sanaa late on Thursday without a finalised truce but with plans for more talks, according to Houthi and Yemeni government sources. Even if Saudi Arabia manages to negotiate a way out of the war, fighting could flare up again among the different Yemeni factions. "Saudi Arabia has been struggling to draw down its military involvement in Yemen and... seeks a long term sustainable peace that will allow it to focus on its economic priorities," Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, told AFP. "Yet despite its intention, it will be the longtime broker, investor and conflict guarantor of Yemen." Search Keywords: Short link: FILE PHOTO: A general view shows buildings damaged by a Russian military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the front line city of Bakhmut, Ukraine April 10, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Klymenko MOSCOW (Reuters) -Ukrainian and Russian armed forces are fighting extraordinarily bloody battles in the smashed eastern city of Bakhmut, but pro-Kyiv forces are still holding on, Ukraine's military said on Saturday. Russia's defence ministry said earlier in the day that fighters from the Wagner mercenary group had captured two more areas of Bakhmut, the main target of Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine. Wagner has spearheaded Russia's attempt to take Bakhmut since last summer in what has been the longest and deadliest battle of the war for both sides. "Bloody battles unprecedented in recent decades are taking place in the middle of the city's urban area," said Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command. "Our soldiers are doing everything in bloody and fierce battles to grind down (the enemy's) combat capability and break its morale. Every day, in every corner of this city, they are successfully doing so," he told the 1+1 television channel. The Russian defence ministry said Wagner units had taken two areas on the northern and southern outskirts of the city. Russian army paratroop units were supporting the claimed advance by holding back Ukrainian forces on the flanks, it added. Reuters could not independently confirm the report. Britain said in an intelligence update on Friday that Ukrainian troops had been forced to cede some territory in Bakhmut as Russia mounted a renewed assault there, with intense artillery fire over the previous two days. Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of around 70,000 people, has been Russia's main target in a winter offensive that has so far yielded scant gains despite infantry ground combat of an intensity unseen in Europe since World War Two. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made no mention of Bakhmut in his daily video address on Saturday and reiterated Kyiv's desire to join NATO as soon as possible. Ukraine would need effective security guarantees before that happened, he said, but gave no details. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by David Ljunggren, Mark Trevelyan and Cynthia Osterman) Washington (Tribune News Service) Senior U.S. military officials will gather in Syracuse next week with about two dozen college presidents to discuss a shared problem between the military and higher education. Both have struggled to meet recruitment and enrollment goals as the nation emerges from the pandemic and fewer people graduate from high school as a result of demographic changes. For the military, its a critical problem that could endanger the future of the all-volunteer force. To look for solutions, Syracuse University leaders came up with the idea for a summit on the 50th anniversary of Americas move from a military draft to the all-volunteer Armed Forces. The two-day event at SUs National Veterans Resource Center will explore ways that colleges and the federal government can work together to give veterans and military-connected students better access to higher education. SU Chancellor Kent Syverud told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that he views the summit as a chance for colleges and universities to step up and eliminate barriers for military service members and veterans. The focus of the summit is to ask what higher education can do for veterans and military in the current situation were facing, not what veterans and military can do for higher education, Syverud said. That starts from a premise that higher education, and particularly elite higher education, hasnt exactly been present and accounted for in serving those who have served in recent decades, he said. Veterans have often turned to what Syverud calls lower-resource institutions rather than big private schools for their college education. SU has been one of the exceptions among private schools, with soaring veteran enrollment over the past decade since it established the Institute for Veterans and Military Families in 2011. Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie said military or service-connected students now make up 6% of SUs total enrollment of about 22,000, compared to about 1% at similar public and private universities. On top of that, more than 20,000 students per year now graduate from IVMF programs for veterans and members of the military held worldwide, with many earning degrees in nontraditional settings. Haynie said the institute has taken its program around the globe, educating 192,000 people at 68 military installations in the United States and eight installations overseas. Some SU programs are even offered on board ships at sea. Other universities have noticed and visited SU to learn more about its programs for veterans and their families, Syverud said. One of those schools, the University of Tennessee, is co-sponsoring the summit Wednesday and Thursday. I think we realize we need to do more at Syracuse, but we cant carry this alone as an obligation for the country, Syverud said. We need other universities to partner. Several senior officials at the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs plan to attend the summit, Haynie said. Those officials include Ashish S. Vazirani, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and Brynt Parmeter, who was hired this week as the first chief talent officer for the Department of Defense. Journalist and author Sebastian Junger, who reported on the war in Afghanistan, will deliver a keynote address to the university presidents and military leaders on Wednesday. Haynie said he hopes that ideas for new education programs targeting veterans and military families emerge from the summit. SU has a history of encouraging veteran and military enrollment, dating back to World War I and the establishment of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs. The military pays tuition for ROTC students while they go to college and train to become officers. In 1944, former SU Chancellor William Tolley helped draft the G.I. Bill, which continues to provide tuition assistance for service members, veterans and their dependents. Syverud said the need for university and military leaders to come up with new ideas is as urgent now as it has ever been. In three years from 2019 through 2021, 579 colleges and universities closed or merged, according to the U.S. Department of Education. This year, Cazenovia College announced it was closing its Central New York campus after nearly 200 years. The college blamed financial losses brought on by a 40 percent enrollment drop. The U.S. military faces similar headwinds. The Army said it missed its fiscal 2022 recruitment goal by 25%, falling 15,000 soldiers short of its needs. Syverud said the numbers are a sobering reminder of whats at stake. It is an enrollment cliff that were facing, including in New York, he said. Its one thing when that causes Cazenovia College to close. Thats a tragedy locally. But if it results in the Army not having soldiers, thats a national security disaster for the whole country. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit syracuse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. HANOI Fifty years after the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam, Secretary of State Antony Blinken looked Saturday to strengthen America's ties with its old foes in Hanoi as it seeks to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Blinken and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh pledged to boost relations to new levels as they met just two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the U.S. troop withdrawal that marked the end of America's direct military involvement in Vietnam. And it came as Blinken broke ground on a sprawling new $1.2 billion U.S. embassy compound in the Vietnamese capital, a project the Biden administration hopes will demonstrate its commitment to further improving ties less than 30 years after diplomatic relations were restored in 1995. Despite concerns over Vietnam's human rights record, Washington sees Hanoi as a key component of its strategy for the region and has sought to leverage Vietnam's traditional rivalry with its much larger neighbor China to expand U.S. influence in the region. "We think this is an auspicious time to elevate our existing partnership," Blinken told reporters after meetings with Chinh, Vietnam's foreign minister and Communist Party chief. "This has been a very comprehensive and effective relationship and going forward we will continue to deepen relations," Chinh said. "We highly appreciate the role and responsibility of the U.S. towards the Asia Pacific, or, in a larger scheme, the Indo-Pacific." He added that Vietnam's communist government is keen to "further elevate our bilateral ties to a new height." Along with a number of China's smaller neighbors, Vietnam has maritime and territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. The U.S. has responded by offering diplomatic support and bolstering military cooperation with the Philippines and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as a renegade province. Blinken noted that the U.S. is currently finalizing the transfer to Vietnam of a third Coast Guard cutter, which will complement existing maritime security cooperation that has seen Washington give Hanoi 24 patrol boats since 2016 along with other equipment and training. "All of these elements bolster Vietnamese capacity to contribute to maritime peace and stability in the South China Sea," he said. Just last month, China threatened "serious consequences" after the U.S. Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in a move Beijing claimed was a violation of its sovereignty and security. The Paracels are occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. U.S. officials are reluctant to describe any visit to Asia in terms of China, preferring instead to discuss the importance of improving bilateral ties. But they frequently speak to broader concerns in the region that are clearly directed at China. "We focused on how our countries can advance a free and open Indo-Pacific; one that is at peace and grounded in respect the rules-based international order," Blinken said. And five decades after the Nixon administration pulled U.S. combat forces out of Vietnam on March 29, 1973, Blinken said the U.S. is seeking a more strategic orientation with the country. Blinken's visit comes as the administration grapples with its own record of troop withdrawals and is facing congressional criticism and demands to explain the chaotic U.S. departure from Afghanistan two years ago. Some have likened that to the Vietnam experience, especially as it relates to the fate of Afghans who supported the 20-year military mission but were left behind when the Biden administration pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021. HANOI The United States and Vietnam pledged to boost relations as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Hanoi on Saturday as part of the Biden administration's push to counter China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Blinken and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday vowed to bring ties to a new level. Their meeting came just two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of American combat forces from South Vietnam that marked the end of America's direct military involvement in the Vietnam war. And it came as Blinken was set to break ground on a sprawling new $1.2 billion U.S. embassy compound in the Vietnamese capital, a project the administration hopes will demonstrate its commitment to further improving ties less than 30 years after diplomatic relations were restored in 1995. Despite concerns over Vietnam's human rights record, Washington sees Hanoi as a key component of its strategy for the region and has sought to leverage Vietnam's traditional rivalry with its much larger neighbor China to expand U.S. influence in the region. "We now hope to be able to take (relations) to an even higher level," Blinken said. "This has been a very comprehensive and effective relationship and going forward we will continue to deepen relations," Chinh said "We highly appreciate the role and responsibility of the U.S. towards the Asia-Pacific or, in the larger scheme, the Indo-Pacific." He added that Vietnam's communist government is keen to "further elevate our bilateral ties to a new height." Along with a number of China's smaller neighbors, Vietnam has maritime and territorial disputes with the Chinese in the South China Sea. The U.S. has responded by offering diplomatic support and bolstering military cooperation with the Philippines and the island of Taiwan, which China claims as a renegade province. And five decades after the Nixon administration pulled U.S. combat forces out of Vietnam on March 29, 1973, Washington is pressing ahead with a push to increase its military relationship with the Vietnamese. ROME Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni acknowledged "anomalies" in the handling of a Russian businessman who escaped from house arrest in Italy to avoid extradition to the United States and said Saturday she would speak with the justice minister to understand what happened. During a visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Meloni termed the case of Artyom Uss "grave" and vowed to get to the bottom of it when she returned to Rome. Uss, the 40-year-old son of a Russian regional governor, was detained in October 2022 at Milan Malpensa Airport on a U.S. warrant accusing him of violating sanctions. In November, a ruling from a Milan appeals court resulted in him being moved from jail to house arrest and outfitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet. He escaped from Italy on March 22, a day after a Milan court recognized as legitimate the U.S. extradition request, and surfaced in Russia earlier this month. "For sure there are anomalies," Meloni told reporters in Ethiopia. "The principal anomaly, I'm sorry to say, is the decision of the appeals court to offer him house arrest with a frankly debatable motivation, and to then maintain that decision even after there was an extradition request. Because obviously in that case, the flight risk becomes more obvious." She welcomed the decision by Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio to undertake a disciplinary investigation, saying "we have to have clarity." But she also said Italy didn't have detailed intelligence information from the U.S. Justice Department "about the nature of the person." Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica reported Saturday that U.S. authorities made clear that the Russian presented a "very high flight risk" in two notes to Nordio's office one from Oct. 19, two days after Uss' arrest, and the other sent after he was granted house arrest on Nov. 25. The U.S. asked for Uss to remain jailed pending the outcome of extradition proceedings and cited six cases in the past three years in which suspects escaped from house arrest in Italy while extradition requests were pending, Repubblica quoted the notes as saying. The newspaper said Nordio assured the U.S. in a Dec. 6 note that the electronic monitoring bracelet put on Uss and his required periodic check-ins with police were sufficient. Repubblica cited the Milan court's reply to Nordio's investigation as saying the justice minister had the authority at any time to impose tougher restrictive measures on someone in extradition proceedings. Last summer, nearly a year after the Taliban took over his country, Mr. A, an Afghan man in his 20s, crossed the southern border in California and told authorities he was seeking asylum. On Jan. 27, in a decision they would later reverse, U.S. authorities deported Mr. A back to the country he had fled. He hid in fear in Afghanistan, convinced the Taliban would find him, as his attorneys attempted to convince the government that his deportation was a mistake and he needed to be returned. On Feb. 21, the U.S. government paid to fly Mr. A back to Los Angeles. The extremely rare move, which amounts to an admission that Mr. A's deportation was at least premature, did not end his ordeal: He has been in ICE custody ever since. The U.S. government has continued to pursue his deportation, though the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently put a temporary stay on his removal from the country. The deportation and hurried return of Mr. A indicates that ICE is sending people back to other countries, even dangerous ones such as Afghanistan, without complete information about their cases, his attorneys say. The case of Mr. A, whom the Los Angeles Times is identifying by the first initial of his first name because he fears that the Taliban will kill his family if they realize he sought asylum in the U.S., is an especially fraught example. He came to the U.S. after fleeing a country that the U.S. occupied for two decades and left dangerous and in disarray. "It was one of the most egregious things I've seen as an immigration lawyer," said Tania Linares Garcia, an attorney with the National Immigrant Justice Center who represents him. "Especially after the U.S. government evacuated so many people. Why they would prioritize the removal for someone to Afghanistan is baffling to us." As of last year, ICE did not keep records on how many immigrants it deported by mistake while their cases were still being adjudicated, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security investigation obtained by The Times. ICE, therefore, had no way of knowing whether erroneous removals were rare, the report, which was conducted by the agency's civil rights watchdog, concluded. Sunil Varghese, policy director at the International Refugee Assistance Project, or IRAP, said that while he could not comment on individual cases, U.S. deportations to Afghanistan deserve special scrutiny and extreme care. "Afghanistan is a dangerous place for broad swaths of people, including those affiliated with the U.S. government," Varghese said. "The very imprimatur of arrival in Afghanistan via a U.S. facilitated flight can be dangerous." Mr. A initially left Afghanistan in 2022. He reached the U.S. border in late June after traveling from South America, and crossed without authorization into California, where he was taken into custody and held by ICE for seven months. ICE detained him during the entirety of his initial asylum hearings, in which he was not represented by an attorney. In late November, an immigration judge ordered him deported. The NIJC helped him submit an appeal shortly before the deadline to file, the group told The Times. In immigration proceedings, deportations are generally paused while appeals are processed and heard. But on Jan. 27, Mr. A was deported from the detention center in which he was being held in Southern California. ICE wasn't aware of his appeal until after his deportation, an ICE spokesperson said. "Why would I be deported to Afghanistan? That is not legal," he told The Times later through an interpreter. ICE deportations to Afghanistan are extremely rare. In the fiscal year of 2020, before the U.S. armed forces left the country, the agency had deported just 25 Afghans. That number dropped to 14 in the following year and 12 in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended in September. The agency has previously touted the criminal record of Afghans it has deported. "As a federal law enforcement agency, ICE would not intentionally remove a noncitizen from the United States in violation of law or policy," an ICE spokesperson said in a statement to The Times. "In the rare cases when ICE removes someone from the country in error, ICE works to remedy the situation. In this case, ICE facilitated the noncitizen's return once the agency learned of the appeal." When Mr. A was in an airport waiting to go back to Afghanistan, he began destroying the documents he had for his asylum case, he said. "I just couldn't imagine if they see me with these documents, what they would do with me they would have killed me. For my own safety, I destroyed those," he said. The Taliban questioned Mr. A upon his arrival, he said. They asked where he had gone. He did not mention his journey to the U.S. For nearly three weeks, he said, he hid in Afghanistan while his attorneys figured out how to get him back to the U.S. The lawyers contacted ICE officials and lawmakers and pressured the government to guarantee his return to the U.S. "I was basically waiting for the Taliban to come after me. I couldn't sleep," he said of his time in Afghanistan. The agency has been forced to bring back people it has deported in the past. In 2019, ICE mistakenly removed an Iraqi man, Muneer Subaihani, after a federal court judge ordered the agency not to do so. The same federal court judge ordered ICE to buy Subaihani a plane ticket and allow his entry into the U.S. Last year, an El Salvadoran man sued ICE after he alleged he was unlawfully deported in 2019 and, upon his return to his home country, put in prison for nearly 300 days. In mid-February, the U.S. government agreed to allow Mr. A to come back to the U.S. ICE worked with the State Department and his attorneys to bring him back, an agency spokesperson said. As he sat on a plane headed for home, he was convinced the Taliban would come on the flight and take him away. "OK, they are coming," he thought to himself. But, to his relief, Mr. A was able to escape Afghanistan and come back to the country where he had previously sought safety. He landed at Los Angeles International Airport on Feb. 21. He expected to have a chance to pursue his asylum appeal as a free man. In fact, the group representing him told the government it had a sponsor waiting for him in Chicago who will house him and pay for his life while he gets settled in the country. The group implored ICE to offer him a chance to avoid detention and live in Chicago before he returned to the U.S. They explained that not only did he not have a criminal record but also that the Biden administration had set up a process, Operation Allies Welcome, that helped facilitate the evacuation of Afghans for America. "Such programs are intended to facilitate the entry into the United States so that persons in similar positions to (Mr. A) can present their claims for protection," they wrote to ICE. ICE officials did not accept the request. They took him to the Imperial Regional Detention Facility, which is where ICE holds immigrants. "They put me in jail for no crimes I have not committed crimes anywhere in the world," he said. His case, advocates say, also highlights the problems within the immigration system when immigrants represent themselves in asylum hearings, as Mr. A did initially. Mr. A did not have an immigration attorney when he was ordered deported in immigration court. The government says that, in those hearings, he waived his right to appeal. His attorneys say he was unaware that he had done so, as evidenced by the fact that they later helped him file an appeal. Migrants who do not have attorneys are generally less likely to win in court. The NIJC had helped Mr. A file his appeal in December, but the group says the Board of Immigration Appeals misplaced the document after it was delivered. A Justice Department spokesperson said the government could not comment on that claim unless Mr A. formally waives his privacy rights. Mr. A's lawyers later resubmitted his appeal after noticing that the governmental website that shows cases' status had not been updated. By Jan. 24, the NIJC lawyers said, they received a notice that the appeal had been filed and the website showed that his case was pending. The immigration appeals board, however, said in a March decision that Mr. A had waived his right to appeal after he was ordered deported in November. In a footnote, the appeals board said Mr. A did not file his appeal in a timely manner but said it would not further consider the issue. "It is bad enough that asylum seekers have to face potentially life-or-death cases, isolated in detention, with no right to appointed counsel and limited procedural protections," Linares Garcia said. "It is unconscionable to then curtail their ability to seek redress from errors in a system that is known to be overburdened, or to expect them to exercise their right to appeal while living in hiding after being wrongfully removed." Mr. A's attorneys have now gone to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where they have argued that he was unaware he had waived his right to appeal. The appeals court has placed a stay on his deportation while it considers the matter. The 9th Circuit could rule in Mr. A's favor and send the case back to the immigration courts or deny his effort, leaving him again vulnerable to deportation. Mr. A could also separately try to reopen his asylum case. His attorneys have pleaded with the government in the weeks after his return to the U.S. They hope he will have a chance to pursue his case outside of detention. In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the lawyers say that Mr. A had told them that he feels helpless and "does not understand why he is being treated in such a callous way." 2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. SANAA, Yemen Hundreds of detainees from Yemen's conflict were released Saturday as part of a major prisoner exchange that began a day earlier, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The deal, brokered by the United Nations last month, has been the most significant exchange of prisoners in Years. It comes amid concerted efforts diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the long-running war in Yemen. It involves the release of more than 800 prisoners from all sides of the war that began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, overthrowing the internationally recognized government. The government fled to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi takeover prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later, and the conflict turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with the United States long involved on the periphery, providing intelligence assistance to the kingdom. However, international criticism over Saudi airstrikes killing civilians saw the U.S. pull back its support. The implementation of the three-day prisoner exchange started Friday with the release of 318 former detainees from all sides, including Maj. Gen. Mahmoud al-Subaihi, who was the defense minister when the war erupted, and Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The ICRC said all parties released a total of 357 war detainees on Saturday. Houthi prisoners were transported from Saudi Arabia and other government-held cities in Yemen to the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa, it said. Among those released were some two dozen Saudi and Sudanese troops from the Saudi-led coalition. The rebels also released relatives of late strongman leader of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh, according to the deal. Saleh had fought with the Houthis in the early years of the war, before changing sides, prompting the rebels to kill him in December 2017. Tariq Saleh, a nephew of the late president, is now leader of a powerful force in Yemen's western coast area. The prisoner exchange came as the Houthis and Saudi Arabia on Friday wrapped up an intensive round of negotiations in Sanaa to revive an expired cease-fire and embark on talks to settle the conflict, according to the Houthis. Both sides would meet again for further talks, the rebels said. The Saudi-Houthi negotiations, brokered by Oman, have gained momentum following a deal last month between Saudi Arabi and Iran to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift. Iran is the Houthis' main foreign backer. The conflict in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. Magdy reported from Cairo. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday he will not enter the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. In an interview with Fox News, the devoted ally and defender of Donald Trump opted out of a contest that would have put him into competition with his former commander in chief. "The time is not right for me and my family," Pompeo said in a statement later posted to Twitter. "At each stage of my public service as a soldier, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and then as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and as your Secretary of State I've been blessed to have the opportunity to advance America in a way that fit the time and the moment. This is not that time or that moment for me to seek elected office again." Pompeo seemed to leave the door open on a future run. "To those of you this announcement disappoints, my apologies," Pompeo said. "And to those of you this thrilled, know that I'm 59 years old. There remain many more opportunities for which the timing might be more fitting as presidential leadership becomes even more necessary." Pompeo would have been the second former Trump Cabinet member to enter the race to challenge the former president for the 2024 GOP nomination, joining former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who announced her campaign in February. Former Vice President Mike Pence is also considering entering the race and has stepped up his travel and activity in early-voting primary and caucus states. In addition, biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have also announced campaigns. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has launched a presidential exploratory committee as he considers his own bid. President Joe Biden has indicated he will seek reelection, tamping down any major challenges for the Democratic nomination. Where Haley and Pence have openly expressed differences with Trump, Pompeo has had no public split with Trump and hasn't been rebuked by the former president, as many of his would-be rivals have. Pompeo recently referred to Trump as a "great boss." The former congressman graduated at the top of his class from the U.S. Military Academy in 1986 before spending five years on active duty, deployed for a time as a cavalry officer commanding tank movements along the border between NATO-backed Western Europe and Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe. The retired Army captain is a Harvard-educated lawyer who practiced law in Washington and founded two Wichita businesses an aerospace firm and later a petroleum equipment manufacturer before entering politics. Pompeo a witty and sometimes gruff politician easily won four consecutive terms in the U.S. House representing southern Kansas. He sat on the House Intelligence Committee as well as the select committee investigating the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya. Pompeo counts as among his proudest moments the 2020 Abraham Accords, declarations of support for peaceful relations among Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. He also points to the imposition of tariffs on China, direct talks with North Korea and the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement as pillars of Trump's "America First" theme he helped erect. The 2018 withdrawal from the Iran deal and imposition of crippling sanctions have prompted death threats against Pompeo, who remains under 24-hour security protection provided by the State Department. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Authorities in northwestern New Mexico on Friday released body camera footage of police officers opening fire and killing a homeowner after they showed up at the wrong address in response to domestic violence call. The video released by the Farmington Police Department just over a week after the April 5 nighttime shooting showed officers arriving at the home. They walked up to the front door, passing the address that was posted on the home and illuminated by an exterior light, knocked on the door and announced themselves. While knocking twice more, the officers can be heard asking a dispatcher to confirm the address and to tell the caller to come to the door. The dispatcher states the address of a home across the street. It was soon after that the homeowner, armed with a handgun, opened the door and the officers immediately began shooting, firing multiple rounds as they backed away. The man can be seen dropping to the ground. About a minute afterwards, a woman can be heard screaming inside the home and more shots ring out. Authorities have said the man's wife returned fire from the doorway, not knowing who was outside, prompting the officers to fire again. She was not injured but could be heard screaming and crying after the second volley of shots were fired. Dispatchers also received a frantic call from the man's daughter, saying she heard bangs and then gunfire and that her dad needed help. She and two other children were inside the home at the time of the shooting. The video showed a chaotic scene erupting about 4 minutes after officers first arrived at the wrong address. Once the gunfire stopped, sirens could be heard blaring as more officers arrived. The homeowner's wife can be heard pleading with officers. "Help! Somebody shot my husband. Please! Please! My kids are upstairs," she said. Officers were asking her to come outside and one yelled to put her in handcuffs as she was led away from the home. Why officers approached the wrong address remains part of an ongoing investigation, Farmington police said. Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe said Friday that the department was releasing the video out of a desire to be forthcoming and transparent about what he has called a dark day for the police force and for the family of homeowner, who was identified as Robert Dotson, 52. The department said the video also was reviewed by the Dotson family and their attorney before it was publicly released. "All of us the men and women of the Farmington Police Department recognize the severity of this incident. We will do everything possible to more fully understand what transpired here," Hebbe said. "Once again, we wish to express our condolences to the Dotson family and as your chief of police, I wish to convey how very sorry I am that this tragedy occurred. We will continue to provide updates as we are able." Three officers have been placed on paid administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation. The officers have not been identified. The case comes amid an ongoing reckoning across the country over use of force by law enforcement officers. The State Police Investigations Bureau continues to review the case, saying findings will be shared with the district attorney for further review. An experienced investigator in officer-involved shootings who viewed the footage said he understands why Dotson would have a gun ready after getting a knock unexpectedly late at night. However, the officers believed they were going into a domestic violence situation and they are taught domestic violence calls are among the most dangerous, said Edward Obayashi, who is also deputy sheriff and policy advisor for the Plumas County Sheriff's Office in California. He said officers on domestic violence calls can find themselves facing people "hell-bent" on killing officers or being killed by officers themselves. "I'm not saying this is the situation here," Obayashi said. "But the officers definitely based on their training and experience nationwide are taught this. As soon as they saw the gun, instinctively that's exactly what went through their mind." How law enforcement ended up at the wrong address is what Obayashi has more questions about. Investigators will be looking at all 911 calls and other communications to figure out how much information officers had going in, he said. They'll want to know how serious the reported domestic violence incident was and whether officers had information about weapons or prior history with police, he said. "It's tragic. Was it a justified shooting? Excessive force? Here, it's not an issue for me," Obayashi said. "It's what led up to that is the issue. Who screwed up here?" Associated Press writer Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report. Vietnam Traffic Safety Initiative 2023 programme launched in HCM City The Vietnam Traffic Safety Initiative 2023 programme was kicked-off locally in HCM City on April 14 by the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security with Dantri/Dtinews Newspaper and Toyota Vietnam. Deputy minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi, Deputy Director of the Traffic Police Department Major General Le Xuan Duc, Editor-In-Chief of Dantri Newspaper Pham Tuan Anh and some guests launch the Vietnam Traffic Safety Initiative 2023 programme in HCM City on April 14. The event, which was held at Hong Bang International University, saw the attendance of deputy minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi, Deputy Director of the Traffic Police Department Major General Le Xuan Duc, Editor-In-Chief of Dantri Newspaper Pham Tuan Anh, and representatives from the local department of transport and traffic safety committee. Hundreds of students from many universities in HCM City also attended the event. Addressing the event, deputy minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi said that traffic accidents were a burden on society so he called on organisations and individuals to participate in the programme help reduce accidents. Deputy minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi speaks at the event Speaking at a talk before the launch, Deputy Director of the Traffic Police Department Major General Le Xuan Duc said that traffic congestion was still a daily issue and pointed out poor infrastructure, bad traffic planning, and poor public awareness of traffic laws and regulations. Deputy Director of the Traffic Police Department Major General Le Xuan Duc speaks at the event Duc said that it was good to hold this event at a university which would help spread the message to more young people. "Young people are the most likely to travel," he said. "We really want to hear their voice on solutions to solve traffic jams and other burning traffic issues facing the country." Attending the event, Nhat Anh, a third-year student of Hong Bang International University, expressed the hope that local authorities adopt measures to encourage more people, especially students, to use public transport to help ease congestion. Nhat Anh, a third-year student of Hong Bang International University, shares her ideas at the event Another student, Trieu Ngoc Nhi, voiced concerns that many drivers had fake or no driving license. Another student, Trieu Ngoc Nhi, voiced concerns that many drivers had fake or no driving license. Speaking with Dantri/Dtinews about the Vietnam Traffic Safety Initiative 2023 programme, HCM City People's Committee Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen, said "The programme is very meaningful as it will help reduce traffic accidents and so reduce pains for the society." The HCM City leader hoped that the initiatives from the programme would soon be implemented to solve the burning traffic issues in the country, especially in the two biggest cities of Hanoi and HCM City. Elnur Enveroglu Provocations on the one hand, diplomatic nobility and zeal on the other... Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan's statement in front of the parliament after the Armenian armed groups fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Lachin and martyred soldiers of the Azerbaijani army as a result of provocation seems bizarre. Armenia is probably trying to make a breakthrough in politics and diplomacy by calling Azerbaijan to negotiation table after its mischievous act; nevertheless, Azerbaijan still hails any good faith disussions for the sake of regional prosperity. However, it is very interesting that this meeting was intended not by Armenia, but by the forces that rule it and Armenia acts under their dictates. "We will negotiate with the Azerbaijani side based on the proposals we received from our partners, mediators and international actors. We carry out the negotiations both bilaterally and with the participation of a third party," said the Armenian Foreign Minister. It is clear from Mirzoyan's statement that Armenia is not capable of conducting a free and independent policy. Always crawling in the shadow of others is the true image of the Armenian government. It should be recalled that the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev stated at the 10th Baku Global Forum that Armenia was never an independent state: "They lost the chance to become an independent country. They became totally dependent, kind of a colony of another country, and now maybe other countries. So, they lost their chance to become really independent and to build their future, because of aggression against us." Yes, these statements are aimed at exactly the right address. Although Armenia tries to present itself as a so-called independent state in the region, in fact Yerevan is not even aware of its existence. Mirzoyan making such a statement in a pitiful and desperate manner also sheds light on other uncovered points. The background role of the EU mission While Armenia was welcoming the European Union mission to its country, policy vectors began to change under Pashinyan's rule. Peace talks take a backseat, more aggression and dynamics around conventional borders begin to intensify. Armenia, of course, has started to take such hearty steps, leaning firmly on the EU mission group and pro-Armenian Laurent Wauquiez, the President of the Regional Council of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes of France, who recently has been in Yerevan. This is what the Armenian government, which sometimes plays a double game in front of the official Kremlin, and sometimes secretly supports Russia with the help of offshore companies from the West, where it takes refuge, is what it means. Armenia thinks that the world is not aware of these actions. But Yerevan shows the ostrich pose again... International law does not apply to Armenia Since last day, the widespread footage showing the brutal beating of the Azerbaijani soldier by the Armenians, who went missing in foggy weather, in the Armenian media and all social networks has caused the irritation of the entire public and diplomatic circles. These images, which are severely criticized, indicate that the Armenian side has no understanding of international law, or that international law is not applied to Armenia. Shouldn't Armenia answer for this..? And finally, as regards the meeting of the Armenian Foreign Minister with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, it is already clear what results will be achieved here. Armenia simply does not understand that Azerbaijan is an independent state, pursues an independent policy, and meets with states capable of making independent decisions in such meetings. The state of Azerbaijan does not act on the demands and proposals of any party in solving internal and regional issues. If Mirzoyan wants to meet his Azerbaijani counterpart Bayramov, he should first pay attention to the steps he will take and the decisions he will make. Air strikes and artillery exchanges rocked the Sudanese capital Saturday as paramilitaries and the regular army traded attacks on each other's bases, days after the army warned the country was at a "dangerous" turning point. 23:59 Sudan doctors say 26 people have been killed and 103 wounded in day of fighting. 23:20 UN Secretary-General spoke to Lt. General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and to RSF Leader Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, calling for an immediate stop to the violence and a return to dialogue. He also spoke to Egypt President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki on how to de-escalate the situation, the UN Spokesperson announced. 23:00 Egypt and Saudi Arabia have jointly called for an emergency meeting of permanent representatives at the Arab League to discuss the ongoing crisis in Sudan on Sunday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced Saturday evening. 22:50 Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called on Saturday evening on Sudanese sides to prioritise the language of dialogue and national consensus, and to uphold the supreme interests of the brotherly Sudanese people. 22:45 Sudans Doctors Syndicate told Reuters 25 people were killed, and 183 other injured since the start of the clashes earlier today. 22:00 The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has urged for an end to the ongoing hostilities in Sudan and has condemned the outbreak of violence. The UN has released a statement calling upon all parties involved in the crisis to "immediately cease hostilities, restore calm, and initiate a dialogue." 21:15 Fierce clashes between the Armed forces and the RSF resumed in the evening around the headquarters of the General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces in the capital Khartoum. Meanwhile, a senior RSF commander, speaking outside the headquarters of the general command headquarters in the evening, claimed in statements to Sky News Arabia that his soldiers have entered into the building. The same commander also claimed that the RSF now controls 90 percent of military areas in the country. 20:15 The Saudi TV network Al-Arabiya reported a situation of calm and waiting in the north of the country after clashes between the Armed Forces and paramilitaries earlier in the day. Traffic returned on the streets of Omdurman on the opposite side of the Nile from Khartoum on Saturday evening, according to Al-Arabiya. 20:00 In a three-way conference call today, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Foreign Minister of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the tense situation in Sudan, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday evening. The three top diplomats stressed the importance of ending military escalation and the return to the framework agreement in a way that guarantees the safety and stability of Sudan and its people, SPA reported. 19:15 The Egyptian Armed Forces has urged on Saturday evening for "the safeguarding of the safety and security of Egyptian troops who were in Sudan to conduct joint training with their Sudanese counterparts." 19:00 The Chairman of the African Union Commission has issued a plea to the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to immediately cease the destruction of the country and the intimidation of its citizens. The African Union is calling for an end to the violence and for both sides to come to the negotiating table. The Chairman has also called on the international community to pressure the parties to stop the fighting and engage in dialogue. The African Union is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Sudan and the impact the conflict is having on the civilian population. 18:40 Power outage in the capital Khartoum as sounds of heavy gunfire being exchanged are heard, Al-Arabiya reports. 18:00 RSF announce closure of roads leading toward South Khartoum while photos of paramilitaries seizing control of West Darfur airport are reported to be circulated. 17:40 The Egyptian embassy in Khartoum has urged expatriates in Sudan to exercise maximum caution by staying away from the areas of ongoing fighting and refrain from unnecessary movements until the situation stabilises. 17:10 Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in 2021, warned of a possible regional conflict if the fighting escalates. He urged the leaders of the military and the RSF to immediately cease hostilities. Shooting must stop immediately, he said in a video message posted on his Twitter account. . pic.twitter.com/7aeESeaa9s Abdalla Hamdok (@SudanPMHamdok) April 15, 2023 16:50 A Sudanese doctors group said at least three people were killed and dozens more injured during the clashes. 16:30 Sudan's paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo vowed Saturday that his fighters will keep on fighting until "all army bases are captured." "We will not stop fighting until we capture all the army bases and the honourable members of the armed forces join us," Daglo told Al Jazeera. Fighting has raged since early Saturday between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by Daglo. 16:05 The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have announced that they have taken control of the airbase in Jabal Awliya, a region located southwest of the capital city of Khartoum. The airbase is significant as it is home to Sudan's Air Force Academy and has been used as a strategic location for military operations in the past. 16:00 Russia's foreign ministry on Saturday called for "urgent steps" to end violent clashes in Sudan between the army and paramilitary groups that left at least three civilians dead. "The dramatic events taking place in Sudan are causing serious concern in Moscow. We call on the parties of the conflict to show political will and restraint and take urgent steps towards a ceasefire," the ministry said in a statement. 15:30 Violent clashes in Sudan between the army and paramilitary groups must end "immediately," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday. The top US diplomat said he was "deeply concerned" about the reports of fighting. He said US embassy staff in the capital Khartoum are all "currently accounted for." "We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilizations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues," he tweeted from Hanoi, Vietnam, where he is passing through on his way to a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting in Japan. Deeply concerned about reports of escalating violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. We are in touch with the Embassy team in Khartoum - all are currently accounted for. We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 15, 2023 15:25 The Sudanese Armed Forces reported that they still control all bases and airports in the country, denying that the Rapid Support Forces have taken control of Merowe Airport in the north, describing the claim as "psychological warfare." 15:20 The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced that they have taken control of the Radio and Television building in Khartoum. 15:15 Head of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan confirmed on Saturday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had initiated the current fighting in the country's capital city, Khartoum, and other states. Al-Burhan stated that the RSF sought to take control of army bases, assassinate individuals and occupy vital areas. Speaking to Saudi pan-Arab news channel Al Arabiya/Al Hadath, Al-Burhan emphasised that the armed forces are capable of defeating the rebels. "The army has sufficient forces and the will to defeat the rebels," Al-Burhan said. The armed forces have no choice but to confront the RSF's ambitions for power, he said, adding that the military is conducting their operations with patience to prevent human losses. 14: 55 The Sudanese army says that the Rapid Support Forces are heavily deployed at the television headquarters. 14: 50 The Sudanese army confirmed that it has "complete control" over the General Command headquarters of the armed forces. 14: 45 Three Sudanese civilians were killed Saturday as fighting raged between the regular army and paramilitaries in Khartoum and other cities, the doctors' union said. In a statement on Facebook, the medics said "two people were killed in Khartoum airport" and another person was killed in El Obeid, in North Kordofan state, south of the capital It added that at least nine other people were wounded in the clashes, including an army officer in Khartoum's sister city of Omdurman. 14:30 Flydubai and Air Arabia have announced the suspension of their flights to Sudan following the recent unrest in the country caused by clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. A spokesperson for Flydubai stated that the airline has cancelled its flights between Dubai and Khartoum from April 15 to April 17 due to the current situation in Sudan. The airline will continue to closely monitor the situation and apologize for any inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of the travel schedule changes. Meanwhile, Air Arabia has announced the cancellation of all its flights to Sudan until further notice. 14:20 Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Abul-Gheit, has expressed worry and shock at the ongoing military operations between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum and other areas. Abul-Gheit condemned the fighting, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. Abul-Gheit emphasised that the warring factions have the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of Sudanese civilians in conflict zones and throughout the country. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities to de-escalate the situation. Abul-Gheit also said that the Arab League's Secretariat is prepared to intervene with the parties to achieve this objective. The secretary-general's statement follows international organisations and governments around the world expressing concern over the situation in Sudan and calling for an end to the violence. 14:00 The UN envoy in Sudan calls for an immediate cessation of fighting to ensure the safety of the people. 13:45 Sudanese Armed Forces battle rebels in Khartoum, press statement says. The General Command of the Armed Forces issued a press statement on Saturday, saying that government forces are currently battling rebel groups in the capital, Khartoum. According to the statement, the rebel forces are conspiring against the state and national sovereignty, and have been engaging in acts of aggression against Sudan. In response, the armed forces have been fighting for the "right and national dignity" of the country, with soldiers shedding "precious blood" in the process. The statement also suggests that the conflict is centered around strategic locations in Khartoum, including the presidential palace, the General Command, and the headquarters of the president of the Sovereignty Council. The rebel forces are said to be deploying their forces from bases scattered throughout the capital in attempts to control these sites. "Our forces are currently confronting the enemy, and their nefarious efforts will fail and be shattered by the determination, will and courage of your sons in the armed forces," the statement reads. The press statement did not provide further details about the nature of the conflict or the identities of the rebel groups involved. It did, however, express condolences to the families of "righteous martyrs" who had already died in the fighting, and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded. The situation in Khartoum remains tense, with reports of gunfire and explosions being heard throughout the city. The government has not yet issued any further statements or updates regarding the conflict. 13:25 Commercial aircraft trying to land at Khartoum International Airport began turning around to head back to their originating airport. Flights from Saudi Arabia turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed Saturday. 13:00 The US ambassador in Sudan says the scalation of tensions within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous. I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting. he added. WHAT HAPPENED Sustained firing broke out in the Sudanese capital Saturday amid simmering tensions between the military and the country's powerful paramilitary forces. The sounds of heavy firing could be heard in a number of areas, including central Khartoum and the neighbourhood of Bahri. In a series of statements, the Rapid Support Forces militia accused the army of attacking its forces at one of its bases in south Khartoum and claimed they had seized the city's airport and completely controlled Khartoums Republican Palace, the seat of the countrys presidency. The group also said it seized an airport and airbase in the northern city of Marawi, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) northwest of Khartoum. The Associated Press was unable to verify those claims. In a separate statement Saturday, the Sudanese Army said the fighting broke out after RSF troops tried to attack its forces in the southern part of the capital. In a later statement, the military declared the RSF a rebel force, describing the paramilitarys statements as lies. The clashes came as tensions between the military and the RSF have escalated in recent months, forcing a delay in the signing of an internationally backed deal with political parties to revive the countrys democratic transition. Commercial aircraft trying to land at Khartoum International Airport began turning around to head back to their originating airport. Flights from Saudi Arabia turned back after nearly landing at Khartoum International Airport, flight tracking data showed Saturday. Tensions between the army and the paramilitary stem from a disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, should be integrated into the military and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudans unsigned transition agreement. However, the army-RSF rivalry dates back to the rule of autocratic President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019. Under the former president, the paramilitary force grew out of former militias known as the janjaweed that carried out a brutal crackdown in Sudans Darfur region during the decades of conflict there. In a rare televised speech Thursday, a top army general warned of potential clashes with paramilitary forces, accusing it of deploying forces in Khartoum and other areas of Sudan without the armys consent. The RSF defended the presence of its forces in an earlier statement. The RSF recently deployed troops near the northern Sudanese town of Merowe. Also, videos circulating on social media Thursday show what appear to be RSF-armed vehicles being transported into Khartoum, farther to the south. The U.S. Ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, wrote online that he was currently sheltering in place with the Embassy team, as Sudanese throughout Khartoum and elsewhere are doing. Escalation of tensions within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous, Godfrey wrote. I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting. In Saturday's statement, the RSF said it was contacted by three former rebel leaders who hold government positions in an apparent bid to de-escalate the conflict. Sudan has been married in turmoil since October 2021 Western-backed, power-sharing administration and dashed Sudanese aspirations for democratic rule after three decades of autocracy and repression under Islamist ruler Omar al-Bashir. Search Keywords: Short link: The leak of hundreds of classified intelligence documents about the war in Ukraine and U.S. spying on allies has left many officials asking: How did this happen again? Jack Teixeira, a 21-year old, low-level National Guard member assigned to an intelligence support squadron in Massachusetts, allegedly removed hundreds of classified documents from his office on base and brought them home. He then shared them with his friends in an online community united by their love of guns and video games, the government says. On Friday, he was charged with unlawfully taking and unlawfully transmitting sensitive information crimes that carry a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Teixeira will be held in jail until a detention hearing next week, but bail is rarely granted in such cases. Its still unclear how closely Teixeira was monitored, if at all. But the timeline of his alleged activities, based on interviews with members of his Discord server group, as well as an FBI affidavit, shows that he was able to remove page after page of classified material, for months on end, with apparently no notice. I just dont know why he should be able to print lots of documents. That makes no sense, said one former senior intelligence official familiar with past leaks, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. What were we not doing, not noticing that pattern of behavior? Whos not checking that? Wheres the human monitoring? Teixeira was far from the first insider in recent years to expose government secrets, and his case raises fresh questions about whether earlier efforts to plug leaks were sufficient or if the U.S. intelligence system, which is designed to promote collaboration and information sharing, is fundamentally vulnerable to disclosures from within. Every time a trusted employee has walked off the job with classified information, U.S. officials have reassured the public that lessons learned will lead to new guardrails that will make breaches less likely. They have consistently proved insufficient. In 2010, after Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning shared hundreds of thousands of classified State Department cables and military reports with WikiLeaks, the Defense Department tightened up the rules for using its most widely-used classified computer networks. Someones need to know classified information was supposed to be commensurate with their degree of access to it, recalled several former senior intelligence officials. Three years later, another massive leak occurred. Edward Snowden, a contractor for the National Security Agency, removed vast amounts of classified data on thumb drives from the facility in Hawaii where he worked. The irony was we had gotten rid of thumb drives in 95 percent of [NSA] computers, said the first former intelligence official. That new rule followed a penetration of the Defense Departments most widely-used classified network, in 2008, by a virus loaded onto a thumb drive. After five years, the Hawaii facility still hadnt gotten around to putting the new rule in place, the former official said. After the Snowden incident, the intelligence community undertook yet more new security measures, including reexamining who had access to classified information and starting continuous monitoring to ensure that people with clearances were regularly watched. Members of the Discord group said that Teixeira began sharing classified information about eight months ago. After one member of his tightknit group shared some of the documents outside their circle in early March of this year, they bounced around the internet for five weeks before any officials spotted them. The New York Times first reported on April 6 that classified documents had shown up on other Discord servers and on social media platforms. While many FBI investigations into leaks start with a look at which government insiders had access to the information, court papers suggest that in this case, agents worked from the outside, tracing data from the internet to eventually identify Teixeira. On April 10, according to the affidavit, the FBI interviewed the individual who had shared some of the classified documents beyond the close-knit group, a violation of what members described as a mutual agreement to keep the information to themselves. That person described the leader of the group as having first shared text write-ups of classified information and later photographs of documents. On Wednesday, Discord provided authorities with the user information for the account that originally shared the classified information. The billing name for that user, according to court papers, was Teixeira, with his address in North Dighton, Mass. That same day, The Washington Post published a detailed account of a member of the group describing how Teixeira had repeatedly shared and discussed sensitive intelligence documents, in part, out of a desire to show off how much he knew about the world of government secrets. Agents arrested Teixeira on Thursday, arriving at his home in protective tactical gear. In its report, The Post described Teixeira as a gun enthusiast and described a video in which he yells racist and anti-Semitic epithets before firing off several rounds from a rifle. The charging document shows that while social media data might have initially put the FBI on Teixeiras trail, agents have secured additional evidence. On April 6, as the news of the leaks was starting to spread, Teixeira allegedly used his government computer to look for any intelligence reports with the word leak. Court papers charge there is reason to believe that Teixeira was searching for classified reporting regarding the U.S. Intelligence Communitys assessment of the identity of the individual who transmitted classified national defense information. Records from Teixeiras login account on the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, a top secret intranet he was authorized to use, may also yield some evidence. If Teixeira had accessed documents directly, perhaps from an intelligence agencys classified systems, there should be a record of that, said one U.S. official familiar with how JWICS works. But if Teixeira accessed documents that someone else had downloaded and placed somewhere on a computer network, such as inside a shared drive, it might be harder for investigators to follow the trail to him, the official said. One of the Discord members said Teixeira understood that there were rules about conduct at work where classified information could be read and printed. The member said Teixeira told him that a more senior person at his job threatened to nail cellphones to the wall if he found anyone carrying them. The member also claimed he asked Teixeira to conduct research on topics that interested him, including reports he had read about a secretive aircraft, the TR-3 Black Manta, that the United States was rumored to have developed. The claims were more urban legend than fact, but the member said Teixeira told him he had searched government records and found no mention of the plane. Texeira, in his tech support role, had a legitimate need for access to the systems that house classified information, said a second former intelligence official who bemoaned Snowdens ability to use thumb drives. But a need to know is a separate thing. You have the ability to receive the information for which you have a need to know. But there should be controls on how you access that information, what you do with it. The official asked, Did he need to download and print off the daily briefs? They [the DOD] were supposed to have cleaned that up. Whos watching the store? On Friday, President Biden said he had directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information, indicating that yet more rules and procedures may be in store. A day earlier, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he was directing a senior Pentagon official to conduct a review of our intelligence access, accountability and control procedures within the Department to inform our efforts to prevent this kind of incident from happening again. Glenn Gerstell, who served as general counsel at the NSA during leaks by two other employees, including one who gave a classified document to the press and another who hoarded documents in his home, noted how the pendulum swings back and forth .... between clamping down access after a leak to recognizing that the nature of the threats we face are so significant that we need more and deeper access. We constantly struggle with the balance, Gerstell said. Lawmakers intend to examine how Teixeira committed his alleged crimes. While we seek to learn the extent of classified information released and how to mitigate the fallout, the House Intelligence Committee will examine why this happened, why it went unnoticed for weeks, and how to prevent future leaks, Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), the panels chairman, said in a statement. Teixerias case highlights what some longtime intelligence officials often refer to as the clerk problem. Any organization that handles sensitive information will always need a significant number of junior employees to help manage and share it. Ultimately, the security of information comes down to trust. People who sign agreements to be able to receive classified documents acknowledge the importance to the national security of not disclosing those documents, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in remarks at a news conference Friday on an unrelated issue. In charging Teixeira, Garland said, We intend to send that message how important it is to our national security. INDIANAPOLIS In his first public speech since the day he was arraigned on 34 felony counts in a New York courtroom, former president Donald Trump was welcomed onstage Friday at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting by a standing ovation that spanned more than two minutes. Former vice president Mike Pence got a markedly different welcome. Trump's former running mate was met with a mix of applause and loud boos that continued as he prepared to speak in the state he once served as governor. "I love you too," he joked in response. Later, he called serving as vice president the greatest honor of his life. While many applauded, an attendee loudly shouted "never again!" Trump latched onto the moment, and mentioned it in his own remarks later in the afternoon. "I hope you gave Pence a good warm approval," said Trump. "No, because he is a nice man if you want to really know the truth, he is, he's a good man. And I heard it was very rough." The contrasting receptions reflected Trump's standing as the polling leader in the Republican presidential primary, even as he faces greater legal peril, as well as the challenges confronting Pence as he makes moves toward potentially entering the race as an long-shot in public surveys. Pence has faced intense backlash from both Trump and his supporters for refusing to try to overturn Trump's defeat in the 2020 presidential election as vice president. The NRA event, which drew speeches and videotaped addresses from Republican candidates and potential contenders, marked the first time that Trump and former Pence have appeared at the same 2024 campaign-geared event. Pence, who has not yet declared his intent to run but has made moves toward entering the race, was the first potential candidate to speak, while Trump closed out the program. Trump had not given a public speech since he spoke from his Mar-a-Lago estate last week after he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to payments intended to silence an adult-film actress during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump is also facing other investigations. Trump is the first former or sitting U.S. president to be criminally charged, and in his speech he sought to tie his own legal troubles to the NRA as he once again disparaged the prosecutor in one case. He claimed the same "radical left" attorney general "coming after me in New York state is also waging war on the NRA, shamefully trying to destroy this legendary organization." This week, Trump was deposed in Manhattan as part of a $250 million lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) that accuses him and his children of committing repeated fraud. James previously sued the National Rifle Association over alleged tax violations and self-dealing. The NRA event comes just days after five people were killed in a shooting at a Louisville bank, and after six people, including three nine-year-olds, were killed at a school in Nashville at the end of March. Last year, the NRA held the same meeting in Texas just days after a deadly school shooting in Uvalde. This year's meeting also overlaps with the two-year anniversary of another mass killing in Indianapolis. The 2024 hopefuls repeated familiar lines about their view of the problems that led to the shootings, saying it was not access to guns, but factors like mental health and crime that led to the mass casualties. Pence called for accelerating executions of mass shooters, saying, "justice delayed is justice denied." "I believe the time has come to institute a federal death penalty statute with accelerated appeal to ensure that those who engage in mass shootings face execution in months, not years," he said, to loud applause. Trump, for his part, said "the only way to stop these wicked actions is to ensure that any sicko who would shoot up a school knows that within seconds, not minutes, they will face certain death." The former president called for national concealed carry reciprocity, and said as president he would create a tax credit to reimburse teachers for a concealed-carry firearm and training. He added that he would direct the Food and Drug Administration to investigate if certain drugs "are causing psychotic breaks" and whether transgender hormone treatments increase the risk of violence, reflecting a growing wave of anti-trans rhetoric following the Nashville shooting. Nashville police initially said the shooter, Audrey Hale, was a 28-year-old woman, and later said Hale was transgender, citing a social media profile in which Hale used masculine pronouns. The Post has not yet confirmed how Hale identified. Trump was the clear favorite of a majority of attendees at the meeting. When former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson - an anti-Trump Republican who will officially launch his presidential bid at the end of the month - closed his speech with a call to move past 2020 and bring new leadership, an attendee shouted out "not you!" Hours before the doors opened, hundreds of people were already lined up to enter the massive ballroom where the 2024 hopefuls spoke. Many in the line sported "Make America Great Again" hats and other pro-Trump swag, like a shirt that read "even my dog is waiting for Trump 2024" with a drawing of a Labrador retriever with Trump's signature swoop of hair. Due to Secret Service security requirements, guns were not allowed in the room where candidates spoke, according to the NRA's website. In the hall next door, amid more than 14 acres of guns, bullets, taxidermy and memorabilia, attendees sported red bags of convention swag. Particularly large crowds circled stands featuring AR-15 rifles, the weapon used in many mass killings. Wandering between exhibits, John Einum - a Trump supporter from Wisconsin wearing an anti-President Biden hat and shirt - said that any other Republicans running for president are not ready. "He's been there, he's done it, he knows who the swamp is, he knows who his enemies are, and he'll oust them," he said of Trump. Pence, he said, "is not going to be in the equation." Asked about the ongoing string of school shootings, Einum said, "naturally the Democrats always blame the gun, but it's not the gun, the gun is a tool. It's like a hammer, a crowbar, a bat, whatever you want to pick for a tool you can injure people." The problem, he said, is "society and mental illness, drugs. That's the root cause of all of it, that's what they need to address." If Trump is reelected, he said, he believes the first step to preventing the shootings is "stop the border, and crack down on drugs." His wife, Sparky Einum, agreed, and said she likes Trump's "forthrightness" and that "he doesn't wishy wash." "He just lays it down and tells you right into your face whether you're good or bad, and I believe in honesty. Sometimes he steps on somebody's feet, but he's still honest," she said. She said it is important for 2024 candidates to be at the NRA event courting voters. "Some presidents were hit by bullets and died, but I think, like my husband said, it's not the gun, and if we don't have guns to protect ourselves, then they'll also have the guns and we won't have anything to protect ourselves," she said. "Trump has a sign that says 'they're not after him, they're after us' - as far as the Democrats go. He's standing in the way, so to have him back us up on something like this I think is very important, and it encourages people to probably vote for him," she added. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) sent in video messages that were played during the event. Hutchinson and technology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also appeared in person at the event, as did New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem. Noem, who signed an executive order onstage at the event that she said would protect the second amendment from "being infringed upon [by] financial institutions," said her almost two year old granddaughter already has two guns. "I want to reassure you, she already has a shotgun and she already has a rifle. And she's got a little pony named Sparkles too, so the girl is set up," said Noem. Other than Trump, Ramaswamy and Noem received the most positive response from the audience here. DeSantis's video was met with initial applause, but not at the same level. The NRA spent more than $31 million in support of Trump during his 2016 campaign, and more than $16.5 million on his 2020 reelection campaign, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks campaign finance numbers. "They better endorse me again, or they're going to have some explaining to do," Trump said in his remarks of the group's endorsement of his past campaigns. John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement about the meeting, that the NRA "is past its prime and unable to deliver general election wins." The group's endorsement, he argued, "has gone from an asset to an albatross." The group, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, had mobile billboards driving in front of the convention hall that read "NRA EXECS ARE CELEBRATING. KIDS ARE DYING" and "GUNS ARE THE #1 KILLER OF CHILDREN AND TEENS." There was little other visible counterprotest. Across the street, just three protesters held anti-gun signs. (Tribune News Service) A state human resources consultant reported to leaders of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs in early January that there were widespread feelings of doom, fear, and intimidation among workers at the state Veterans Home in Hastings. It was the third time in eight months that allegations of a toxic workplace were probed by state officials. But it wasnt until mid-March, after caregivers went public with stories of years of bullying and intimidation of staff at the Hastings veterans home, that Commissioner Larry Herke decided to fire two top officials in charge of the facility. Lynn Wachtler, a nurse practitioner and former primary care provider at the Hastings home, said it was regrettable that the agency failed to address our claims in a timely manner and left employees no other choice except to involve the media to effect necessary changes. Wachtler is one of more than a dozen current and former workers who have spoken out on the problems at the Hastings veterans home domiciliary. It is clear our claims had merit, she said. In a statement, the state Department of Veterans Affairs said Herke had been working to address workplace problems in Hastings since he became aware of them. He asked the states Employee Assistance Program for a neutral assessment of the workplace culture. The departments statement said that report reinforced the importance of continuing to address employee concerns and make a positive change to the culture at the Hastings Veterans Home. Then because that culture change was not happening as quickly as expected, Herke made the decision to change leadership at the Deputy Commissioner and Administrator levels, the statement said. Herke announced on March 19 the removal of Doug Hughes, who oversaw veterans health care, and Mike Anderson, the administrator of the Hastings veterans home. What the inquiry found A summary report of an investigation by Minnesota Management and Budgets Employee Assistance Program, obtained by the Pioneer Press through a public records request, said that caregivers felt this is a toxic culture, waiting for the next thing to happen, whether being disciplined or investigated. The inquiry also found morale was suffering and there was a pervasive lack of trust and what felt like a punitive and hostile environment. Caregivers felt speaking up would result in retaliation or that nothing would change. Senior medical staffers told Karen Hanauer, a consultant with the Employee Assistance Program, their expertise and professional decision making is in constant question, not trusted or respected. Furthermore, a majority of the workers who spoke to Hanauer reported that they themselves, or a colleague, have undergone or are going through an investigation. The perception is that these investigations are used as an intimidation tactic. At the request of Valerie Klintzke, Veterans Affairs human resources director, Hanauer held optional listening sessions in early December 2022 and spoke with 14 different staff members at the Hastings home. Her report to leaders is dated Jan. 5, 2023. Employee Assistance Programs are typically a resource for workers to address personal or job-related problems and can include counseling, wellness programs and legal advice. Commissioner Herke said Hanauers inquiry was the third into allegations of a toxic workplace culture at the Hastings veterans home. State officials declined to release any details of a previous investigation by the state Department of Veterans Affairs or a separate inquiry by the states human resources department, citing a broad exemption in the state public records law that keeps many personnel records private. However, the more than a dozen former and current workers at the Hastings facility told the Pioneer Press that no one from either state agency talked with any of them until Hanauer held her December listening sessions. They said the only response to a packet of detailed allegations they sent to Herke and Gov. Tim Walz was correspondence stating continuous education and process improvements were underway and the investigations had been closed. Fallout from allegations After caregivers from the Hastings home went public with their allegations of a toxic workplace culture on March 5, Herke decided two weeks later to remove Hughes and Anderson. Two days after they were fired, Herke told members of the Senate veterans committee that he swiftly opened an investigation in June 2022 when he first received the caregivers allegations. He subsequently developed a 10-point plan to address the allegations, which included anti-bullying and workplace harassment training. Sen. Mark Koran, R-North Branch, who is a member of the Senate veterans committee, expressed concern with Herkes response during the hearing, saying it was clear the problems had been allowed to fester and that the departments plans to remedy them didnt go far enough. Everything in there he should have been doing already, Koran said of Herkes plans. Koran added in an interview Thursday that it amounted to gross negligence that Veterans Affairs leaders had confirmed the allegations through an investigation, but waited more than two months to act. He said the agency needs more than two token firings to address systemic problems. Hughes, the former deputy commissioner for veterans health care who was fired, also had criticisms of Herkes leadership. In an interview the night his dismissal was announced, Hughes said his former boss was belittling and a micromanager. On April 3, Herke wrote a message to top staff members that he was taking medical leave and expected to return to work in May. State officials say Herkes leave is not related to the allegations of workplace problems in Hastings. But his absence comes at a time that the agency he leads is working to address widespread allegations of bullying and retaliation against workers as well as safety problems. Herke wrote that Hughes replacement, Brad Lindsay, would serve as interim commissioner until he returns in May. Lindsay oversaw veterans programs and services before taking over as deputy commissioner of health care. MDVA has a strong and experienced leadership team, Herke said in his note to staff. I have full confidence in your abilities during my temporary absence. In a statement, Gov. Walz, who served 24 years in the Army National Guard, wished Herke a speedy recovery and said he is grateful for MDVAs diligent and ongoing work to address workplace concerns at the Hastings Veterans home. Complaints moving forward Meanwhile, at least 10 former caregivers say they are moving forward with federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints against the state Department of Veterans Affairs for not doing enough to address problems at the facility. Those complaints are just part of the various legal actions former caregivers are taking in response to what they described as years of harassment, retaliation and bullying that drove away workers and led to unsafe conditions for both residents and staff. Several former workers have filed worker-compensation claims and others are considering lawsuits. Other caregivers have challenged assertions by Herke and other Veterans Affairs leaders that veterans care has not suffered because of the workplace issues. Wachtler and other caregivers told state senators that low staffing levels often made it difficult to meet the various needs of the veterans who live in Hastings. The facility is a domiciliary, or care home, and not a skilled nursing facility. But many of the more than 100 residents are vulnerable from health and substance abuse problems and are supposed to have around-the-clock access to nursing, mental health, social work and senior care. Herke acknowledged to the Senate committee that the residents living at the Hastings domiciliary have a variety of needs and that the department may need to re-evaluate the staffing model. New homes opening Problems at the Hastings veterans home come as lawmakers are debating whether to spend spend $78 million on the states portion of a $220 million project to replace the Hastings campus. The remaining money for the project would come from the federal government. The state is also in the process of opening three more veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston that are expected to open later this year. The state Legislature approved $32 million for the facilities in 2018. 2023 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at twincities.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Joseph Hillen was only freed from Mountjoy prison last week having served a significant jail sentence for manslaughter A man who twice stabbed a taxi driver and left him to bleed to death alone on a rural road was back in court today accused of assaulting his own mother. Lisburn Magistrates Court heard that 28-year-old Joseph Hillen was only freed from Mountjoy prison last week having served a significant jail sentence for manslaughter and is due to start with probation on Monday. Appearing at court by videolink from police custody in a black tracksuit top and orange T-Shirt Hillen, from the Foughilletra Road in Jonesborough, was charged with nine offences alleged to have been committed in the early hours of 14 April this year. In offences said to be aggravated by domestic abuse, Hillen was charged with dangerous driving, causing criminal damage to a wall belonging to his mother and assaulting the lady. The 28-year-old was also accused of driving while unfit through drunk or drugs, possessing class A cocaine, assaulting a police officer, aggravated theft of a Ford Focus car which was damaged and driving without a licence or insurance. Having connected Hillen to the charges, Const. Russell said police were objecting to bail due to the risks of further offences based on the fact that he was released from Mountjoy prison last week having served a number of years for manslaughter. Taxi driver Martin Mulligan While the facts of that case were not opened in court, the manslaughter conviction relates to the death of 53-year-old taxi driver Martin Mulligan who was stabbed to death in the early hours of September 28th, 2015. During his trial Dublin Central Criminal Court heard that initially, Hillen denied any involvement or knowledge of Mr Mulligans death but a few weeks before the trial began, he asked Gardai officers to visit him and he then admitted stabbing the taxi driver following an altercation on the side of the road. Tried for murder, Hillen was found guilty of manslaughter and was originally sentenced to seven years imprisonment with the final year suspended by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon but the prosecuting authorised appealed that as unduly lenient and Hillens sentence was extended by a further two years with the final year suspended. Hillen told Gardai officers he chased Mr Mulligan after allegedly spotting him dumping rubbish on land his friend owned but that tue taxi driver dropped suddenly and the pair fought. He further claimed it was during this fight that the victim had a long, stainless steel kitchen knife and he described flipping the knife from the deceaseds hand, receiving punches to his head and then, as he described it, jabbing out twice with the knife while he was underneath. Tragically, Mr Mulligan died as a result of two incredibly serious stab wounds, one to to the abdomen which was 22.5cm deep and the second wound, described as a through and through wound, pierced right through his entire thigh. His car moved away and the keys thrown into an adjacent field, the mortally wounded Mr Mulligan was left to die alone on a remote country road, without any prospect of being able to get away or summon help. In court today, Const. Russell outlined how the PSNI were alerted to a domestic incident at Hillens mothers home when she reported her son had driven a car at her while she was standing at the front of her house. She was two metres away when the Ford Focus crashed into wall, damaging a concrete barrier, ramp and railings. According to the complainant, Hillen got out of the car and ran at her but she managed to get inside and lock the door but Hillen has proceeded to shout and kick at the door, only leaving after his mother said she had phoned the police. When officers arrived Hillen was stumbling and falling over into a hedge at the roadside and when they searched him, cops found a bag of white powder which he admitted was cocaine. They also saw damage to the wall and the car and when Hillen was interviewed, he admitted driving it, conceding he had just lost the plot and that his mother was annoying because she had asked him to leave. Hillens defence counsel submitted that with a bail address 12 miles away, the defendant could be freed on bail and District Judge Eamon King agreed but imposed a package of conditions including a prohibition on alcohol, staying away from his mother and observing a curfew. The case was adjourned to 19 April. It is a far cry from his former clean-shaven and well-groomed appearance. THIS is murder accused Gerry the Monk Hutch after he was tracked down by cops to face charges in relation to murder of David Byrne. The picture shows the 60-year-old Dublin criminal with long hair and a beard, a far cry from his former clean-shaven and well-groomed appearance. Hutch is understood to have grown his hair long while he lived abroad before he was arrested over Byrnes murder but he had shorter hair when he was arrested by Spanish Guardia Civil accompanied by gardai in Fuengirola on Spains Costa Del Sol in August 2021. He has kept the longer hair during his murder trial. The Special Criminal Court will deliver its judgement on Monday as to whether it has found Hutch guilty or not guilty of Byrnes murder at the Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016. The Kinahan-Hutch feud had already claimed the lives of Gary Hutch in Spain in September 2015 and Darren Kearns in Dublin in December of that year. A younger Gerry Hutch There had also been an unsuccessful plot to murder Gerry Hutch in Lanzarote around the same time. But it was the murder of Byrne at the Regency which marked a major escalation in the feud which has now claimed 18 lives. Hutch left Ireland shortly after the murder of his brother Eddie at his north Dublin home just three days after the Regency attack. He lived abroad spending considerable time in different parts of Europe including Lanzarote before flying to mainland Spain around the same time a warrant was issued for his arrest in relation to Byrnes murder. Hutch, of The Paddocks, Clontarf, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Kinahan gang member David Byrne (32) on February 5, 2016. He was killed when five raiders, three disguised as ERU gardai with assault rifles stormed the Regency in north Dublin. Two other men Jason Bonney (52) of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock and Paul Murphy (61) of Cherry Avenue, Swords, deny providing cars for the attack team. Former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall had been charged with murder but instead pleaded guilty to facilitation, by helping to book a room at the Regency that was used by the raiders. He took to the stand to give evidence against Hutch during the trial claiming that Hutch admitted to him that he was directly involved in Byrnes murder. Hutch is currently on a restricted landing in Dublin's Wheatfield prison where he keeps himself busy writing legal notes to his legal team. His trial at the Special Criminal Court lasted 13 long weeks which ended with the prosecution stating that he was one of the men who shot David Byrne at the Regency hotel. Hutch is believed to be hopeful, the three-judge panel will find the State failed to prove its case against him beyond a reasonable doubt allowing him to return to Spain. The huge haul of drugs was concealed in the refrigeration unit of a maritime container which had originated in Ecuador. Photograph of the seizure made by Customs officials The cocaine was hidden in the refrigeration unit of a maritime container. These photographs show how traffickers tried to hide cocaine worth 3.85m seized from a container ship in a Co Cork port. Yesterday, a massive 55kgs of cocaine was seized by Customs officials at Ringaskiddy Port, Co Cork. The huge haul of drugs was concealed in the refrigeration unit of a maritime container which had originated in Ecuador. Refrigerated containers, also called reefer containers, are used for goods that need to be temperature controlled during shipping. The cocaine was hidden in the refrigeration unit of a maritime container. They are typically powered by a generator that is attached to the container and provides electricity to the Cooling Unit. Images released by Revenue show how the blocks of cocaine were concealed next to the motor which powered the refrigeration unit. Yesterdays seizure was made after an x-ray scanner was used to search a ship after it arrived from Ecuador. A spokesperson for Revenue said their sniffer dog, called Merlin, also played a key role in the discovery. "The illicit drugs were discovered with the assistance of Revenues mobile x-ray scanner, Revenues Maritime Unit and detector dog Merlin, when a ship was searched upon its arrival from Ecuador. Photograph of the seizure made by Customs officials The illegal drugs were found hidden in the refrigeration unit of a maritime container. This seizure was made as a result of a joint operation conducted by Revenues Customs Service and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB). Merlin the dog A garda spokesman said the haul was made as part of ongoing efforts to target transnational crime gangs. This operation was part of Revenues ongoing joint investigations targeting transnational organised crime and the importation, sale and supply of illegal drugs, gardai said. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding drug smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295. In her new career as a presenter on GB News, her remarks are not surprising. Arlene Foster bared her crocodile teeth this week with an inflammatory attack on visiting US President Joe Biden. Supporting act Sammy Wilson got in the picture with a baseless attack laying the blame bizarrely for the collapse of Stormont at the feet of the Commander In Chief. Arlene, who betrayed her prejudices with her infamous crocodile comments while in a power sharing Executive with Michelle ONeill, let the mask slip again with her claims biden ``hates the UK. In her new career as a presenter on GB News, her remarks are not surprising. Shes playing to her audience, in other words a constituency of English and uber British nationalists in Northern Ireland who will swallow every word of her conspiracy theory. Its irresponsible. Firstly Biden has every right to be wear his Irish heart on his sleeve, he has every right to support the Good Friday Agreement and Windsor Framework, because I believe, he genuinely wants this place to be fixed. That doesnt make him anti-British. America is not the only nation to support the Windsor Framework, it doesnt make any of them hate the UK. Arlene and Sammys language is age old the DUP have been talking like this since the day they were formed. Its what we know as the politics of fear. The DUP feed on paranoia and have spent decades pointing the finger of blame at other people. No other country in the world, certainly not one with less than two million citizens, can rely on the patronage of the most powerful nation on the planet. We are the only place where the White House actively encourages US investment. Yet there are those of us who want to give him the fingers. Its bizarre. Sammy Wilson It seems to me, given that Biden is at the head of the worlds most powerful economy, to be incredibly short sighted arguably stupid to scoff at the arrival of the leader of the free world in this parish. Peace processes dont come cheap, the American dollar is the currency of the world and it already directly supports more than 30,000 jobs in the local economy. We cant afford to have a dog in the manger. Bidens smiles, warm words and unashamed Irishness are not a threat to anyone. A hand extended in friendship should always be grasped. Compromise and sacrifice are words you wont find in the DUP dictionary, what you might find is isolated which is what the DUP is becoming increasingly used to. People have to be very careful, he said. CELEBRITY plastic surgeon Patrick Treacy has warned the public to be vigilant about bank card scammers after he suffered a nightmare experience. And the surgeon to the stars reveals he has been told by his bank the problem has become enormous lately with thousands caught out. Dr Treacy, who famously treated Michael Jackson during his time here and has a client list of several Irish stars who prefer to remain secret, was recently in New York where he was one of the guest of honours at the St Patricks Day parade. I had two major problems, Fermanagh-born Patrick, who runs major clinics in Dublin and Cork,tells Sundayworld.com. The first incident happened when I was in the parade in New York and then ended up at a party. Dr Patrick Treacy with Jay Z Then someone phoned me at 9am in the morning when I was still very groggy. They said they knew I was in New York and that my card had been used in different IP addresses in Co Clare He had like a middle-class Dublin accent, where he advised me I needed to change the number on my card. I was thinking to myself is this real or not?. They had the background music of the bank and went through all the security checks. Then I turned around and I said, well look it you could find out all that information about me on the internet. Dr Patrick Treacy with Bono He said look we realise youre in New York, but this needs to stop your card now. I said Im going to be in Dublin on Monday, I can sort it out then. He said you could do that if you want but Id advise you not to because were going to block your card now and youre going to be in New York without a card and I said well I could transfer the money onto one of my other cards ands he said no you cant dip into your account, but we can change not so much the PIN number, but a six digit number that you get with the card. He said could you give us the numbers off it, just random ones. I thought as I gave them the first three number gosh if I give them the other three numbers I will be left without a card, so I said I wouldnt give it to them. So, I phoned the bank and they told me it was a scam. The bank then blocked my card after I told them what happened. Patrick had another card on him which was usable up until then. I was then down to my other card and unfortunately the bank then phoned me and said, we think theres a false transaction on the card, he recalls. I said No, I need this card now as I need to get money out of it. They said, no we need to block it. I said no youre scammers. But it turned out it was the bank. I went and used the card and it was still functional. Then I got a text from the bank saying something about EFlow and 2400. Then the bank phoned me again is the EFlow a false transaction? and I said yes it is a false transaction. So, they blocked that card. Then they suggested I could switch it over to Revolut, but even though they issued me a new card they didnt lift the clamp on the new card. So, I couldnt transfer any money onto Revolut, even with the new card. So, they left me without anything. It was so weird that both cards had been compromised. Luckily the card worked in just one machine I tried, and I got $300 out, but it wouldnt work anymore on any others. I also had a bit more cash to get me through the time I had left there and get me to the airport. Dr Patrick Treacy with Johnny Depp Patrick, who will host a star-studded table when he gets get a lifetime award at the Hi Tia Maria Hair and Beauty awards in Corks Silver Springs hotel on Sunday, warns members of the public to be vigilant. People have to be very careful, he said. The first call was from a blocked number but the second one was from the legitimate bank and a Dublin landline. It has been brought to my attention though there is a bogus Dublin landline number too purporting to be my own banks fraud department and it too is a scam. My advice would be to ring the number on the bank of your card to make sure everything is OK. He is still having problems. Im three weeks now trying to get new cards, he reveals. The bank told me its rampant all over the country and theyre confused whos doing it. Theyre very worried about it, especially this EFlow thing and lots of people have been caught with it. They maintain the scammers are Irish people and its not from overseas. If I was a taxi driver in Belfast I would feel that this, number one, created a level of risk; and, number two, was defamatory to me and to the organisation A security briefing document warning attendees at a Belfast tech conference not to take black cab tours because they are run by the IRA has been withdrawn. Organisers said it was sent in error by a contractor and contained significant factual inaccuracies". The document concerned preparations for visitors to CyberUKs 2023 conference next week. The memo, reported by the BBCs Nolan Show, also stated those with English accents will not be welcome in certain parts of the city, and warned that security may be compromised if delegates were to eat outside the city centre. It is understood potential attendees were advised to say they were under a non-disclosure agreement if asked why they are in Belfast, and to not use the term CyberUK outside of the conference venue. CyberUK is a flagship event organised by the National Cyber Security Centre. It is due to take place in Belfast next Wednesday and Thursday, with the theme of securing an open and resilient digital future. Guests from across the worlds tech security sector will be in attendance. The National Cyber Security Centre distanced itself from the document. A spokesperson said: "This is not an NCSC document. It was sent in error by a contractor and contains significant factual inaccuracies. The document has been withdrawn." Former RUC Special Branch head Jim Gamble told the Nolan show: To label taxi drivers is reckless to the extreme and I cannot believe this will not be followed by some kind of legal action. If I was a taxi driver in Belfast I would feel that this, number one, created a level of risk; and, number two, was defamatory to me and to the organisation. In reference to advice warning against walking around housing estates which surround the city, he added: Its utterly offensive and unhelpful. These companies need to come out and issue an apology. Those involved need to sit back and reflect on what is going on here. If you go to an event in any part of the world and there have been high levels of crime, you may say be careful in certain areas thats totally different. Tour operator Norman Reilly, who runs Taxi Tours Belfast, said the contents of the document were a lot of nonsense. "It's damaging for my business and other businesses and damaging for the working-class people of those communities, he told the BBC. A black taxi driver interviewed by Nolan, identified as Pat, said the document could be putting drivers lives in danger. He said several Belfast taxi drivers had just finished providing transport associated with President Bidens visit, meaning they were completely vetted by US Secret Service. He added: My friends in the Shankill and I provide tours and for someone to say we are IRA men I am absolutely disgusted. Belfast City Council said it did not endorse the comments. There were heart-wrenching words used to describe the life and times of Laura Gilmore Anderson today Her husband Paul likened Laura or Lozzie as she was more affectionately known to an 'angel in full flight' A young Longford woman who passed away following a three year battle with incurable cancer has been remembered as remarkable, kind, beautiful and someone who would "brighten every room she walked into. They were the heart-wrenching words which were used to describe the life and times of Laura Gilmore Anderson today, a week after the Disney loving fanatic passed away in Scotland surrounded by her family. The much loved and deeply respected health and safety consultant was diagnosed with a rare and incurable Neuroendocrine tumour in her pancreas in July 2020 following three years of misdiagnosis. A concerted and sustained fundraising campaign followed aptly dubbed Help Laura Heal which raised in excess of 400,000 in a bid to secure potentially life saving treatment in Mexico. Large crowds who lined the pews of Longfords St Mels Cathedral were told of how the remarkable, kind and beautiful took on and fought her illness in the face of such adversity. A large group of mourners gathered as the funeral cortege began its journey Her husband Paul recalled how his soulmate, best friend and rock first came into his life before the pair got married just over four years ago in Co Mayo. Laura Gilmore Anderson was a remarkable, kind, beautiful and caring woman and was the best wife a man could ask for, he said. I was the proudest man in the world when she allowed me the honour of calling her my wife. She came into my life like a whirlwind of energy, we fell deeply in love in a matter of weeks. From that first day forward I changed forever and she taught me that true love was real and that true happiness didnt just belong in the movies. She made me feel like anything was possible. Fighting back tears, Paul likened Laura or Lozzie as she was more affectionately known to an angel in full flight as she battled her illness over the past three years. Laura faced the toughest of times in recent years, battling an invisible and elusive terror within her body but she did so with the strength of character that I have never had the privilege of witnessing before, he said. From the very start, she faced her demons with tenacity and an inner power neither of us knew she had. Her devotion to beat this horrible disease and her desire to live was there for all to see. A single framed photograph of the avid Longford GAA fan sat perched on top of a coffin in front of the altar while poignant symbols indicative of the fun-loving former Sligo IT graduate were offered up by members of her family. Among them included characters from the Longford womans favourite hit Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, family wedding photos including an image of her beloved dog Chip, her own personalised Help Laura Heal logo that defined her campaign and a Longford GAA jersey. Her sister Natalie read from a poem in which she told mourners of the impact her all too short life had left on those that had been left behind. Laura, you meant so much to all of us, you were special and thats no lie. You brightened up the darkest day and the cloudiest sky, she said. Laura, if love could have saved you, you would have lived forever. Lozzie, our beautiful sister, we will love you forever. Chief celebrant Fr Tom Healy followed suit and, at one point, appeared to maintain his own composure as he reflected on his three decade long association with Laura and the wider Gilmore family. He recalled being present at Lauras wedding in Castlebar and said being forced with a scenario of having to lead her funeral some four years later was especially agonising. Her husband Paul likened Laura or Lozzie as she was more affectionately known to an 'angel in full flight' Its heartbreakingly sad we are here again just a few short years later to bid farewell to Laura and lay her to rest while still so young in years, he said. And it did seem surreal to me sitting in the kitchen planning her funeral mass and making plans for her farewell. She was so strong, brave and inspirational and I am told her concern was to make sure everyone else was okay, even in her final days she wanted to mind everyone else throughout it all. Outside, a large group of mourners gathered as the funeral cortege began its journey ahead of a cremation service at Lakelands Crematorium, Cavan. The late Laura Gilmore Anderson is survived by her beloved husband Paul, dear parents Ann and Brendan, sisters Susan, Aisling, Janette and Natalie, brothers Andrew and Stephen, mother-in-law Margaret, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, Chip, relatives and a wide circle of friends. Liam Cosgrove It works out at an average weekly pay of just over 18,000 before tax Fashion entrepreneur and social media influencer Lisa McGowan paid herself almost 940,000 in 2022. New accounts filed by Ms McGowans Lisas Lust List Ltd show that last year, Ms McGowan received 939,024 in pay. The pay to Ms McGowan for 2022 works out at average weekly pay of just over 18,000 before tax. At the end of last December, the company was sitting on accumulated profits of 1.22m. Ms McGowan is the firms only director and the bumper payout follows Ms McGowan receiving zero directors pay in 2021. The fashion blogger's pay contributed to the company recording a modest loss of 22,246 for 2022 and this followed the firm recording post-tax profits of 603,912 in 2021 and 397,966 in 2020. These followed profits of 127,692 in 2019 and 115,668 in 2018. Ms McGowan, from Tullamore, Co Offaly, started her online promotional work after she won the best-dressed lady competition at the Galway Races in 2016. An insurance broker by profession in the family firm, the 50-year-old incorporated Lisas Lust List Ltd in November 2017. Ms McGowans commercial success has been recognised after she made the Image PwC Entrepreneur of The Year Shortlist 2023. The directors pay also contributed to a reduction in the companys cash funds by 147,797 to 1.191m. The firm employed two people last year including Ms McGowan and the total paid out in salaries amounted to 986,067. Ms McGowans Lisas Lust List site specialises in promoting products including fashion items, beauty, health, travel and homeware, mainly produced by Irish-based small to medium-sized enterprises. The fashion bloggers Lisas Lust List Facebook page has 218,000 followers while she there are 166,000 followers on Instagram. The stellar performance by the firm in 2021/22 followed Ms McGowan securing High Court orders in August 2020 requiring Facebook to provide her with information to identify anonymous people she claimed were trolling, defaming and stalking her online. Ms McGowan stated that in the weeks preceding the High Court action she and members of her family were subjected to online bullying, trolling and harassment. The publication of the comments, she claimed, was designed solely to inflict reputation and financial damage on her and her firm. Far too many people are grappling with drug dependency or drug addiction Ireland needs to find better ways to deal with illegal drug use, the Taoiseach has said at the outset of a new citizens' assembly examining the problem. The assembly, comprising 99 randomly selected citizens reflective of the Irish population and an independent chair, will explore issues related to illicit drug taking and submit a report to the Oireachtas by the end of 2023. It will make recommendations for change covering three areas - legislation, policy and operations/service delivery. The first meeting, chaired by former HSE boss Paul Reid, took place in Malahide in Dublin on Saturday. A recorded address by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was played to the new assembly members before they began hearing evidence. He said the Oireachtas had established the assembly to consider an issue that affects many individuals, families and communities across Ireland. "Far too many people are grappling with drug dependency or drug addiction," he said. "Far too many families have lost loved ones due to an overdose. Far too many communities have been living in fear of those who supply drugs in towns and villages across our country. So, we need to find better ways to deal with the problems arising from the use of illegal drugs." The lived experience of those affected by illegal drug use, including users, service providers and wider communities, will be a key theme of the assembly's work. Mr Varadkar said the assembly would hear lessons from around the world. He said an international perspective would also be offered on the effects of decriminalising drug use. "So please inquire about the experiences of legalisation and decriminalisation in places like the United States, the Netherlands, Portugal and elsewhere," he said. "Has it really made things better or worse, has it made a difference at all? "Whatever happens, don't just believe whatever you're told, and I know you won't. Be sure to ask questions and interrogate the answers." Chair Mr Reid told the members they were part of something "momentous". "It's probably the most extensive, engaged discussion on the issue of drug use that has ever been held in the history of the state," he said. "So, we all really are a part of something that has the potential to be really very significant. And there's not too many times in our life, our professional careers or indeed our personal lives that we get a chance to be involved in something that really has the potential to be as significant and I certainly cherish that opportunity. "And I know talking to many of you over the course of yesterday evening and indeed this morning you do so too." Mr Reid told citizens that a national debate would play out as the assembly conducted its work. He said while that was important, he made clear to the members that they would be the ones making the decisions. "The only people who make decisions that come out of this assembly are yourselves," he said. "You are the people who will draft recommendations, you are the people who will vote on recommendations. "So, the public debate and various stakeholders who are involved in this debate are important and have views but you are the only people who will make the decisions in this room on this assembly related to this drug use." He added: "It is a momentous moment. I'm very pleased and proud to be part of it with you all. We have the potential to make very significant changes and recommendations that you feel are merited." Buzakovic is believed to have been living a quiet life with his family Vojislav Buzakovic is wanted for alleged crimes perpetrated during the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s An alleged Serbian war criminal who hid out for 16 years in Ireland is accused of beating civilians so severely that they were knocked unconscious and suffered broken bones. Vojislav Buzakovic was arrested by gardai in February and extradited to Croatia where he is facing trial on alleged war crimes committed during the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s. Buzakovic is believed to have been living a quiet life in Ireland for the past 16 years with his family. He was alleged to be a member of a pro-Serbian militia who abused civilians in Croatia in the months after it declared independence following the break-up of Yugoslavia. He was surrendered to Croatian authorities at Dublin Airport on March 30 and extradited to Croatia. Buzakovic was indicted with eight other people accused of illegally detaining, imprisoning, interrogating, beating and otherwise abusing civilians in the town of Petrovci from August 1991 until the end of February 1992 during the Balkan conflict. Buzakovic is accused of a number of crimes, including participating in the physical abuse of four people Irineja Nadorda, Janko Tirkajle, Mihajlo and Pere Hardi in the premises of the SAO Krajina militia in Petrovci. The indictment states that on an unspecified day in the middle of October 1991, with rifle butts, clubs, fists and legs, wearing military boots, [Buzakovic and others] hit Irinej Nadorda several times, hitting him until he fell to the floor and lost consciousness, for about seven hours. It also alleges that he was involved in another incident at the end of November 1991 when handcuffed men, Mihajlo Hardi and Pero Hardi with were hit with rifle butts, rubber batons and fists on all parts of the body until Mihajlo Hardi lost consciousness and Pero Hardi had a bowel movement. The indictment says that Mihajlo Hardi suffered a fracture of the ninth rib on the right, a traumatic dislocation of a tooth and contusions and bruises of the right buttock region and lumbar sacral region, chest and upper leg, which injuries are collectively qualified as serious bodily injury. He was also to be one of two men alleged to be present in an incident in October 1991 when a man called Janko Tirkajle was seated on a chair and questioned while numerous threats were made to his life. Croatia had been seeking Buzakovic since 2007, and a European Arrest was issued for his arrest in July 2021 accusing him of war crimes. Buzakovic had been living in Ireland for years by that stage and had set up a new life with his family. He had also obtained Irish citizenship while living here. He was involved in an interaction with gardai in February triggering an alert on the Schengen Information System. He didnt fight extradition and was deported at the end of March. He will now face trial in the city of Osijek in Croatia. New Zealand is losing its way in the fight to protect the health of lakes and rivers, says Fish & Game New Zealand. "The latest report on the state of freshwater in New Zealand by Stats NZ and the Ministry for the Environment paints a damning picture," says Fish & Game New Zealand chief executive Corina Jordan, a qualified freshwater ecologist. "Fish & Game staff and volunteers are at the frontline of protecting the health of our waterways so were devastated at the continuing decline of our freshwater and the impact that is having on many of our freshwater fish, waterfowl, and their habitats, along with the ability for people to enjoy these environments. Corina says the report shows we are not only failing in our duty to provide for a healthy environment, but we are also failing to protect source drinking water for our communities. "All New Zealand is effectively doing is monitoring the decline in freshwater when in fact we need to be taking tangible and meaningful steps and actions to make a difference. "Clearly, the current blanket regulatory approach is not working and instead we need a far more mature approach which is tailored to the specific issues a catchment may be facing and the activities causing those challenges," says Corina. "We also need to see our leaders singing from the same song sheet in relation to what we need to do as communities and individuals in protecting, and where impacted, restoring our natural spaces. "Catchment community efforts and farming leaders building diverse and resilient farming landscapes are part of the solution and we need to see this supported and upscaled across New Zealand." She says New Zealand also needs to invest in preserving and creating wetlands, which provide a buffering function for the environment and provide essential habitat for indigenous species, but also our valued introduced species. "We have lost a lot of wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams, which has impacted our ability to manage sediment loss and nutrient loss into our rivers, and buffer against flood events. Wetlands can also play a role in addressing climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and filter greenhouse gases." There needs to be a greater recognition of the full value of freshwater including recreation, mental health and wellbeing, and food gathering, says Corina. "Trout are valued freshwater species and have been naturalised in New Zealand for 150 years, co-existing with indigenous species and providing an important food source for local tuna (eels) populations. Trout also have high freshwater quality and higher flow requirements so are good indicators of when the system isnt working well." "Ultimately, everyone must take responsibility for the decline in freshwater. We need honest leadership from central and local government and a consistent message to communities." Update, 1.20pm: Arataki Road at Whakamaru has re-opened following an incident earlier on Sunday morning where a man was found with injuries. The man was found on Arataki Road at 4.45am. "The man is now in a moderate condition," says a police spokesperson. The road has been closed while police worked at the scene, with traffic diversions in place. The road has now been re-opened. "Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing." "Police thank motorists for their patience." Earlier, 8am: Police are making enquiries after a man has been found with serious injuries on Saturday morning at Whakamaru. The man was found on Arataki Road, Whakamaru at 4.45am. "Police are working to understand how the man came to be injured," says a police spokesperson. The road is closed while police work at the scene. Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to expect delays or take an alternative route. Anyone with information which could assist Police with enquires is urged to contact Police on 105 referencing event number P054327032. Dear reader, It was two years ago at the end of March that New York State legalized adult use of marijuana for recreational purposes, and one year ago Advance Media New York, which publishes Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard, launched New York Cannabis Insider, a content and marketing events endeavor aimed at keeping an eye on the emerging industry. After two years, you might be wondering why you havent seen more retail shops open up around Central New York. I asked Brad Racino, editor of Cannabis Insider, to share his expertise on the rollout of legal marijuana in New York and why it has been so rocky. Trish: It has been two years since Gov. Cuomo signed the law that legalized cannabis in New York. Why have so few dispensaries opened since then? Brad: There are several reasons why New Yorks cannabis industry has taken so long to get off the ground. First, while Cuomo did legalize cannabis for recreational use in March of 2021, he did nothing else to get the market started for the remainder of his tenure which allowed for the proliferation of thousands of illicit stores to pop up across the state (though theyre concentrated primarily in Manhattan). Then, when Kathy Hochul became governor, she set out appointing members to the states cannabis regulatory agency the Office of Cannabis Management along with its oversight body, the Cannabis Control Board. However, the agency took a very long time to get staffed up (its still only at about half-staff today), and it continued to miss milestones and mess up the timelines that it had promised early-on like having the entire cannabis ecosystem up and running in New York within 18 months of the agencys formation. Then, the OCM decided to create an entirely new type of license for justice-involved entrepreneurs as part of its effort to make up (in part) for the effects of the War on Drugs. That resulted in a lawsuit, which stopped the agency from awarding licenses in five regions across the state. Only recently were four of the five regions lifted from the injunction. Finally, the state chose to involve the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York in its plans to get justice-involved licensees up and running. DASNYs job was to find a fund manager to raise $150 million from private investors, and then use that money to find and secure real estate for these first-round licensees. However, DASNYs fund manager hasnt raised any of the money to-date, leaving many of the licensees hanging. Trish: Who is the slow rollout hurting the most? Brad: Its primarily hurting the states hundreds of licensed cannabis farmers, who were told early last year to grow their crops in preparation for the market opening in Q4 of 2022. Today, these farmers are sitting on an estimated $750 million to $1 billion worth of crop that has nowhere to be sold. And its got a limited shelf life. The slow rollout is also hurting everyone and anyone with any financial interest in the legal cannabis industry, from attorneys to consultants to lobbyists to real estate agents. Many of these people planned according to the states timeline, and as that timeline continues to get pushed back, theyre bleeding money. Some are taking second jobs to make ends meet, others are pulling out entirely. Trish: What has happened to the medical marijuana industry in the midst of all this? Brad: The medical marijuana program in New York State has suffered quite a bit since the focus shifted to the recreational market. Registered patient counts across the state have been in constant decline. There are still the same number of medical dispensaries across the state as there were years ago, and theyre often so far apart geographically that it makes the experience of purchasing legal medical products prohibitive for patients. And since the states medical cannabis companies are banned from participating in the recreational market for quite some time, theyre now laying off employees and reconsidering their involvement with New York State. Oh, and half of the medical cannabis companies in New York are also suing the regulatory agency for the slow rollout. Trish: How is the illicit market impacting the businesses that have been able to open? Brad: Theyre strangling these businesses. The illicit market doesnt have to abide by any of the rules imposed on the legal market rules around advertising, labeling, packaging, delivery ... you name it. These illicit businesses are also importing products from across state lines from markets like California that have tanked, and therefore, they can sell cannabis at a much lower price than the legal stores. Much of the illicit market also isnt abiding by tax law, further driving down the cost of their products. All in all, its extremely difficult right now for the legal businesses to stay competitive. Trish: What are your predictions for this year and beyond? How long will it take for New York to have this industry truly up and running? Brad: It depends on how you define up and running. I think by the end of 2023 there will be at least a few dozen legal stores open, some offering delivery. By that point, there will probably be a good number of new licenses issued for the rest of the license types - like micro businesses, nurseries, distributors and cooperatives. However, I have no idea how the state is going to effectively tackle the illicit market. There are an estimated 1,400 illicit stores in New York City alone, and even some law enforcement agencies (like the NYPD) are concerned they dont have the legal authority to shut these stores down. District Attorneys across the state are also divided on whether to classify these stores as illegal operations. Until that gets sorted out, and the state comes up with something other than its whack a mole approach to enforcement, this market and its participants are in a bad spot. It will probably be several years before the state has a fully functioning cannabis industry thats generating significant tax revenues and jobs. Trish: Anything else you think our readers would be interested in knowing? Brad: Whether youre a cannabis consumer, bystander or have no interest in the plant or the industry at all, its still important you keep a watchful eye on whats happening because the states cannabis regulators and agencies are funded by your tax dollars. We make that a key mission at NY Cannabis Insider government accountability and if you want to keep tabs, I suggest you sign up for our free newsletter. If you have a question or story idea for Brad, you can reach him directly at: bracino@syracuse.com Onondaga, N.Y. A bill introduced by state Sen. John Mannion Friday would add harsher penalties for reporting false active shootings at schools. Reporting fake school shootings or violence at schools would be a class D felony and punishable up to seven years in prison for anyone convicted of swatting under the bill. Swatting is a prank call alleging a fake emergency The bill is a response to numerous hoax 911 calls last month that reported shootings at schools across the U.S. including New York state. Westhill High School in Central New York was one of the schools targeted. On March 30, a 911 call reported seven students at Westhill had been shot in the schools bathroom. Students were ordered to stay in place. Police officers from multiple agencies rushed to the school in the town of Onondaga. It took them about 30 minutes to confirm there was no active threat. Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley said Friday that investigators determined that the 911 call originated from Canada. The FBI has taken over the investigation, he said. State Sen. John Mannion speaking outside Westhill High School on Friday, April 14, 2023, announcing a bill that would introduce harsher penalties for hoax reports of school shootings.Fernando Alba | falba@syracuse.com Mannion (D-Geddes), speaking Friday at Westhill, said a deterrent to hoax shooting calls is needed to prevent wasting first responder resources and to limit the effect those calls have on students mental health. Under current law, falsely reporting a school shooting or violent incident on school grounds would be a class E felony offense, said David Doyle, Mannions spokesperson. What was ultimately a fake incident was very real for the people standing here with me today, Mannion said flanked by police officials and a Westhill student. It was disruptive. It was scary. Caitlyn Knohl, a junior at Westhill, said an announcement for students to hold in place came during her 4th period class. She said students didnt think much of it at first but another announcement followed and soon her classroom was locked, lights were shut off, students were gathered in a corner and some were calling their parents. Knohl said she immediately texted her brother, also a student at Westhill. It really was scary, she said. It was a confusing event for all of us and something I think that has impacted me as well as the school. I think a lot of people are still processing it. 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. Washington Senior U.S. military officials will gather in Syracuse next week with about two dozen college presidents to discuss a shared problem between the military and higher education. Both have struggled to meet recruitment and enrollment goals as the nation emerges from the pandemic and fewer people graduate from high school as a result of demographic changes. Ahram Online talks to experts on reasons that led to outbreak of fighting in Sudan between the Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and what to expect. Tensions between the two sides simmered after the RSF deployed its forces to the key city of of Marawi in the north of the country on Wednesday. Marawi is home to a civilian airport, a military air base and one of the largest hydroelectric dams in the country. The city of a quarter million is also a tourist centre as it is the capital of the ancient Nubian civilization with its famous temples and pyramids. The Armed Forces described the RSF move as "illegal" and deployed its own forces in Marawi. Amid statements and counter statements from the two warring sides, military deployments spread to the city of El-Obeid, which is the capital of Western Sudan, and to El-Fasher in the far west of the country, which the largest city in the Darfur region. The two sides also deployed forces also in the White Nile region, which is the centre of sugar and rice production, as well as in the capital of Khartoum. The situation in Khartoum will determine the outcome of the conflict, according to former Sudanese General Amin Majzoub. In the capital, clashes took place around the headquarters of the General Command of the Armed Forces and around the Presidential Palace. There were also clashes around the historic Radio and Television complex in Omdurman which led to the interruption of transmission for several hours. Fighting was also reported around the residencies of the two opposed military commanders the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces Lieutenant General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan and the commander of the RSF Mohamed Hassan Hamedti" Dagalo. The two sides currently claim control over the situation. On the one hand, the RSF Rapid Support Forces claimed control of the airbase and civilian airport in Marawi; the military hospital and the civilian airport in El-Fasher; and Khartoum Airport and the headquarters of the Armed Forces in the centre of the capital. On the other hand, the Armed Forces announced in a statement that it still controls "all their bases and airfields," describing the RSF's control claims as "psychological warfare." "The army in Sudan has more capabilities than the RSF. It has military bases and military schools," says Amin Majzoub. "The RSF are an "alien force" to the capital," Majzoub added. He continues, "the RSF began to be present in Khartoum in the last years of Al-Bashir's era. However, the size of RSF forces in the capital was much small compared to the the dominating presence of the Armed Forces army in the city." The RSF are mainly composed of elements from the Janjaweed militia accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region. Khaled Mahmoud, a researcher specialising in Sudanese issues, says, "Marawi and Atbara in northern Sudan are important for controlling all goods, weapons and fuel coming from the countrys main port of Port Sudan on the Red Sea. "It seems that Hemedti fears that supplies from abroad will reach the army, which would resolve the battle," says Mahmoud. "France and Russia could help the Sudanese army because they fear the rapid support of forces hostile to the two countries in the African Sahel and Libya," according to Mahmoud. On the other hand, Arab countries are concerned about the deepening of the conflict in Sudan and that is why no Arab country will provide support to any side. Search Keywords: Short link: The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Meta is launching a new security feature for WhatsApp, which will protect users from unwanted hacking attempts on the platform. The messaging platform will be revamped through this update, but it will require you to have your older device to enable the verification process. WhatsApp Security Feature Requires You to Authorize Your Old Phone WhatsApp is known for phasing out service to outdated devices, including phones and tablets. Somehow, you might want to buy a new handset to use the app, but this time, you must keep your old gadget in your storage. According to The Strait Times, you will need to verify your WhatsApp account first from your previously linked device to prevent hackers from copying the information on a separate phone. Initially, this feature was only available to Android users, but with hacking becoming more rampant, Meta decided to tighten the security measure on iOS devices. By clicking on the encryption tab that you will see below the contact's information, the user can begin verifying if the person who sends them a message is a stranger or a known friend. The manual process of verification requires a security code from the old device. "Protecting your personal messages with default end-to-end encryption is the foundation of that security, and we will keep building new features to give you extra layers of privacy," WhatsApp wrote in its blog post this week. With claims that some WhatsApp accounts from 500 million users are sold, the public gets quickly alarmed that their information is available anywhere. However, Meta denied these reports. With the rollout of the newest WhatsApp security update, also known as "Account Project," per 9to5Mac, any unauthorized attempt to hack your device will be detected before someone takes over your account on another device. Related Article: WhatsApp Group Chat Admins Can Now Reject New Members WhatsApp to Become More Secure Than Before According to Joanne Wong, the VP of International Markets at LogRhythm, a cybersecurity company, the launch of this update will pave the way for the peace of mind of business users who usually use WhatsApp. WhatsApp is known to have strict security measures in the messaging world. Unlike other apps like Messenger and Telegram, you cannot leak your conversation outside because of the default encryption. The only loophole that WhatsApp might want to address in the future is the ability to hide the user's contact number. Although encryption is present, scammers can still use their phone numbers to fool other victims. The device verification technology still needs more improvement. Still, it's good to know that Meta is devising the app's security so hackers and malware actors will leave the platform anytime soon. Meanwhile, Gizchina shared a list of affected smartphones that can no longer run WhatsApp. Read Also: WhatsApp Update: Beta Testers Can Now Detect Text Within Images on iOS 16 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amazon is setting up new conditions for returning items to the company, and it will begin charging its customers a certain fee for every package they return via UPS. There will still be many free options for the company's returns but will definitely charge customers for certain ones, the e-commerce company confirmed earlier. The latest charge centers on a different courier option, or opting for the more premium return experience, instead of the usual drop-offs that would not charge any fees to a customer. Amazon to Charge Users with a Fee for Returns via UPS (Photo : SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images) CNET reports that in an e-mail statement from the company, it is now confirming that Amazon will charge customers who choose UPS' services whenever returning an item. This centers on as much as a $1 fee per package return via the platform, especially for those who opt for UPS when there is a closer dropoff to their location. Still, this does not necessarily mean that Amazon is restricting returns from buyers, especially as their policy states that users have a 90-day period where they can return items provided that they have its official receipt. However, some items will indicate that they are not eligible for returns right at their listing, or those that have been tampered with already. Read Also: US FTC Orders The Bountiful Company to Pay $600,000 for Alleged Amazon Review Manipulation What Charge-Free Options are Available via Amazon? Amazon still allows free returns, including label-free and box-free options that customers may bring back without any additional costs. Additionally, Amazon accepts returns to the company via its physical retail stores like Whole Foods, Kohl's, and Amazon Fresh stores nationwide. It is important to note that this charged return will center on UPS couriers, particularly if there are closer and free options available to the buyer. Amazon and its e-Commerce Platform The company from Jeff Bezos is still one of the most famous and renowned e-commerce platforms in the world, bringing significant accessibility as a one-stop-shop for most needs. One of the best experiences with Amazon is the many discounts and promotions available on the platform with the likes of Apple, Samsung, LG, and more offering their innovations to the public. Amazon's e-commerce brings many products to the public, from many manufacturers and companies looking to sell what they offer to the world. However, since it wants to center on quality and control, the company recently flagged down frequently returned items that they would review, one that they may take off the market to avoid further returns other customers may do. With Amazon looking to streamline more of what it offers for all and avoid the back-and-forth sale of the item, it is now looking for more ways in alleviating its losses. Amazon is now issuing a fee for all customers who wish to return their items via UPS, especially if there is a closer return option for users that will be free of charge, soon to ask users for $1 or more for returning packages. Related Article: Amazon Releases Generative AI Suite, Titan and Bedrock, Soon Coming to AWS 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA's Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite 2, also known as ICESat-2, captured the attention of the world after Daichi Fujii, a museum curator in Japan, captured footage of the satellite's green laser beams streaming from orbit to Earth. The beams were visible in a video taken on September 16, 2022, and were synchronized with a tiny green dot that appeared between the clouds. Was it a meteor? Fujii initially thought the green light could be a meteor. However, he realized it was a satellite after investigating the orbital data and getting a match. He then posted his findings on social media, which eventually reached the ICESat-2 team. According to Tony Martino, ICESat-2 instrument scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, it was the first time the team had seen footage of the satellite's green laser beams streaming to Earth. Martino said the ICESat-2 appeared to be directly overhead, with the beam hitting the low clouds at an angle, which made it visible. The laser light is not harmful and is fired from hundreds of miles up in space. If someone were to stand directly under the satellite and look up, the laser would only have the strength of a camera flash more than 100 yards away. The beam is difficult to spot since cameras and eyes require laser light to reflect off something to view the beam from the side. The atmospheric conditions also play a vital role in making the beam visible, according to Martino. Read Also: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Unveils Previously Unknown Details of Supernova Remnants ICESat-2's Laser Technology Launched in September 2018, ICESat-2 employs laser technology called lidar to measure the elevation of Earth's ice, water, and land surfaces from space. By emitting six beams of light at a rate of 10,000 times per second, the lidar measures the amount of time it takes for photons to bounce back from the Earth's surface to the satellite with precise timing. These measurements are then used by computer programs to calculate various phenomena such as the loss of ice in Greenland and Antarctica, the amount of frozen polar oceans, the elevation of freshwater reservoirs, and the mapping of shallow coastal regions, according to NASA. The ICESat-2 team is not the only group to attempt to capture the satellite's photo. People in southern Chile and Oklahoma have been able to snap photos of the satellite when it passed over. According to Martino, detecting the laser light is challenging, as it requires being in the precise position at the correct moment with favorable atmospheric conditions. In this instance, the laser light was scattered by just enough clouds, allowing cameras to capture it without being entirely blocked by them. After analyzing the ICESat-2 data, which displays the ground and clouds, Martino verified that the laser beams were indeed emitted from ICESat-2. Related Article: Asteroid Didymos' Spinning Activity Confuses NASA; New Study Shows Rock Completes Rotations in Just 2 Hours! 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Montana is set to become the first US state to impose a total ban on TikTok from operating within its borders. The bill received final approval on Friday, with 54-43 votes in favor of the measure, according to a report by AP. Although this measure is expected to face legal challenges, it could also serve as a testing ground for a future America without TikTok. Beyond Restrictions The ban on TikTok proposed in Montana extends beyond the restrictions already imposed by nearly half of the states and the US federal government, which prohibit the use of TikTok on government-owned devices. The measure must be signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte before it can go into effect, and if passed, it will not become effective until January 2024. Moreover, the ban would be lifted if Congress imposed a ban or if TikTok ended its connection to China. In 2022, Gianforte prohibited the use of TikTok on state government devices, citing the app's risk to sensitive state data. However, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter has promised to challenge the constitutionality of the measure, stating that the supporters of the bill have no practical strategy to enforce it and that it is an attempt to stifle American voices. Those advocating for the Montana legislation point to two Chinese regulations that require companies to aid the government with state intelligence activities. They also draw attention to a situation in December 2020 when ByteDance terminated four workers for accessing the IP addresses and other information of two journalists to uncover the source of a leaked story about the company. The proposed bill would prohibit the downloading of TikTok in Montana and would result in a fine of $10,000 per day for any "entity" that offers users the option to browse or download the app, such as an app store or TikTok. However, users would not be subject to the proposed fines. Read Also: US Senators Warner, Thune Reject Criticism for Bipartisan Bill, Pushes Biden to Ban TikTok US Mistrust on Chinese-owned TikTok There has been significant attention on TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese firm ByteDance, due to worries that it could compromise user data to the Chinese government or promote pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation. Despite concerns raised by FBI and CIA leaders, as well as lawmakers from both political parties, there is no concrete evidence to support these claims. Although the proposed prohibition of TikTok in Montana is likely to be challenged in court, it may act as a starting point for national lawmakers who are pushing for a TikTok-free America, citing concerns over possible Chinese spying. TikTok has already been banned from government-owned devices in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and other nations. The latest development in Montana may just be welcoming news for officials that have been pushing for a TikTok ban in the country since former president Donald Trump attempted to do so in 2020. Related Article: TikTok CEO Gets Grilled in Congress Hearing About App's Ban In the US; COO Claims 'Xenophobia' 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. France on Saturday voiced "deep concern" at the outbreak of fighting in Sudan and called on warring military factions in Khartoum "to do everything to stop" the violence. "Only the return to an inclusive political process leading to the appointment of a transition government and general elections can settle this crisis for the long term," the foreign ministry in Paris said. In a statement, the ministry said France was "available, with Sudan's other partners, to facilitate an end to the crisis and promote a political solution". Sudan's army has staged airstrikes against the bases of a paramilitary force, as weeks of tensions between two military commanders erupted into violence. Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, have been at odds over the planned integration of Daglo's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the regular army. The integration was a key element of talks to finalise a deal to bring back civilian rule and end the crisis sparked by their 2021 coup in one of the world's poorest countries. Three civilians have died in the violence and both the paramilitary and the army are claiming control of key locations, while calls mount from foreign allies for an immediate ceasefire. Search Keywords: Short link: China's Tiangong Space Station achieved 100% oxygen regeneration, as claimed by Chinese officials. If this is true, then Chinese space travelers (aka taikonauts) will be able to stay in the Tiangong Space Station without the need of getting oxygen supplies from Earth. A Chinese official shared this space achievement during a conference that was held in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang. CGTN reported that the event happened on Thursday, Apr. 13. China's Tiangong Space Station Achieves 100% Oxygen Regeneration According to Interesting Engineering's latest report, the Tiangong Space Station was able to achieve 100% oxygen regeneration using its onboard oxygen regen technology. Also Read: SpaceX Veterans to Build Moon Water-Powered Spacecraft! What to Know About Argonaut "At present, the six systems are in stable operation, with 100 percent of the oxygen resources regenerated and 95 percent of the water resources recycled," said Bian Qiang. Qiang, the director of the environmental control and life-support engineering office under the Astronaut Center of China, added that these systems lessen the need for supplies from Earth by six tonnes per year. Tiangong Space Station's system has six sub-systems that have different operations. These include carbon dioxide removal, water creation (using carbon dioxide and hydrogen), and oxygen regeneration. Tiangong's Advancements Bian said that the Chinese space station's system is one of the most advanced space technologies in the world. Aside from the oxygen regeneration system, China also plans to add a new orbital module to its Tiangong Space Station. This additional module will connect three other modules. Once this happens, the Chinese space laboratory will be transformed from being a T-shaped space station into a cross-shaped one. You can click this link to learn more about the advancements China is doing for its space station. In other news, the ESA JUICE mission will soon find life on Jupiter's moons. We also reported about NASA Juno mission's 50th orbit around Jupiter. For more news updates about space stations and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: China Claims Successful Rocket Vertical Landing at Sea-Did It Happen? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. During a recent meeting of the Group of Seven energy and environment ministers in the northern Japanese city of Hokkaido, the United States and Japan agreed to cooperate on the development of geothermal energy, according to a report by AP. This renewable energy is abundant in Japan's volcanic island chain, and the memorandum of commitment signed by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura, recognizes its potential. Joint Research and Development Efforts The agreement calls for joint research and development efforts, exchange of information, and collaboration on geothermal projects in both countries and beyond. While Japan is known for its abundant geothermal activity, its efforts to use this resource to generate power have been hindered by spas and resorts clustered around hot springs. However, adding more geothermal power could help Japan to generate 90% of its power from renewable sources, resulting in a 92% reduction in the country's greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Currently, dozens of small power plants utilizing the hot springs across the country account for less than 1% of Japan's total power generation capacity. Both Japan and the US are interested in exporting geothermal technology. In Indonesia's Sumatra, Japanese companies are participating in a joint project to build the world's largest geothermal power station, which is expected to produce 320 gigawatts of electricity. While biomass and geothermal power make up less than 1% of the US's generating capacity, according to the US Energy Information Administration, the US has the largest estimated geothermal potential, followed by Indonesia and Japan. Read Also: MIT Study Shows Shutting Down Nuclear Plants Could Lead To 5,000 Pollution-Related Deaths per Year Largest Geothermal Potential Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm expressed her enthusiasm for offshore wind and geothermal energy in an interview with The Associated Press. This statement came ahead of the agreement signed by the United States and Japan to collaborate on developing geothermal energy. While the agreement did not specify expected spending, it stated that each side would bear the costs associated with its own activities. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Japan's geothermal potential is relatively small compared to the United States and other countries with more active geothermal resources. The US is the global leader in terms of installed geothermal power generating capacity followed by the Philippines, Indonesia, and Turkey. Meanwhile, Japan is ranked 9th in installed geothermal power generating capacity. This collaboration between the two nations aims to explore the potential of this energy source, which has been underutilized in both countries. If they succeed in adding more geothermal power, it could make it possible for Japan to provide 90% of its power generation from renewable sources, resulting in a 92% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Related Article: Colorful Alternative for ACs: These Rainbow Films Keep Cars, Buildings Cool When Exposed to Sunlight 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mary Quant, the visionary fashion designer whose colorful, sexy miniskirts epitomized London in the 1960s and influenced youth culture around the world, has died. She was 93. Quant helped popularize the miniskirt some credit her with inventing it and the innovative tights and accessories that were an integral part of the look. She also created dresses and other simple mix-and-match garments that had an element of whimsy. Some compared her impact on the fashion world with The Beatles impact on pop music. I think it was a happy confluence of events, which is really what fashion is so often all about, said Hamish Bowles, international editor at large for American Vogue magazine. She was the right person with the right sensibility in the right place at the right time. She appeared on the scene at the exact cusp of the 60s. Quant was also an astute businesswoman and one of the first to understand how branding herself as a creative force could help her sustain her business and branch out into new fields, like cosmetics, he said. Alexandra Shulman, former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, wrote on Twitter: RIP Dame Mary Quant. A leader of fashion but also in female entrepreneurship - a visionary who was much more than a great haircut. Quant was perfectly positioned to capitalize on the youthquake of the 1960s. She sensed that the days of exclusive salons were numbered, and thought that even the great Parisian designers would follow ready-to-wear trends. The look she created was sexy and fun, a sharp break with the predictable floral day dresses commonly worn in the conservative, austere years after World War II. Quant introduced miniskirts with hemlines up to 8 inches above the knee to the London scene in 1966 and they were an instant hit with young people, in part because they shocked and offended their elders. While some insist she first developed the style, many also credit French designer Andre Courreges, whose 1964 spring collection included minidresses that were popular in Paris but did not have widespread impact outside France. Others cite the short skirts worn by actress Anne Francis in the 1956 film Forbidden Planet as the first example of the miniskirt. Whether or not she was the first to design them, it was Quant who figured out how to market miniskirts to the masses. Quant, who named the skirt after her favorite make of car, the Mini, recalled how it offered a feeling of freedom and liberation. From her shop on Kings Road in Londons trendy Chelsea neighborhood, she was part of a clothing revolution. It was the girls on Kings Road who invented the mini. I was making clothes which would let you run and dance and we would make them the length the customer wanted, she said. I wore them very short and the customers would say, shorter, shorter. While Courreges came from an haute couture tradition and his expensive clothes were aimed at a limited audience, Quant used a variety of materials and colors to make miniskirts popular with young women on a limited budget. She blasted through barriers of snobbery and tradition, with her vision of fashion as a way of resisting stereotypes, with well-made clothes and cosmetics that were empowering and liberating, as well as affordable, said Jenny Lister, who curated a 2020 exhibition devoted to Quant at Londons Victoria & Albert Museum. Fashion today owes so much to the revolutionary, trailblazing Mary Quant. She shot to the top of the fashion scene at the time when The Beatles and Rolling Stones dominated the music world, and she was forever linked to the heady freedoms of the 1960s. The clothes became wildly popular and were worn by models such as Twiggy and Pattie Boyd, who was then married to Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Asked by the Guardian newspaper in 1967 if her clothes could be considered vulgar because they were so revealing, Quant replied that she loved vulgarity and embraced it. Good taste is death, vulgarity is life, she said, adding that the provocative poses of her models reflected the new sexual openness of the times, which was fueled by the development of the birth control pill. Born Feb. 11, 1930, the daughter of schoolteachers, Quant studied art education at Goldsmiths College in London before moving into fashion, working first as an apprentice to a hat-maker before trying her own designs. With the help of her wealthy husband and business partner, Alexander Plunket Greene, and the accountant Archie McNair, she opened Bazaar in Chelsea in 1955, at first relying on innovative window displays to bring in younger customers. Snobbery has gone out of fashion, and in our shops you will find duchesses jostling with typists to buy the same dress, Quant once said. She called the store a sophisticated candy store for grown-ups. Bazaar became a focal point for the young and the beautiful and those who wanted to rub shoulders with them. Small restaurants, bistros, pubs and boutiques opened nearby, giving the neighborhood the feel of a perpetual party. The shop was such a success that she soon moved into other parts of London and began exporting her clothes to the United States, where the British invasion was in full swing. Quant was unusual in that she often modeled her own clothes, usually with her hair styled in a distinctive, angular bob by hairdresser Vidal Sassoon. She soon diversified her interests, developing a popular makeup line and also moving into kitchenware and household accessories. The makeup proved extremely profitable, particularly in Japan, where Quant retained a devoted following. Quant was also credited with introducing hot pants and micro-minis to the fashion scene in the late 1960s. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for service to the fashion industry in 1966, wearing a miniskirt when she received the honor at Buckingham Palace. In 2014, she was made a dame the female equivalent of a knight for services to British fashion. At the start of this year, she was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honor, a royal honor restricted to 65 people of distinction in the arts, science, medicine or government. Quant stepped down from the day-to-day management of her firm, Mary Quant Ltd., in 2000 after it was purchased by a Japanese company, but kept working as a consultant. The firm continued to use the daisy motif and logo that Quant pioneered in the 1960s, and it long maintained a shop in London, in addition to roughly 200 shops in Japan. Search Keywords: Short link: Officials from the City of Dubuque and Greater Dubuque Development Corp. will participate in a program training local communities how to combat poverty. City and GDDC officials will learn best practices, tools and/or technical assistance to implement the Citys Equitable Poverty Reduction and Prevention Plan, according to a city press release. Ten other communities across the United States have been selected as part of the Economic Mobility and Opportunity Cohort, which is run by the International City Management Association and bankrolled in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The trainings are meant to help communities improve the economic mobility of low-income residents. Assistant City Manager Cori Burbach as well as the Office of Shared Prosperity and Neighborhood Supports Executive Director Anderson Sanci are the officials selected by the city. GDDCs Director of Workforce Programming, Nic Hockenberry will also participate. We are excited to participate in the cohort to learn how we as a community can improve the well-being of residents earning low incomes in our community, read a statement credited to Sainci in the release. Per the release, the program will assist the city in tracking city-level data on upward mobility, a goal of the Office of Shared Prosperity since its inception. The program also includes a $30,000 grant to expand job options for Dubuques underemployed. Funding will also go toward grants for local entrepreneurs, with a focus on businesses run by minorities, disabled people, women, and LGBTQ+-identifying persons. Artificial intelligence is better than humans at assessing heart ultrasounds, the main test of overall cardiac health, the most rigorous trial yet conducted on the subject was found . While previous research has illustrated the potential power of AI models for reading medical scans, the authors of the new US study said it is the first blinded, randomised clinical trial for heart health. "There's a lot of excitement around AI," but rigorous evaluation remains critical, the study's senior author David Ouyang told AFP. This successful trial "really strengthens the argument that now we're ready for primetime," added the cardiologist at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Heart ultrasounds, also known as echocardiograms, are carried out on patients by .sonographers, who usually give an initial assessment of the scan before handing .. it over to a cardiologist. The new study, published in the journal Nature, pitted an AI model against sonographers to who would give the most accurate initial assessment. Both assessed the ultrasound for what is called left ventricular ejection fraction, which measures the heart's ability to pump blood out to the body in the space of a heartbeat. The test is the main way to measure how well a heart is functioning. It is used to tell if patients have had a heart attack or if they will be able to undertake serious treatments such as implanting a defibrillator. For the study, nearly 3,500 heart ultrasounds were randomly split between sonographers and the AI model. Their assessments were then evaluated by cardiologists, who did not know which ones came from humans and which from the AI model. "There's a lot of excitement around AI," but rigorous evaluation remains critical, the study's senior author David Ouyang told AFP. This successful trial "really strengthens the argument that now we're ready for primetime," added the cardiologist at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. While previous research has illustrated the potential power of AI models for reading medical scans, the authors of the new US study said it is the first blinded, randomized clinical trial for heart health. Heart ultrasounds, also known as echocardiograms, are carried out on patients by sonographers, who usually give an initial assessment of the scan before handing it over to a cardiologist. The cardiologists made a substantial change in more than 27 percent of the sonographer assessments - and in nearly 17 percent of those done by the AI model, the study found. "The AI was faster, more precise, and indistinguishable by the cardiologists," Ouyang said. There is a "tremendous shortage" of sonographers in the United States and across the world, and this would save them valuable time, he added. The AI model, called EchoNet-Dynamic, was trained on nearly 145,000 echocardiograms and uses what is called deep learning to process large amounts of data. The researchers are currently applying for the method to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration, and hope to do the same in the European Union and elsewhere soon, Ouyang said. Patricia Pellikka, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in the United States not involved in the research, told AFP the study was "exciting" and that the integration of AI tools will increase efficiency and standardisation. French cardiologist Florian Zores said that the study was well conducted but the technology would not be as useful in France, where cardiologists give the initial assessments of heart ultrasounds. Search Keywords: Short link: "Screenings do not reveal all problems": RUDN University professor on the maximum reproductive age and late childbirth Disappearance of Chloe in Seine-et-Marne: how did the investigators find the young woman? Rospotrebnadzor: in patients with measles in the first days, the face becomes puffy and the eyelids swell Guide for passing the dungeon Tower of Babil in the Endwalker update in Final Fantasy 14 This is how Jenkin's won the Champions Burger in Madrid: 1,800 hamburgers in one day, a fridge truck and the "dream" of opening in the capital Where to eat the best asparagus and artichokes in Madrid The restaurant of a scrapyard in Madrid that triumphs with its luxury menus at popular prices WhatsApp finally activates the option to use several phones with the same account The best coca in Mallorca is made in this family business in Valldemossa There will be strong winds and cooling and dust weather in the north, and there will be rainfall processes in Jiangnan and South China The term "glutton" has been wrong for more than 1000,<> years Almudena Ariza leaves in search of 'Spaniards in conflicts': "When I returned to Madrid they took me out of my element, I was a caged bird" The superfood that should be taken every day at breakfast according to Harvard experts Spain is preparing to hit 40 degrees in April for the first time on record: Why is it so hot so soon? "The culture of urine is one of the tests that causes more unjustified antibiotic treatments" Astronomers solve the mystery of quasars, the most powerful objects in the Universe 60 years later Approaching the guide dog Kaoru: Focus on becoming a comrade-in-arms who "walks side by side" with the owner-China News Network video These cultural relics remain what they look like today The thousand-year-old canal flows with a new legend May Day passenger flow out of Beijing will usher in a peak this Saturday The total number of passengers entering and leaving Beijing during the May Day holiday is expected to exceed the same period in 2019 Hugo Lloris is "my model": the international Espoirs Lucas Chevalier talks about his rise at Losc Eslov won the first semi-final: "Thank you for the show, Truls" They apologized for falling with a hexagon. Tottenham players pay their fans for tickets for Newcastle match Taty Castellanos eats Militao and enters, with four goals, in the history of Madrid On character: "Ak Bars" missed first, but defeated CSKA in the fifth match of the final series of the Gagarin Cup Formula 1: the leaders change the format of the sprint weekend to ensure more spectacle Football: the former goalkeeper of the Blues Hugo Lloris leaves after 5 goals conceded in 45 minutes Monaco, damaged by Maccabi Tel Aviv, already back to the wall in the quarterfinals of the Euroleague Guoyu is all about competing in the Asian Championships: men's singles face a tough battle, women's doubles mixed doubles are looking forward to defending their titles From a candidate for the treble to threatened with a zero season. 7 games with Tuchel spark crises at Bayern Munich From traveling with his father in Guangdong to carrying the banner of the Chinese team, Si Jiahui entered the quarterfinals of the World Snooker Championship LVMH becomes the first European listed company with a market capitalization of more than $5000 billion Contributing to global sustainable development Many parties look to the power of data Sold out on the same day of arrival! Zhejiang strawberries are sold in Singapore, with a box of more than 100 yuan What is the impact of the "price reduction tide" of new cars on the used car market? "Preferential mortgage interest rates according to the number of children" Child-rearing support from a financial perspective Actively stabilize the overall situation of employment and firmly hold the basic market - employment observation for the first quarter of 2023 The new 20,000 homes of Sanchez still have the land "in the identification phase" Barcelona, at the head of the rental drama: 51% drop in supply and the highest price in Spain The judges dissenting from the TC with the 'Celaa Law': "How can families with fewer resources now choose the segregated education model?" A plan in April against the heat thinking about the summer: flexible schedules in schools and 1.5 million to cool nurseries What does Tamara Falco live on? The sources of income that allow you to live at full speed and prohibitive whims What income and salary do Paco Gonzalez and Manolo Lama have, cheated by the false cancer of Guillermo Valades The restaurant chain of the fire of Manuel Becerra removes the decoration of its premises The man to whom Morante de la Puebla said in the Maestranza "you have no shame" Eight profiles on the rise in the Ayuso team: management experience, future advisors and bands in gatherings Overseas Chinese enterprises and overseas Chinese businessmen enter the Expo: enhance investment confidence and look forward to the "Golden Autumn Covenant" GT: the desire to crush the Russian economy through a trade blockade will lead the West to collapse Bloomberg: The United States learns lessons from the Ukrainian conflict in case of confrontation with China The most popular fraudulent scheme on the road was the sharp braking of the car in front In Conakry, a hundred fishermen treated for burns whose cause remains to be determined A US fund declares Spain in "technical default" and asks for the reimbursement of government bonds for 910 million No, Los Serrano are not back: this will be 'the reunion' for the 20 years of the mythical series A woman dies in the Paris metro after her coat is hooked in the car Why is Mr. DeSantis Japan? Florida Governor explains the reason for his visit to Japan "Discrimination of pure water": the Polish airline refused to put tennis player Dyachenko on the flight because of the passport of the Russian Federation Monaco, damaged by Maccabi Tel Aviv, already back to the wall in the quarterfinals of the Euroleague Deputy of the Supreme Council of Khakassia Dmitry Ivanov died in the zone of a special operation Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. Egypt has called on all Sudanese parties to exercise maximum restraint amid the countrys ongoing clashes. A statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Egypt is following the developments of the situation in Sudan with great concern Cairo called for exercising maximum restraint in order to "protect the lives and capabilities of the brotherly Sudanese people, and uphold the supreme interests of the homeland," added the statement. Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they were in control of several key sites following fighting with the regular army Saturday, including the presidential palace in the capital and Khartoum airport, reported AFP. Sustained fighting between the two sides broke out in the Sudanese capital Saturday, including central Khartoum and the neighbourhood of Bahr, added AFP. Tensions between the army and the RSF have simmered since the military take-over of the civilian government in October 2021. The General Command of the Armed Forces issued a press statement on Saturday, saying that government forces are currently battling rebel groups in the capital, Khartoum. According to the statement, the rebel forces are conspiring against the state and national sovereignty, and have been engaging in acts of aggression against Sudan. In response, the armed forces have been fighting for the "right and national dignity" of the country, with soldiers shedding "precious blood" in the process. The statement also suggests that the conflict is centered around strategic locations in Khartoum, including the presidential palace, the General Command, and the headquarters of the president of the Sovereignty Council. The rebel forces are said to be deploying their forces from bases scattered throughout the capital in attempts to control these sites. Search Keywords: Short link: The number of people who report that they are suffering from insomnia is increasing each year, according to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on Monday. Visitors to doctors due to insomnia increased from 461,790 in 2014 to 560,855 in 2017, reaching 400,035 in the first half of last year alone. Prescriptions of sleeping pills also rose from 1.23 million in 2014 to 1.6 million in 2017. One reason may be that Korean society is aging, and older people find it harder to go to sleep. But insomnia complaints are also rising among people in their 20s and 30s, mostly from depression and anxiety. Insomnia patients among women in their 20s and 30s increased only five percent over the last four years, but among men it surged 25 percent. "In Korean society, men tend to suffer from more stress than women if they fail to find a job," Na Hae-ran at St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul said. "Some men in their 20s suffer from even more stress since they face being drafted into the military." WASHINGTON The Supreme Court has temporarily extended women's access to an abortion pill until Friday while the justices consider whether to allow restrictions on mifepristone to take effect as a legal challenge to the medication's Food and Drug Administration approval continues. James Gill: Under Jason Williams, everything old is new again If we ever needed a good laugh, it is now. Thank goodness for Peter Dutton and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The comedy festival could be funded by Medicare. Giggling should be bulk-billed. Private health insurance companies should discount premiums for those embracing the therapeutic value of a good laugh. Private health insurance companies should cut premiums for people who use laughter for health benefits. Credit: iStock This years festival is on track to exceed pre-pandemic ticket sales, the clearest proof of the citys recovery as anyone could ask for. Sampling stand-up would inspire even more of us to venture out post-COVID, to restore our spirit of adventure, our civic confidence as we marvel at Melbournes belated return to communal good health. Federal Opposition Leader Peter Duttons two-day sojourn in Alice Springs last week was not known to many in the Northern Territory towns Indigenous community. A number of the Indigenous residents I spoke to said they had only learnt about the Liberal leaders visit via images posted to social media showing him boarding the flight when he departed. Their immediate responses to the Coalition leaders visit included sceptical eye-rolls and remarks such as here we go again. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (right) with Coalition senator Jacinta Price in Alice Springs last week. Credit: ABC News Crime in Alice Springs is real, particularly violent alcohol-fuelled youth crime. Locals say they have been living through it for the past decade or more. Many of them have pointed out that this trouble was going on well before the Albanese government came to power last May. But Duttons repeated allegations about rampant sexual abuse in the regions Aboriginal communities are less conclusive. Locals working in relevant community health and social services, voices that would be abreast of daily and weekly notifications of child abuse in the region, say there has been no escalation in investigations of sexual abuse or exploitation. When Legacy, the charity that assists veterans and their families affected by war, was planning its 2023 centenary celebrations, it wanted to stage an event more meaningful than a black-tie gala dinner. After years of planning, that event will start on Sunday, April 23, in the corner of a field in Pozieres, France, when the first torch in the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay will be lit. Liliana Sanelli, who is co-ordinating the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay, displays the torch at Melbournes Shrine of Remembrance. Credit: Eddie Jim Its the site of a World War I battlefield where, in 1916, casualties totalled 23,000 men after the Australians spent 42 days making 19 attacks against German positions. The torch will arrive in on our shores at Albany in Western Australia in May. A 21-year-old man accused of stabbing a paramedic to death in a McDonalds car park in south-western Sydney is in hospital with serious mental health issues, his lawyer says. Jordan Fineanganofo did not appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday morning because he was undergoing a psychiatric assessment after being charged with the murder of 29-year-old paramedic Steven Tougher. Fineanganofos family were not in court during the brief court hearing. His lawyer Javid Faiz did not apply for bail, and it was formally refused. Speaking after court, Faiz, from Sydney Criminal Law Specialists, said his client had been in psychosis. Foreign countries military attaches, accredited to Azerbaijan, visited the Academy of the Emergencies Ministry, Azernews reports per Defense Ministry. The visitors laid flowers at the bust of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, and paid tribute to the memory of the Great Leader. The Chief of the academy, Major General Baba Salayev informed the military attaches about the history of the educational institution, its activities, the upcoming goals and the educational process. Then an informative video was shown to the visitors. After the briefing, the military attaches visited the Heydar Aliyev Center in the territory of the academy. They got acquainted with a photo board depicting the political and social activities of the Great Leader. Thereafter, the guests visited the territory of the educational institution, library, laboratory, museum, canteen, sports, training complexes and educational buildings, watched the educational process with the cadets. In the end a photo was taken. France's constitutional court on Friday approved the key elements of President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, paving the way for him to implement the unpopular changes that have sparked months of protests and strikes. The nine-member Constitutional Council ruled in favor of key provisions, including raising the retirement age to 64 from 62, judging the legislation to be in accordance with the law. Six minor proposals were rejected, including efforts to force large companies to publish data on how many people over 55 they employ, and a separate idea to create a special contract for older workers. The decision represents a victory for Macron, but analysts say it has come at a major personal cost for the 45-year-old leader, while causing months of disruption for the country with sometimes violent protests that have left hundreds injured. The president's personal ratings are close to their lowest-ever level, and many voters have been left outraged by his decision to ram the pensions law through the lower house of parliament without a vote. "Stay the course, that's my motto," Macron said on Friday as he inspected restoration efforts at the Notre Dame Cathedral, four years after a devastating fire there. Police expected up to 10,000 people to gather again in Paris on Friday night, with the presence of several hundred left-wing radicals raising fears of more vandalism and clashes that have marred recent rallies. Thousands of protesters gathered in front of Paris city hall and booed the court decision when it was announced on Friday evening. The offices of the Constitutional Council, a short walk from the Louvre Museum, have been protected with barriers and dozens of riot police were on guard nearby. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the court had "judged the reform, on the substance as well as procedure, to conform with the constitution." "This evening, there are no winners or losers," she wrote on Twitter. Taylan, 9, and his little brother, Izzay, peer through the temporary fence at their empty local playground in Footscray. Theyve been unable to play there since it closed after the Maribyrnong River flood swamped the area. Families are demanding to know why it is still off limits, six months after the deluge. Taylan, 9, and Izzay, 4, outside the closed Footscray Park playground. Credit: Penny Stephens Izzay celebrated his fourth birthday in February. He has marked the day with a party in the playground at the historic Footscray Park every year until this one. The other day it started raining really heavy and my son said, oh no, the playground will go underwater again, the boys mother Alycia Mustafa said. It was peak 1970s and Sally Burke was at Tupperware party at a friends home in country Victoria on the same evening Neil Diamond was performing his album Hot August Night live on television. Airtight bowls and jelly moulds were handed around the living room to the sound of Diamond belting out classics like Sweet Caroline and Cherry Cherry. Sally Burke and her Tupperware collection at her home in Berwick. Credit: Eddie Jim The girls asked do you mind if we watch the concert? Burke said. I remember it well because it was a great night, even though I did not sell a thing. We were all glued to Neil on the television. The 78-year-old found herself overcome by nostalgia as she reflected on that night this week, following news that the Tupperware company, which experienced a resurgence during the pandemic, was now on the brink of collapse. Ananda-Rajah said she was most concerned that people who did not have the means to pay rising costs would defer their healthcare. There are an increasing number of young people and older people in my electorate, who are feeling the cost of living squeeze. Loading With out-of-pocket expenses approaching $50, it means that difficult choices will be made, with their health a casualty. Across Victoria, Cleanbill found that 34.6 per cent of the 1,533 clinics surveyed offered bulk billing while the average gap fee at the remaining clinics was $40.10 statewide on par with a national average of $40.42. People in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have the least access to affordable primary care in Australia, with just 6.9 per cent and 5.5 per cent of their clinics bulk-billing, and the rest charging $47.44 and $49.11 on average in gap fees, respectively. The 10 federal electorates with the highest rates of bulk-billing nationwide were all in western Sydney, where 85 per cent or more of clinics use Medicare to cover the entire cost of consultations, and in six of those electorates the gap fees were less than $30. But in Victoria, the only electorate where more than 80 per cent of clinics bulk-billed was Holt on Melbournes south-east fringe. The second-highest rates were in Fraser (north-west Melbourne including Sunshine) and Calwell (northern Melbourne including Broadmeadows), where two in three clinics offered bulk billing, followed by Bruce in the citys south-east (65 per cent) and Gorton in the north-west (64 per cent). Bulk-billed doctors visits are sharply declining for several reasons: the government froze the rebate amount for almost a decade; the costs of running a clinic have increased; and fewer medical graduates are choosing general practice as a career. The Cleanbill data, which has surveyed bulk-billing rates among individual GP clinics, shows different results to federal government data, which looks in every primary health network at the portion of all GP services that are bulk-billed, as well as the proportion of patients who have all their services bulk-billed. That data, which Health Minister Mark Butler made available earlier this year, revealed the proportion of people who were always bulk-billed had dropped to 64.3 per cent last year from 67.5 per cent the year before. The bayside electorate of Macnamara, which includes St Kilda, has the most expensive gap fees in Melbourne. Credit: Visit Victoria Gillespie said official health department data didnt tell patients where GP services could be accessed and how available they were for new patients. By focusing on clinics, rather than services rendered, Cleanbills data complements the Commonwealth governments and offers unique insights into the state of Australian primary care that arent necessarily captured in government reporting, he said. Our listing of every GP clinic we could find across Australia represents the only comprehensive survey of GP availabilities and billing practices ever conducted ... The outcome is deeply concerning. Gillespie said his survey showed bulk-billing had seemingly ceased to exist in the federal electorates of Mayo in South Australia, Fairfax in Queensland, Newcastle in NSW and Franklin in Tasmania. In these circumstances, its easy to see why hundreds of thousands of Australians per year delay or forego care with a GP in their community because of concerns surrounding cost. These Australians almost inevitably end up in public hospitals. This should not be happening. Ananda-Rajah, a doctor of 26 years, said that to fix a problem of this magnitude means you have to introduce multifaceted measures. She said Labor was revisiting the fee-for-service model, in which Medicare gives a rebate for each doctors visit, because it was not fit for purpose when patients had multiple comorbidities and required longer GP sessions. Loading Other things are urgent care clinics around the country and the final thing is expanding the scope of practice of other healthcare workers, especially pharmacists to prescribe. Im very on board with that. Butler said it had never been harder to see a doctor due to years of Medicare neglect, but that his government would be transparent with Australians about the state of the system. I will continue to engage with all healthcare stakeholders including consumer groups, unions and doctor groups, to ensure we make it easier for Australians to see a bulk billed doctor and deliver our reforms to strengthen Medicare, he said. Khartoum: Sudans paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said they had taken control of the presidential palace, the residence of the army chief and Khartoum international airport on Saturday in an apparent coup attempt as clashes erupted with the army. The RSF, which accused the army of attacking it first, also said they had seized the airports in the northern city of Merowe and in El-Obeid in the west. The Sudanese doctors body on Saturday said three civilians were killed in clashes. Smoke is seen rising from a neighbourhood in Khartoum, Sudan on Saturday. Credit: AP The Sudanese air force is conducting operations against the RSF, the army said. Footage from broadcasters showed a military aircraft in the sky above Khartoum, but Reuters could not independently confirm the material. Gunfire could be heard in several parts of Khartoum and eyewitnesses reporting shooting in adjoining cities. Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated to safety on Saturday after a loud explosion was heard at an event he attended in Japan, in a reminder of last years assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe. Kishida had been touring a fishing port in the western prefecture of Wakayama supporting a candidate in his Liberal Democratic Party when a smoke bomb was thrown at the venue, according to media reports. He was unharmed and there were no other injuries. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida waves as he visits a port in Wakayama. Credit: Kyodo/AP A man was arrested at the scene. The prime minister later gave a campaign speech as planned, telling his audience the event should not affect the elections, according to Kyodo. He would then continue on to another scheduled speech in Chiba, near Tokyo, the agency said. Police have not given details about the suspect or his motives, but the event has chilling echoes of the fatal shooting of Abe during a campaign speech ahead of last years upper house elections. Five by-elections are set to be held next weekend, including in the constituency left vacant by Abes death. Washington: Former US president Donald Trump has filed his first personal financial disclosure since leaving the White House, offering insight into his post-presidency earnings. The disclosure, required because Trump is again a candidate for president, was made just in time to avoid a $US200 ($300) late fee from the Federal Election Commission. The 100-page filing enumerates Trumps management positions at a pair of businesses involved in marketing digital trading cards of him and promoting his speaking engagements, as well as at Trump Media and Technology Group, the company that made his social networking site, Truth Social. Because the value of those companies, and the income Trump is deriving from them, is disclosed in broad ranges, it is not possible to know precisely his earnings from the ventures. He disclosed making more than $US5 million from a company called CIC Ventures that manages his speaking engagements and as much as $US1 million from CIC Digital, which has sold digital images of him in the form of non-fungible tokens. China won't sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine, the country's foreign minister said Friday, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide military assistance to Russia. China has maintained that it is neutral in the conflict, while backing Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for its invasion of its neighbor. Qin Gang is the highest-level Chinese official to make such an explicit statement about arms sales to Russia. He added that China would also regulate the export of items with dual civilian and military use. "Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude," Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. "China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict, and manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations." The minister also reiterated China's willingness to help find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. At the same news conference, Qin also blamed Taiwan's government for heightened regional tensions after Beijing held large-scale military drills in an attempt to intimidate the island it claims as its own territory. In February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. had intelligence suggesting China was considering providing arms and ammunition to Russia -- and warned that such involvement in the Kremlin's war effort would be a "serious problem." In recent days, European leaders have issued similar warnings, even as they visited China, and the European Union's foreign policy chief lashed out at Beijing, saying its support of Russia during the invasion was "a blatant violation" of its United Nations commitments. In her remarks, Baerbock also referred to China's role as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, saying it bore a special responsibility for helping end the conflict. "But I have to wonder why the Chinese positioning so far does not include a call for the aggressor, Russia, to stop the war," she said. "We all know that President (Vladimir) Putin would have the opportunity to do so at any time, and the people in Ukraine would like nothing more than to finally be able to live in peace again." Batavia, NY (14020) Today Rain...mixing with snow overnight. Low around 35F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 100%.. Tonight Rain...mixing with snow overnight. Low around 35F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 100%. Migrants, mostly Venezuelans, cross a river during their journey through the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama, hoping to reach the U.S., on October 15, 2022. Two U.N. groups said Thursday that the number of migrants crossing the dangerous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama could soar to as many as 400,000 this year. That would represent a huge increase from the 250,000 migrants estimated to have crossed the roadless, jungle-clad route in 2022. The U.N. agencies for refugees and migration said in a report that nearly 100,000 people may have already made the crossing so far this year, six times more than in the similar period of last year. If that trend keeps up, it could mean many more migrants seeking to reach the United States through Central America and Mexico. The groups called it an unprecedented movement (of people) through the Americas. The United States pledged its forces will assist their Colombian and Panamanian counterparts with intelligence gathering to dismantle smuggling rings operating in the Darien Gap, which is a key route for migrants heading to the U.S. from South America, a senior Biden administration official said Wednesday. The area is among the most dangerous portions of the long route to the U.S. borders. Migrants and international human rights groups have denounced sexual assaults, robberies and killings in the remote jungle. Thats in addition to the natural dangers posed by venomous snakes and rushing rivers. U.S. forces could assist in targeting smugglers for arrest and locating stash houses where smugglers hold migrants, the official said, without specifying whether the U.S. forces involved would be military or civilian law enforcement. The United States, Panama and Colombia had announced Tuesday an ambitious 60-day campaign to shut down the Darien Gap route. The official said the 60-day period had not started yet and was still under consideration, but the effort is part of a broader campaign to prepare for the end of pandemic-era restrictions on applying for asylum at the U.S. border set to expire May 11. The same obstacles that make it a treacherous crossing for migrants will make it impossible for authorities to completely cut off. It is about 60 miles of roadless dense jungle used by organized criminal groups for smuggling drugs and people. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Batavia, NY (14020) Today Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 49F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Evening rain followed by a mix of rain and snow overnight. Low around 35F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 60%. Smoke is seen rising from a neighborhood in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 15, 2023. Sudans military and a powerful paramilitary force engaged in fierce fighting Saturday in the capital and elsewhere in the country, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict. A doctors group said at least three people were killed and dozens injured. The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces group. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup. After a day of heavy fighting, the military ruled out negotiations with the RSF, instead calling for the dismantling of what it called a rebellious militia. The sound of heavy firing could be heard throughout the day Saturday across the capital, Khartoum, and its sister city of Omdurman, where the military and the RSF have amassed tens of thousands of troops since the coup. Witnesses said fighters from both sides fired from armored vehicles and from machine guns mounted on pick-up trucks in fighting in densely populated areas. Some tanks were seen in Khartoum. The military said it launched strikes from planes and drones at RSF positions in and around the capital. Residents described chaotic scenes. Fire and explosions are everywhere, said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. All are running and seeking shelter. We havent seen such battles in Khartoum before, said Khartoum resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa. One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport. There was no formal announcement that the airport was closed, but major airlines suspended their flights. This included Sudan-bound flights from Egypt and Saudi Arabia which turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed. Saudi Arabias national airline said one of its aircraft was involved in what it called an accident. Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a SkyUp Airlines Boeing 737. SkyUp is a Kyiv, Ukraine-based airline. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate said two civilians were killed at the airport, without specifying the circumstances. The syndicate said another man was shot to death in the state of North Kordofan. The BBC said one of its reporters was stopped by soldiers, taken to the military headquarters and beaten. The leaders of the armed forces and the RSF, who were partners in the 2021 coup, traded blame for starting Saturdays fighting and offered conflicting accounts of who was in control of key installations. Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, commander of Sudans military, said in a phone interview with Qatar-based satellite news network Al Jazeera, that RSF troops first harassed the military south of Khartoum, triggering the clashes. Burhan accused the RSF of entering Khartoum airport and setting fire to some planes. He also said all strategic facilities including the militarys headquarters and the Republican palace, the seat of Sudans presidency, are under his forces control. He threatened to deploy more troops to Khartoum from across the county. The head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, accused Burhan of starting the battle by surrounding RSF troops. This criminal, he forced this battle upon us, he said. Dagalo told Al Jazeera that in the next few days it would be over. The RSF alleged that its forces controlled strategic locations in Khartoum and the northern city of Merowe some 350 kilometers (215 miles) northwest of the capital. The military dismissed the claims as lies. The fighting comes after months of escalating tensions between the generals and years of political unrest after the 2021 coup. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top diplomats expressed extreme concern over the outbreak of violence. We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilizations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues, Blinken wrote on Twitter. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; the European Unions top diplomat, Josep Borrell; the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat; the Arab League chief, Ahmed Aboul Gheit; and Qatar all called for a cease-fire and for both parties to return to negotiations to settle their dispute. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates called on those fighting in Sudan to exercise restraint and work toward a political solution in the county. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, warned of a possible regional conflict if the fighting escalates. Shooting must stop immediately, he said in a video appeal to both sides posted on his Twitter account Volker Perthes, the U.N. envoy for Sudan, and the Saudi ambassador in Sudan, Ali Bin Hassan Jaffar, were in contact with Dagalo and Burhan to try to end the violence, said a U.N. official who asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Meanwhile, Chad announced that it is closing its land borders with Sudan until further notice because of the fighting. The clashes centered in Khartoum but also took place in other areas across the country including the Northern province, the conflict-ravaged Darfur region, and the strategic coastal city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, a military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. The tensions stem from a disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Dagalo, should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudans unsigned transition agreement with political groups. The U.S. Ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, wrote online that he was sheltering in place with the embassy team, as Sudanese throughout Khartoum and elsewhere are doing. I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting, he wrote, adding that the escalation is extremely dangerous. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Many people know Alexander Hamilton as the man whose face is on the 10-dollar bill, but many do not know why. Even though he was never a president like George Washington on the one-dollar bill or Abraham Lincoln on the five, Hamiltons contributions in the nations early years earned him the nickname the Father of American Capitalism. Hamilton is considered one of the nations founding fathers due to his work during the American Revolution and the fact that he authored several of The Federalist Papers that helped the U.S. Constitution get ratified. He gained much of his fame as the founder and inventor of the U.S. financial system that is still in place to this day. Hamilton, with help from John Jay and James Madison, published The Federalist Papers, a series of essays written to defend and promote the proposed U.S. Constitution. An advertisement for the book edition of The Federalist Papers. (Public Domain) Coming from a different background than many of the nations founding fathers, Hamilton used his political connections and experience to establish the country once he became the first secretary of treasury under President Washington. Although his views saw great opposition, which led to him to develop several enemies, his economic policies helped the nation turn into a strong economic power on the global stage in the 19th century, after his death. From Orphan to Army Commander According to several sources, historians seem to disagree on the year Hamilton was born. Most agree that Hamilton was born in 1757, but speculation came about in the 1930s when a 1768 probate paper from the Caribbean island of St. Croix was published that listed him being 13 years old that year. This would have meant he was born in 1755. Hamilton was born in Charlestown on the island of Nevis, in what is now the West Indies, to Rachel Faucette and James Hamilton who were not married at the time. Since he was an illegitimate child, he was denied an education by the Church of England; instead, he was taught by the headmistress of his mothers school. He also educated himself by reading around 30 books that were in his family library. Hamiltons father abandoned the family in 1766, and his mother died of yellow fever in 1768 making him an orphan. As a child, Hamilton went to work at a young age selling goods on the island until his writing skills caught the attention of his community. Members of Washingtons first presidential cabinet: (LR) Secretary of War Henry Knox, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Attorney General Edmund Randolph, and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. (MPI/Getty Images) In 1772, Hamilton wrote a letter to his father that contained a detailed account of a hurricane that struck Christiansted in St. Croix. Leaders in his community were so impressed that they raised funds to send Hamilton to the North American colonies to receive an education. Hamilton briefly attended Kings College in New York, which is now Columbia University. There, he became heavily involved in the Revolutionary cause by writing pamphlets like A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress. Hamiltons tenure at the college ended once the Revolutionary War broke out, and he was needed on the battlefields. He held several leadership positions in the Continental Army and was even recruited for Gen. George Washingtons staff. In 1781, Hamilton became frustrated with the Washington and left his staff. But later that year, the general gave Hamilton a field command, and he successfully led an assault against British soldiers during the Battle of Yorktown, which led to the surrender of Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis during the wars last major land battle. Congressman and Treasury Secretary In 1782, Hamilton resigned from the army and returned to New York where he educated himself and, after six months, passed the bar exam to become a lawyer. In the fall of that same year, he was appointed as a New York representative to the Congress of the Confederation. For the next several years, Hamilton campaigned for the ratification of the Constitution. He, with help from John Jay and James Madison, published The Federalist Papers, a series of essays written to defend and promote the proposed U.S. Constitution. In fact, Hamilton wrote 51 out of the 85 essays that were published in various newspapers in 1787 and 1788. In 1789, when Washington was elected the new nations first president, he appointed Hamilton as the secretary of treasury due to the relationship Washington had built with him during the war. Hamilton previously founded the Bank of New York and had used his experiences in the commercial shipping industry to become, as the American Library Association describes, a brilliant, self-taught economist. As soon as Hamilton joined President Washingtons first cabinet, he quickly went to work to fix the nations economy that was in dire condition after the Revolutionary War. Governing bodies at every level in the country had taken on debts to fund the war effort and, as USHistory.org states, the commitment to pay them back was not taken very seriously. Each states IOUs to pay back the money that was borrowed to finance the war was basically deemed worthless. Hamilton came up with a courageous plan for the federal government to pay off all debts incurred by the states: His plan was to issue new securities bonds to investors and create a revenue system comprised of customs duties and excise taxes. The debt of the United States was the price of liberty, the U.S. Department of the Treasury website quotes him saying. Hamiltons plan helped the nation form a stronger central government and it gave the nation more credibility on the world economic stage. Hamilton then decided to develop the First Bank of the United States using the Bank of England as a model to further support a strong financial structure for the country. The bank held all of the governments funds, increased capital to aid financial growth, and issued loans to the federal government. Engraving by Fenner Sears & Co. shows the First Bank of the United States which was Alexander Hamiltons brainchild, in Philadelphia, 1831. (Kean Collection/Getty Images) The bank also issued the nations first paper currency so that it was able to get rid of the currency from individual states that had varying values. Hamilton then came up with plans for the United States Mint that was eventually established in 1792. However, Hamiltons ideals of the nation having a strong central government saw much opposition from other leaders at the time, including Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson and others thought that Hamiltons nationwide bank and many of his other policies were designed to turn the United States into a monarchy, and take away power from the states. During that era, the nation had been dependent on the export of agricultural goods to fund imports of manufactured goods from overseas. Hamilton wanted American manufacturers to be more self-sufficient and he believed that a strong manufacturing sector would help the U.S. economy. He felt that the nations dependence on expensive imported goods inhibited financial growth. He implemented a program that gave financial subsidies to American manufacturers to help them compete with goods imported from other countries. He also imposed tariffs or taxes on imported goods to promote the local manufacturing of products. After the Revolutionary War, smuggling and pirating off the coast became a major issue due to a lack of shipping controls. In order to implement his tariffs, Hamilton knew that he needed some way to enforce the new taxes and help control the problems the United States faced with shipping. The U.S. Revenue Marine Cutter Massachusetts, one ship which patrolled coastal waters of the United States. (Public Domain) Hamilton proposed an idea to congress to implement a naval police force on the shores of the country to help enforce the new taxes and regulations as well as control the nations shipping industry. In 1790, Congress officially established the Revenue Cutter Service which put armed cutters on the shores of the U.S. coast from Georgia to New England. The Revenue Cutter Service eventually turned into the United States Coast Guard. Hamiltons Tragic Death Hamilton resigned from his post as the secretary of treasury in 1795, but he still remained involved in politics. During the presidential election of 1800, Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied, sending it to a vote in congress. Hamilton helped persuade Congress to vote for Jefferson, causing Burr to lose the election. In 1804, Burr ran for the governor of New York, but failed. After being frustrated due to his losses, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel after hearing that Hamilton had insulted him at a dinner party. Aaron Burr (L) fatally wounds Alexander Hamilton during a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey, in 1804. (Kean Collection/Getty Images) Hamilton and Burr met on July 11, 1804 in Weehawken, New Jersey, to settle their differences in a duel. Most accounts say that Hamilton fired first, but his bullet hit a tree limb above his opponent. Burr fired second and hit Hamilton in the stomach just above his right hip. Hamilton died soon after from his injuries, and many historians say that he actually missed Burr on purpose in memory of his son who died in a duel protecting his fathers name. University students attend a class on hate crimes in Spain. Javier Hernandez Physical violence, especially against women, is the tip of the iceberg. For each obvious case of violence, there are dozens more cases of latent abuse over a period of time. In most instances, the internet and technology serve to facilitate and exacerbate such harassment and violence. A study conducted over the last two years by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Combating Cyber Violence against Women and Girls, concludes that there is a serious lack of data and research that hinders a proper assessment of the prevalence and impact of this scourge. Until last year, we didnt even have a consensus about the definitions, says Berta Vall, an associate at the Blanquerna-Ramon Llull University Couples and Family Research Group and a member of the European DeStalk project against cyberviolence. The EU study identifies nine areas of online abuse from the overt stalking, extortion, intimidation, harassment, gender-based hate speech and non-consensual use of intimate images to less visible, subtler forms of violence, which include using internet-connected household devices, trolling and doxing. In December, during routine surveillance of the area surrounding the home of a woman who had filed a restraining order, Spains Isla Mayor Civil Guard police spotted the victims ex-partner, against whom she had the restraining order, in his car, parked right in front of her house. The vehicle inspection turned up a remote video surveillance application [on his cellphone], through which her ex had full knowledge and control of the womans movements, the police officers explained. The womans ex-partner was arrested and taken into custody. That episode exemplifies how technology facilitates different forms of cyberviolence, which includes violence committed on the internet, through social media and messaging platforms, as well as violence committed with electronic devices. Online violence is a continuation of the violence that occurs against women and girls on a daily basis. It is amplified, extended and aggravated by the use of the internet and digital devices, explains Albanian Iris Luarasi, the chair of the Expert Group on Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Grevio). This international team has published its first General Recommendation on the Digital Dimension of Violence against Women. Kirsten Leube, a German representative at the Council of Europe, points out that there is not enough data on the various forms of cyberviolence, which has to do with the fact that many member states do not address them in their criminal codes, so they are not collecting the corresponding data, either. The Kaspersky internet security company, which participates in the European DeStalk program, provides some data that offer a glimpse into the reality of cyberviolence. According to Kasperskys latest report, 70% of women in the EU who have experienced violence on social media or have been spied on via electronic devices have also endured at least one episode of physical or sexual aggression by a partner. In Spain, for example, 24% of the people that the company surveyed said that a partner or former partner had engaged in some form of violence or harassment that involved technology, while 21% suspect that theyre being spied on through a cellphone app. Despite those suspicions, three out of 10 respondents said that partner control over a woman is not problematic under certain circumstances. The EIGE study aims to raise awareness and correct misconceptions about behavior that is unacceptable under any circumstances, despite the opinion of those 30% who said otherwise. The first step is identifying these behaviors. To that end, Combating Cyber Violence against Women and Girls lists nine types of violence commonly committed against girls and women online. Cyber stalking. It occurs methodically and persistently, and perpetrators do it with the intention of undermining the victims sense of security. This practice can include e-mails, offensive or threatening messages, posting intimate photos or videos, and following victims in different ways. Cyber harassment/cyberbullying. This practice is defined as persistent intimidation, coercion or harassment designed to cause severe emotional distress and, often, fear of physical harm. Vulnerable youths and children are the main victims of this form of cyberviolence. Cyber harassment/cyberbullying may also include requesting sexual favors or delivering unwanted offensive, humiliating, degrading or intimidating content as well as threats and hate speech on social media. Online hate speech/incitement to violence or hatred. Although hate speech is a broad term usually associated with violence against groups because of their ethnicity, religion or national origin, it also occurs against women. Gendered hate speech includes sexualization, objectification and degrading comments about physical appearance, as well as threats of rape. Non-consensual dissemination of intimate photographs, spying and sexual extortion. The first activity refers to publicly sharing sexually explicit content of one or more persons without their consent. Most victims are women, and such material is usually disseminated by the victims ex-partner to be vindictive or undermine her privacy. Voyeurism, or digital spying, is another form of violence in which perpetrators take and share photographs of a womans private parts online. In addition, disseminating doctored images and sending unsolicited sexually explicit content are emerging types of cyberviolence. Trolling. According to Combating Cyber Violence against Women and Girls, trolling is a deliberate act of luring others into useless circular discussion, with the result of interfering with the positive and useful exchange of ideas in online discussion sites. It involves posting off-topic material in large quantities, as well as inflammatory, insensitive, aggressive or confusing messages. Trolls may not know the victims. Sexist trolling includes gender-based insults, vicious language and threats of rape and death by a coordinated group in order to humiliate women, particularly those who express their opinions. Flaming. Flaming is a form of aggressive and hostile online communication that always features insults, disaffection and hatred. Typographically, flaming comments are usually written in all capital letters and include exclamation marks. This type of cyberviolence is used to provoke a reaction from another user. It is closely related to trolling and is not generally recognized as violence in legislation or policy. Flaming can be overtly misogynistic and often contains threats or fantasies of sexual violence or incitement to sexual violence. Doxing or doxxing. This type of abuse consists of searching for, collecting and publicly sharing personally identifiable information without the targets consent; doxing reveals personal and sensitive data like home addresses, photographs and names of the victim and his/her relatives. Through harassment and threats, a large number of perpetrators can employ this sort of cyberviolence to cause significant psychological consequences. In addition, by allowing victims to be physically located, it can also be a precursor to physical violence. Doxers acquire the information they expose by searching publicly available databases and social media websites, as well as through hacking and social machinations. Motives may include harassment, exposure, financial harm, extortion or even singling out the victim in the real world. Doxing can also involve manipulating the information in order to further expose and embarrass the victim. Grooming. This form of violence is defined as coercing a victim to expose or share sexual material. Unlike direct extortion, it is a process by which the perpetrator prepares the victim for abuse with manipulative behavior to obtain sexual content, such as nude photographs, personal conversations or other online interactions. Grooming begins by making contact with victims, particularly minors, to build a relationship of trust, in which the perpetrators use fake profiles to impersonate someone else and facilitate fake friendships that culminate in extortion. IoT-facilitated violence. This refers to using the IoT (Internet of Things or internet-connected devices) to harass, stalk, control or abuse the victim. This is done through devices such as smart doorbells, speakers, security cameras or any other internet-connected device that can be controlled from a distance. Examples of this type of violence include flipping switches on or off (such as the lights or heat in the victims home), locking another person in a location by controlling a smart security system, or recording via security cameras or personal electronic devices. Researcher Berta Vall emphasizes the importance of clearly defining the elements of cyberviolence: We know that if you dont have a name, a definition, it is very difficult for both victims and aggressors to identify it. There was an urgent need to know the different types of violence and specific tools to address it. The researcher advocates an intervention that involves different stakeholders, not only from the psychological and law enforcement perspectives, but [one that also includes] legislators, politicians and society, [all of whom] need to be made aware of [cyberviolence]. Tools to Protect against Cyberviolence The increase in cyberviolence and the proliferation of methods to carry it out underscore the need for social awareness. You dont have to go to the dark web or be a hacker to engage in cyberviolence. In fact, just Google it and you find dozens of programs, apps and tutorials. Its scary how much information there is on the Internet [to engage in] cyberbullying, warns Elena Gajotto, the project manager of the Una Casa per lUomo organization, which is also a member of the DeStalk program. Dimitra Mintsidis, of the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence (WWP) project, argues that programs like these should ensure that women and girls are free and safe in the spaces in which they act and live. Women must be empowered to recognize forms of digital violence, men must be discouraged from using them, available resources must be advertised and mobilized. The Kaspersky cybersecurity company offers free courses on cyberviolence in five languages. In addition, along with the Stop Digital Gender Violence Association, it has given a series of workshops to train International Police Members Association officers in TinyCheck software, which was created to detect spyware and other digital harassment tools on tablets and cellphones. During these sessions, the officers also received training in advanced systems for locating cyber threats, specifically cyberstalking spyware. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition An Arms Race: Australian University Develops New AI Detection Tool to Combat ChatGPT A smartphone with a displayed ChatGPT logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken on Feb. 23, 2023. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) As the education sector grapples with the impacts of ChatGPTan Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatboxone university in Australias Group of Eight has introduced a new detection tool that can help teachers identify any unauthorised use of AI in student submissions. In a student notice published on April 11, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) said the AI detection software would provide teachers with the percentage of AI-generated text and highlight the relevant passages. The university noted that the unauthorised use of AI in assignments is a form of cheating and is considered to be student misconduct. While the new tooldeveloped by a commercial providerwould not be entirely accurate, it will be used as one piece of information to indicate unauthorised use of AI in assignments and trigger further investigation. When unauthorised use of AI in assessments is determined, penalties may include a fail and mark of zero for the course, through to suspension or permanent exclusion, the notice said. While the technology changes, our values around academic integrity do not. Your work must be your own and where the use of AI tools like ChatGPT have been permitted by your course convener, they must be properly credited, and your submissions must be substantially your own work. UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Merlin Crossley described the new tool as an anti-cheating software, saying that educators dont know how well the new software detects cheating, but the students dont know how well it works either. He noted that while the software will eventually be bypassed and people will find ways around it, the next iteration will come out. At the end of the day, part of it is an arms race, but part of it is universities are about learning, most of the students want to learn, and we only have to have a few hurdles that they really cant get over. And that will keep everyone honest, Crossley told Sydneys 2GB Radio on April 14. He added that Australian universities are all working together on figuring out solutions to AI, with most of the universities redesigning tests to combat the use of AI. Danger Of AI In a commentary published on The Australian, Crossley also warned educators against embracing ChatGPT entirely, arguing, the positives are blinding us to the risks. I believe that human lives will continue to unfold in two arenas periods where ChatGPT is available and periods where it is not. We must train our students for both eventualities. It is not a question of embracing it or not. It is a question of how to train students for moments when it is not available. We need medics who can assist a patient on a bushwalk or after a cyclone. We need leaders who can think on their feet, make decisions, and answer questions. We need teachers who can pass on their knowledge and skills. So, in every course, we now must make sure we have assessments where students can use ChatGPT and some in which they cannot. Because in their lives students will face situations where they can use artificial intelligence and situations where they cannot. He suggested that teachers can instruct students on how to use ChatGPT but also continue to teach them how to manage without it. ChatGPT Can Be Biased, University of Sydney Warns Another leading Australian university, the University of Sydney, also issued guidelines advising students against using ChatGPT for assessments unless explicitly allowed; and failures to acknowledge the use of AI tools could leave them vulnerable to accusations of cheating. The university told students that its important to remember that the answers ChatGPT provide reflects biases, opinions and views of the humans that informed the text it has been trained on, which may not align with your own values. While the content ChatGPT produces seems impressive on the surface, the reality is not all responses are worded well or are even correct. This becomes apparent if you ask ChatGPT highly conceptual questions or pose difficult or complex calculations, the university said on Feb. 24. On ChatGPTs FAQ page, OpenAI confirms that the tools outputs may be inaccurate, untruthful, and otherwise misleading at times.' Academics Seek To Embrace AI Meanwhile, some educators are looking to incorporate AI in the classroom. Vaughan Connolly, a researcher at the University of Cambridge argued that ChatGPT can help students present ideas in a clear and organised manner and in the right form, allowing teachers to focus on the ideas themselves. In the process, it could shift the focus of education towards critical thinking and big questions. Because it can also summarise an argument, knowledge and concepts, there is real potential to help with formative assessment, especially in situations where teachers have limited time, he said. But Steve Watson, co-convener of the Faculty of Educations Knowledge, Power and Politics at the University of Cambridge said AI is a double-edged sword that people cant just treat as heralding the arrival of a new utopia. In many ways it takes us back to the old Douglas Adams idea of Deep Thought: were very attracted by the prospect of something acting as a source of ultimate intelligence and informational knowledge, but this is not a trustworthy, independent source of information. ANALYSIS: Trump Coverage Reveals How Media Frame and Exclude Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump is interviewed by journalist Wolf Blitzer for The Situation Room on CNN in New York City on Jan. 6, 2016. (Regine Mahaux/Getty Images) News Analysis The indictment of former President Donald Trump had dominated the news cycle for weeks, but by April 13, the name Trump appeared nowhere on the front page of Google News. There and elsewhere, the arrest of 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, accused of leaking classified national defense material, claimed the limited attention spans of those in the American community of journalists. Trump and the indictment didnt make the very top of The New York Times digital front page. Yet, the title of a subsection about a quarter of the way down, The Trump Investigations, offers some clues as to how Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs controversial case may be recastnamely, as one of many legal quagmires through which the former commander-in-chief must trudge. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in New York City on Jan. 13, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Fox News was accused in March of a soft ban on Trump appearing on its channel, yet on April 12, it posted Trumps first interview since his indictment, which it featured partway down its digital front page. An article on Bragg also made the cut. The former president was almost a total non-entity on the digital front page of CNN, famously dismissed by Trump as Fake News CNN. Its part of a noticeable pattern over the past week. Although coverage of Trump has fluctuated, it has generally trended downward. Yet, the legacy medias indispensable man has never fully exited the news cycle. Weak Case Driving Coverage Downward: News Analyst Kevin Tober, a news analyst with the conservative Media Research Center, has been monitoring coverage of Trump. His March 28 article, written before Trumps indictment was released, noted that the four big Sunday news roundtable shows obsessed over that story while ignoring key new stories that could hurt President Joe Biden. Those revelations included emails from during Bidens vice presidency suggesting that members of the Biden family sought to downplay coverage of Hunter Bidens Burisma Holdings board membership in 2015, along with subpoenas from the House Oversight Committee that appear to link the Bidens to payouts from a Chinese energy company. President Joe Biden (L) waves alongside his son Hunter Biden after attending mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, S.C., on Aug. 13, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Tober has a theory about why the indictment has faded from view. I think the media looked at whats in the indictment, and they realized theres nothing there, he told The Epoch Times in an April 12 interview. Even they are embarrassed to be hyping this, he said. Once the indictment was unsealed, legal experts quickly identified numerous flaws. Those issues range from the way it blends state and federal laws to its vagueness concerning Trumps alleged second crime. Yet, even if the media are quietly backing away from a weak case, their powerful megaphone may have served the intended purpose. Pro-Trump commentator John Doyle argued in an April 7 video that people who dont follow the news closely will see the former president more negatively on average because of the indictment. Theyre just going to remember that, you know, every time they turned on the news in the gym, whatever, it seemed like Trump was wrapped up in some scandal, which will just make them more likely to think, Well, they finally got him,' he said. The media, Tober said, are always quick to report on anti-conservative or anti-Republican stories. In his view, one of the medias biggest tricks is omitting or downplaying inconvenient information, sometimes in response to explicit instructions. He cited CBS News ban on the word transgender in its coverage of the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, as reported by the New York Post. The Current Thing One useful concept for making sense of the news cycle originated more than a year ago as a spinoff of the non-playable character memeThe Current Thing. The Current Thing is often the top story for days, weeks, or even months at a time. And not only are you forced to think about ityoud better support it or risk paying the social price. An early example comes from 2012, with the crusade against African warlord Joseph Kony. More recently, The Current Thing has ranged from COVID-19 to the war in Ukraine. Demonstrators gather at the Lincoln Memorial to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and protest against the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine before marching to the White House in Washington on Feb. 20, 2022. Attendees called for President Joe Biden to take a stronger stance on deterring Russia from invading Ukraine and demanded the end of Russias occupation of Crimea. (Kenny Holston/Getty Images) For many, The Current Thing is becoming harder and harder to escape with each passing year. The Current Thing, at a fundamental level, is a distraction, any distraction, Adam Ellwanger, an English professor at the University of HoustonDowntown, said in an April 14 interview with The Epoch Times. American society is at a very late stage in its degradation. Ellwanger wrote about what he sees as the elite-driven nature of The Current Thing for The American Conservative in 2022. Current Thing-ism is about freezing the public gaze on one problem, in the hope that they remain obliviousor indifferentto the rest, and thus remain ignorant of the bigger picture, Ellwanger said. Because the establishment is thoroughly leftist, the issues that become The Current Thing are ones that are conducive to advancing the agenda of the political and cultural left. For a few days, Trumps indictment was The Current Thing. Yet, as Tober noted, the story lost momentum over the following week, though didnt disappear completely. The indictment-related stories that did emerge illustrate another powerful weapon in the medias arsenalnamely, the framing of a specific story and the latest Current Thing. On April 11, for example, Braggs lawsuit against Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) dominated many headlines. Jordans original subpoena, the trigger for Braggs reaction, hadnt commanded anything resembling the same amount of attention. Framing is very often ideological, Tober said. Some argue that The Current Thing is more a product of financial incentives than of political belief. After all, journalists make money from the publics attention. Why wouldnt they capitalize on a snowballing story, regardless of ideology? Despite their legendary self-obsession, media entities themselves might not give you the best answers. The media kind of goes back and forth like a ping-pong ball. They follow whatever the new thing is, the new controversy, Tober said. This writer ran a test using the most unscientific method possible: a Twitter poll. What factor mostly determines "the current thing"? (Please retweet this one.) Nathan Worcester (@nnworcester) April 13, 2023 In the eyes of those who answered, ideology edges out money in establishing The Current Thing, leaving chance or other factors in the dust. In fairness, its pretty hard to imagine that our media presentand policethe latest big stories without taking politics into consideration. The current Current Thing, Teixeiras arrest, has been publicized as a national security risk for the United States and a possible justification for expanded government monitoring of social media by the Biden administration. Jack Teixeira, in T-shirt and shorts, being taken into custody by armed tactical agents in Dighton, Mass., on April 13, 2023. (WCVB-TV via AP) It comes just weeks after Congress proposed the RESTRICT Act, a putatively anti-TikTok bill that could greatly expand the governments ability to clamp down on online communications. The explosive content of the leaks, and what they reveal about the United States involvement in Ukraine, has remained a relative afterthought. Trump Versus The Current Thing Trump has long had a complicated relationship with the media and their Current Things. Even as he supposedly craved media approval, the real estate mogul and reality show star had a knack for disrupting the presss narratives while leading the country. He also captured clicks and eyeballs for legacy and non-legacy outlets alike. [The media] just cant get over their obsession with the president, Tober said. Even today, he said, Its always Trump, Trump, Trump on the news. We always joke, Well, whos the president right now?' Former U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters as he arrives at an event at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Fla., on April 4, 2023. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Many Current Things in the past few years have been driven wholly or in part by Trump. Like other Republican leaders before him, hes provided a focal point for leftist ire. In some ways, the Trump phenomenonperpetually seen as an emergency, forever dominating the news cycle, and always demanding a politically safe responsewas the most durable Current Thing of the past few years. Yet, in Ellwangers view, Trump has offered Americans a path away from The Current Thing. He seeks to move the publics attention away from The Current Thing in order to see the broader degradation, he said. If the public were to get that broader panorama, they would recognize that some radical alternative is needed to the current establishment. Which, of course, would empower Trump. Therefore, he remains Public Enemy #1 according to Current Thingism. As of early April 14, Teixeira and the bombshell documents continued to dominate headlines, leaving the man from Mar-a-Lago in the shadows. Its hard to believe that will last, particularly given the unprecedented nature of what has happened with Trump. The Current Thing comes and goes, but Americans polarized responses to the indictment of a former president dont seem likely to vanish without a trace. Australian Man With China-Links Arrested for Selling State Secrets to Foreign Spies A supplied image obtained on April 14, 2023, of an Australian man who has been arrested in Bondi and charged with one count of one count of Reckless Foreign Interference. (AAP Image/Supplied by AFP) An Australian man has been arrested for allegedly sharing national security intelligence with foreign spies. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested and charged 55-year-old Alexander Csergo at his residence in the affluent suburb of Bondi in Sydney on April 14. The arrest occurred as part of a joint investigation with the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce (CFIT) initiated by the countrys domestic spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). The Australian national who normally lives and runs his business overseas, only just returned to Australia from China before he was arrested. The AFP allege an individual, who claimed to be from a think tank, contacted Csergo via social media while he was offshore and made arrangements for him to meet with their representatives, AFP said in a media release. Sources say he was recruited by two foreign spies under the names Ken and Evelyn who met with him on a number of occasions and offered him money to gather information about Australian defence, economic and national security arrangements, plus matters relating to other countries. It is alleged the man received payment for compiling a number of reports for Ken and Evelynthe two individuals are alleged to be working for a foreign spy agency while carrying out intelligence collection. Csergo appeared via video link at the Parramatta Local Court on April 15 for a five-minute hearing and faced one count of reckless foreign interference, contrary to section 92.3 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). According to his LinkedIn page, Csergo held high-level positions in advertising giants Ogilvy and Leo Burnett. Since 2011, he has operated mainly out of Shanghai and has experience across artificial intelligence, automation, marketing, and data. Csergo did not apply for bail and was confined in custody to appear at the Sydney Downing Centre courts on April 17. If found guilty, he will face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment. The Australian man is the second individual to be charged with an offence by the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce since Australia passed the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill in 2018. The first was Melbourne community leader Duong Di Sanh in late 2020. Duong Di Sanh departs from the Melbourne Magistrates Court in Melbourne, Australia, on May 17, 2022. Former Liberal Party candidate Di Sanh Duong is charged with preparing an act of foreign interference within Australia following a year-long investigation by ASIO and the AFP. (AAP Image/James Ross) The AFP charged Duong with preparing for a foreign interference offence, contrary to Section 92.4 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). The latest arrest comes after ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess reiterated stark warnings about the state of foreign interference in Australia. I want to dispel any sense that espionage is some romantic cold war notion. Its not; it is a real and present danger that demands we take security seriously, he said in February during ASIOs Annual Threat Assessment. Burgess added that foreign spy agencies were aggressively seeking secrets about a range of areas including defence capabilities, government decision-making, political parties, foreign policy, critical infrastructure, space technologies, academic and think tank research, medical advances, key export industries and personal information, especially bulk data. A Serious Threat to Australias Sovereignty: AFP Chief Espionage and foreign interference pose a serious threat to Australias sovereignty, security and integrity of our national institutions, AFP Assistant Commissioner Krissy Barrett told reporters. The Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, which includes ASIO and the AFP, is working to disrupt the threat and mitigate the harm from foreign interference and espionage. The AFP alleges other Australian citizens and residents may have also been approached by Ken and Evelyn and is urging those individuals to provide information to the National Security Hotline. The 2019-20 annual report revealed that the Prime Ministers Office and Home Affairs Department together committed $87.8 million (US$58.8 million) to the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce to enhance Australias operational and investigative capacity to disrupt and deter acts of foreign interference and espionage. Ethnic Communities a Key Target On Feb. 27, the AFP announced it would launch an education campaign to advise local communities on how to respond to foreign interferencemulticultural communities remain a key target for foreign regimes seeking to silence political dissent. The AFP will work with communities and religious leaders to explain what foreign interference is and how to seek helpa factsheet will also be translated into over 30 languages to help culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD). Foreign state actors that undertake hostile activity against other countries are creating and pursuing opportunities to interfere with Australiansfrom decision-makers at all levels of government, across a range of sectors, and our communities, AFP Special Investigations Commander Stephen Nutt said. On a community level, foreign interference is defined as threats and intimidation directed, supervised or financed by foreign governments and targeted towards CALD communities in order to cause harm and impact on Australias multicultural way of life. Nutt said unlawful acts of foreign interference include foreign governments or their representatives using covert or deceptive conduct, threats of assault, blackmail, kidnapping or coercion by threatening an individuals family member living overseas. An example of foreign interference is where a foreign government agent pays an Australian citizen to undertake surveillance of people attending an Australian community discussion about the foreign government, and then reports back on people who were critical of the foreign government. Another example is if a person in Australia willingly assists a foreign government by going to a persons home or contacts them by telephone to threaten them with serious harm unless they stop criticising the foreign government in online forums, Nutt said. Under Australian law, for an activity to be considered foreign interference, the activity must be linked to a foreign government or its representative. Self-directed individuals who are loyal to a foreign government that threatens or intimidates community members is not foreign interference. What Work Is Underway to Counteract Foreign Spying? To detect and deter foreign interference activities, the Australian government has taken steps to appoint and establish different task forces to help strengthen national security. Other than the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce that works together with the ASIO and AFP, the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce and University Foreign Interference Taskforce have also been established to ensure national security is maintained. The University Foreign Interference Taskforce was established on Aug. 28, 2019, to provide better protection for universities against foreign interference in policy, research and scientific development. Australian universities and institutions play a key role in developing new knowledge and technological innovation which is vital for Australias economic growth and international engagement. Australian State to Pay out $450,000 to Sacked Department Heads NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns speaks to media the during a press conference at NSW Parliament, Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 23, 2022. Bankstown MP Tania Mihailuk made sensational claims against a selected candidate and was been booted from NSW Labor leader Chris Minns' shadow cabinet. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) New South Wales (NSW) taxpayers will foot more than $1.3 million (US$871,000) in redundancy bills paid to three sacked senior executives after Premier Chris Minns swung the axe through the public service. The most senior officials in Treasury, Education and Transport will each receive about $450,000 (US$302,000) in payouts after the newly elected government showed them the door within weeks of taking power, adding further strain to the states finances. Minns on April 14 warned of deep issues with the NSW budget as his government worked to establish the exact debt position inherited from the previous leadership. Weve detailed different aspects of education and transport over the last week but I have to tell you, and I in effect warn the people of NSW, theres much more to talk about when it comes to Treasury and the budget situation, Minns said. This is going to be certainly one of the most important agencies and decision-making places of the government over the next 12 months. The previous governments forecasts anticipated debt would reach 13 percent of the states economy by June 2026. Minns declined to elaborate on exactly where the issues lie, saying treasurer Daniel Mookhey would speak further on the topic in the coming days. As part of his plan for a fresh start for the state, the premier announced a string of changes to the public service including the reinstatement of a Cabinet Office to provide advice to his government. Minns said he planned to scrap the current cluster public service model in favour of a more top-down approach. I dont believe that the cluster model has enabled good decision-making over a long period of time, Minns said. Its pushing down decision-making theoretically at the departmental bureaucratic level, but in reality, theres no substitute for the Cabinet Office. My expectation is that all government departments will have a laser focus on serving the community. The existing Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) will be dissolved from July 1 and replaced by the Cabinet Office and a new separate Premiers Department. Both new agencies will report directly to the premier, a model Minns said was used by the Greiner and Carr governments. Treasury secretary Paul Grimes, Education head Georgina Harrisson and Transport tsar Rob Sharp are being offered the bumper payouts as the trio are contractually entitled to 38 weeks pay of their $623,300 (US$418,000) salaries. I want to sincerely thank these leaders for their service and dedication to the people of NSW, Minns said. Former treasurer Matt Kean lauded Grimes as an intellectual pillar of the public service and easily one of the best public servants in Australia. In the best traditions of the public service, he always provided the highest quality frank and fearless advice. Pauls departure will be NSWs loss and someone elses gain, Kean said. Secretary of the current DPC, Michael Coutts-Trotter, will oversee the delivery of the Minns governments first budget in the coming months as acting Treasury secretary. Minns said he valued the experience and advice of Mr Coutts-Trotter, who is married to federal Labor minister Tanya Plibersek and led several departments under the previous coalition government. Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins will step into the transport vacancy while senior education official Murat Dizdar and senior public servant Peter Duncan will take charge of the education department and DPC respectively. Each secretary role will be advertised and openly recruited in coming months. Further changes to the structure of the public service are being considered. Biden Admin Affirms Trump-Era Decision to Export Natural Gas From Alaska The U.S. Department of Energy building is seen in Washington on July 22, 2019. (Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images) The Department of Energy (DOE) on April 13 affirmed a Trump-era decision to export liquified natural gas (LNG) from a facility in Alaska. Under the Trump administration, in 2020, a company called Alaska LNG was authorized to export LNG to any country with which the United States hasnt entered into a free trade agreement (FTA). In a supplemental record of the decision (pdf) issued by the DOE on April 13, Biden administration officials reaffirmed the original authorization in 2020. However, they also amended the project to include more restrictions intended to protect the environment. The decision on April 13 comes after the Sierra Club, an organization that seeks to fight for environmental and social justice, in September 2020 filed a Request for Rehearing over the matter. The department had agreed to the request to look further into the projects environmental impacts, after which it would either reaffirm, modify, or set aside the Trump-era authorization. Upon review, DOE finds that the environmental impacts presented are not sufficient to alter DOEs determination that exports of LNG from the proposed Alaska LNG Project to non-FTA countries are not inconsistent with the public interest, the department stated. One Change As such, the department affirmed the original Trump-era order but with one modification that was recommended by the Sierra Club: Alaska LNG is required to certify each month that the natural gas produced for export in LNG form did not result in the venting of byproduct carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, unless required for emergency, maintenance, or operational exigencies and in compliance with the FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] Order for the Alaska LNG Project. DOE believes that this venting prohibition will reduce emissions of [greenhouse gases] from the Alaska LNG Project beyond what may have occurred under the Alaska LNG Order, the department stated. Otherwise, other parts of the authorization remain the same. The LNG pipeline and export project was estimated in June 2020 to cost $38.7 billion. It was first proposed in 2014 by the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC), which was tasked with maximizing the states natural gas reserves by the Alaskan legislature and is leading the project. Construction of the Alaska LNG project was authorized in May 2020 by FERC. According to plans, the project would include a liquefaction facility in the Nikiski area of the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, a natural gas treatment plant on the North Slope of Alaska to produce natural gas, and an 800-mile pipeline to carry the natural gas from the North Slope to the liquefaction facility. While AGDC has been seeking buyers for exports, it hasnt reached a final decision on whether to start construction, an Energy Department spokesperson told the Anchorage Daily News. Alaska LNG is authorized to export this LNG in a volume equivalent to 929 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas (2.55 Bcf per day), by vessel from a liquefaction facility in the Nikiski area of the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, the DOEs document reads. Altogether, Alaska LNG is authorized to export LNG from the Project for a total of 33 yearsa 30-year export term, with an additional three-year Make-Up Period to export any LNG that it was unable to export during the 30-year export term. The latest move comes a month after the Biden administration approved the $8 billion Willow oil field development project to allow the company ConocoPhillips to drill for oil over three decades. It also comes a year after the Biden administration expanded exports of LNG to Europe. President Joe Biden announced an agreement in March 2022 that committed the U.S. industry to supply 15 billion cubic meters more of LNG to Europe for the remainder of the year. Biden Announces New Actions on Secret Documents After Embarrassing Leak President Joe Biden adjusts his microphone during a meeting with the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, on April 4, 2023. (Patrick Semansky/ AP Photo) President Joe Biden on Friday announced new actions that restrict access to classified materials in the wake of an embarrassing leak of apparent classified U.S. military intelligence that ended up spreading widely on social media. The suspected leaker, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard named Jack Teixeira, was on Thursday arrested and charged in federal court on two counts, including unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information charges. I commend the rapid action taken by law enforcement to investigate and respond to the recent dissemination of classified U.S. government documents, Biden said in a statement. While we are still determining the validity of those documents, I have directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information, and our national security team is closely coordinating with our partners and allies, the president added. Teixeira was an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks, which allowed him to get a higher level security clearance. The leaked documents include maps and details about deliveries of weapons, with some bearing markings classifying them as Secret and Top Secret. Some showed what looks like locations for front-line Russian and Ukrainian military units and artillery guns. Jack Douglas Teixeira poses for a selfie at an unidentified location in a file photo. (Social Media Website via Reuters) FBI agents arrest Jack Teixeira, an employee of the U.S. Air Force National Guard, in connection with an investigation into the leaks online of classified U.S. documents, in North Dighton, Massachusetts, on April 13, 2023. (WCVB-TV via ABC via Reuters) Damaging Leak Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in an appearance on Fox News on Friday that hes baffled as to why someone like Teixeira would have had access to the sensitive materials. I dont understand why a 21-year-old national guardsmen had access to some of the most highly kept secrets in the United States, and in particular, finished products from the Joint Staff or finished products from the CIA operation center, Esper said. I just dont know why he would have access to those. Asked about reports that Teixeira worked in IT and needed clearance to work on computer networks and equipment, Esper said that his access should have been more limited and that information carried on military communication systems should have been ring-fenced. Theres not a need for him to have access to the information on that system, let alone finished products from the Joint Staff and CIA, Esper replied, adding that an investigation into the leak shows that the Pentagon has a problem not just over classification, but in this case, over distribution. Theres too many people that have access to this information. It should really only be for the highest levels of our government, Esper said. And we need to get that under control. Its not just embarrassing, but its damaging, Esper said, noting that the leak hurt Ukraines ability to mount an effective counter-offensive against Russian forces while burning U.S. access to Russian military and intelligence systems. The leak may also have exposed sources and techniques of collecting intelligence on Chinese operations, he added. Then Secretary of Defense Mark Esper testifies before a House Armed Services Committee hearing at Capitol Hill in Washington on July 9, 2020. (Michael Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images) Pentagon Takes Action Besides Biden announcing action to limit access to classified materials, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has vowed to take any additional measures necessary to safeguard against national security leaks and has ordered a review of intelligence access. Austin said during a press conference on Thursday that hes directing the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security to conduct a review of our intelligence access, accountability, and control procedures within the Department to inform our efforts to prevent this kind of incident from happening again. He said the Department of Defense, in close partnership with the Intelligence Community and its interagency partners, will continue to review the national security implications of this unauthorized disclosure. Austin also stressed that every U.S. service member, DoD civilian, and contractor with access to classified information has a solemn legal and moral obligation to safeguard it and to report any suspicious activity or behavior. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a press conference at State Department in Washington on April 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Teixeira, a junior airman with the Air National Guards 102nd Intelligence Wing, worked as a cyber transport systems journeyman, meaning he was an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks, including their cabling and hubs. According to defense officials, Teixeira would have had a higher level of security clearance in that role, given that he was tasked with accessing and ensuring the network was protected, although officials have yet to confirm if he did. Officials believe Teixeira leaked the Pentagon documents earlier this year across platforms such as Discord, an instant messaging social platform popular with gamers. Some of the documents were also posted to the Telegram app and 4chan. Teixeira was arrested on Thursday at a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts. Since late last week the FBI has aggressively pursued investigative leads and todays arrest exemplifies our continued commitment to identifying, pursuing, and holding accountable those who betray our countrys trust and put our national security at risk, the agency said in a statement. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the probe into Teixeira centers on the unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information. The Associated Press and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Biden Says Optimism in Ireland Inspires Him to Run Again in 2024 In this handout image provided by the Irish Government, U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the crowd during a celebration event at St. Muredach's Cathedral in Ballina, Ireland on April 14, 2023. (Julien Behal/Irish Government via Getty Images) President Joe Biden said on Friday that he plans to run for president again in 2024 and will make an official announcement soon. Ive already made that calculus. Well announce it relatively soon, Biden told reporters on the last day of his trip to Ireland. But the trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done, he added. When asked if he had made up his mind, Biden replied, I told you: My plan is to run again. Since late December 2022, speculation has mounted about Bidens 2024 plans. The president has already hinted multiple times that he may seek reelection. Most recently, Biden and his cabinet members embarked on what the White House refers to as the Investing in America tour to highlight his legislative and economic accomplishments, leading many to believe that he is sharpening his political message. Biden, at age 80, is the oldest president in American history. If he is re-elected in 2024, he will finish his second term at the age of 86. U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the Irish parliament at Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 2023. (Kenny Holston/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) On Thursday, Biden gave a speech to the Irish parliament in which he mentioned his age while also making the case for a second run. Im at the end of my career, not the beginning, Biden said. The only thing I bring to this career after my ageas you can see how old I amis a little bit of wisdom. I come to the job with more experience than any president in American history, he continued. It doesnt make me better or worse, but it gives me few excuses. Irish Roots During his trip to Ireland, Biden also spent time tracing his family history. He met with relatives, visited places of significance to his ancestors, and spoke passionately about his Irish heritage. Biden shared numerous family stories, cracked jokes, and experienced emotional moments during the trip. On the final day of his Ireland tour, Biden reportedly broke down in tears after encountering a priest who performed the last rites for his son Beau, who died of cancer in 2015. President Joe Biden speaks to the crowd during a celebration event at St. Muredachs Cathedral in Ballina, Ireland, on April 14, 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) It feels like coming home. It really does, Biden told a large crowd on Friday evening in front of St. Muredachs Cathedral in the historic town of Ballina, where he was met with a rockstar welcome. Biden told the story of the cathedral, which has special meaning for his family. Edward Blewitt, Bidens great-great-great grandfather, sold 27,000 bricks to St. Muredachs Cathedral in 1828 that were used in the construction of the cathedral. The sale helped Edward and his family to afford tickets to sail to America and start a new life in 1851. President Joe Biden speaks to the crowd during a celebration event at St. Muredachs Cathedral in Ballina, Ireland on April 14, 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) In 1828, he was paid 21 pounds and 12 shillings to help supply the bricks for this cathedral 27,000 of them. I was able to hold one of them in my hand today. Theyre heavy, Biden told the crowd. But I doubt he ever imagined that his great-great-great-grandson would return 200 years later as president of the United States of America. Isnt that amazing? Bob Lee Stabbing Suspects Arraignment Postponed Flowers and notes in memory of Bob Lee at the corner of Main Street and Harrison in San Francisco on April 7, 2023. (Lear Zhou/The Epoch Times) SAN FRANCISCOA judge has rescheduled the arraignment of Nima Momeni, the 38-year-old suspect in Bob Lees murder, for April 25. According to the motion to detain Momeni without bail, which was released on April 14, Momeni drove the victim to a deserted spot and stabbed him due to a dispute about his sister. Momeni appeared in court in the morning, but his arraignment was rescheduled. The case did not enter a plea. Momeni only said Yes, Your Honor when the judge asked him whether he agreed to decline his right to a speedy trial. The postponement of the case was partly due to Momenis attorney, Paula Canny, being on vacation. Robert Canny, also an attorney, was in court on behalf of his sister, Paula Canny. He had friends and family here in support. The facts as to what occurred or did not occur will come out over time, Robert Canny said. Momenis sister, Khazar Elyassnia, and her husband, Dino, a San Francisco plastic surgeon, were among those who were present in court. They stood outside in the hallway, waiting in silence prior to the courtroom opening, the sister wearing dark sunglasses. The judge ordered that Momeni be held in jail without bail, per San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkinss request. Momeni faces 26 years to life in prison, the DAs office stated. Momeni was arrested in the morning on April 13 by officers from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) as the only suspect in the fatal stabbing of high-tech entrepreneur and investor Bob Lee on April 4. SFPD Chief Bill Scott announced Momenis arrest in a press conference on April 13. He said: We can confirm that Mr. Lee and Mr. Momeni knew each other. However, he declined to share any other details. The motion to detain Momeni without bail was the first official document that revealed more about what happened in the early morning on April 4. According to the court document, a friend had been drinking with Lee and Elyassnia the day before the attack. The friend and Lee then went to Lees hotel room, and a dispute occurred when Momeni confronted Lee about his younger sister allegedly doing drugs or other inappropriate behavior. Lee went to the Millennium Tower, where Elyassnia resides, shortly after the friend and Lee parted ways around 12:30 a.m., according to video surveillance. The same video also shows Lee and Momeni leaving the building after 2:00 a.m. and driving off in Momenis car. Momeni allegedly drove Lee to a spot under the Bay Bridge on Main Street, stabbed Lee with a kitchen knife three timesonce in the hip and twice in the chestand then sped away, according to court records. One stab wound penetrated Lees heart and killed him. Police found a 4-inch knife with blood on it in a nearby parking lot. The defendant not only drove victim to a secluded area in the opposite direction of his hotel, but also brought a kitchen knife with him, prosecutors stated in court records. Defendant did not use some type of pocket knife, but a cooking knife from an apartment kitchen. This was a planned and deliberate attack. During the investigation, police were able to unlock Lees phone and found a FaceTime call with Elyassnia at an unspecified time. This is more about human nature and human behavior than it is about our city, SFPD Chief Scott said in the press conference. They knew each other, Scott said. Just put it in any other city, I dont believe it would have changed the circumstances, [not] one bit. California Electric Utilities Announce Income-Based Billing Proposal Three of Californias largest electricity providers are proposing a new billing system that would charge customers according to their income. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric submitted a joint application to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) April 10. This proposal aims to help lower bills for those who need it most and improves billing transparency and predictability for all customers, said Marlene Santos, executive vice president for PG&E, in a statement. The program, if approved, would divide customer utility bills into a fixed infrastructure charge based on income plus a usage charge based on consumption. The per-kilowatt hour electricity rate would be lowered by about one-third for all customers, according to the companies. A file photo of a home with porch lights on in Culver City, Calif. on Aug. 5, 2015. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Low-income and disadvantaged customersabout 30 percent of customerswould be helped the most with the new program, according to PG&E. The proposal calls for the monthly fixed charge for low-income customers to be as low as $15, and no greater than $30. On average, PG&E estimates the companys lowest-income customers would get a 21 percent lower electricity bill. Moderate-income households would pay a fixed charge of $51 and get about 6 percent lower bills. High-income customersthe states top 25 percent of income earnerswould pay about $92, seeing an increase of about 24 percent, according to PG&E. As California rapidly advances to a future of electrification, this proposal will help to limit the impact on disadvantaged communities, as Californians transition to electrification in support of the states clean energy goals, Santos said. The states aggressive climate action plans include switching over to renewable energy sources and drastically cutting fossil fuels by 2045. One major component of the states climate goals is to accelerate electric vehicle use by banning the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. An electric car charges at a mall parking lot in Corte Madera, Calif., on June 27, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) The utilities were required by the state to create a new billing plan after the states Legislature passed Assembly Bill 205 (AB 205) in June 2022. The law requires utilities to structure their billing programs using income levels and provides state funding to help utility customers with past due bills from the pandemic, according to a Senate analysis. The measure also mandates state agencies to prioritize clean energy sources over fossil fuel sources and accelerates clean energy projects. When signing AB 205 in 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the law will also help stabilize the energy grid by creating a strategic reserve that will only be used in the case of extreme weather events. Action is needed now to maintain reliable energy service as the State accelerates the transition to clean energy, Newsom said in a letter. To implement the low-income program for customers, electricity companies will need credible information about household income, according to a report issued by the University of California-Berkeley and the Energy Institute at Haas called Ensuring Affordability for Californias Electricity Customers. The report suggests allowing government agencies, such as the Franchise Tax Board and the U.S. Census, to share personal data with the utilities. Utility workers make repairs to electrical wires in Guerneville, Calif., on on Jan. 9, 2023. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Customers can leave comments for the CPUC about the proposed fixed-charge rate program on the commissions website. So far, the commission has only received two. In one comment, Sherry Listgarten of Palo Alto said the program would not do enough to stop rising costs, especially with renewable energy sources. Finally we are ditching net metering for net billing, but this ruling does not do nearly enough to stop the cost shift, which is enormous and getting bigger every time more solar is installed, Listgarten said Nov. 23, 2022. It is grossly unfair to low-income and renters. There needs to be very clear guidance from this proceeding about the problem we are looking to be solved, for example by creating a substantial fixed charge. The CPUC is expected to make its decision on the program by July 2024, commission spokesperson Terrie Prosper told The Epoch Times. This will establish the general structure of the income-graduated fixed charge, program guidelines, and details about the income-verification process, Prosper said. Meanwhile, utilities will provide testimony to the commission June 2 and then work together to provide recommendations and issue a management statement by July 14. If needed, hearings will be held to gather more information, Prosper said. Chinese Defense Minister to Visit Russia for Talks With Military Leaders The Chinese and Russian national flags (R) on the international logistics billboard in Ritan International Trade Center in Beijing, on March 22, 2022. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas defense chief will visit Russia on Sunday for talks with Russian military leaders, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Friday, as the two allies seek to bolster their military alliance on the heels of Russias ongoing war in Ukraine. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu will embark on a four-day visit to Moscow at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei told reporters. Li will hold talks with Russian military leaders and visit Russian military academies during his trip there, according to the spokesperson. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the Sino-Russian military relations have continued to operate at a high level, Tan was quoted as saying by the ministry. Both sides have made progress in strategic communication, joint exercises, and practical cooperation, which has continuously enriched the strategic connotation of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era, he added. Tan also criticized NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenbergs remarks that the transatlantic alliance must deepen its engagement with partners in the Indo-Pacific region amid the security challenges posed by China. China firmly opposes NATOs involvement in the Asia-Pacific affairs on the pretext of the so-called China challenge to construct the Asia-Pacific version of NATO, he said in a separate statement. Multipolar World Order Lis visit came after a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 20, during which the two leaders reaffirmed their no-limits partnership. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping toast during their dinner at The Palace of the Facets in the Moscow Kremlin, Russia, on March 21, 2023. (Pavel Byrkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) During the meeting, Putin vowed that China and Russia would create a more just multipolar world order based on international law rather than certain rules serving the needs of the golden billion. Tan later reaffirmed the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) commitment to work with Russia to implement global security initiatives to maintain international and regional security while serving the building of a community of common destiny for mankind. The two regimes pledged to organize regular joint maritime and air patrols and exercises and training, and to strengthen various exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries, he said on March 30. The community of common destiny is a key part of Chinese communist propaganda and has been frequently invoked by Xi since assuming control of the Party in 2012. Its commonly understood that the CCP slogan is intended to presage the eventual displacement of the current international order with a Marxist-Leninist order headed by, and dependent on, the regime in Beijing. US Sanctions Over 120 Targets The United States announced on Wednesday a new round of sanctions targeting over 120 entities and individuals across 20 nations and jurisdictions, including a Russian private military firm and a China-based firm, over their alleged roles in aiding Russias war in Ukraine. The sanctioned targets include Russian business tycoon Alisher Usmanov, who has at his disposal a wide network of businesses in financial safe havens and family members through which to conduct financial transactions, enabling him to potentially circumvent sanctions. Usmanov was also sanctioned by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. State Secretary Antony Blinken said in a statement that Washington would continue to take action against Russia and those supporting its war in Ukraine. More than one year into Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the effects of our globally coordinated sanctions have forced the Russian Federation to search for alternate routes to finance and fuel its war machine, Blinken said. The Chinese Commerce Ministry strongly condemned the U.S. sanctions against Chinese firms and urged the United States to cease its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies. Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to this report. Preeclampsia is characterized by the appearance of hypertension after the 20th week of pregnancy, accompanied by a clinical sign like proteinuria (protein in the urine), edema or analytical abnormalities. It can affect the health of the future mother, as well as the proper development and growth of the fetus. It is estimated that between 2% and 12% of women suffer from preeclampsia during their pregnancy, and the number seems to be increasing slightly, which could be related to the increasingly advanced age in pregnant women, explained Salome Alvarez, president of the Federation of Associations of Midwives of Spain (FAME). The expert added that this is a pathology of complex etiology that begins with a flow disturbance at the placental level, before evolving into a systemic affectation with an impact mainly on the cardiovascular, renal, hepatic and neurological levels. Although the risk of suffering from this disease is usually associated only with pregnancy, the background of this disease was formally recognized by the American Heart Association a decade ago as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, said Alvarez. Dr. Antonia Sambola Ayala, coordinator of the Working Group for Women in Cardiology of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, explained that what was not known before is that this risk to womens cardiovascular health could remain there for such a long time after the birth. Now, several recent studies point precisely in this direction. The first, published last January in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology and titled Risk and trajectory of premature ischemic cardiovascular disease in women with a history of preeclampsia, is based on records of more than a million pregnant Danish women between 1978 and 2017. According to the results, those who suffered from preeclampsia during their pregnancy were four times more likely to have a heart attack and three times more likely to have a stroke during the 10 years after childbirth. Although lower, the risk of heart attack or stroke was still double among women with preeclampsia more than 20 years after giving birth. It is not yet clear whether preeclampsia increases the risk of stroke by itself or if it is a marker of a risk profile. Following this last hypothesis, some even suggest that preeclampsia is the first cardiovascular event, explained Sara Hallum, lead author of the study and researcher at the Section of Epidemiology of the Department of Public Health at the University of Copenhagen, in Denmark. The expert pointed out that women who suffered from preeclampsia during a pregnancy after age 35, or those who suffered this complication in more than one pregnancy, are those who presented a higher cardiovascular risk in the medium and long term. According to Sambola, also a cardiologist at the Vall dHebron Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, eclampsia (a rise in blood pressure with liver and kidney damage that can lead to seizures) is linked to endothelial dysfunction, which is also common in other pregnancy complications. Arteries are usually dynamic entities that contract and dilate depending on various factors. When there is an alteration in endothelial function, this vasodilation capacity is lost and there is more vasoconstriction, and therefore, vascular problems. Another observational study published last February in The British Journal of Medicine, titled Adverse pregnancy outcomes and long term risk of ischemic heart disease in mothers, concludes that the five main complications of pregnancy preterm birth, low birth weight, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and other blood pressure disorders are correlated with a higher risk of ischemic heart disease. This risk is maintained over time, even many years after giving birth. Specifically, in the 10 years after delivery, the relative rates of ischemic heart disease doubled in women with other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and were 1.7 times higher in those with preterm birth, 1.5 times in those with preeclampsia, 1 .3 times in those with gestational diabetes and 1.1 times in those who gave birth to a small-for-gestational-age baby. Casey Crump, a professor and researcher at the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and lead author of the study, explained to EL PAIS that most relative risk rates decreased with time, but they remained significantly increased up to 40 years or more after delivery. Genetic factors may, at least in part, contribute to pregnancy complications, as well as the future development of ischemic heart disease, in which case adverse pregnancy outcomes are signs of preexisting cardiovascular risk, he pointed out. However, some evidence shows that adverse pregnancy outcomes could also trigger new changes in the blood vessels and the heart that were not present before the pregnancy, which could persist or progress afterwards, potentially leading to ischemic heart disease. An opportunity for prevention According to Sambola, these pregnancy complications receive no attention after the delivery. I think that many health professionals lack knowledge about these risk factors because, even though they were known before, it is only now that more evidence is beginning to be disseminated. The expert added that there is a lack of information and a significant ignorance regarding cardiovascular disease in women, she said, both regarding prevention and when it comes to management and treatment. FAMEs Salome Alvarez considers that in light of this evidence, adequate health education is necessary so women can become aware of these risks and be attentive to possible early signs of these diseases that may favor early diagnosis. It is not enough just to report the increased risk due to the presence of these pathologies. The point is not scaring. We must give women the resources and knowledge of what is in their power to do for their health, such as keeping healthy habits to reduce risks, she said. In addition to being useful for identifying women with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Hallum believes that the results of these investigations should also make it clear that targeted interventions cannot wait until pregnant women with preeclampsia are eligible for conventional midlife risk detection programs. For this, she points out that it is necessary to increase awareness of the link between preeclampsia and the risk of cardiovascular disease among physicians, obstetricians and gynecologists. If we want to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in this vulnerable group of women, we must implement preventive strategies soon after delivery, she added. Their study indicates that the early postpartum period represents a window of opportunity for targeted interventions. It is true that routine follow-up could take decades and that the number of women with preeclampsia is large, but we must at least identify those who are more likely to benefit from screening. In this sense, our study suggests that they are women aged 35 years or older, or women with recurrent preeclampsia. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Coast Guard Searching for 3 American Sailors Missing Off the Coast of Mexico Undated photos of the 44-foot sailboat that three missing American sailors were last seen on as they departed Mazatlan, Mexico, on April 4, 2023. (U.S. Coast Guard) The U.S. Coast Guard and the Mexican Navy are searching for three American sailors who have been missing for over a week off the coast of Mexico. Kerry OBrien, Frank OBrien, and William Gross were sailing aboard the Ocean Bounda 44-foot Lafitte sailboatwhen they departed Mazatlan, Mexico, on April 4, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The three Americans have not been heard from since. The Mexican Navy, with the assistance of the #USCG, is searching for three American sailors, last heard from April 4, near Mazatlan, Mexico, en route to San Diego. Kerry and Frank OBrien, and William Gross were sailing aboard the 44-foot S/V Ocean Bound.https://t.co/0bzFQVsYC3 pic.twitter.com/GCcbGBvkQH USCGNorCal (@USCGNorCal) April 15, 2023 The U.S. Coast Guard said the trio departed from Mazatlan, a resort town in Sinaloa, and planned to sail to San Diego. They intended to stop in Cabo San Lucas on April 6 to get some provisions and to report in before continuing their journey. The Americans did not report their location, nor is there any record of them arriving at Cabo San Lucas. Marinas throughout Baja, Mexico, have been contacted but reported no sightings of the sailboat. Urgent marine information broadcasts have been issued over VHF radio asking mariners to keep a lookout for the missing vessel and sailors. The Lafitte 44 is a formidable bluewater sailing vessel, with Cruise World describing it as sound in build and able to take the oceans in stride. News of the missing Americans came about a month after four Americans on a road trip to Mexico were violently abducted, and two were later found dead. Sinaloa, the Mexican state where the resort town of Mazatlan is located and from where the sailors departed, is one of six states on the U.S. State Departments do not travel list. Parts of Mexico Are on a Do Not Travel List The State Department has warned Americans to avoid traveling to parts of Mexico due to threats like violent crime and being kidnapped for ransom. In recent weeks, the State Departments Bureau of Consular Affairs has issued a series of security alerts, including warning of reports of gunfire and roadblocks in multiple cities in Sinaloa, advising tourists against taking app-based transportation services like Uber in the state of Quintana Roo and warning people heading to Mexico for spring break to exercise caution. The State Department also recently updated its travel advisories for Mexico, warning that violent crimes like homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery are widespread and common in many parts of Mexico. Mexicos murder rate has tripled since 2006. A bus was burned during an attack by an armed group operating in the area, in Celaya, Guanajuato state, Mexico, on Jan. 31, 2023. (Jesus Valencia/AFP/Getty Images) Six States on Do Not Travel List Six Mexican states have received the highest do not travel warning due to crime and, in some cases, an elevated threat of kidnapping. They are: Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas. Colima, located on the western coast of Mexico and known for its picturesque beaches, has been plagued by high levels of violent crime and gang activity. While the State Department describes most murders in Colima as targeted assassinations against members of criminal organizations, innocent bystanders have been caught in the crossfire and injured or killed. The travel advisory includes a warning about potential kidnappings. Guerrero is on the southern coast of Mexico and features popular tourist destinations like Acapulco. It has faced several security challenges. Armed groups operate in many areas of Guerrero, the State Department said in the advisory, warning that members of these groups often block roads and may use violence toward tourists. There are known instances of American citizens having been kidnapped in Guerrero. Michoacan, located in western Mexico, attracts tourists with its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. The state has been struggling with high levels of violent crime and drug-related activity, with the U.S. State Department also warning of the risk of kidnapping. On the western coast of Mexico, Sinaloa has a reputation as a hub for drug trafficking and organized crime. The State Department says violent crime is widespread in Sinaloa and that U.S. citizens have been kidnapped there. At the beginning of January, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico said it received reports of gunfire, roadblocks, and fires in three cities in the state: Culiacan, Los Mochis, and Guasave. The Sinaloa governor issued a call to members of the public not to leave their homes due to the violence. Cars burnt and destroyed during an operation to arrest Ovidio Guzman, son of jailed drug trafficker Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, on Jan. 7, 2023. (Juan Carlos Cruz/AFP/Getty Images) Tamaulipas, located in northeastern Mexico and bordering the United States, has been plagued by organized crime and violence. In the advisory, the State Department warned that organized crime is expected, including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault. Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments, the State Department warned, adding that heavily armed gang members often patrol the state and operate with impunity. Zacatecas, located in central Mexico and known for scenic landscapes, has experienced increased violent crime. The State Department warned that violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in that state, and U.S. citizens have been kidnapped there. A Mexican soldier stands guard against a backdrop of graffiti linked to the criminal group Cartel de Sinaloa (CDS), in Palmas Altas, Zacatecas state, Mexico, on March 14, 2022. (Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images) Mexican States With Reconsider Travel Advisories Seven states in Mexico have been given a reconsider travel warning by the State Department due to crime and kidnapping. They are: Baja California, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, and Sonora. The powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel controls Jalisco, where 31 bodies were recently exhumed from two clandestine graves. Mexican authorities have struggled for years to devote adequate resources to find hidden graves where gangs have buried their victims. In many cases, civilians get caught up in the killings. The states of Campeche and Yucatan carry the exercise normal precautions label. The remaining states have an exercise increased caution designation for travelers. While violent crime rates vary in Mexico, its murder rate in 2022 was around 25 per 100,000 residents, approximately 85 a day and around four times higher than in the United States. Cory Morgan: Trudeau Foundation Crisis Shows That Charities Must Be Completely Independent of Government The Canadian flag flies near the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 17, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Commentary When news broke of the resignation of the CEO and board of the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation, former principal secretary to the prime minister, Gerald Butts, angrily stated on Twitter: Congratulations to the Globe and Mail. Thats two charities in three years youve taken down, tough guys. You must be so proud. The second charity Butts was referring to is presumably the WE Charity that closed its Canadian operations in 2020 due to a conflict-of-interest scandal with the Trudeau government. Its unfortunate to see major charities scaling back or ceasing operations due to breaches of public trust. Charities dont need to be protected from media as Butts is trying to imply, though. Charities need to be protected from governments. The WE Charity scandal exposed how deeply integrated government players can be within charities and how tone-deaf they have become to the conflicts of interest created through those relationships. It never occurred for a moment to Justin Trudeau and senior members of his cabinet that offering a sole-source contract worth over $40 million to a charity that had paid approximately $425,000 to members of the Trudeau family for speaking fees and expenses may raise some eyebrows among the public. Once it was exposed that then-finance minister Bill Morneaus own daughter was directly employed by the charity, yet he didnt recuse himself from cabinet discussions on giving the charity a large contract, it became too much and Morneau was forced to resign. Whether or not the WE Charity did worthwhile work, it had become a symbol of government cronyism and could no longer credibly function within Canada. The fate of the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation is now up in the air as a questionable donation from a person linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the foundation back in 2016 has been exposed. Its not just that the CCP-linked person donated to the charity which is causing the crisis. Its that the CCP clearly thought such donations would potentially curry favour and influence with the Trudeau government. The CCP isnt prone to donating to other Canadian charities, yet they went to great efforts to pump funds into a charity bearing the Trudeau name. Whether the foundation solicited the donations or not, the optics emerging are terrible. The Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation was created in memory of the former prime minister and was ostensibly tasked with supporting and creating critical thinkers through scholarships, fellowships, mentorships, and public interaction events. The foundation was given a $125 million grant from the Chretien government in 2002 to help it get started. Few charities begin with such a massive government nest egg to get them rolling. With the foundation having taken so much taxpayer funding and with the Trudeau name being in the title of the group, one would think Justin Trudeau would know instinctively to keep as far as possible from the foundation to avoid any impressions of impropriety. Alas, one would be wrong. The members of the Trudeau Foundation and its leadership are a whos who of Trudeau family members and close government associates. Trudeaus half-sister Sarah Coyne is a member, as is his brother Alexandre Trudeau. It cant be claimed the family members werent active in the activities of the foundation. In the almost comical revelation of the foundations fruitless search for a donor to return the questionable CCP-linked donation to the fund, Alexandre Trudeau was credited with brokering the agreement with two Chinese businessmen to accept the donation. As the CCP election interference scandal continues to develop, the prime minister either doesnt understand why members of the Trudeau Foundation shouldnt be tasked with investigating it, or actually cant find somebody he trusts who isnt connected to the foundation. Morris Rosenberg was assigned to look into the 2019 and 2021 federal elections to see if there was wrongdoing. Rosenberg found none, but it should be noted that he also was the president of the Trudeau Foundation when it accepted CCP funds. Trudeau assigned David Johnston as a special rapporteur to investigate CCP political interference. Lo and behold, Mr. Johnston was a member of the Trudeau Foundation as well, although he ended his membership when he accepted the rapporteur job. Johnston and Rosenberg may very well be completely unbiased in their investigations, but its impossible to take their conclusions seriously when they are so tightly tied to the Trudeau family and its namesake charity. When all is said and done with the CCP interference scandal, the Trudeau Foundation may collapse in the fallout. It may not be due to any malfeasance, but due to lost trust because of Justin Trudeaus incapability of drawing a line between his government and charity operations. Canada has over 80,000 registered charities that do great work. They must be separated from the government if volunteers and donors are to trust them. If Trudeau cant determine the line, perhaps its time for new legislation to define it for him. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. David Krayden: Federal Government Support for Drag Camps, Story-Time Is Truly Beyond the Pale Commentary When you went to elementary school, did your teacher ever suggesteven in his or her most sinister dreamthat the class all go to a strip club to sample a bit of salacious sexual culture? Never. It would never have been imagined. How about inviting a drag queen to the school for story-time? Nope. And for your summer vacation, would your parents have sent you to a drag campsupported and subsidized by the federal governmentfor children as young as 7? That would have been beyond belief. Yet Canada is in the grips of such lunacy today, and the people fighting back are high school youths who are righteously angry at being sexually exploited by a sick and contaminating political ideology The federal Heritage Ministry supports the drag camp, to be hosted by the Carousel Theatre in Vancouver in July, as The Epoch Times has reported. So does the B.C. provincial government and the city of Vancouver. An advertisement for the activity describes a Junior Drag Camp for children aged 7-8 and a Teen Drag Camp for ages 12-17. Yet the political opposition has largely been silentwith the exception of one federal party that is not represented in the House of Commons. But more on that later. There was a protest April 12 near Toronto after the York Mills Collegiate Institute thought it would be cute to host a drag queen celebration. Many of the students there disagreed. Josh Alexander organized the demonstration. Hes the 16-year-old Ottawa student from St. Josephs Catholic High School who was suspended and then arrested for voicing his opposition to biological males using the same washrooms as females. That a Catholic school would allow, condone, and applaud such tyranny is mind-boggling. Alexander has been catapulted to international acclaim and infamy as a result of his tenacious conviction that being a Christian means declaring his opposition to gender ideology. The demonstration was a huge success, Alexander told me. It was encouraging to see so many youth hungry for the truth after being taught a lie. We had brought a box of Bibles which was emptied within seconds. The atmosphere was ecstatic. We were able to share the gospel in this welcoming environment. Many of these students left what was intended to be a woke indoctrination session, understanding that one must repent of their sins and ask for salvation, he said. Many of these students attempted civil debate with the few counter protesters present. Overall, here at Save Canada we are very impressed and excited to see what the future holds. Save Canada is the non-profit that the ambitious Alexander has helped organize to fight the drag-queen epidemic in Canadian schools. So is anyone in the political sphere fighting for young adults like Alexander or the 7-year-old children who are being ideologically molested by gender activists? I wouldnt expect any action from the woke NDP on this file, but Im sorry to say that the Conservative Party of Canada has done nothing to protest the drag queen obsession. The only opposition to these drag camps and drag queen story hours is coming from the Peoples Party of Canada and its leader Maxime Bernier. Bernier has described these propaganda exercises as disgusting and condemned the government support behind them. Bernier, a former foreign affairs and industry minister in the previous Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, told me in an exclusive interview that the camps and drag queen story hours are designed to confuse children about their gender. The reality is that we know that theres only two sexes, male and female, he said. Bernier said the drag queen phenomenon is all about the sexualization of kids and it is telling them that you may not be a young boy, you may be a young girl and vice-versa. So I understand why some parents are very upset with that. The drag queens and their radical transgender activists are promoting their ideology to kids and we must not tolerate that. Its disgusting and all that must end. Bernier says the facts are on his side. Its against our Western civilization. Its against our education. Its also against biology and nature and science [which says] there are only two sexes. He said the transgender activists are promoting their ideology with kids, and what is worse is that the federal government, the provincial government in B.C., and also CBC are doing that promotion also. Its all about gender dysphoria. You cannot solve that with hormones some of them are mutilating their bodies to try to transition, Bernier said. For me, I dont understand why we dont have more politicians saying enough is enough. Although there are more and more opponents of drag queen story hours in the United States, here in Canada, you know if you speak against that youll be seen as anti-trans, he said. Naturally, the state broadcaster, CBC, is assiduously attempting to normalize the abnormal. The CBCs production of Drag Kids has to be seen to be believed. Here, innocent children are irrationally introduced to the world of drag queens as if this was the most natural thing in the cosmos. As Bernier and I both ask: Why are children being subjected to story hours with drag queens when there are a myriad of Canadian heroes who could be sharing their stories with these youngsters? What about firefighters, police officers, or military personnel who have demonstrated extreme courage in the face of overwhelming odds? In fact, theres no shortage of Canadians from all walks of life who would have more edifying tales to relate to our children. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. DeSantis Interrupted by Protesters During GOP Fundraising Event Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during the New Hampshire GOP's Amos Tuck Dinner in Manchester, N.H., on April 14, 2023. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was interrupted on Friday evening during a fundraising event for the Republican party in New Hampshire. Video footage shows two protestersboth with banners in handsrushing onto the stage while DeSantis was speaking. The protesters can be heard shouting Jews against DeSantis while the audience booed. The protesters tried to display the banners but failed before they were cleared from the stage by security and organizers. Its unclear what messages the banners carried. You gotta have a little spice in the speech, right? DeSantis joked while the protesters were being escorted away. You gotta have a little fun. The audience burst into applause. A few protesters interrupted #Florida Gov.@RonDeSantisFLs speech at the New Hampshire #GOPs annual fundraising dinner. They chanted: Jews Against DeSantis. DeSantis responded: Youve got to have a little spice in the speech. Right? I mean youve got to have a little fun. pic.twitter.com/JSaXrH0hrA NTD News (@NTDNews) April 16, 2023 The Epoch Times reached out to DeSantiss office for comments. A group named If Not Now claimed in a social media post that the protesters belong to their movement. According to their website, If Not Now is a movement of American Jews organizing our community for equality, justice, and a thriving future for all. However, the group shows clear anti-Israel and left-leaning ideologies. One photo from their website shows they held a group photo with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a high-profile socialist. In other photos, the group can be seen holding banners against Fox News Network, white nationalism, and Israels military activities in Gaza. DeSantis Hits Woke Agenda Outside Florida The Sunshine State governorwho is also widely regarded as a 2024 presidential hopefulwas attending the 2023 Amos Tuck Dinner, a fundraising event hosted by the New Hampshire Republican Party, in Manchester, New Hampshire. DeSantis drew about 500 Republicans to hear him speak for the first time in New Hampshire. Before introducing DeSantis, Christopher Ager, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Committee, announced that the longstanding Amos Tuck annual dinner fundraiser raised a historic $328,000. DeSantis won himself some heavy rounds of applause and even some approving whistles, especially when he touched on key issues for conservatives as the growing push in public schools for transgender children. It is wrong to tell a second grader that they were born in the wrong body, said DeSantis, who called Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs a Trojan horse for leftist ideology to be imposed on the student body through the guise of the administration. I think DEI, as its practiced more properly, stands for discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination, he added. Alice Giordano and Reuters contributed to this report. DeSantis Makes First Stop in New Hampshire as Potential Presidential Contender Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) delivers remarks during the New Hampshire GOP's Amos Tuck Dinner in Manchester, N.H. on April 14, 2023. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was far away from home last night when he appeared at a New Hampshire dinner event, but that didnt stop the potential presidential candidate from setting fundraising records for the New England states GOP. Before introducing DeSantis, Christopher Ager, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Committee, announced that the longstanding Amos Tuck annual dinner fundraiser raised a historic $328,000. DeSantis drew about 500 Republicans to hear him speak for the first time in New Hampshire, along with a couple of hecklers who managed to get on stage with DeSantis long being ushered away by security. There were many in the crowd that told The Epoch Times they remain staunch Trump supporters, even before the Florida governor spoke, and that they only came to hear DeSantis speak out of curiosity. Im Trump all the way, said Dublin resident Augusta Petrone. Just outside the DoubleTree Hotel in Manchester where DeSantis appears, a lively group of Trump supporters held signs to make it clear they were standing by the MAGA former president. Paula Johnson of Nashua, who has been involved in state Republican politics for decades, told The Epoch Times that every Republican candidate is just a copycat of Trump. Everybody whos running on Trumps platformAmerica first. Trump is the one who brought it to the forefront, she said. DeSantis, however, did not fail to win himself some heavy rounds of applause and even some approving whistles, especially when he touched on such key issues for conservatives as a growing push in public schools to transgender young children. It is wrong to tell a second grader that they were born in the wrong body, said DeSantis, who called Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs a Trojan horse for leftist ideology to be imposed on the student body through the guise of the administration. I think DEI, as its practiced more properly, stands for discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination, he added. Border Wall In sounding a bit Trumpesque, DeSantis called for completing the wall along the Mexico border to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs like fentanyl across the border. Deemed by some GOPers as having the potential to upset a Trump victory in the crowding ticket for the party nomination, DeSantis, who still hasnt officially declared his presidential candidacy, said nothing about Trump. While not directly mentioning the recent indictment of Trump, DeSantis zeroed in on the controversy, implicating George Soros for the indictment while peppering New York lawmakers with indirect criticism for allowing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs to use his office for political purposes. And when we had an attorney like that, a district attorney in Tampa that had been funded by Soros and said he would not uphold the laws of the state. I removed him, DeSantis said, drawing yet another round of cheers and heavy applause. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) delivers remarks during the New Hampshire GOPs Amos Tuck Dinner in Manchester, N.H. on April 14, 2023. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) The Florida governor also called for unity within the Republican party and a call for it to return to its root as a party that protects constitutional rights against a corrupt government. President Reagan used to say the most terrifying words in the English language are Im from the government and Im here to help you. DeSantis said in one of his many citations of the late Republican president throughout the speech. If there was an overall theme to his speech, it seemed to be a call for the restoration of a country run by the people. DeSantis recalled past factional controversies, including an alleged call to the IRS to target conservatives under the Obama administration, and compared to what he characterized as a still ongoing targeting of Americans who elected not to take the COVID vaccine. People are with us, he said. They want to see constitutional government upheld as the Founders intended, they do not want to see a weaponized unaccountable bureaucracy. He finished his speech with another familiar-sounding quote. I can tell you this: I have only begun to fight, a promise similar to the one made by American Revolutionary hero John Paul Jones when he declared: I have not yet begun to fight when his ship was badly damaged by the British. DeSantis may have to do his share of fighting to win over the First In the Nation-state of New Hampshire. Trump was hugely popular among voters in the Live Free or Die State in both his successful 2016 bid and unsuccessful 2020 bid for the White House. While others in the crowd said, they would support DeSantis if he won the primary, others like Johnson vowed she would not and would just write in Trumps name. New Hampshirite Sturdy Thomas told The Epoch Times that he favored former Vice President Mike Pence, who like DeSantis, has not officially declared his candidacy. He also said he was impressed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has officially declared a run for the president. Trump is just too divisive for this country, he said. The annual Republican fundraiser is named after a popular New Hampshire politician and lawyer from the 19th century. After Amos Tuck served in the New Hampshire House, he was elected to U.S. Congress and was a member of the White Party. He also served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1866 and 1860. He died in 1879 and is buried in Exeter. DeSantis Targets Cultural Marxism, Vows War on Woke at Liberty University LYNCHBURG, Va.Fresh off signing a six-week abortion ban into law the day before, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to continue fighting the war on woke to about 9,000 students before receiving an honorary degree of the Doctorate of Humanities at Liberty University on Friday. Speaking to young evangelicals at the twice-weekly convocation service, which the school calls the worlds largest gathering of Christian students, DeSantis touted Florida as the refuge of sanity and a ray of hope when freedom and our very own way of life withered on the vine in the country. In his view, Floridas population growth and his landslide reelection victory last year are a direct result of his fight against woke ideologywhat he called cultural Marxismand Americans voting with their feet. We have made Florida the state where woke goes to die, he declared as the audience burst into a loud cheer. His statements against gender ideologyprohibiting using puberty blockers or sex change operations on minors in Florida and criticizing biological males competing in womens sportswere also well-received by the crowd. Because woke represents a war on truth, we must wage a war on woke, he added. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (C) receives an honorary degree of the Doctorate of Humanities at Liberty University from university president Jerry Prevo (L) and pastor Jonathan Falwell in Lynchburg, Va., on Apr. 14, 2023. (Courtesy of Liberty University) The governor started his speech by thanking Liberty University students for praying for his wife Caseys recovery from breast cancer. Casey was diagnosed in 2021 and became cancer-free late last year. The prayers that we received as a result of that lifted up our spirits, he said. The prayers have been answered. In closing, he said he looked forward to the battles ahead in the war on truth, I will fight the good fight. I will finish the race. I will keep the faith. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., on Apr. 14, 2023. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) Uplifting and Inspiring Giulia Nicole, a homeschooled high school senior, said DeSantiss speech was uplifting. She has been on dual enrollment at Liberty University online and will attend the college full-time in August, majoring in accounting. A lot of times when you hear people speak, you kind of leave feeling like the world is just going downhill, and theres not a lot of hope, she told The Epoch Times. Gov. DeSantis was very uplifting. He was a breath of fresh air because I feel encouraged right now. I dont feel worried about the future. So I really enjoyed his speech. She attended the convocation with her mother Carla Nicole, grandmother Maria Shoemaker, and a friend Savannah Dudzik, a Floridian in Lynchburg, for just the weekend for a pro-life event. I would just say I was impressed. Every time he speaks, Im a little bit more impressed. Hes so genuine. And we need people like that in politics, Dudzik, a resident in the Tampa Bay area, told The Epoch Times. We need people who are genuine, people who you can tell hes not there for the crowd. Hes not there for the applause. Hes there for the people. Hes there for us. (L to R) Carla Nicole, co-founder and chief designer of Culture of Life 1972, a fashion company that supports pro-life charities, Savannah Dudzik of Live Action, a pro-life non-profit organization, Carlas mother Maria Shoemaker, and Carlas daughter Giulia Nicole, a rising freshman attending Liberty University at Liberty Universitys Vine Center, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speech in Lynchburg, Va., on Apr. 14, 2023. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) The governors description of the current state of affairs resonated with Shoemaker. She said she had worried about the societal trend for the past 15 years. It looks like Marxism to us, she said, adding that she fears for her children and grandchildren. Today was very inspiring to me. Because there are still champions out there that are willing to stand for what is right, she told The Epoch Times. And if we can just work together and somehow band together and get men into government that can really change things in this country, I think we have a chance. A Lot of Buzzwords Sydney Steele, a senior majoring in business administrationhumanitarian aid and graduating this spring, said DeSantis used a lot of buzzwords. I think he could have focused more on the policies instead of Democrat versus Republican because, ultimately, the church is made up of all kinds of people, she told The Epoch Times, adding that she would welcome more diverse speakers, including maybe a mediator facilitating a two-sided discussion, at future convocations. DeSantis is very good at getting reactions from people. So in that way, hes very charismatic and able to connect instantly with a crowd, said Steele, who also attended Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkins speech in May 2022. I think Youngkin is more on a personal level. [DeSantis] had the opportunity in a very large school thats faith-based to share his own faith and connect with students on that level. And I think that would have been really cool, she said, adding that Youngkin made more reference to faith. Sydney Steele, a senior majoring in business administration at Liberty Universitys Vine Center, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speech in Lynchburg, Va., on Apr. 14, 2023. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) DeSantis came across as very bold to Steele. She said that was needed. Fixing schools and just returning to the foundation that our country was built on is important to her. She voted for Youngkin in the gubernatorial election in November 2021 and hasnt voted in any presidential election yet due to age. When asked to pick between DeSantis and Youngkin, the self-described conservative and Republican responded, I dont know. Im a Virginian. New Fresh Blood It was the first time for Carla Nicole, co-founder of Culture of Life 1972, a fashion company that supports pro-life charities, to listen to DeSantis live. She said she found him very approachable. In addition to Giulia, she has a daughter who graduated from Libertys law school and another daughter studying nursing at Liberty. I enjoyed hearing him say that he is going to lead even if he is the only one leading in Florida, she added. I love Trump, and I also Like Younkinwere here in Virginia, she told The Epoch Times. But I think that we need new, fresh blood. And I think DeSantis is that. Connor Watkins, a junior student majoring in criminal justice at Liberty Universitys Vine Center, before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speech in Lynchburg, Va., on Apr. 14, 2023. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) More Fit For Connor Watkins, a junior at Liberty University with a major in criminal justice and a minor in psychology, DeSantis would make a good presidential candidate. He said the recent Trump indictment for falsifying business records didnt affect his opinion, I think culturally, they are trying to make him [Trump] look in a certain way. But Watkins, born in Florida and currently lives in Virginia, said DeSantis was more fit than Trump, who as a person has probably made some questionable choices and is getting pretty old. He said he would vote DeSantis over Trump and DeSantis over Youngkin, whos also a good fit. Tyler Maxwell, however, welcomed both Trump and DeSantis to run for president. What they bring to the table are very different, but at the same time, thats what we need, the sophomore majoring in youth ministries and sport outreach told The Epoch Times. We dont need two people agreeing on the same thing because, at the end of the day, if you dont have a good Christian inside the White House or [on] the governor seat, or the Senator seat, any seat, that just makes it harder for us. Tyler Maxwell, a sophomore majoring in Youth Ministries for Outreach at Liberty Universitys Vine Center, before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speech in Lynchburg, Va., on Apr. 14, 2023. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) LONDONJane MacDonald-Styslinger, her husband Bill Styslinger, and other family members attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Eventim Apollo on April 14. Ms. MacDonald-Styslinger said her whole family was in attendance: My father, my two sons, my niece, and my husband. Hes American, and were English and Scottish. She noted the variety of presentations. I love the breadth of it. I love that they had singing and the piano, as well. I think doing the guys separately, then the ladies, and then having them [all together]. It just takes me back to the 1970s, there was a very popular show on television here. She was referring to Monkey King from Journey to the West, which is one of the four classics of Chinese literature. (LR) Jane MacDonald-Styslinger, her father, and her husband, Bill Styslinger, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Eventim Apollo, in London, on April 14, 2023. (Mary Mann/The Epoch Times) Ms. MacDonald-Styslingers father said the show was perfect. Lovely. Very good. Yes, very professional. Mr. Styslinger also commended Shen Yuns patented animated backdrop, which allows performers to move between the stage and the background. Excellent. I really like the integration between the dance and the screens, and the graphics (on the backdrop). Its great. Ms. MacDonald-Styslinger also was impressed by the attention given to Chinas divine culture, the connection with the Creator, and the heavenly beings. I love the spiritual side. I think thats what were missing these days. We so so miss it now in this society. This is so important, and we love that message. Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists and quickly became the worlds premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Shen Yuns mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture. Ms. MacDonald-Styslinger had special things to say to the performers: Thank you so much. Its beautiful. We traveled 200 miles to come here tonight. And its absolutely fantastic. Youre just amazing, and we love your precision. Thank you. Keep it up. Youre just great, said Mr. Styslinger. Reporting by Mary Mann The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. F1 Stewards Set Date to Consider Ferrari Penalty Review Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. during the third red flag at the Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix event at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, Australia, on April 2, 2023. (Simon Baker/Pool via Reuters) Formula One stewards will hold a virtual hearing on April 18 to decide whether there are grounds for reviewing a penalty that stripped Ferraris Carlos Sainz of points in the Australian Grand Prix. The governing FIA said in a statement that Spaniard Sainz and Ferrari representatives had been asked to attend the hearing. FIA head of single seaters Nikolas Tombazis asked the stewards to consider Ferraris request for a review of the five-second penalty and decide whether or not there was a significant and relevant new element. If they decide there is such an element, they will convene another hearing to re-open the investigation into the Albert Park incident. Outcomes would range from keeping the penalty unchanged, imposing a different one or overturning it altogether. The penalty, after a collision with Aston Martins Fernando Alonso at the final re-start, dropped Sainz from fourth to 12th and left Ferrari with a scoring blank after Charles Leclerc retired on the opening lap. There were no consequences for Alonso, with the race red flagged and the order returned to the previous starting grid before drivers followed the safety car to the finish. The double world champion took the chequered flag in third place for the third race in a row. Ferrari submitted the request for review last week. They have not said what the significant, new and relevant element is. Marion King, an executive in the financial industry, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at Eventim Apollo, in London on April 14, 2023. (The Epoch Times staff) LONDONMarion King, an executive in the financial industry, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at Eventim Apollo on April 14. Im really enjoying it, she said. I love the mix of acrobats, ballet, and music, and its got a really spiritual aspect to it as well. Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists and quickly became the worlds premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Shen Yuns mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture. She said she appreciated Chinese culture. I was surprised that its an American production, not a Chinese production, and having spent a lot of time in China myself, [I thought] it was fantastic. It brings the similarities between European dance and Chinese dance, which I thought was fantastic, she said. King noted the focus on goodness. I think its really appropriate in the modern world where we have so much friction and conflict, that to project the goodness of an individual and people is great. She spoke of the importance of traditional values. I think theyre always relevant. You know: honesty, goodness, believing in people, and kindness is fundamental, King said. Referring to the music, King said: Its not sort of catchy as you would expect, but it brings that sort of sparkle, and that spirituality to the dance, and it works incredibly well with the dance. In fact, because youre watching the dance, I didnt really focus on the music. It was more the movement on the stage and the animation as well, which was great. It was a visual spectacle, she said. Dancers Are Incredible and Inspiring, Dance Teacher Says With her experience in teaching dance, Karen Jane said Shen Yun is Incredible. The formations, the costumes, the colors, the whole philosophy thats going on behind it. Its amazing, she said. Jane noted the technical difficulty of the pieces. Its incredibly difficult. And just the way that theyve put together the stage work, and the synchronicity of all. Everything is amazing. I mean, its very difficult to do what theyre doing. So you really appreciate it, if youve done this before, how difficult that isincredible. Just amazingly inspiring, Jane said of the dancers training. All that really hard work that must have gone into that performance. As a dance teacher, Jane considered how much the costumes play into the movement of the dance. Im thinking about the way that theyre using the costumes: the sleeves, the floatiness, all of the costumes, and the staging is really what Im taking out of this, actually. So Im definitely going to use some of that, she said. Jane was impressed with Chinese culture. Incredibly, incredibly. I think everybody is looking for something that is more meaningful. And so you can get that through dance. Its amazing. I think its incredibly inspiring. These traditional values: we need more of these today. And people are looking for that kind of thing. Theyre looking for meaning in what they do. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Flooded Towns Long Road to Recovery in Australian State Australians are seen evacuating a pet dog through flood water In Rochester, Victoria, on Oct. 14, 2022. (AAP Image/James Ross) Six months after floods devastated the Victorian town of Rochester, around half its residents face a winter living in sheds and caravans as they rebuild their homes. A further 150 are still in a temporary accommodation village in nearby Elmore. Former mayor and Rochester Community Recovery Committee chair Leigh Wilson said while community members pushed ahead with recovery efforts, things were different. You can just see it, Wilson told AAP. Peoples habits have changed. My habits have changed, I dont do the things I would normally do. Ive changed. Three businesses have shuttered in the town of around 3000, where roughly 1000 homes were inundated in Octobers floods. Two months before, Rochester was booming. We had new businesses going in and starting up, all the shops were full, housing was good and the farming sector was good, Wilson said. There was nothing really wrong. Now this, it just rips it away from you just rips at the heart of the community. Wilson wants continuity of government support for mental health and local services, and the town is lobbying to build a student hub for its year-12 students, whose final school years have seen a pandemic, lockdowns, floods and the gutting of their family homes. Wilson is also hoping for more support for Campaspe Shire workers, who continue to navigate recovery effortsincluding the repair of around 500 roadson top of the more than 100 services the shire provides to its 17 towns. Campaspe Shire Mayor Rob Amos lauded his colleagues work so far, but admitted the floods had taken a toll, with some still months from returning to their homes. People have been working very, very hard but people are getting a little bit tired and thats why we hope for a little bit more support flood relief officers, temporary people to give us a hand, Amos told AAP. Amos said the council was grateful for the government assistance it had received, including a $1.5 million (US$1.01 million) clean-up grant and $2.2 million (US$1.47 million) for road repair, but continued to seek support. Its moving along. Theres still a long way to go. Amos hoped to see more people stopping by after a lacklustre summer tourist season. If youre driving through, particularly Rochester, but anywhere in the shire to stop and grab a cup of coffee, grab a pie or a salad roll for lunch, Amos said. Its really appreciated and it really makes a difference. The Victorian government said it continued to work with flood-affected communities in the aftermath, but the degree of future support wont be known before its budget is handed down in May. Were in regular contact with community leaders of Rochester who have made their needs around housing, health and support services clear, and well continue to help residents on their recovery journey, a government spokeswoman said in a statement. Emergency Recovery Victoria chief executive Mariela Diaz said her agency also continued to work with flood-affected communities, including offering free structural assessments and finding temporary accommodation for the displaced. We remain committed to supporting recovery that is community-led, Diaz said in a statement. We will continue to support flood-impacted communities to recover from this extraordinarily tough event. Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said the agricultural sector suffered $5 billion (US$3.35 billion) in lost or damaged crops nationally due to weather events last spring. Were talking about horrific incidences of mental pressure and mental health issues, Germano told AAP. Ive had a number of inquiries from farmers who have just not been able to get any assistance regarding the really massive infrastructure damage. Germano said farmers were concerned about further floods and some had banded together to progress the restoration of ageing levee banks. There is still high levels of water currently in storage, so the risk of flooding is very high, Germano said. Weve actually got farmers who are now funding their own levee banks and trying to crowdfund amongst themselves because theyve been told that the government wont cover it. Campaspe Shire is also looking to future flood events, applying for a grant to buy mobile, temporary levees through the federal disaster mitigation fund. The idea is that two people can deploy around about 100 metres in about 30 minutes, Amos told AAP. Back in Rochester, Wilson is focused on returning the town to that moment, two months before the floods hit. To do that we need the surety of funding for mental health programs, for other wellbeing programs, sporting groups or for other clubs to help keep people attending so we can keep their wellbeing up, Wilson said. As for mitigation, Wilson said raising up houses and an early-release mechanism upstream at Lake Eppalockcurrently the subject of a technical assessmentwere key to the towns future survival. This community cannot go through this again in their lifetime, Wilson said. If we had something like this again, in 10 years time, just cross us off the map cross us off the map. How is it possible that a 21-year-old recruit had access to classified military information that was reserved, in theory, only for the highest command? And how is it possible that he was able to copy and distribute those documents for months without the Pentagon noticing? These are some of the questions raised by the arrest of Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who is suspected of being behind the largest and most embarrassing leak of official secrets in the US since WikiLeaks in 2010. To answer these questions, it is necessary to revisit the attacks of September 11, 2001. Teixeira joined the National Guard, an auxiliary military corps whose main mission is to defend the United States in the event of war, immediately after graduating from high school three years ago. Following a background check, required for entry into jobs related to national security, he received clearance for access to high-level classified information. His assignment to an intelligence unit, in which he had to ensure that communications flowed properly as an information technology specialist responsible for military communications networks, gave him access to restricted areas. Like him, there are thousands, or tens of thousands, of people throughout the United States authorized to receive classified information, at various levels of secrecy: military personnel, defense contractors, security experts, diplomats and even some analysts from research centers. Permission to access such classified information opens the door to Pentagon documentation, intelligence analysis, maps, and restricted web pages. Teixeira, according to documents presented by the prosecution at a preliminary hearing held this Friday in Boston, had access to a wide range of information in terms of sensitivity and subject matter. Most of what the suspect allegedly leaked involved the war in Ukraine, but also other parts of the world, according to the FBI. His age in itself is not relevant, according to the Department of Defense, whose spokesman, Pat Ryder, recalled the enormous responsibilities that the Pentagon places on very young soldiers when it comes to leading troops in combat. More relevant is the type of task that Teixeira was assigned. And it seems clear that to perform his duties he did not necessarily need to know the territorial distribution of the Ukrainian troops or the equipment of the Chinese balloon that flew over the United States at the beginning of the year. Yet he allegedly shared information about both with his friends in a private chat group of Discord, a social media platform popular with online gamers. There was no reason for him to have access to this information except a system that granted too much access, tweeted Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary of Homeland Security for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick who oversaw Air National Guard units. It is a situation that goes back to 9/11 and the attacks against the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, according to representatives of the intelligence services. Back then, intelligence agencies were at the opposite end of the spectrum: they had an excessively compartmentalized system, where one department did not share its information with the department next door. This lack of coordination prevented intelligence agencies from connecting the dots about the plans hatched by the Islamic extremist network Al Qaeda, which was able to hijack four passenger planes and crash them, in attacks that cost the lives of more than 3,000 people. The committee that investigated the 2001 attacks harshly criticized that on-a-need-to-know-basis mentality. That position assumes that it is possible to know in advance who will need to make use of that information. The system implicitly assumes that the risk of inadvertent data disclosure outweighs the benefits of sharing it more widely, the report published in 2004 states. If the pendulum swung back then to facilitate the disclosure of information and for people in charge of national security to have as much data as possible when making decisions, it could now very well swing back in the opposite direction again. The Pentagon is conducting a review and update of its classified document distribution lists to reduce the number of individuals allowed to see sensitive data. We continue to work around the clock, along with the intelligence community and other departments, to try to better understand the scope, size and impact of these leaks, Ryder said. The defense spokesperson also specified that they will continue to do everything possible to guarantee that the people who have to receive this type of information maintain their access to it. The Pentagon has also stressed that this leak was not a mere accident or something unintentional. "It was a deliberate criminal act," Ryder stressed. "A violation of the rules." Food history professor Alberto Grandi made some polarizing claims in a recent interview, saying many Italian dishes are actually more American in heritage. Grandi, who teaches at the University of Parma in Italy, told the Financial Times that he had been questioning the authenticity of certain Made in Italy dishes for years, specifically naming pizza, carbonara and Parmesan cheese. When a community finds itself deprived of its sense of identity, because of whatever historical shock or fracture with its past, it invents traditions to act as founding myths, he said, implying Italys food history could be more fiction than fact. Italian cuisine really is more American than it is Italian, Grandi stated in the interview. The assertions struck a chord with the Italian government. The same day the article was published, Italys ministers of Culture and Agriculture made a formal submission of entering Italian cuisine into candidacy for World Heritage Site status with UNESCO. That wont be decided until 2025, but the ministries also applied to have UNESCO recognize Italian cuisine on the 2023 Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is a specialized agency of the United Nations that describes part of its mission on its website as encouraging the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. But now the debate for whose culture belongs to whom is heating up. Grandi reacted to the governments attempt, telling La Repubblica that theres a lot of bulls in the UNESCO application they submitted. In a separate statement to CNN, Grandi explained his emotion around the controversy, saying part of the idea that Italians emigrated to the U.S. and taught people how to cook is offensive. They emigrated because they had nothing to eat here, they were poor, he said. They left because they were starving. Its offensive to our grandparents to paint it differently. Copyright 2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Forged in Blood: US, South Korea Draw Closer in Face of Norths Nuclear Threats U.S. Army soldiers wait to board their CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, South Korea, on March 19, 2023. (Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo) The U.S. bond with South Korea is stronger than ever at a time of new missile tests from North Korea, according to a South Korean diplomat. The 70-year alliance between the two nations is deepening across every domain, according to Choon-goo Kim, charge daffaires for the South Korean Embassy in the United States. The friendship between Korea and the United States goes back 140-plus years, Kim said at an April 14 discussion at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank. We have been allies half of the time of our friendship. Forged in blood, our alliance has been the foundation of our current prosperity. Kims comments come as the two powers commemorate the 70th year of their alliance, which dates to the end of the United States direct involvement in the Korean War. That war, fought between the U.S.-backed democratic south and the Soviet-backed communist north, never actually ended but resulted instead in an armistice that continues to this day. The comments also follow North Koreas test of a nuclear-capable solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile earlier in the week, the first such test in the nations long-running nuclear program. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed that the test would create a security crisis for the regimes enemies, causing them to suffer in endless fear. To the contrary, however, Choon-goo Kim said the United States and South Korea would only strengthen their military cooperation in response. In the face of the evolving threat posed by North Korea, our alliance stands firm, always demonstrating strength and resolve, he said. In response to North Koreas threats, we will enhance and strengthen our extended [nuclear] deterrence, as well as reaffirm our shared goal of the denuclearization of North Korea. USSouth Korea Alliance Ironclad Despite the growing closeness between the United States and South Korea, North Koreas commitment to developing and deploying nuclear weapons remains a critical problem, said Jung Pak, the State Departments deputy assistant secretary for multilateral affairs. Kim Jong Un is seeking to develop nuclear weapons not only at the expense of global stability but also to his own peoples detriment, she said. During the 10 years Kim Jong Un has been in power, his weapon systems have become much more sophisticated, diverse, and dangerous, Pak said. It seems he has decided what is best for his people and perhaps for himself is the pursuit of nuclear weapons. To that end, Pak said North Korea appeared to have firmly sided with the burgeoning alliance between communist China and Vladimir Putins Russia in recent years. The problem exacerbated by North Koreas ongoing lockdown, in place since the beginning of COVID-19, has created a persistent challenge to any form of transparency or negotiation internationally. Negotiation and dialogue is really the only way that were going to resolve this [nuclear] issue, Pak said. We would encourage the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] to come to negotiations but its really up to Kim Jong Un and [North Korea] to decide when and how theyre going to open up their borders. Regarding the continued nuclear menace to South Korea, Pak said the alliance between South Korea and the United States, whose nuclear arsenal it depends on for its own defense, remained unwavering and ironclad. Lines Drawn for a New Cold War Katharine Moon, a visiting professor of government at Harvard University, agreed with Paks assessment, saying that geopolitical shifts created by China and Russia have brought North Korea closer to their revanchist ambitions. North Koreas shift to a closer alignment with China and Russia and its continued parroting of Russian and Chinese disinformation is a signal of the authoritarian future that Kim Jong Un is betting on, she said. The result is a more destabilized world in which the regions of the earth were being forced into discrete power blocks much as they had been during the first Cold War, according to Moon. Things are not good right now, she said. These lines are getting drawn, and it makes for a much more precarious, uncertain environment in which to act. Global Security Player In response to the growing threat from North Korea and a looming cold war, South Korean leadership is ready to exert itself as global power not only in economics but security as well, according to Brookings Senior Fellow Andrew Yeo. The government has made very clear that it wants to be a part of this network of partners that want to develop the rules-based international order, Yeo said. South Korea is prepared to go to the next step and have others think of it as a real global player a security player. Yeo told The Epoch Times that this new development could even lead to the further acceleration of the rapprochement between South Korea and Japan, whose ties have been strained to various degrees since the early 20th century. That warming relationship could even evolve into increased security cooperation, both bilaterally and trilaterally with the United States. In some ways, Japan and South Korea both buy weapons and their weapons platforms are coming from the U.S., so it wouldnt be too difficult to improve interoperability, Yeo said. If they were to continue to conduct more joint exercises I think that would increase the interoperability among their militaries. That would be the prudent thing to do, and Im certain that the U.S. would be pleased to see great joint operability between the three militaries for trilateral cooperation. To that end, Yeo said South Korea was looking to increase its cooperation with international partners in numerous fields vital to regional and global security, including industrial defense cooperation, artificial intelligence innovation, space technologies, and broader issues of global governance. As such, Yeo said, the United States and South Koreas relationship was at a historic high point, and future collaboration would likely yield boons for both sides. Overall, the alliance is on solid footing, he said. Its in great shape. IN-DEPTH: Red Flag or ERPO? Some Tennessee Republicans Seek Rebrand, But Face Opposition From Within and Gun Rights Groups Smith and Wesson President and CEO Mark Smith (L) and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee prepare for a ground breaking ceremony for the new Tennessee location for the firearms manufacturer in Alcoa, Tenn., on Nov. 5, 2021. (Scott Keller/The Daily Times via AP) As Tennessee Governor Bill Lee calls on the state legislature to propose an enhanced order of protection lawDemocrats, media, and gun rights groups have said the governors order of protection law essentially amounts to a red flag law, something many Republicans have said are a nonstarter in the bright red state. Lee, a Republican who has opposed gun restrictions as recently as last year, talked about red flag laws in response to a reporters question while he was signing school safety legislation last June. As you know, there are a lot of conversations that are happening all across the country about laws that affect gun ownership and red flag laws and waiting period laws, he told the reporter. And there will be those conversations all across the country, were not looking at gun restriction laws in my administration right now. Theres one thing to remember: criminals dont follow laws, criminals break laws, whether theyre a gun law [or] a drug law, criminals break laws. Lee seemingly mentioned a change in position during a press conference earlier this week announcing his calls for extreme risk protection order (ERPO) legislation, saying legislators may have to put aside their previously held positions on the issue. Ive certainly been speaking with leadership from both parties, he said. If were gonna get something accomplished, its going to require coming together, [and] laying down our previously held positions, potentially. When asked later in the press conference if the legislation he was asking for fell under red flag laws, he said it falls under a law that I think is appropriate for our state given the circumstances were in. Republicans in Tennessee have said the difference in what Lee is asking for is that he is calling on strengthening current protection laws, which mostly apply to domestic incidents, while still ensuring due process of those who are reported to be a danger to themselves or others. As we look at mental health orders of protection, they must have a level of due process, protections from fraudulent claims, and a quick judicial hearing for individuals who pose imminent threats. The House is willing to work toward bipartisan solutions to protect all children at their schools, in their communities, and inside their homes, state House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, said in a statement. Lee in his announcement this week said the stronger order of protection laws would be led by law enforcement which has a high standard burden of proof. Due process requires clear and convincing evidence that a person that has shown that they are a real threat to themselves or to othersthat person, that individualshould not have access to firearms. Our judicial system is prepared, it has years of experience in dealing with the orders of protection. A Rebranding of Red Flag Laws? If you say red flag, its dead, state Sen. Majority Leader Jack Johnson, a Republican, said in a constituent meeting which was recorded and passed to the media. ERPO is better, and I think that term has been so bastardizedred flag lawsits been so tainted, so we have to rebrand that in able to get something passed. Days prior to the audio leaking, Johnson issued a statement saying I am committed to protecting Tennesseans constitutional rights, including the right to due process. I have always been and continue to be opposed to so-called red-flag laws because they deprive citizens of their rights without due process. Responding to questions from The Epoch Times to verify the authenticity of the audio, he said the audio came from an anti-gun activist who was advocating for red flag laws along with other extreme gun control measures. Tennessee state Senator Jack Johnson at a Make America Great Again rally in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Nov. 4, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) He secretly recorded our 40-minute conversation where I explained to him that red flag laws are an absolute nonstarter for me and many other Tennesseans because they are in conflict with the Constitution and violate not only the 2nd Amendment but also the right to due process, he said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times. The media has taken a 27-second clip out of context from an extensive conversation and is attempting to suggest that I want to deceive Tennesseans by passing a red flag law masked under a different name. That couldnt be further from the truth. Johnson, the number two Republican in the state senate, went on to say he has always been and will continue to be opposed to so-called red flag laws. Red flag laws are particularly problematic because they have become synonymous with denying individuals due process by carrying out a guilty verdict without the right to a fair trial, Johnson said in his emailed statement. My long-held personal beliefs and my oath of office to uphold the Constitution preclude me from supporting any such unconstitutional law. State Rep. Jason Zachary, a Republican, said red flag laws are something that wouldnt fly in Tennessee, and Lees call is for a law that protects due process. Let me be clear, red flag laws are not going to pass the House in the state of Tennessee, theyre simply not, he said in a video. So were going to do all we can to preserve due process. Gun Rights Groups and Conservatives Opposed, Say Proposals Are Essentially Red Flag Laws The Tennessee Firearms Association, which bills itself as Tennessees only no-compromise gun organization, said what Lee proposed is essentially a red flag law and they are very opposed to the calls for those types of laws in the state. Responding to Lees calls to remove access to weapons for individuals who are a threat to themselves or society and for the legislature to bring forth measures to do that, to strengthen our laws to separate those dangerous people from firearms, TFA said on their website Lees calls were clearly red flag laws. On April 11, 2023, Governor Bill Lee called for the Tennessee Legislature to respond to the publics emotional response to the Covenant School murders by enacting a law to make sure mentally ill people do not have access to firearms, the group said on their website. He did not use the term Red Flag but that is the correct label for the kind of law that Governor Lee described as a new protective order. Conservative country music star John Rich also asked Johnson in a Twitter post, why are you pushing a rebranding of red flag laws in TN? John Rich, part of Big and Rich, at his Nashville, Tennessee residence on April 26, 2015. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images for St. Jude) A Twitter account for Conservative Christians of Tennessee responded with Hey @SenJohnson: Red Flag. No red flag laws no or ever, whatever you rebrand them as. Democrats on Board On Twitter and in interviews, several state Democrats praised the call for legislation from Lee, noting they have proposed their own red flag laws in recent years. Democrats pointed out legislation they introduced after the Covenant School shooting, before Lee called for such laws to be presented. The Tennessee Democratic Caucus in the Tennessee Senate responded to the notion of needing to rebrand red flag laws for them to pass in Tennessee by saying they are ready to work with both parties to pass legislation. The Senate Democratic Caucus stands ready to work with the governor and the majority party to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of individuals who are a threat to themselves or others, press secretary Brandon Puttbrese said in an email to The Epoch Times. Tennesseans are demanding this legislature take action to stop future school shootings and we should act before this session ends. The U.S. Constitution provides no safe harbor for an individual who is threatening violence against other Americans. An order of protection policy could save lives and that matters a whole lot more than branding. Information Leaks and Russias Lies Commentary We are at that stage of the war when the information war is sometimes even more important than the direct physical clashes at the front, Lt. Col. Yurii Bereza, a battalion commander with Ukraines National Guard, said regarding the recent leak of top secret U.S. documents. On April 11, the FBI arrested Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member, and charged him with leaking top-secret intelligence documents via the Discord social media platform. U.S. officials have refused to comment on whether any or all of the documents are authentic or accurate. However, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said some documents had been altered. There are several reasons why the United States would neither confirm nor deny the integrity of the documents. First, commenting could validate the authenticity of the documents, revealing sensitive information. Second, Washington may want to protect ongoing intelligence-gathering operations. Third, commenting might threaten national security. The precise and timely nature of the leaked documents, which revealed infighting within the Russian establishment, suggests that the United States can gather information on Russias decision-making and planning. If the Kremlin suspected that the United States had a mole in Russias security and intelligence apparatus, they would first attempt to verify the spys identity and activities. Next, they would contain the situation and prevent the spy from transmitting additional information. This would most likely involve the arrest and interrogation of the spy. The leaked information would be analyzed to determine the level of damage done. And steps would be taken to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future. Theres another possibility, however: Russia could be involved in the leak. Even if Teixeira acted on his own when he leaked the documents, its possible that Russian intelligence seized the opportunity to alter some of them or to leak fake or real documents of their own. The documents suggest that the United States is spying on Ukrainian military and government leaders and that the Ukraine military is in dire straits. Further, the reports contain information regarding the United States spying on its allies. This is information that the Kremlin would like to reach the public, as it could damage Washingtons relationships with its allies. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House on March 29, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Kirbys claim that some of the documents had been altered is consistent with information warfare techniques used by the Russian security services, the GRU (Russian military intelligence), and the FSB (the successor agency to the KGB). Russias approach to propaganda builds on an old Soviet technique called a firehose of falsehoods, through which the truth is distorted in a way that gets other countries to act in the Kremlins best interests without them knowing it. According to the U.S. Department of State, the top five Russian disinformation objectives are: 1) portraying Russia as an innocent victim 2) historical revisionism 3) the imminent collapse of Western civilization 4) popular movements are U.S.-sponsored Color Revolutions 5) reality is whatever the Kremlin wants it to be During the Cold War, getting the average American to accept these messages was more difficult. Today, its much easier. False messages are amplified as Russia capitalizes on the current information and technology environment to reach the greatest number of people. Security services exploit social media and media outlets. Russian disinformation efforts often target susceptible amateur journalists. Once many amateurs run a story, itll find its way into the social media posts and tweets of those Westerners who believe it. Eventually, this misinformation will show up in search engine results and may accidentally be referenced by large, well-respected media. Once that happens, the lies become fact. And even if major media outlets discover the mistake and refuse to run it or try to debunk it, the story is out there, and some people will believe it. The firehose of falsehoods strategy often uses misinformation based on accurate information to make it more plausible and difficult to debunk. Usually, the same source will release two conflicting narratives simultaneously to sow confusion. Plausible lies are released in the hope that theyll be believed. At other times, intentionally implausible lies are published, so cynics will believe that the story is too strange to not be true. Ultimately, all these conflicting signals dampen the volume of real news, causing people to distrust anything they see, hear, or read. The recently leaked reports contain evidence that the intelligence relationship between Russia and the United Arabic Emirates (UAE) is deepening. The Russian side could have fabricated this story to cause friction between the United States and the UAE. At the same time, if its true, it means that the United States knows about this relationship, which may dissuade the UAE from future collaboration with Russia. This story could also be a mix of truth and falsehood. The U.S. Treasury Department suspects that the UAE is helping Moscow bypass sanctions and selling it semiconductors. U.S. intelligence believes that the UAE may be providing financial support to the Wagner Group, Russias private military contractors have been accused of gross human rights violations all over Africa and the Middle East. In 2020, UAE leaders met with Sergey Naryshkin, director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Russias external intelligence agency. In light of the recent IranSaudi Arabia peace deal brokered by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the United States is on edge about its relations in the Middle East. These leaked documents, if accurate, suggest that U.S. concerns are justified. However, if the Russians doctored the reports, tensions between the United States and its Middle Eastern allies could be heightened. Ukrainian officials insist that the documents are fake. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said in a statement he published on social media that the Russians fabricated the documents to disrupt relations between Western nations supporting Ukraine. The Ukrainians blame the GRU, Russias military intelligence unit, which has engaged in similar disinformation against U.S. interests in Africa. Moscows minions have promoted the message that France is a modern-day colonialist, Russian President Vladimir Putin is the savior, Russias Wagner mercenaries are heroes, and the Ukrainian army contains Nazis and Satanists. These messages, which were spread across Africa, echo official positions and statements by the Kremlin. In light of the misinformation campaign in Africa, the leaked documents could easily be the Kremlins latest information warfare campaign. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Japans PM Evacuated Unharmed After Smoke Bomb Thrown at Speech Site A man (bottom) is detained after throwing an apparent"smoke bomb" in Wakayama, Japan, on April 15, 2023. (STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated safely on Saturday after a man threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at a site where Kishida was about to deliver a speech for an election campaign. Kishida was visiting the local Saikazaki Fishing Port in Wakayama City to support his Partys candidate in a local election when the incident happened. Footage released by Japanese broadcaster NHK showed people fleeing in panic as a loud explosion occurred. Kishida was seen standing with his back to the crowd. His security detail suddenly points to the ground near him, and the prime minister whips around, looking alarmed. I heard an explosion about 10 seconds after the suspect was taken down. I dont know what it was, but something that looked like it came from the explosion flew by me, an unnamed resident told NHK. The police arrested a man who allegedly threw what seemed to be a smoke bomb at the scene. The suspect was identified as Ryuji Kimura, a 24-year-old man from Hyogo prefecture, Kyodo News reported. A police officer sustained minor injuries as a result of the incident. Kishida was immediately escorted out of the site after the explosion occurred, and his speech there was canceled, NHK reported. The suspect was found with two cylindrical objects, one of which was used in the attack. Police are still investigating his motive as the suspect refused to speak without the presence of an attorney. Elections are a bedrock of democracy. It is extremely unforgivable that such violence took place [at such a time], chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters, according to Kyodo News. Matsuno said that authorities were ordered to boost security for officials and that investigation into the incident was underway. Kishida Resumes Campaigning Despite the explosion, Kishida resumed campaigning for his ruling party and delivered a speech at the Wakayama railway station later that day. He said the incident must not derail the local elections. I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together, Kishida said. The incident drew analogies to the assassination of the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot and killed during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara on July 8, 2022. Police arrested the shooter on the spot. A police officer detains a man, believed to have shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (The Asahi Shimbun/via Reuters) I thought there was some kind of explosion and something similar to what happened to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might have occurred, an unnamed worker at the fishing port told Kyodo News. Abes assassination shocked a nation that prides itself on public safety and extremely tight gun controls. Amid a national outcry, police have tightened their protective measures following a subsequent investigation that found holes in Abes security. Security has been also ramped up in Japan as senior diplomats from some of the worlds most powerful democracies arrive for Sundays G-7 foreign minister meetings. Kishida will host a G-7 leaders summit in his hometown of Hiroshima in May. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kansas Republicans Vow to Override Governors Inhumane Veto of Pro-Life Bill Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly gives her inaugural address for her second four-year term on the south steps of the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan., on Jan. 9, 2023. (John Hanna/AP Photo) Kansas House Republicans on Friday promised to override Gov. Laura Kellys veto of a bill that would have required doctors to provide care for babies born alive after a failed abortion or face criminal prosecution. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said in a statement that he was saddened by the governors decision to veto the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. [T]he Governor has chosen to abandon the dignity of life by allowing for the ending of an infants life even once its outside the womb. This veto gives abortionists free reign to walk away as a living, breathing baby dies, Hawkins said in a statement. This is not only radical, but also inhumane and I am confident House Republicans will make every effort during veto session to protect all living, breathing infants in our state regardless of the conditions surrounding their birth. Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed the first pro-life bill to come to her desk, calling it misleading and unnecessary. The intent of this bill is to interfere in medical decisions that should remain between doctors and their patients, she said. Kansas does not currently apply criminal penalities to doctors if they dont comply with existing federal law that requires them to provide care to infants born alive during a failed abortion. The vetoed bill would have established those criminal consequences. Doctors could face up to one years probation for first-time offenders. The bill would have required health care providers to take the same measures to save the life of a newborn as any reasonably diligent and conscientious provider would with any other live birth. The law would have applied to all instances where a fetus is completely expelled or extracted from the mother, which includes induced labor abortions. The GOP has a majority in both the House and the Senate of the state legislature. This means that if the support for the bill remains strong, Kellys veto could be overturned. The House voted 8636 in favor of the bill, and the Senate voted 319 in favor of the bill. Similar laws have been enacted in 18 other states, such as Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and Texas, while one was rejected by voters in Montana in November last year. Heartless In response to the governors veto, pro-life Kansas organization Kansas for Life stated that no baby born alive after an attempted abortion should be left to die on a cold, steel table. Danielle Underwood from Kansas for Life called on legislators to override the veto. Legislators from both sides of the aisle stood together to state the simple fact that babies born alive after an attempted abortion should not be left to die on a cold, steel table, Underwood said in a statement. These babies deserve protection and the same medical care as any other newborn of the same gestational age, she added, criticizing the governor as out of touch with the values of the people of Kansas. We now call on all Kansans to urge their legislators to do the right thing and override Gov. Kellys heartless veto, Underwood added. A new report by the Society of Family Planning reveals that in the six months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade there were 1,240 more abortions on average each month in Kansasa state that permits abortions and is geographically closer to states that banned the procedure. However, overall, there were 5,377 fewer abortions on average each month during the same period. The report explains that while some states saw a decrease, others experienced surges. In Kansas, abortion is generally prohibited at 22 weeks, and women seeking an abortion must undergo a 24-hour waiting period and counseling. In addition, Kansas restricts both public funding and private insurance coverage for abortions, and minors seeking the procedure must obtain the consent of a parent, guardian, or judge. After the Kansas Supreme Court protected abortion rights in the state in 2019, voters declined a ballot initiative last year aimed at confirming the absence of a constitutional right to abortion in the state, which implies that abortions are legal in the state under certain restrictions. Kansas, along with most states, doesnt collect data on births during induced abortion procedures. Lawsuit Challenges Arkansas Scholarship Programs Racial Exclusion as Violation of Fourteenth Amendment Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, board chair of Do No harm. (Courtesy of Do No Harm) Do No Harm (DNH), an organization that spotlights discriminatory practices in medical institutions, has filed a lawsuit (pdf) against the executive director of a division of the Arkansas Department of Health, alleging its implementation of a scholarship program discriminates against students based on skin color. The suit alleges that Executive Director of the Arkansas Minority Health Commission (AMHC) Kenya Eddings has violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by employing a scholarship plan that denies anyone who is not African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American, or Marshallese, while leaving out anyone who is white and Arab American. This scholarship clearly violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Board Chair of DNH. The Arkansas Minority Health Commission is illegally excluding and discriminating against certain medical students and denying them opportunities based on their race, color, or national originthe scholarship should be declared unconstitutional and promptly enjoined. The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment made stating that the AMHCs Minority Healthcare Workforce Diversity Scholarship violates the Fourteenth Amendment, a preliminary injunction prohibiting the defendant from using a race-based selection process, a preliminary injunction granting preliminary injunction during the time of the case, and a temporary restraining order preventing the defendant from dispersing scholarship awards until the case is resolved. According to the lawsuit, because The Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires racial classifications to satisfy strict scrutiny, the scholarships racial exclusion obviously fails. The scholarship should be declared unconstitutional and promptly enjoined, the lawsuit states. DNH filed the lawsuit on the behalf of a pre-nursing student and DNH member the lawsuit names Member A who was excluded from the scholarship program because she is white. Member A is ready and able to apply to the scholarship for the next cycle if Defendant stops discriminating against white applicants, the lawsuit states. Constitutional and Ethical Violations According to Goldfarb, when medical schools and scholarship programs prioritize these diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, they forfeit the opportunity to admit qualified studentswhether they be black or whitewhile opening the door to several constitutional and ethical violations. Goldfarb told The Epoch Times that the premise behind the discriminatory practice of excluding white applicants is the idea that blacks are underrepresented in medicine, so there has been a movement to make medical schools more diverse at the sacrifice of those who are qualified, whether they be black or white. So, whats required to improve the situation of minority students and give them a chance to get into medical schools is this move to treat them differently than everybody else, Goldfarb said. Whats the rationale? Theres been no study, Goldfarb said, to show that increasing diversity in medical institutions improves health outcomes. While the call for diversity in these medical institutions is applauded, Goldfarb said no one asks the essential question: What is this going to accomplish? What is this going to do to improve a better health outcome, Goldfarb asked. If it doesnt improve health outcomes, then its all just political theater and virtue signaling, and thats my big concern: that its not only not going to improve anyones health outcomes, but also if we keep recruiting individuals who are not up for the job, theyre going to decrease the quality of health care. When reached for comment, The Arkansas Department of Health Minority Health Commission told The Epoch Times it is reviewing the lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation. Montana Set to Be First US State to Completely Ban TikTok After Bill Passes Legislature The TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken on Aug. 22, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) Montana lawmakers voted on April 14 to ban TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned video-sharing platform, sending the bill to Gov. Greg Gianfortes desk for his consideration. Lawmakers in the Republican-led state House voted 5443 to give final approval to the legislation. If the measure is signed, Montana will become the first U.S. state to impose a complete ban on the platform. The legislation prohibits downloads of TikTok in Montana and would fine any entity such as an app store $10,000 per day that anyone has access to the app. Users wouldnt face any penalties. If signed, the law would take effect in January 2024, unless Congress passes a national law overriding it or TikTok cuts its ties with China. A representative from the tech trade group TechNet told state lawmakers that because app stores dont have the ability to geofence apps on a state-by-state basis, the Apple App Store and Google Play Store wouldnt be able to adhere to the law if it takes effect. Ashley Sutton, TechNets executive director for Washington state and the Northwest, said on April 13 that the responsibility should be on an app to determine where it can operate, not an app store. But Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has said that apps for online gambling can be disabled in states that dont allow it, so the same should be possible for TikTok. Knudsen, whose office drafted the states legislation, wrote on Twitter on April 14 that the bill is a critical step to ensuring we are protecting Montanans privacy, even as he acknowledged that a court battle looms. TikTok Threatens Lawsuit Nearly half of U.S. states, Montana included, and the U.S. federal government, already prohibit TikTok on government-owned devices and networks. TikTok is owned and operated by ByteDance, a Chinese company based in Beijing, but moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. Gianforte last year banned the app on state government devices, citing grave security concerns and that the use of TikTok on state devices posed a significant risk to sensitive state data. TikTok harvests expansive amounts of data from its users devices, much of which is unrelated to the apps purported objective of video sharing, and offers this information to the Chinese Communist Party, Gianforte wrote in a December 2022 memo to some state officials. The governor declined to say on April 14 whether he plans to sign the legislation. Gianforte will carefully consider all bills the Legislature sends to his desk, according to a statement from spokesperson Brooke Metrione. TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said a legal challenge over the measures constitutionality would follow if the bill is passed, calling the legislation an attempt to censor American voices. The company will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach, Oberwetter said. National Security Concerns The FBI and Federal Communications Commission warned in 2022 of possible threats TikTok poses to U.S. national security, including that user data obtained by the appsuch as browsing history and locationcould be shared with the authoritarian Chinese regime. Concerns were heightened in late 2022 amid media reports that staff of ByteDance used the companys access to TikTok user data to improperly track U.S. journalists. Although TikTok once said that all U.S. user data is stored within the United States, it has also since admitted that this wasnt true. In a September 2022 congressional hearing, TikTok executives refused to commit to stopping the flow of U.S. data to China. We believe the concerns driving these bans are largely fueled by misinformation about our company, a TikTok spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement in December 2022. We are always happy to meet with state policymakers to discuss our privacy and security practices. We are disappointed that the many state agencies, offices, and universities that have been using TikTok to build communities and connect with constituents will no longer have access to our platform. TikTok rose in popularity in the United States in 2017 after ByteDance acquired Chinese-owned social media company Musical.ly and paired its Santa Monica office with TikTok. At the time, TikTok didnt inform U.S. officials about the Musical.lyTikTok merger despite both companies ties to China, independent investigative journalist Geoffrey Cain said on EpochTVs American Thought Leaders. Casey Fleming, a cybersecurity expert and CEO of strategic advisory firm BlackOps Partners, previously told The Epoch Times, All of your data on that phone, everything you do, and everything that you have stored on your phone is being sent out of the country, possibly to be used against you. In addition to national security concerns, many have raised concerns about TikToks content and its potential harm to the mental health of adolescents. In December 2022, the state of Indiana filed two lawsuits accusing TikTok of sending user data to the CCP and also of falsely claiming that its product was safe for children. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Montreal Universitys Story of Chinese Donation Differs From Alleged CSIS Version View of the campus of the Universite de Montreal on Sept. 16, 2022. (Shutterstock) The Universite de Montreal received a donation from the same Chinese regime-affiliated billionaires that has now taken down the leadership of the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation, but it told an entirely different story in 2014 about how everything fell into place. While Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) information recently leaked to the press alleges the donation was spearheaded by the Chinese regime in a bid to influence Canadas potential future prime minister Justin Trudeau, the university said at the time that the gift stemmed from a Chinese students wonderful experience on campus. An article published in the universitys UdeM Nouvelles publication in November 2014 explains how a young Chinese student studying in the Faculty of Law in 2013 was so enthused about his experience that his parents reached out to the Chinese billionaires. His parents were the first to realize how much their son had acquired broad knowledge, but was also open to the world, says the article. His father knows a rich businessman who knows another rich businessman. Together, they have just donated $1 million to the Faculty of Law. The two Chinese billionaires are Zhang Bin and Niu Gensheng. Zhang is a member of the Chinese regimes National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference and president of the China Cultural Industry Association (CCIA), a state-backed entity. Niu is a consultant with the CCIA. The UdeM Nouvelles article said the donation was meant in part to honour the memory and leadership of Pierre Elliott Trudeau as one of the first Western leaders to recognize the Peoples Republic of China, having established diplomatic relations with China in 1970. Trudeau is also a graduate of the Universite de Montreal (UdeM) and taught at its law faculty. The article said the funds would mostly be used to provide scholarships to Quebec students wanting to study in China, where they will be able to get familiarized with a really different Chinese culture where the collective is much more important than the individual. A much different narrative on how the donation materialized was provided by a Globe and Mail article published on Feb. 28 this year. A national security source told the Globe that CSIS had intercepted a conversation between Zhang Bin and a Chinese diplomat in Canada in 2014. The source reportedly said the two discussed the upcoming federal election in 2015 and the possibility the Liberals would win. The diplomat instructed Zhang to donate $1 million to the Trudeau Foundation and said the Chinese regime would fully reimburse him. The donation UdeM had announced in its 2014 article was re-announced following the Liberals election win in 2015after a May 2016 cash-for-access Liberal Party fundraiser attended by Zhang where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the guest of honour. However, it was for $800,000 instead of $1 million, with part of the balance of $200,000 being donated to the Trudeau Foundation. In the September 2016 issue of its Droit Montreal publication, the universitys law faculty wrote about the historical donation of $800,000 it had received in June that year from Zhang and Niu. No Indication The Epoch Times asked UdeM about the Chinese student origin story of the Zhang and Niu donation, but didnt receive the clarification sought. Spokesperson Jeff Heinrich said there was a deal in place for the donation in 2014 but that the signing ceremony occurred in 2016 since it was complicated to find a moment to have all the required people in the same place. Heinrich said the way the issue is looked at today is different than in 2016. When we received this donation, there was a greater economic and scientific openness in the relations between Canada and China, he wrote in a statement provided in French. The university had no indication at the time that the donation could have been linked to political interference by a foreign country, he said. Heinrich had told The Canadian Press in early March that the university was reviewing its options regarding potentially returning the donation. Of the $800,000 donation, he said $550,000 was for creating a scholarship named after Zhang and Niu, while the remaining $250,000 was never received. Heinrich added that the university revised its policy on accepting donations in 2021 and that some law faculty programs established with Chinese partners ended in 2019, including a training program for Chinese judges. Trudeau Education Foundation Discussions around a donation to the Universite de Montreal and the Trudeau Foundation reportedly began as early as mid-2014 and involved Justin Trudeaus brother, Alexandre Trudeau. An article on the China Cultural Industry Association (CCIA) website dated December 2014 says that Zhang Bin, Niu Gensheng, then-UdeM vice-president Guy Lefebvre, and then-Trudeau Foundation director Alexandre Trudeau met in June 2014 to discuss establishing the Trudeau Education Foundation at UdeMs Faculty of Law. The article includes a photo of the men holding a banner with Chinese characters saying, The flower in spring will become fruit in autumn. The Trudeau Foundations involvement early on was not mentioned in the November 2014 UdeM Nouvelles article. The establishment of Trudeau Education Foundation aims to promote the long-term development of the Sino-Canadian friendship, as well as to promote the Sino-Canadian cultivation of judicial talents and elites as Premier Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and to contribute to the fairness and justice of the international community, stated the CCIA article. China Ties The 2014 UdeM article says that Lefebvre, a former dean of the law faculty and now a law faculty professor emeritus, was involved in negotiating the deal with Zhang and Niu. It adds that Lefevbre pitched his project to Zhang, who then introduced him to Niu. Its mostly because of [Lefevbre] that strong ties were developed between Chinese universities and Universite de Montreal in the last 15 years, says the article, with Lefevbre insisting the deal wouldnt have occurred without this longstanding collaboration. Lefevbres resume posted on the universitys website lists his links with Chinese state entities, including being a fellow at the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a Chinese Communist Party think tank. He also received an honorific doctoral degree in law from the China University of Political Science in 2021. His work to strengthen ties between Canada and China was also recognized in 2018 by the Canada China Business Council, a group focused on increasing business ties between the two countries. Lefebvre received, on behalf of UdeMs Faculty of Law, the Gold-level Education Excellence Award from the council. The Epoch Times sent an email to Lefebvres UdeM account requesting comment but received no response. Additional unsuccessful attempts were made to contact Lefebvre through his current affiliation with the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law. Internal Crisis Theres been no public fallout for the university, but its a different story for the Trudeau Foundation, which the Globe on Feb. 28 reported had received a $200,000 donation from Zhang and Niu at the same time the university received the $800,000 donation. The next day, the foundation announced it was returning the money. President and CEO Pascale Fournier issued a statement saying, We cannot keep any donation that may have been sponsored by a foreign government and would not knowingly do so, and told the Globe that the foundation in fact received just $140,000 of the $200,000 pledged in 2016. But its leaderships handling of revelations about the donation caused an internal crisis, reported Montreal news outlet La Presse on April 12, leading to the resignation of Fournier as well as the foundations entire board of directors a day earlier. The La Presse article, citing an internal document from the foundation it had obtained, said the donation technically couldnt be returned because the name on the cheque for the famous Chinese donation would not be the name of the real donor. Meanwhile, the Globe reported on April 12 that the donors name the foundation had on record was Millennium Golden Eagle International, a Chinese state-affiliated company run by Zhang Bin. Three foundation board members have agreed to remain on an interim basis, including founding member Edward Johnson, who served as Pierre Elliott Trudeaus executive assistant. Johnson is also a previous top executive with Canadian multinational Power Corporation, which is one of the founding members of the Canada China Business Council along with Chinese state-owned investment company CITIC. On April 12, the foundation announced it was launching an independent investigation into the Chinese donation and that it would not be giving interviews in the coming days. It has also asked the auditor general to investigate the matter. New Chart Shows People Fleeing California, Other Gun-Control States Commentary Ive come up with a way to compare state gun controls and population movements. This is in response to Gov. Gavin Newsoms recent interview with Jen Psaki, as part of his Democracy Tour, the early part of which I covered in The Epoch Times. The topic came up regarding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signing a Constitutional Carry gun law, which means any law-abiding adult can carry a concealed firearm without getting a permit. After last years Bruen decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the other option now is for Shall Issue laws, meaning law-abiding adults shall be issued such permits after a background check and taking firearms classes. At about the 17 minute mark in the interview, Psaki asked about DeSantis signing the Constitutional Carry bill a week after the killings of six people at a Nashville, Tenn., school. Newsom blasted DeSantis, Hes scared to death of the people, scared of the public the majority of NRA members probably opposed that position. No background checks? None? Really? No training? Why would we do that with weapons of war? Thats extreme in the extreme. Actually, 25 states now have Constitutional Carry and Florida will make 26. Are all of them extreme? Moreover, psychos intent on committing massacres arent going to follow any gun-control laws, such as the more than 100 California has passed in recent years. Which havent stopped mass shootings there, either. Weapons of war is an epithet about rifles, such as AR-15s, which usually are too big and bulky to be concealed. Most concealed weapons are pistols, for obvious reasons. Does Newsom want to ban carrying those, too? Damon Thueson shows a holster at a gun concealed carry permit class put on by USA Firearms Training in Provo, Utah, on Dec. 19, 2015. (George Frey/Getty Images) What does have a chance of stopping a mass shooting right away is an honest, law-abiding citizen carrying a gun and using it immediately against the psycho killer. Constitutional Carry laws make that more likely. But heres what I have come up with. The country now is divided: 26 Constitutional Carry states (Florida will become the 26th when its law becomes effective on July 1) and 24 Shall Issue states plus the District of Columbia. What is the population flow? People flee crime. From where to where are they going? Because the Bruen decision came as recently as last June, the numbers here reflect trends, not the exact state of things. The population data ends on July 1, 2022, before DeSantis signed the law. But Florida of course is a more conservative state and almost inevitably would become a Constitutional Carry state. Before Bruen, California was one of eight states that was May Carry, meaning the states had discretion to decide who got concealed-carry permits. In California, that authority was devolved to the county sheriffs. Generally sheriffs in counties with large cities issued few permits, while those in more rural counties were generous. Unfortunately, in California it remains difficult to get a permit in many places, Calmatters reported March 21. The state is defying the U.S. Supreme Courts clear decision. A cyclist rides past the Martin B. Retting, Inc. gun store in Culver City, Calif., on March 24, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) The Net Domestic Migration numbers are for the period April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022. The data is from the U.S. Census Bureau as conveniently laid out by Wikipedia. I added whether a state is Constitutional Carry or soon will be in Floridas case. The total comes to 1,929,551 Americans moving from Shall Carry states to Constitutional Carry states, a huge number in just two years. The biggest exodus, of course, is 871,127 fleeing Newsoms gun-control-mania state of California. If people thought they were safer living under 100 new recent gun laws, wouldnt they have stayedwith another couple hundred thousand flowing into the state? There obviously are other reasons people move, such as high taxes, regulations, and housing prices. But states with low taxes, regulations, and property prices tend also to be the ones with stronger gun rights; and vice versa. Newsom obviously is running for president, whether in 2024 or 2028. But his anti-gun rhetoric might not play so well in Constitutional Carry swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, and New Hampshire. Or even in socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders Vermont, long a Constitutional Carry state. Voters just trying to defend themselves dont like being called extreme. Heres the full dataset: Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. KYODO NEWS - Apr 15, 2023 - 13:19 | All, Japan, World, G7 The Japanese government is arranging a meeting between the Group of Seven leaders and atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima in May when Japan hosts a summit of the grouping, a government source said Saturday, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida seeks to build momentum toward ridding the world of nuclear weapons. Arrangements are being made for the leaders to meet with atomic bomb survivors, known in Japan as hibakusha, during a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in the western Japan city on May 19, when the three-day summit opens, the source said. The government has been sounding out the G-7 members about the plan. It would be the first joint visit to the museum, dedicated to conveying the horrors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in the closing days of World War II, by the leaders of the G-7, including nuclear powers Britain, France and the United States. Kishida, who represents a constituency in Hiroshima, is hoping to use the G-7 summit to pitch his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, amid concern Russia could use such weapons in its ongoing war in Ukraine. In February, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue asked Kishida to arrange a visit by the G-7 leaders to the museum and a dialogue with atomic bomb survivors. Kishida responded that "trends worldwide are moving against the abolition of nuclear weapons," but he hopes to "create an opportunity to reverse them." The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and a second one on Nagasaki three days later. Around 210,000 people are estimated to have died from the attacks by the end of 1945, and many have suffered from the long-term effects of radiation exposure. In 2016, Barack Obama, who has also advocated a world free of nuclear weapons, became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in Hiroshima. He exchanged words with Sunao Tsuboi, a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor and a chairperson of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. Obama toured the peace museum but only stayed briefly. Tsuboi died in 2021 at aged 96. Nurse Pleads Guilty to Replacing Fentanyl With Saline MIAMIA nurse who previously worked at a Florida outpatient surgical center has been convicted of stealing fentanyl and replacing the powerful pain medication with saline. Catherine Shannon Dunton, 54, pleaded guilty Tuesday to tampering with a consumer product in Fort Pierce federal court, according to court records. She faces up to 10 years in prison at a June 27 hearing. According to court records, Dunton worked from September 2021 to April 2022 as a circulating nurse at The Surgery Center at Jensen Beach, about 45 miles 72 (kilometers) north of West Palm Beach. Center employees performing an inventory noticed the missing drugs, and video surveillance was used to identify Dunton as a suspect, officials said. Beginning in February last year, prosecutors said Dunton took vials of fentanyl and injected it into herself. To avoid detection, she replaced the narcotic painkiller from nearly 450 vials with saline solution, and then returned the adulterated vials to the center for use during outpatient surgical procedures, investigators said. Prosecutors had arranged for a Food and Drug Administration anesthesiologist to testify that surgery patients receiving diluted fentanyl was not safe. Inadequate pain control can also lead to an elevated risk of heart attack or stroke in vulnerable patients, officials said. Also, tampering with the vial presented a risk of contamination, which could lead to infection during or after the surgical procedure. Ottawa Mayor Rejects Feds Offer to Take Over Wellington Street and Keep It Closed in Wake of Convoy Protest Fencing is seen on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, one year after the Freedom Convoy protest took place, on Jan. 27, 2023. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has rejected an offer by the federal government to take over a section of Wellington Street that runs past Parliament Hill with the aim of maintaining the current road closure in the aftermath of the Freedom Convoy protest. In a written response on April 6, Sutcliffe reminded Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek of his city councils decision back in February to reopen the iconic street, and said it would be premature to sign such a deal before the city has finished its internal review. City staff are actively working on implementing the actions emanating from this motion. Wellington Street will be opened with one traffic lane and bike lane in each direction, he wrote. Sutcliffe was responding to Jaczek who told him in a letter on April 4 that the government wants to reimagine the parliamentary precinct and keep vehicles off Wellington Street. The city had planned to reopen the street later this year. I have a mandate to engage with you directly on the transfer of Wellington Street and Sparks Street into federal jurisdiction, said the letter, whose contents were originally reported by CTV News on April 14. The objective of this agreement would be to address the immediate security imperative by maintaining the current road closure, while providing the City and the federal government time to establish a fair deal and launch planning activities. Part of Wellington Street has been blocked off since early 2022, after thousands of people supporting the Freedom Convoy movement arrived in downtown core to protest against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions during a three-week span. The Freedom Convoy, which began on Jan. 29 and ended on Feb. 20 of 2022, started out as a demonstration by truck drivers opposing federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border travel, but grew exponentially when supporters from across the country joined in to call for an end to all pandemic mandates and restrictions. It ended after the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act to quell the protest in Ottawa. Interim Care and Control Agreement In her letter to Sutcliffe, Jaczek said the protest in Ottawa exposed vulnerabilities associated with Wellington Street, and thus proposed the possibility of establishing an interim care and control agreement. According to the letter, Sutcliffe, Jaczek, and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair have been holding discussions about the streets future. In December 2022, the Procedure and House Affairs Committee recommended expanding the parliamentary precinct for security reasons. That the federal jurisdiction for the operational security of Parliament Hill be expanded to include sections of Wellington and Sparks streets and, if necessary, that a transfer of land take place between the City of Ottawa and Public Services and Procurement to allow for Wellington Street and Sparks Street to become part of Parliament Hill, wrote the committee in one of its several recommendations. Commissioner Paul Rouleau, who led a public inquiry into the governments use of the Emergencies Act, said in his final report that governments, police, and the Parliamentary Protective Service, which provides security on the Hill, should continue discussions about changes to the division of responsibilities for policing and security in the National Capital Region. Jaczek said the transfer would be done with the view to working together to reimagine this space as Canadas pre-eminent civic forum for the residents of Ottawa and all Canadians. She added that the federal government would also pay for things such as bike lanes, seating, beautification, and possibly a bistro in time for Canada Day. Sutcliffe said until a traffic study that informs on the impacts of closing Wellington Street for good is ready, and the citys internal review on the implications of transferring the street to the federal government is completed, its too early to agree to the proposal. In the meantime, Sutcliffe said staff will work with the government on ways to animate the section of Wellington Street that faces Parliament Hill for special events. His letter did not address Sparks Street. Noe Chartier and The Canadian Press contributed to this report. Pence Calls for Federal Death Penalty Law for School Shooters Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the National Rifle Association in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 14, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Former Vice President Mike Pence told the National Rifle Associations Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) Leadership Forum that the solution to school shootings and increased violent crime isnt the plan pushed by Democrats. We dont need gun control; we need crime control, Pence told the group. We need solutions to protect our kids. Pence addressed the forum at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Indianapolis on April 14. He called on the government to secure funding to provide armed guards in all of Americas public and private schools. The most prosperous nation in the history of the world can afford to protect our kids, Pence said. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz speaks with Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill as the verdicts are read in his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Oct. 13, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) A second element of his plan to deal with school shooters is to ensure they are dealt with quickly in the legal system. Pence said it is an affront to society that the confessed murderers of American schoolchildren sit in prison for years. He called for a federal death penalty statute for those who commit mass murder in a school. The law would call for an accelerated appeals process resulting in execution in months, not years. The former vice president called on politicians to abandon their gun-control and soft-on crime agenda and take concrete steps to reduce crime. While youre at it, why dont you secure the southern border of the United States of America? Pence asked, drawing cheers from the crowd. Pence outlined some steps to reduce crime and secure the country. A key component would be better mental health services. Rebuild Mental Health Institutions In the 1970s government responded to abuses in mental health facilities by mainstreaming patients. This was the practice of closing psychiatric hospitals and focusing on reintroducing the mentally ill into society. Pence said the plan has proven to be a failure. According to Pence, some people in prison wouldnt have committed any crime if they had received appropriate care at a mental health facility. We have got to get back to institutional mental health care in this country, Pence said. He said that the Trump administration honored the Second Amendment. He called on those gathered to make their voices heard and force politicians to take notice. Now more than ever, America needs the voices of the millions of patriots in the NRA, Pence said. And he encouraged the crowd to reach out to a higher authority. If youre inclined to bow your head and bend the knee, I would encourage you to do that also, Pence said. The storm chaser checked his phone for the umpteenth time. He saw real-time solar wind parameters all lined up for a northern lights display of epic proportions. Indeed, weather photographer Gunjan Sinha, 44, anticipated he was going to have a fun night. Sinha is blessed with his flat prairie province, Saskatchewan, ranking among the top aurora borealis-sighting spots anywhere, and on this particular night, March 23, he was geared up and ready to intercept a solar storm that held significant promise. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a G2-class geomagnetic storm watch with the anticipation of the approaching solar wind stream, he told The Epoch Times. I knew this could be a strong auroral event given the perfect timing, only a couple of days after the spring equinox and new moon. The moonless sky was ideal for discerning rare aurora colors such as reds, purples, and even blues. The aurora-generating solar winds arrived earlier in the day than he expectedaround 5 a.m. that morningso Sinha waited anxiously for 12 hours, hoping conditions would hold out. Hold out they did. He wouldnt be disappointed. I checked the weather models and made sure I knew what direction from town I needed to go for clear skies all night, he said. I also went through my marked locations around town on Google Earth and picked the one where I had not gone yet, and luckily it was right within the area where the best chance of cloudless sky was. With camera and gear all fully charged, fuel tank topped up, and car ready to go, the storm chaser hit the dark, frozen country roads on the hunt for aurora borealis. Aurora borealis light up the sky over Saskatchewan, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) He headed north of Saskatoon where little light pollution distracts. Excessive snowdrifts forced him down a few detours and as he saw dancing lights overhead he entertained stopping where he was; luckily he didnt and continued on for he had the perfect foreground all planned out. It wouldnt be the moderate G2 storm they had predicted after all, but a severe G4 solar storm instead. Meanwhile, a coronal hole made manifest that night, resulting from the Russel-McPherron effect, causing stronger-than-usual aurora displays with various interacting gasses in the atmosphere. It all added up to the perfect solar storm photoshoot. He soon parked. And then he saw them. In addition to the regular green and white colors, I clearly saw red, pink, and purple auroras, he said. They were moving fast at times, and the brightness was enough to light up the entire ground. There were several showstoppers that night: The most vibrant display shone over a snow-covered country road around, or shortly after, 9 oclock, a small abandoned house in the foreground and to the right, among many across the province. Closer to midnight, widespread auroras danced over an old Ukrainian Orthodox church in a transcendental wonderland. A third notable photograph was taken around midnight as an aurora curtain and distinct pink band hung across a wintry prairie landscape. A vibrant display looking directly north along a country road north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, with a small abandoned house seen to the right. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Looking southeast, an aurora hangs over an old Ukrainian Orthodox church in the foreground, north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Around midnight local time, looking north, a distinct pink color can be seen along the bottom of an aurora curtain hanging over a wintry Saskatchewan prairie landscape. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) According to Sinha, green is the most common aurora color and is caused by charged particles colliding with oxygen molecules some 100-300 kilometers above ground level. Pink is another common color, occurring at an altitude of 100 kilometers. Spectacular reds are somewhat rarer and they hang much higher, somewhere between 300-400 kilometers over the Earths crust. When he isnt chasing geomagnetic events in the dead of night during winter, Sinha is playing chess with severe storm weather during summer. Glued to his phone for real-time weather data, as usual, he aims to stay one step ahead of the most photogenic part of the storm. When it comes to tangoing with tornadoes, one wrong step and its checkmate, he said, either in terms of losing the photo op or getting run over by the storm itself. A bolt of lightning strikes through storm cloud pancakes in Alliance, Nebraska. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Some of his best storm photographs entail experience and pure luck, for example, a bolt of lightning dropping through a stacked pancake of storm clouds in Alliance, Nebraskaluck of the draw and nothing more. Then there was the time he skillfully anticipated a tornado warning that developed into the most incredible shelf cloud he had ever seen over Fillmore, Saskatchewan. There was also the cloud-to-ground bolt he captured during a mesocyclone which says it all, and that happened in the skies over Mission, South Dakota, last yearanother rarity. Working by day, playing tag with storms by night, or by leisure hours, the aurora chaser constantly juggles his hobby. But the rewards of fulfillment and inner peace outweigh the pains. Its more than worth it. I do not have any plan to stop doing what I enjoy so much, Sinha said. Chasing and capturing storms, auroras, landscapes, and all other beautiful parts of nature is like meditation to me and brings me tremendous joy. Brilliant red, purple, and green aurora hang over the skies of Saskatchewan, Canada, north of Saskatoon. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Green and pink auroras light up the skies over Saskatchewan, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) A shelf cloud seen over Fillmore, Saskatchewan, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Red, purple, and green auroras seen in the skies north of Saskatoon, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Multi-colored auroras light up with reds, pinks, greens, and purples over the skies north of Saskatoon, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Northern lights seen over an old Ukrainian Orthodox church north of Saskatoon, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Brilliant green and pink northern lights seen over Saskatchewan, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) Multi-colored northern lights hang over an old Ukrainian Orthodox church north of Saskatoon, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) An aurora corona seen in the skies of Saskatchewan, Canada. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) A bright pink and green aurora with a characterful Canadian barn in the foreground. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) A cloud-to-ground lightning bolt is seen during a mesocyclone in Mission, South Dakota. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) A spectacular storm structure hangs in the air near a country road. (Courtesy of Gunjan Sinha) 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 Poilievre Calls for Canada Revenue Agency to Audit Trudeau Foundation Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wrote a letter to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on Friday, asking it to conduct an audit of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, with a particular focus on a $140,000 donation it received from the Chinese regime. Allegations suggest that the donation was directed by a state-backed group in Beijing with the stated goal of expanding the communist regimes influence around the globe, Poilievre said in the letter written to CRA Commissioner Bob Hamilton. These facts raise serious questions around foreign influence peddling, attempts to hide the true source of the funds, and potentially, fraud. Poilievres request comes after the Trudeau Foundations volunteer board of directors and CEO abruptly resigned on Tuesday, citing the political climate surrounding a $140,000 donation from two businessmen connected to the Chinese Communist Party. Last month, The Globe and Mail reported that Chinese businessmen Zhang Bin and Niu Gensheng pledged in 2016 to donate $200,000 to the Trudeau Foundation. The foundation later said it only received $140,000 in the form of two $70,000 payments that came in the name of a Canada-based holding company called Millennium Gold Eagle International. Shortly after the reports on the two mens link with China, Trudeau Foundation President and CEO Pascale Fournier said the charity had reimbursed the full amount of the donation. But according to a report by La Presse, the foundation could not return the donation because the real donors name did not appear in the accounting books. The foundation said this would have made such a reimbursement illegal. A Radio-Canada source with knowledge of the situation confirmed on Friday that $140,000 had now been deposited into the bank account of one of the two businessmen. When the foundations leadership resigned, it said in a statement that the circumstances created by the politicization of the foundation have made it impossible to continue with the status quo. But according to sources cited by La Presse, the leadership resigned because they wanted the foundation to do more to verify details surrounding the donation. Foundation Asks AG for Separate Investigation On Wednesday, the Trudeau Foundation said it would be launching its own independent review of the donation. The foundation also wrote a letter to Auditor General of Canada Karen Hogan on Friday, asking her to investigate all aspects concerning the receipt and handling of these donations by the foundation, with a promise that it would eagerly cooperate fully with such an investigation. The foundation said an accounting firm overseen by a law firm would conduct the review, and that the firms would have no prior involvement with the organization. Poilievre said the news reports suggested that the Trudeau Foundation is not meeting its legal and fiduciary responsibilities as required under the Income Tax Act and reported to the Canada Revenue Agency. They suggest that the foundation was actively complicit in hiding the true source of the donation, and in doing this, possibly producing fraudulent records, he said. The Conservative leader also said the foundation had failed to maintain proper records that may be critical to a future public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian democracy. Additionally, the information uncovered and leaked from the foundation suggests that those at the highest ranks of the organizationboth past and presentwere directly involved in arranging, approving and managing the donation and related controversies, he said. Poilievre also asked that any evidence discovered in the audit that potentially relates to attempted interference by foreign governments is forwarded to Canadas security and intelligence services. Finally, I would also request that such evidence be preserved in a manner so that a future public enquiry with the legal mandate to do so would be able to access it as part of an investigation, he wrote. The Trudeau Foundation was established in 2001 to honour the memory of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the father of Justin Trudeau. It received a $125 million endowment from the federal government in March 2002. The foundation provides scholarships and mentorship to develop future engaged leaders. Trudeau has repeatedly said he has no involvement with the foundation. It has been 10 years that I have had no involvement at all with the foundation that carries my fathers name, he said during a press conference on Wednesday. I think its important that the foundation itself answer these questions and reflects on how it can continue doing the important work that it does. The previous day, the prime minister accused Conservative politicians of trying to get short-term political gain by increasing polarization and partisanship in this country by launching completely unfounded and ungrounded attacks against charities or foundations. William Harlow Reed (18481915) was the eldest of 10 children born to Scottish parents. Born in Connecticut at the start of the California Gold Rush, he grew up hearing stories about western expansion, Indian fights, great discoveries of natural fortunes and fossils, and battles of the Civil War. He ran away from home several times to volunteer with the Union Army. His first job was with the Union Pacific Railroad. He was hired to remove snow to make way for the rail lines. His expertise with a rifle, however, was soon noticed, and he was sent to hunt food for the workers and ward off Indians. William Reed made a name for himself in the world of paleontology. (Public Domain) He married Florence Bovee in 1870. When Florence died during childbirth in 1874, a distraught Reed accepted a job in Carbon Station, Wyoming, as a guide and Indian fighter for the U.S. Army. He later returned to the Union Pacific Railroad as a foreman. While in Como, Wyoming, in 1877, he made a dramatic discovery. He had stumbled across an array of bones on Como Bluff. This discovery ended his occupation as a railroad worker and launched his career in paleontology. The array of bones he found belonged to specimens of the Jurassic period. Jurassic Fossils Reed contacted Othniel C. Marsh, professor of paleontology at Yale College. Their working relationship would last, for better and worse, throughout Marshs lifetime. Marsh sent several crews to help Reed excavate the area. Reed soon became disgruntled with Marshs late payments, tardy and often unreliable equipment, insubordinate crew members, and the lack of recognition for his work. He resigned his position with Marsh in 1883, though he kept in contact and occasionally sent him specimens. Reed worked with Othniel C. Marsh, professor of paleontology at Yale College, to collect fossils. (Public Domain) Throughout the following decade, Reed sent fossils and bones to various institutions around the world, including to Marsh and to the new University of Wyoming. In 1894, he joined Wilbur Clinton Knight, professor of geology at the University of Wyoming, where most of his findings were collected. He signed an exclusive contract in 1896, and the following year he was named assistant geologist and curator of the museum at the University of Wyoming. Wilbur Clinton Knight, professor of geology at the University of Wyoming. (Public Domain) Reed not only made a name for himself in the world of paleontology, despite never receiving a formal education in the sciences, but he also elevated his university to prominence. Between 1896 and 1899, he collected approximately 10,000 specimens for the university, making it second only to Yale for the worlds largest collection of American Jurassic vertebrae fossils. His name became mainstream when he was interviewed by a reporter for the New York Journal in 1898. During an excavation, Reed discovered a bone fragment belonging to a Brontosaurus giganteus. The headline in the paper read: MOST COLOSSAL ANIMAL EVER ON EARTH JUST FOUND OUT WEST (caps in original). The article caught the attention of Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate, who had recently built the Carnegie Museum. He sent a note, along with the newspaper clipping, to his museum director, W.C. Holland, reading cant you buy this for Pittsburgh hurry.AC. Holland quickly left for Wyoming to meet Reed and signed him to a one-year contract as senior field collector. Carnegie sponsored the rest of the excavation. Reed admitted that the reporter had greatly exaggerated the claim, as the excavation site didnt hold many remains. On July 4, 1899, Reed led Carnegies team to a discovery that would literally change the face of museums around the globe. A Giant Brontosaurus Approximately 30 miles from where the Brontosaurus giganteus bone fragment was found, Reed discovered a toe bone that, after excavating the rest of the area, belonged to a nearly intact skeleton of a Diplodocus. The discovery and assembly of the skeleton, which was placed in the Carnegie Museum, was so groundbreaking that heads of state all across the globe desired to have their own version made. Carnegie hired Italian statuary makers and had replicas of the Diplodocus made and sent to museums in Berlin, Bologna, Buenos Aires, St. Petersburg, Madrid, Mexico City, Munich, Paris, and Vienna. The skeletal statue became known as Diplodocus carnegii and can be seen at the front of many natural history museums. Sketch of expedition members William H. Reed (L) and Edward Kennedy in Como Bluff, Wyoming. (Public Domain) Experiencing the same lack of recognition, however, Reed resigned. He then contacted Walter Granger, of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), who was working an excavation site at Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming. He proposed a dig at Rock Creek, 14 miles away, which he believed was promising. He was not wrong. The AMNH hired Reed and benefited from a plethora of dinosaur remains, primarily Camarasaurus and Allosaurus. In 1903, shortly after his stint with AMNH, he became the museum curator at the University of Wyoming, and the assistant geology professor the following year. He taught classes, conducted field trips to dig sites, and curated findings for the museum. In 1905, he found a nearly complete skeleton of the ichthyosaur Baptanodon. The find was so substantial that it was named Baptanodon reedi in his honor. Three years later, he helped collect the remains of a Stegosaurus longispinus, which had the longest tail spines of any stegosaur ever discovered. In its inaugural year of 1908, Reed was inducted into the American Society of Vertebrate Paleontologists (now the Paleontological Society). During his near 40 year career as a paleontologist, or a fossil hunter as he called himself, he discovered thousands of specimens from the Jurassic period, including cycads, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs, dinosaurs, and mammals. His findings can be found in museums all over the world. Republican Lawmakers Sound Alarm Over Alleged Misconduct at VA Medical Center Republican members of Congress are criticizing and calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to explain why it is not using the administrative tools and options it has available to terminate the employment of workers who cause problems and undermine the delivery of care and the proper operation of VA medical facilities. In their complaint and inquiry, Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) and Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif) say that the Biden administration has chosen to disregard the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 that Sen. Rubio sponsored and which President Donald Trump signed into law. Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.). (Office of Rep. Jay Obernolte) The act came after years of VA employee scandals and corruption, and intended to shield and protect those informing on misconduct in the VA and make it easier to fire bad VA employees. We write with concern that, starting April 3, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will begin to disregard current law under the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-41), wrote Rubio and Daines in a letter dated March 30 that they sent to Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Denis McDonough. This bipartisan law protects whistleblowers at the VA and provides the Secretary with the authority to hold bad VA employees accountable by allowing the dismissal of employees for poor performance or misconduct. The letter continued: Our nations veterans deserve only the best and most qualified employees serving them when they seek assistance from the VA. We are concerned that the VA is making excuses for employees poor performance and putting bureaucratic interests ahead of veterans well-being. Bost and Obernolte issued a statement on April 12 that referenced a letter they sent two days before to Secretary McDonough. The statement and letter pointed to a complaint about employee misconduct at the Loma Linda VA Medical Center in Virginia and how the Biden administrations decision to use the Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act no longer deprives the VA of an option and avenue to use to fire the worker. The purpose of the bipartisan Accountability Act is to give the VA Secretary the tools to ensure that the VA workforce is the best, and that employee misconduct and poor performance are a thing of the past, said Bost in the release. Yet, the Committee continues to hear reports that this is not the case, most recently at the Loma Linda VA Medical Center where a toxic supervisor continues to be employed following multiple investigations over three years into their misconduct and recommendations that they be removed. Bost continued: As Chairman, that is unacceptable to me. Which is why Im proud to lead this letter demanding answers from the Biden administration with my friend from California, Rep. Obernolte. Our veterans, the dedicated VA workforce, and taxpayers deserve to know why bad employees are still employed by VA and accountability is being swept under the rug. Response of Biden Administration and VA The Biden administration has responded to and countered the charges that it is ignoring the Accountability and Whistleblower Act, citing court decisions striking down authority in the law and narrowing its application. The courts have particularly targeted Section 14 of the act as unfairly weakening worker protection. Fired employees successfully challenged the section and were rehired. The VA released a statement in response to the letter that Bost and Obernolte sent McDonough. We have received the letter from Chairman Bost and Rep. Obernolte and will respond appropriately to their letter, said the statement. At VA, our top priority remains providing Veterans with world-class care and benefitsand that means creating a work environment where our employees feel comfortable, confident, and welcome. We hold all of our employees accountable to this standard, and we have the tools we need to act when necessary. We are investigating these allegations and will handle appropriately. Russia Says Black Sea Grain Deal May Be Nearly Over MOSCOWRussia on Thursday said there would be no extension of the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal beyond May 18 unless the West removed a series of obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizer. The Ukraine grain Black Sea export deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July last year to help alleviate a global food crisis worsened by conflict disrupting exports from two of the worlds leading grain suppliers. Without progress on solving five systemic problems there is no need to talk about the further extension of the Black Sea initiative after May 18, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. We note that, despite all the high-sounding statements about global food security and assistance to countries in need, the Black Sea Initiative both served and continues to serve exclusively commercial exports of Kyiv in the interests of Western countries, the ministry said. To help persuade Russia to allow Ukraine to resume its Black Sea grain exports last year, a separate three-year agreement was also struck in July in which the United Nations agreed to help Russia with its food and fertilizer exports. Russia said the two agreements were interconnected parts of one package, and scolded the UN Secretariat for what it said was a distortion of the facts. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said discussions, communications are still going on with the parties and that U.N. officials were determined to ensure the implementation of both deals. Vessels await inspection under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, in the southern anchorage of the Bosphorus in Istanbul on Dec. 11, 2022. (Yoruk Isik/Reuters) He said in relation to Russias exports theres still a lot of critical issues that need to be resolved over payments and other technical issues that U.N. officials were trying to fix. But he noted that theres been some concrete results that contribute to larger grain trade volumes, lower freight rates and an increased number of ships that have called at Russian ports for fertilizer and lowering in insurance. So weve made some progress, but we continue to push to make more, Dujarric said. Russian Demands Western powers have imposed tough sanctions on Russia over its Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine. Its food and fertilizer exports are not sanctioned, but Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics, and insurance are a barrier to shipments. The foreign ministry said Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) had to be reconnected to the SWIFT payment system, that supplies of agricultural machinery and parts needed to be resumed, and that restrictions on insurance and reinsurance needed to be lifted. Other demands include access to ports, the resumption of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline that lets Russia pump the chemical to Ukraines port, and the unblocking of assets and the accounts of Russian companies involved in food and fertilizer exports. The removal of obstacles to domestic agricultural exports was supposed to take place within the framework of the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum, the ministry said. Russia said there had been a failure of the inspection regime of ships carrying grain from Ukraine. Currently, 28 vessels carrying more than 1 million tons of food are awaiting inspection in the territorial waters of Turkey, the foreign ministry said. It accused UN staff in the Joint Coordination Center of refusing to draw up an inspection schedule. In turn, an even more difficult situation has developed around the registration of bulk carriers, the ministry said, denying that Russia was responsible for any of the congestion and accusing Ukrainian port officials of accepting bribes to accelerate registration. By Guy Faulconbridge PHILADELPHIADelaware State Senator Marie Pinkney attended Shen Yuns evening performance at the Miller Theater on April 14. The show was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history of China before communism through interpretive dance and art, she said. After the performance, Sen. Pinkney presented a letter to Shen Yun congratulating the company on their 16th return to Philadelphia. She also conveyed her best wishes for Shen Yuns continual success. She thought Shen Yun was very impressive because there were really, really difficult stories in the history of [China that were told] through beautiful movements. I think it was so phenomenal. To be able to tell really hard and difficult stories but make them beautiful and make [the audience] feel them as theyre being toldthat was amazing! It was done through uplifting beauty. Its a reminder that we are here to lift one another up. Based in New York, Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Prior to the violent 1949 communist takeover and the spread of atheism, spirituality and the belief in the divine played an important role in traditional China. For 5,000 years, the nations culture flourished under the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. Since Shen Yuns advent in 2006, its artists are seeking to revive and share with the world through a series of short dance pieces, all that was good and beautiful in China before communism. Sen. Pinkney was very touched by Shen Yuns spiritual values. I thought it was so beautiful. I was thinking about the baritone and what he was [singing]the divine creator is the one who puts us all here. We all came here from the heavens, and the divine creator will come back for usto save us and make sure were okay and protected, she said. Referring to Shen Yuns portrayal of current human rights issues in China, Sen. Pinkney said she had only recently learned about the extent of Chinas illegal organ trade. It was painful to watch, but the show was so beautiful[were] really motivated to figure out what we can do and how we can help. Using performative arts [to raise awareness] is the perfect way to get that message to people, she said. I think we all have our parts to play. So, for my role, I try to do as much as I can to impact laws, but I think even on a very basic levelhaving conversations with people. Make sure that people understand that organ harvesting is still happening. Sen. Pinkney (R), at the end of the Shen Yun performance on April 13, 2023, presents a congratulatory certificate to Shen Yun Performing Arts, accepted by a representative from the Greater Philadelphia Falun Dafa Association. (Serena Shi/The Epoch Times) Though this was Sen. Pinkneys first time attending Shen Yun, shell definitely be back next year. I [have] genuine and heartfelt appreciation for the beauty that was here tonight. There are so many things that I want to go and look up and learn more about, she expressed. All I want to say is thank you [to the performers] because it was beautiful. They were really, really enjoying telling that story, and I felt every single moment of it. Im so grateful to them for putting their hearts and souls into it. 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. NEW YORKRegina and Robert Hazzard were taken aback by the excellence of Shen Yun Performing Arts, which they saw for the first time on April 14. I have tears in my eyes, said Mrs. Hazzard, a social worker, after the performance at Lincoln Center. I feel so emotional. Im so happy that people are going to start to realize what is going on, whats oppressing different cultures in China. The communism is so bad, and its starting to spread to this country. New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company, with a mission to show audiences China before communism. China was once known as The Land of the Divine, and that divinely inspired culture of 5,000 years only stopped with communisms takeover in 1949. Mr. Hazzard, who manages a law firm, enjoyed that journey. I was very taken away, taken back by the show. I thought it was excellent, he said. I thought the quality was excellent. I thought it was very well done. I thought it was colorful and beautiful. It was very impressive. Five Millennia Shen Yuns programs include more than a dozen vignettes, including ethnic and folk dances that showcase some of Chinas 50-plus ethnic minorities and various regions, and story-telling dances that bring to life some of the histories and legends of five millennia. I just really enjoyed it, and I liked seeing all the different aspects of the culture throughout history, Mrs. Hazzard said. Ahmed Raja, a business owner, attended the performance with his family and said he loved it so much he wanted to see it again. It just was absolutely outstanding, he said. Very uplifting, very nice, beautiful music, beautiful dance a lot of positive energy. Reporting by Weiyong Zhu. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. KYODO NEWS - Apr 15, 2023 - 23:00 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan PM Kishida unhurt after explosion during campaigning TOKYO - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was unhurt after a man threw a cylindrical object which exploded ahead of a stump speech he was due to make during his visit to western Japan on Saturday, less than a year after a former premier was fatally shot during election campaigning. Kishida immediately left by car after the incident, which took place as he was talking with a candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party just before his scheduled speech at a fishing port in the city of Wakayama. According to investigative sources, Ryuji Kimura, a 24-year-old man from Hyogo Prefecture, was arrested at the scene. ---------- G-7 leaders set to meet A-bomb survivors during summit: source TOKYO - The Japanese government is arranging a meeting between the Group of Seven leaders and atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima in May when Japan hosts a summit of the grouping, a government source said Saturday, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida seeks to build momentum toward ridding the world of nuclear weapons. Arrangements are being made for the leaders to meet with atomic bomb survivors, known in Japan as hibakusha, during a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in the western Japan city on May 19, when the three-day summit opens, the source said. ---------- G-7 ministers meet with energy security, decarbonization in focus SAPPORO - Ministers from the Group of Seven nations started a two-day meeting in the northern Japan city of Sapporo on Saturday, looking for ways to enhance energy security in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine while at the same time accelerating decarbonization efforts. Attention is focused on whether the G-7 meeting on climate, energy and environmental issues, the first in a series of in-person ministerial gatherings leading up to the group's summit in May, will achieve unity on ambitious goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, including in the electricity and vehicle sectors. ---------- Deep-sea search for missing SDF chopper paused again amid bad weather TOKYO - Deep-sea diving in search of a Japan Self-Defense Forces helicopter that went missing last week with 10 personnel aboard off the southern prefecture of Okinawa was again paused Saturday, this time due to bad weather, government sources said. The suspension comes as attempts to perform saturation diving, a technique that allows divers to work at great depths for lengthy periods, were halted Friday due to equipment flaws, after what are believed to be the remains of several people and a major part of the UH-60JA helicopter were found earlier that day. ---------- California town celebrates relations with tsunami-hit Japan city CRESCENT CITY, California - A northern California city on Friday celebrated the 10th anniversary of the washing ashore of a small boat two years after it was sucked out to sea during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. Crescent City held the Kamome Festival for the first time to commemorate the wild journey of the boat, the Kamome, from Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, and the bond it created between two cities on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean. ---------- Japan, U.S., S. Korea agree to enhance N. Korean missile info sharing WASHINGTON - Senior defense officials of Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed Friday to step up efforts to realize real-time information sharing about North Korean missiles. The agreement was reached in Washington a day after North Korea said it had test-fired a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. The officials also said they discussed ways for their armed forces to resume trilateral drills to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region in a "more effective manner." ---------- India tops Japan in new car sales amid high economic growth NEW DELHI - New car sales in India in fiscal 2022 ended March jumped 28.2 percent from a year ago to 4.85 million units, surpassing annual sales in the Japanese market, industry data showed. The figure topped 4.39 million new vehicles sold in Japan, as the emerging market continues to expand on the back of high economic growth and an increasing population. ---------- Japanese animation film "Suzume" breaks China box office records HONG KONG - The Japanese animation film "Suzume" has set a new Chinese box office record in the category of Japanese cartoon works, raking in over 720 million yuan ($105 million) three weeks after its release, according to local movie data app Maoyan Professional. The latest work of director Makoto Shinkai has captured the hearts of the Chinese youth despite tense bilateral relations following the detention of a Japanese businessman in Beijing last month. ---------- Video: 7th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes Audrey Trotman attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the St. James Theatre, in Wellington, on April 15, 2023. (NTD) WELLINGTON, New ZealandAudrey Trotman, a policy advisor with New Zealands Ministry of Education, was singing praises for Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 15 after another sold-out performance in the capital city. The performance was magical, she said, and impressed her with its powerful message, vibrant colours, and the dancers flowing movements. You get the opportunity to be taken away into a colourful and fantasy-like world, and one where magic happenswhere we thrive, where the Gods are present, and where human history and the universe come together, Ms. Trotman said. New York-based Shen Yun has become known for its explosive colours, messages of hope, and its celebration of Chinas 5,000 years of divinely-inspired culturemuch of which has been destroyed or forgotten in modern-day China. Shen Yuns message about humanitys link to the divine resonated with Ms. Trotman. She said this is an important point to remember as we live our lives. The more we get taken away from being grounded and the things that matter, the more likely it is we lose sight your ourselves, she said. And the divine helps us to reconnect with that Its important to be connected to the universe. I feel like my cup is filled, she described after watching the two hour performance. She recommended to everyone to go see Shen Yun. I hope all of the world gets the opportunity to see what weve seen today People get to remember the importance of them [being] connected to something far greater than themselves. A Family Affair The Dawber family were also in the audience on April 15. Lynn Dawber, a GP, said one of her favourite items in the performance was the baritone soloist. I really liked the line where he said that atheism is harmful to mankind and [how] it robs you of hope I really liked that line because I see in people who I know are atheists, they lack that hope in their lives. Having a belief and being theistic, having a faith is what gives us hope to survive every day, she said. Dave Dawber (R) and wife Lynn (L) with their children attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the St. James Theatre in Wellington on April 15, 2023. (Li Xuan Ya/The Epoch Times) Husband Dave Dawber, a family services counsellor, said that Shen Yun had left a deep impression. Spirituality is missing from this world everywhere. So that was a really nice touch, he said of Shen Yuns sharing of Chinas divinely-inspired culture. Thats a great performance and its really nice to see the Chinese version of history coming through in the dance. Incredible. Shen Yun is currently touring New Zealand with its all-new 2023 program showcasing China before communism. After Wellington, it travels to Auckland to perform April 20-23, and then continues its tour in Australia. Reporting by Li Xuan Ya and Melanie Sun. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. South Korea Tour Bus Crash Kills 1 Israeli, 34 People Hurt Emergency personnel rescue tourists after a bus fell on a road in Chungju, South Korea on April 13, 2023. (South Korean National Fire Agency via AP) SEOUL, South KoreaA bus carrying Israeli tourists fell on its side on a road in southern South Korea, killing one woman and injuring 34 other people. The tour bus with 33 Israelis and two South Koreansthe bus driver and a tour guidecrashed Thursday on a slope in the southern city of Chungju, the Interior and Safety Ministry said on its website. It said a 62-year-old Israeli woman died and seven of the injured people were in serious condition. The ministry said the crash happened as the bus rolled backward while the driver was shifting gears. Ministry officials said the exact cause is under investigation. South Korea Wont Break Away From US-Led Tech Alliance Despite Mounting Pressure From China, Expert Says The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other in Yongin, South Korea, on Aug. 23, 2016. (Courtesy of Ken Scar/U.S. Army/Handout via Reuters) News Analysis Following the U.S. chip ban on China last October, South Korea, a member of the U.S.-led Chip 4 Alliance, has not followed Washingtons strategy as explicitly as other alliance members, Japan and Taiwan, as it appears to have been trying to strike a balance between the United States and China. However, analysts believe South Korea will stay in the alliance despite its lukewarm participation. Since releasing U.S. semiconductor sanctions against China last October, Washington has urged its allies to jointly expand export controls on semiconductors and chipmaking equipment to China. In the past two months, Japan and the Netherlands, the worlds leading exporters of semiconductor equipment, have announced export controls on China. Taiwan said from the outset that it would comply with U.S. policies. Last March, the United States launched the Chip 4 Alliance to exclude China from the major semiconductor supply chain. The U.S.-led alliance aims to strengthen cooperation in the semiconductors industry between the United States and the East Asian powerhouses of Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan to build a secure supply chain that excludes China. Last October, Washington announced sweeping new export controls that will cut China off from specific semiconductor chips made with U.S. technologies, even if the chips were manufactured in the United States. Among the Chip 4 Alliance members, South Korea is the most uncertain about whether to follow Washingtons strategy because of pressure from China, its largest trading partner. While the chipmaking equipment powerhouses of Japan and the Netherlands were discussing how to follow up on the U.S. semiconductor sanctions on China, South Korea was negotiating with Washington on the survival of its chip factories in China. In late March, Samsungs chairman Lee Jae-yong attended the China Development Forum in Beijing, sponsored by the Chinese State Council. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the forums attendees include about 100 top executives from global companies, such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, and BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse. Lee did not make official comments during the event, the report said, as speculation suggests that the Samsung head is taking a cautious stance amid the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry. Semiconductors are seen on a circuit board that powers a Samsung video camera at the Samsung MOBILE-ization media and analyst event in San Jose, Calif., on March 23, 2011. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Sweeping US Chip Sanctions on China Affect South Korea Fang Qi, a UK-based investment consultant, told The Epoch Times on April 6 that U.S. semiconductor sanctions on China will significantly impact the Korean economy in the short term because the countrys chip exports and production heavily depend on China. Korean companies have invested a lot in China, Fang said. Samsung has 40 percent of its NAND flash memory produced in Xian and packaged in Suzhou. Meanwhile, SK Hynix has about half of its DRAM memory chips and 20 percent of its NAND flash memory chips made in Wuxi and Dalian, especially since SK Hynix took over Intels NAND flash memory plant in Xian in October 2020. Therefore, its difficult for Korean companies to give up their business in China. U.S. semiconductor sanctions have made it difficult for Korean companies to maintain business in China. The sweeping new rules restrict the export of advanced chips and related manufacturing equipment to China. Meanwhile, foreign chip-related goods made with U.S. technologies or equipment are also subject to U.S. regulation. This means that Korean companies factories in China will soon be unable to import advanced semiconductor equipment, making them unable to manufacture advanced chips in China. Samsung and SK Hynix were given a one-year exemption from the controls to minimize potential damage to their businesses. The exemption allows the chipmakers to bring chipmaking equipment and other components to China to maintain their chip production there. But they would have to apply for U.S. export licenses after the grace period. A view shows Samsung Electronics chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on Sept. 7, 2022. (Samsung Electronics/Handout via Reuters) New US Subsidy Rules Further Target China The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Feb. 28 new subsidy rules that would essentially ban chipmakers from doing business with China. Applicants could receive up to $39 billion in semiconductor manufacturing subsidies from the United States. But they must agree to not expand their chipmaking capabilities in countries of concernsuch as Chinafor 10 years after winning subsidies. If applicants form ties with countries of concern in joint research or technology licensing, the company must return the total subsidy amount. All sorts of U.S.-imposed restrictions are making South Korea unable to continue to develop its semiconductor business in China while forcing it to comply with Washingtons efforts. Although South Korea has generally tried to appear neutral on foreign policies to avoid a confrontation with China, it has not been able to stop its semiconductor exports to China from plummeting. Semiconductors accounted for 18 percent of South Koreas exports in 2022. South Koreas semiconductor exports to China accounted for 40.3 percent of last years total. According to Reuters, South Koreas exports to China dropped 33.4 percent year-on-year in March, extending losses to a 10th straight month and marking the lowest since January 2009. Among them, semiconductor exports slumped 34.5 percent. Despite losing heavily on its chip business in China, Fang believes South Korea cant detach from the U.S.-led technology alliance. If Korea chooses to use U.S. technology, it will give up the Chinese market in the medium and long term; if it chooses the Chinese market, it will have to detach itself from the world technology system. But it cant afford to do that as a country where the semiconductor industry is an economic pillar, Fang said. Samsungs chip production plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Sept. 7, 2022. (Samsung Electronics/Handout via Reuters) Massive Investment in Domestic Chip Center South Koreas Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy announced on March 15 that Samsung would invest 300 trillion won (about $227 billion) over the next 20 years to build five new chip plants in South Korea. The move is part of the governments goal to establish the worlds largest chip center by 2042. The ministry said the chip center would be established in Gyeonggi Province and attract 150 materials, components, and fabless companies. Fabless companies include design and sales while outsourcing manufacturing. Samsung said the new plants will be located near its existing domestic factories and produce computer memory chips for storing data and higher-margin logic chips designed to perform a broader range of functions. The semiconductor cluster is part of broader government plans to promote six key technology industries the country sees as most crucial for its export-dependent economy. The ambitious semiconductor cluster plan involves cooperation with companies in the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands, which have the most advanced technology and production capacity. South Koreas plan comes as other technology powerhousesincluding the United States, Japan, and Chinabuild up their domestic chip manufacturing and deploy protectionist measures, tax cuts, and sizeable subsidies to lure investments. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Texas Bill Seeks to Ban Critical Race Theory Propagation in Universities The Texas Senate has passed Senate Bill 16 (SB 16) that will ban the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) ideologies in higher education instituteswith penalties for faculty members who push the ideology. SB16, authored by Republican Senator Bryan Hughes, was passed 1912 along party lines. A faculty member of an institution of higher education may not compel or attempt to compel a student enrolled at the institution to adopt a belief that any race, sex, or ethnicity or social, political, or religious belief is inherently superior to any other race, sex, ethnicity, or belief, the bill (pdf) states. In case a faculty member is found to have violated rules, the institution is obliged to discharge the individual. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board must also develop a procedure for institutions to receive and review complaints related to the bills potential violations. The procedure must take into account the due process rights under the U.S. Constitution and Texas Constitution. The complainant or the faculty member who is the subject of the complaint should be able to appeal the institutions determination on the matter. No later than Dec. 1 every year, institutions are obliged to submit to the legislature as well as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board a report on complaints they received during the preceding academic year. The bill also instructs higher education institutions to be committed to creating an environment of intellectual inquiry and academic freedom. Institutions must ensure the protection of intellectual diversity so that students are respected and educated irrespective of their race, ethnicity, sex, social, political, or religious beliefs, SB 16 mandates. The bill now heads to the Texas House of Representatives. Opposition and Support, Other Bills The bill has been severely criticized by Democrats. Democrat state Sen. Sarah Eckhard called SB 16 censorship masquerading as academic freedom on the Senate floor on Wednesday. We will be assuring that our Texas institutions of higher education are nothing but echo chambers, incapable of welcoming the full marketplace of idea and uninterested in challenging our worldview with a larger one, she said, according to TV station KWTX. Karma Chavez, a University of Texas at Austin professor who testified on behalf of herself, said she is worried that the bill is a solution looking for a problem that doesnt exist. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick extended his support for the bill. Last session, we banned CRT in kindergarten through 12th grade because no child should be taught that they are inferior to others due to their race, sex, or ethnicity. In 2023, this should be common sense but the radical lefts drive to divide our society is relentless, he said, according to an April 12 press release. This session, there was no question that we would ban the teaching of CRT in Texas universities. Liberal professors, determined to indoctrinate our students with their woke brand of revisionist history, have gone too far. In addition to SB 16, lawmakers in Texas are also looking to pass SB 17 that seeks to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, training, and offices on campuses in public colleges. Last week, the Senate higher education subcommittee approved the bill and it is now headed to the full education committee for approval. CRT Racism In September 2020, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned CRT training in federal agencies, with the White House calling the ideology anti-American propaganda. After Biden came to power, he reversed Trumps order and pushed forward CRT ideology on the American people. In an interview with The Epoch Times Crossroads Program in May 2021, Thomas Lindsay, a distinguished senior fellow of higher education and constitutional studies at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, called CRT as the new racism. CRT programs are being instituted down to the third grade, where theyre telling third-grade children that because of the color of their skin, they are oppressors, meaning that because of the color of their skin, theyre bad, he said. That used to be called racism And unfortunately, critical race theory is the new racism. Tory MP Received Threatening Text Message From Chinese Consulate Ahead of 2021 Election, House Committee Hears A Conservative MP was threatened by the Chinese Consulate in Toronto ahead of the 2021 federal election, another Tory MP told a House committee on April 14. Conservative MP Michael Cooper made that statement at the meeting of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) while questioning Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus chief of staff Katie Telford, who was testifying in relation to recent media reports of Chinese interference in the past two federal elections. Ten weeks before the 2021 election, Bob Saroya, the then-member of Parliament for MarkhamUnionville, received a cryptic and threatening text message from Beijings consul general in Toronto, suggesting that he would no longer be a member of Parliament after the 2021 election, he said. Were you, the prime minister, or anyone in the PMO [Prime Ministers Office] briefed or otherwise have knowledge about that text message? Telford declined to answer the question. I cant speak to that information, because as I said before, as frustrating as it is for both or all of us, is I cant get into confirming, let alone denying information, and going beyond the bounds of the security heads who were here [testifying at PROC] before me, she said. The issue of Chinese interference came under scrutiny following reports by Global News and the Globe and Mail on intelligence documents and national security sources alleging interference from the Chinese Consulate in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Saroya was first elected to the Ontario riding of MarkhamUnionville in 2015, and was re-elected in 2019 with close to 49 percent of the vote. Liberal MP Paul Chiang won the riding in 2021 with that same vote percentage, while Saroyas dropped to about 42 percent. When Cooper further asked Telford if she has any knowledge of Chinese interference in the 2021 election in the riding of MarkhamUnionville, she replied, Broadly speaking, yes, I have been briefed on attempted interference and influence during the last elections, but declined to say specifically where the interference took place. Global News also reported that intelligence officials had warned Trudeau ahead of the 2021 federal election that a small number of MPs reported they feared for their families and their reputations and believed they were being targeted in operations to hurt their election chances. Globals article said Saroya wasnt directly identified in a 2021 special report from the Privy Council Office, which it cited in its reporting of the 2019 election interference, but his case fit the description of those MPs who feared for their safety. The Chinese Consulate in Toronto denied the allegation of election interference following media reports on the issue. Trump Calls for Armed Security Guards at Every School in America at NRA Conference Former President Donald J. Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 14, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.Former President Donald Trump told the National Rifle Associations Institute for Legislative Actions (NRA-ILA) Leadership Forum that its time the government prioritized its duty to protect schoolchildren. For about $12 billion, we can provide armed security guards at every school in America, Trump said. If we can send $120 billion to Ukraine, we can afford one-tenth of that to protect our children. Trump addressed the group during the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibitions in Indianapolis. Trump said schools must have security so tight that people who consider committing such a crime will know they will be confronted immediately. He said that if he is returned to the White House, he will push for repealing laws that make schools easy targets and implement policies to improve security. This includes tax credits for teachers who agree to be trained and arm themselves. But his work would extend beyond schools, Trump said. Onlookers visit the makeshift memorial for the six victims killed in The Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tenn., on March 27, 2023. (Chase Smith/The Epoch Times) He also promised to call for national reciprocity so each state would honor the concealed carry permits of every other state in the same way that drivers and marriage licenses are honored. And he would also call for a national concealed carry law. Your Second Amendment rights must apply across state lines, Trump said to applause from the crowd. Trump promised to appoint an attorney general who would enforce the law and instruct the Justice Department to investigate law enforcement officials who allowed violent criminals to go free. The first responsibility of the government is to protect its people, he said. The former president heaped criticism on President Joe Bidens administration. He said the presidents policies are destroying the country, but he promised to stop the destruction. Austin police investigate a homicide shooting that occurred at a demonstration in Austin, Texas, on July 25, 2020. (Stephen Spillman/Austin American-Statesman via AP) I have no doubt that we will, as a group, make America great again, Trump told the cheering crowd. Trump said that even amid a pandemic, America was more robust when he left office. He claimed the country is being subjected to a Marxist revolution. They are doing such a horrible job of running this country which is destroying our country, Trump said. According to Trump, Democrats have made many of Americas greatest cities more dangerous. He said violent crime is a problem that must be addressed head-on. He promised to secure the border, support law enforcement, and defend the Second Amendment. The former president drew cheers when he said he would rein in agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and make them focus on threats posed by criminals instead of nitpicking paperwork errors by federal firearms license holders. He had especially bitter criticism of Bidens foreign policy. Members of the Taliban wait to enter the former U.S. military base to celebrate the first anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram, Afghanistan, on Aug. 31, 2022. (Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP via Getty Images) He said Bidens first foreign policy blunder was the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. That move resulted in the deaths of 13 service members and America leaving $85 million worth of military hardware for the Taliban. Since then, China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran have entered into agreements with European and Middle Eastern countries that had been American allies. At the same time, the American dollar, the worlds standard currency, is dropping out of favor. That would have been unthinkable two years ago, Trump said. Trump said Russia would not have invaded Ukraine and that no one discussed using nuclear weapons before Biden took office. The Most Dangerous Time I believe this is the most dangerous time in the history of our country, Trump told the crowd. Still, Trump said the situation could be turned around. He promised to reintroduce policies to respect and preserve American rights while rebuilding the countrys stature on the world stage. He said polls show this is what Americans want and that the recent indictment and investigations by Democrat prosecutors are proof he can win. He told the group that he was not the Democrats real target. Theyre not coming after me, theyre coming after you, and Im in the way, Trump said. He told the NRA members that things would change if he were sent back to the White House. I will lead the great rebirth of American freedom, Trump said. Trump Lawyers Granted Deposition of Rape Accuser Amid Claims of Ties to Democrat Funding, Questionable Credibility Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the Mar-a-Lago Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., April 4, 2023. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday allowed attorneys of former President Donald Trump to depose, for questions related to witness credibility, E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused Trump of sexual assault and defamation. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, a Clinton appointee, ordered that Trumps attorneys, Joseph Tacopina and Alina Habba, can question Carroll on an apparent inconsistency in her sworn testimony in pre-trial depositions about how she funded her defamation lawsuit against Trump. It came after Trumps attorneys learned days ago thatcontrary to Carrolls sworn statements in an Oct. 14, 2022, deposition that no one else is paying her legal feesprominent Democrat donor, LinkedIn Founder Reid Hoffman, is funding at least some of her legal fees. This apparent inconsistency might prove relevant to the question of plaintiffs credibility, in view of the deposition testimony of Carroll, the judge wrote in his Thursday order. The lawsuit dated to 2019, when Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s. After the then-president denied her allegations in 2019, Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit against him in the same year, which bounced around state, federal, and appellate courts in New York and Washington, D.C. Trump has denied all of Carrolls allegations. E. Jean Carroll speaks onstage during the How to Write Your Own Life panel at the 2019 Glamour Women Of The Year Summit at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Nov. 10, 2019. (Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Glamour) Thursdays development gives Trumps attorneys an opportunity before the upcoming trial, set for April 25, to gather potential evidence to advance their position that Carroll is not credible. Inconsistent Statements In an Oct. 14, 2022, deposition, Carroll said under oath that her legal fees are paid on contingencymeaning that the payment will be contingent upon the cases success and confirmed that no one else was paying her legal fees. But according to an April 10 letter from Carrolls attorney to Trumps attorneys, Carroll now recalls that at some point her counsel secured additional funding from a nonprofit organization to offset certain expenses and legal fees. This funding, Carrolls attorney Roberta Kaplan wrote in an April 13 response to Trumps letter, was obtained from a nonprofit to help pay certain costs and fees in connection with the firms work on Carrolls behalf. The said non-profit was the Democrat-aligned 501(c)(4) nonprofit American Future Republic, the two parties April 13 filings indicate. Trumps lawyers say the primary backer of this nonprofit is Hoffman, the billionaire founder of LinkedIn. Carrolls attorneys did not dispute this claim and cited Hoffmans name in their response letter on April 13. A file image of LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, Calif., on March 30, 2011. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Influence Watch, the Capital Research Centers policy influence watchdog website, states that Hoffman is the primary funder of American Future Republic and characterizes the nonprofit as left-of-center. The website says the nonprofit had a revenue of over $21.9 million in 2019. The inconsistency in Carrolls statements affects the merit of the case, Trumps attorneys allege in their April 13 letter, considering that Hoffman is openly anti-Trump and might have funded Carrolls legal fees for the purpose of pushing a political agenda. [Carrolls] potential political ties are pertinent to her motivation for filing her lawsuits, her potential bias against Defendant, and her credibility as a witness, they added. In response to this claim, Kaplan downplayed the funding in their April 13 filing and wrote that his firm, Kaplan, Hecker & Fink, secured the funding from American Future Republic in September 2020, or about 10 months after Carroll launched the lawsuit in September 2019. Carroll is not a wealthy person, Kaplan said. Trump, by contrast, claims to be a billionaire who has reportedly used his own [Political Action Committee] funding to pay for his personal attorneys. We informed Trumps counsel that Carroll has never met and has never been party to any communications (written or oral) with anyone associated with the nonprofit, Kaplan added, rejecting Trumps attorneys claim that the funding has to do with the merit of the case. Kaplan also alleged that Trumps Thursday request to depose Carroll was a delay tactic. In its Thursday ruling, the court partially endorsed the position of Trumps attorneys. It ordered Carrolls attorney to send Trumps attorneys documents related to Carrolls knowledge of the source of her legal funds in the case and allowed Trumps proposed deposition of Carroll to take place no later than April 19 limited to an hour in length. The court rejected Trumps lawyers position that the source of Carrolls funding relates to the cases merit. The question whether and when plaintiff or her counsel have obtained financial support in this action has nothing directly to do with the ultimate merits of the case, the judge opined in the Thursday order, noting that he is not yet issuing a ruling on this question. Veteran Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of Silencers He Argued Were Solvent Traps A Navy veteran was sentenced to three years in prison for unlawful possession of unregistered silencers that he argued were legal purchases of solvent traps, an accessory that can be fashioned into a suppressor. U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, an appointee of President Joe Biden, handed down the sentence on April 13 after Hatchet Speed was convicted on three counts by a jury in January. After joining the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, Speed started stockpiling at least 12 firearms and attempted to acquire silencers, according to court filings. When faced with approval delays, to avoid waiting, he purchased three solvent traps marketed as an accessory used for cleaning a gun barrel but which can also be modified by an end user to serve as a silencer. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement that the accessories werent registered to him as silencers as required by the National Firearms Act (NFA). According to court filings, Speed didnt modify the solvent traps by drilling a hole, which is needed to turn them into silencers. He argued that they didnt need to be registered until modified. But prosecutors claimed he was trying use a loophole to bypass the NFA registration requirement to obtain silencers faster. Prosecutors argued that Speeds purchases were exceptionally serious given his belief in a potential civil war after the certification of the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021. They cited Speeds comments in private communications and to an FBI agent, which they characterized as anti-semitic and indicative of a plan to use the devices as silencers for future political violence. Speed was a member of the Proud Boys and believed the 2020 presidential election was stolen. His lawyers asked for the judge not to be biased against him due to his views, but the judge said his views showed he was a danger to the public. He faces additional charges in a different court for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach and plans to appeal his sentence. Solvent Traps Gun Owners of America (GOA), a national gun rights organization, says the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is going after solvent traps because they can theoretically be modified and used to make a silencer. Solvent traps are a tool used to catch excess fluids during gun cleaning. They attach to firearm barrels in a similar way as firearm silencers. Silencers are regulated under the NFA because of the close association of the use of silencers with criminal acts. The ATF acknowledges that solvent traps have legitimate uses on firearms, but in an internal Technical Bulletin (pdf) dated April 20, 2017, the bureau states that a key factor differentiating the devices from a silencer is their intended use. Certain common car parts can be used to fashion a silencer, such as solvent traps, oil/fuel filters, flashlights, and freeze plugs. Such items are unregulated until a possessor assembles, accumulates, or otherwise demonstrates these articles are to be used for making a firearm silencer, the technical bulletin states (emphasis theirs). The document goes on to state that once an individual acquires these items with the intent to use them to fabricate a silencer, then it comes within the purview of the Gun Control Act (GCA) or the NFA. According to a court filing, prosecutors argued that comments Speed made to an undercover FBI agent in early 2022 show he knew the solvent traps were designed as silencers and that he possessed them for that reason. Solvent traps are a contentious issue in the gun rights debate due to contradictory advice from the ATF on what constitutes a firearm. In 2006 and 2017, the ATF did not classify certain parts as firearms or silencers, according to information obtained by GOA via a freedom of information request. However, in December 2022, the ATF published a letter defining partially complete frames of certain pistols as firearms. GOA contends that this causes confusion and real-world implications. Secret Bulletin The ATFs technical bulletin on solvent traps was intended for internal reference and not released to the public. It was uncovered by GOA via a freedom of information request. GOA and U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns with ATF and the U.S. Attorney General about why the rulemaking was kept secret and not shared with American gun owners. The gun rights organization argued in a separate video that the ATFs bulletins were deliberately kept secret from the public. These secret ATF bulletins go into specifics about when the ATF thinks an item crosses the line from having a legitimate purpose to being an unregistered silencer, the video presenter stated. Of course, the ATF has never seen fit to make these technical bulletins public and thats important. Instead, theyve chosen to deliberately keep the public in the dark about their secret standards. In March 2022, a group of 20 U.S. senators, led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the ATF to express their grave concern after American gun owners began receiving threatening letters. This secret guidance was brought to our attention by those who have received recent threatening letters where the ATF makes blanket threats based on the recipient allegedly purchasing and possessing various firearms accessories, none of which are illegal based on any statute or regulation, the March 2022 letter states. The lawmakers noted that they were disturbed to learn the ATF was attempting to conceal its interpretation of the law while enforcing it. Vietnamese Journalist Jailed for 6 Years for Spreading Anti-State Content A 2006 file image of a Vietnamese policeman stands watch outside the Phuoc Co jail on the outskirts of the southern coastal town of Vung Tau. (Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP via Getty Images) A Vietnamese court sentenced a journalist to six years in jail over anti-state content, in a case that sparked condemnation from international human rights groups over Vietnams prosecution of dissidents. The Hanoi Court said Wednesday that Nguyen Lan Thang, a 48-year-old journalist and political activist, would also be placed under house arrest for two years, a Vietnamese news agency reported. Thang was charged with storing and spreading anti-state content through his social media accounts. He was arrested in July 2022, and his family has not been allowed to visit him since. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that Thang participated in anti-China protests, defended human rights, and blogged about various socio-political issues in the communist-ruled country. Thang was also a contributing blogger to Radio Free Asia (RFA). Four RFA contributors, including Thang, are currently being held in Vietnam. In a statement, RFA president Bay Fang condemned Thangs jail sentence as a miscarriage of justice and an assault on free expression in Vietnam, and demanded his immediate release. The outrageous harassment he has endured and his sentencing to six years in prison demonstrates the extent to which Vietnamese authorities will go to silence independent journalists and voices, she said. Nguyen Lan Thang shared his perspectives and opinions online with a sense of responsibility and duty, but never with malice or disrespect, Bay Fang added. US Calls For Thangs Release Ahead of Visit The U.S. State Department called for the release of Thang and other political detainees in a statement released ahead of State Secretary Antony Blinkens visit to Hanoi on Friday. Ahead of the secretarys visit to Hanoi, our message is clearVietnam is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific, and that partnership can only reach its full potential if the government of Vietnam takes concerted steps to meet its obligations and commitments under international law and improve its human rights record, a State Department spokesperson said. The statement followed HRWs request that Blinken uses his visit to Vietnam to urge the regime to cease its systematic abuse of freedom of expression and release all political prisoners currently held in Vietnam. Blinken should be clear there can be no business as usual with the Vietnamese government so long as it intensifies its repression of activists and their networks, the organization said in a statement. Blinken is making his first trip to Vietnam as secretary of state, hoping for progress towards upgrading relations with a key trade partner that shares U.S. worries about Chinas growing might. Horrendous Rights Record Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at HRW, had also urged Vietnams trade partners in Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan to denounce Vietnams suppression of free speech and call for Thangs release. Vietnams authorities systematically trample on human rights by punishing brave bloggers like Nguyen Lan Thang for expressing their views about the government, Robertson stated. Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty Internationals deputy regional director for campaigns, said that Vietnam should view Thangs peaceful activism and reporting as part of legitimate public debate. Nguyen Lan Thangs trial shows that the Vietnamese authorities are silencing those producing content deemed unfavorable as they seek to ensure subservience to the state, Ming said. His lack of adequate access to a lawyer and family visits are a further stain on a deeply flawed and unfair trial, she added. Robertson said that Vietnams horrendous rights record is especially shameful given that the country is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. As of April this year, Vietnamese authorities have detained more than 160 political prisoners for expressing their rights to freedom of expression, according to the HRW report. Reuters contributed to this report. Water Utility to Update Modelling After Floods in Australian State A pub is inundated by water during flooding in the suburb of Maribyrnong in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 14, 2022. (William West/AFP via Getty Images) Melbourne Water will update its flood modelling for the Maribyrnong River after more than 500 homes and businesses were unexpectedly inundated. The organisation copped criticism in the wake of the October 2022 floods, with residents in the citys northwest saying they did not receive adequate information or warning about what was to come. Melbourne Water, in a 36-page submission to its Maribyrnong Flood inquiry, admitted the river rose faster than its modelling had predicted. At Chifley Drive in Maribyrnong, the river rose from a minor flood level of 1.7 m at 4.25 am on Oct. 14 to a major flood level of 2.9 m two hours later. Melbourne Water last commissioned modelling for the lower Maribyrnong River in 2003. The organisation confirmed it would use the recent floods river heights and flow rates data to update the modelling. This allows for the models to be calibrated with more accuracy, the submission read. Melbourne Water is yet to detail the impact of the Flemington Racecourse flood levee, saying a complex hydraulic and hydrologic model would need to be completed. The grounds of the Melbourne Cup track remained clear as the surrounding area flooded, thanks to a 2.5 m wall built in 2007. The water body is continuing to investigate the impact of the wall. This modelling takes time and has not been possible in the period available for submissions to this review, the submission read. It is usual for modelling of this kind to take at least 12 months to complete. The inquiry on Friday released the 62 submissions it received from residents, councils and organisations. The review panel will consider that evidence and prepare a report, which will be submitted to Melbourne Water in August. The report will then be handed to the Victorian government before it is released publicly. By George Galer, KYODO NEWS - Apr 15, 2023 - 18:54 | Arts, Japan, All, Feature A northern California city on Friday celebrated the 10th anniversary of the washing ashore of a small boat two years after it was sucked out to sea during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. Crescent City held the Kamome Festival for the first time to commemorate the wild journey of the boat, the Kamome, from Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, and the bond it created between two cities on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean. Blake Inscore, a 61-year-old former mayor of the U.S. coastal city, said the 10th anniversary was a "reminder of the undeniable reality that our communities were destined to be forever friends." The organizers plan to make the festival an annual event. Around 750 elementary school students attended events in the morning, learning about tsunami and the story of the Kamome, trying their hand at origami and writing letters to students in Rikuzentakata. A "taiko" traditional Japanese drum group from Eureka, south of Crescent City, performed during the event. Local artist Harley Munger, 80, unveiled his mural commemorating the relationship between the sister cities during the festival and an identical mural will be sent to Rikuzentakata. The tsunami that brought the Kamome from the marine science department of Takata High School to Crescent City destroyed thousands of buildings and left over 1,500 people dead in Rikuzentakata. The boat washed up on Crescent City's South Beach in April 2013. Students at Del Norte High School in the city decided to clean the boat and help return it to its rightful owners. While most of those at the festival live in Crescent City, a delegation from Rikuzentakata also attended the event. Kiyoshi Murakami, 63, a member of the Rikuzentakata delegation and CEO of a company involved in post-disaster reconstruction and promotional activities, said the return of the boat "gave hope during the rebuilding of the city." The story of the Kamome also reminds residents of Crescent City of their own history of tsunami. In 1964, what the University of Southern California Tsunami Research Center called the "largest and most destructive tsunami to ever strike the United States Pacific Coast" hit the city, killing over 10 people and destroying hundreds of buildings. Del Norte and Takata became sister schools in 2014 and Crescent City, along with Del Norte County, established a sister-city relationship with Rikuzentakata in 2018. "As they were rebuilding a city we were also building a new friendship, and that needs to be celebrated," Inscore said. Wisconsin Man Gets Life in Prison for Wifes 1998 Slaying Mark Jensen makes his way into the courtroom for his sentencing hearing in Kenosha, Wis., on April 14, 2023. (Sean Krajacic/Pool/The Kenosha News via AP) KENOSHA, Wis.A Wisconsin man convicted for a second time of killing his wife with antifreeze and by suffocation in 1998 was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole. A Kenosha County judge sentenced Mark Jensen, 63, who was convicted by a jury in February of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his wife, Julie Jensen. Prosecutors alleged he poisoned Julie Jensen with antifreeze, and also drugged her with a sleeping medication before later suffocating her to death in their Pleasant Prairie home. Jensen has maintained his innocence, with his attorneys arguing that Julie Jensen was depressed and killed herself after framing her husband. Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Anthony Milisauskas said during Fridays sentencing, Theres no doubt in my mind Julie Jensen suffered for a long time. He could have divorced her, separated, whatever, but he chose not to do that. What he chose to do was torture her for a long time, Milisauskas said, according to WISN-TV. Jensen was first convicted in 2008 for his wifes slaying and sentenced to life without parole. But a Kenosha County judge vacated Jensens first conviction in April 2021 after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled he deserved a new trial. The court found that a letter his wife wrote incriminating him should something happen to her could not be used by the prosecution. Yousaf Says SNP Not Close to Bankruptcy as Party Ruling Body Orders Governance Review Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf speaking to the media at Crookston Castle Primary School, Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, on April 13, 2023. (Robert Perry/PA Media) The Scottish National Partys (SNP) government body has agreed to carry out a governance and transparency review, Scotlands First Minister Humza Yousaf said on Saturday after an SNP National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. But Yousaf denied claims that the ruling party is facing bankruptcy, telling reporters its solvent and not close to bankruptcy. It comes after former First Minister Nicola Sturgeons husband, former party chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested and released without charge in a police investigation into SNPs finances. It has also emerged this week that the partys auditor resigned months ago. Speaking shortly after the NEC meeting, Yousaf said the meeting had been positive and there were no resignations, and that agreement was reached to hold a governance and transparency review. Questioned about the review, he said the party will ensure it has external input, particularly around the issues of financial oversight. So, that may well be forensic accountants, it may well be some other means and method, but I think around the additional financial oversight, external input is really important, he said. Yousaf told reporters an interim report on the review is expected in June, with a full report due in autumn and the latter will be made public. Accounting firm Johnston Carmichael last week confirmed reports that it had resigned as SNPs auditor. Yousaf, who recently became SNP leader after Sturgeons resignation, told STV News on Tuesday that the auditor had quit around October last year, and that he had only found out the news after winning the leadership contest. Commenting on auditors on Saturday, Yousaf said the party is desperate to find them. Im not concerned about what [forensic auditors] might find. Im concerned about the fact that, from my perspective, we could improve our governance and our transparency and Im concerned about the fact that in six months we havent been able to find auditors, he added. Yousaf Hopeful of Winning Potential By-Election Yousaf was speaking at a campaign event in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency, where the party could face a by-election. Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Margaret Ferrier speaks in the House of Commons, London, on Oct. 28, 2020. (Parliament TV) Sitting MP Margaret Ferrier won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat for the SNP in 2019but was later found to have damaged the reputation of the House of Commons and placed people at risk by taking part in a debate and travelling by train while suffering from COVID-19. If she is barred from the Commons for 10 days or more, that could trigger a recall petition, which would result in a by-election in the constituencyalthough 10 percent of voters there would need to support this for it to go ahead. Parliament is still to determine her punishment, but the Commons Standards Committee has already recommended the MPwho now sits as an independentshould be suspended for 30 days. Yousaf said he is hopeful of winning if a by-election is held. I think it will be a challenging by-election for us. Im not going to pretend otherwise in the context of Margarets actions, plus also last week has been difficult, he said. But we should also go in confident. Weve got a good ground operation here. We know where a lot of our support is in the constituency. Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: Voters wont forget Margaret Ferriers reckless rule-breaking, no matter how many SNP campervans are dispatched to Rutherglen. As Humza Yousaf desperately scrambles to hold his crumbling party together, Scottish Labour is offering real change. The SNP is chaotic and divided the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West deserve better. Police Investigation Murrell, 58, who was the SNPs chief executive until last month, was arrested on April 5 in connection with a long-running Police Scotland investigation into the spending of about 600,000 ($749,000), which was raised by the SNP to fund its campaigning for Scottish independence. He was released from custody the same evening pending further investigation. Police also searched a number of addresses, including Sturgeon and Murrells home in Glasgow. Nicola Sturgeon, then SNP leader and Scottish first minister, and husband Peter Murrell pose after casting their votes in the 2019 General Election at Broomhouse Park Community Hall, Glasgow, Scotland, on Dec. 12, 2019. (Andrew Milligan/PA Media) The police investigation into the SNPs finances began in July 2021, following complaints about how donations given to the party for use in a fresh independence referendum campaign had been used. Two SNP MPs had quit the partys National Executive Committee in May that year, citing a lack of transparency. But the SNP leadership strongly denied claims the money raised for independence campaigning was diverted elsewhere. Sturgeon, who was Scotlands first minister and SNP leader, insisted she was not concerned about the partys finances and that every penny of cash raised in online crowdfunding campaigns would be spent on the independence drive. The party said it raised a total of 666,953 through referendum-related appeals between 2017 and 2020. But questions were raised after its accounts showed it had just under 97,000 in the bank at the end of 2019, and total net assets of about 272,000. It emerged last year that Murrell had loaned the SNP 107,620 in June 2021. An SNP spokesman said at the time that the loan was a personal contribution made by the chief executive to assist with cash flow after the Holyrood election. Speaking on April 8 about her husbands arrest, Sturgeon said she couldnt comment on an ongoing investigation, and would fully cooperate with it. PA Media contributed to this report. AIBEA holds Central Committee meeting in city Business Bureau The meeting of Central Committee members of All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) was held first time on April 12 and 13 at Parvana Bhavan, Kingsway, Nagpur. The resolutions passed in this meeting will be discussed its 29th National Conference on May 13, 14 and 15, 2023 at the financial capital Mumbai. Suresh Bobhate, President of Eastern Maharashtra Bank Employees Association (EMBEA) welcomed all the Central Committee members and briefed about the past and present developments regarding Parvana Bhavan. He then invited the leaders to come to the dais. Thereafter, all the Trustees of Parvana Memorial Trust and Central Committee members were felicitated. Rajen Nagar, President of AIBEA conducted the proceedings. Rambabu, Secretary of AIBEA read out the minutes of the last Central Committee meet held at Indore and the same was unanimously adopted by the house. CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA spoke about all the developments taking place in the banking sector. He also spoke about mergers and intent to privatise banks and anti people policy of the present Government. He also shed light on the present developments regarding pending residual issues of 11th Bipartite and discussions on 12th Bipartite Charter of Demands. Jaiwant Gurway, General Secretary of EMBEA received the leaders and members of Central Committee and took efforts in making the meet a grand success. BJP Corporators accuse Cong of proposing 50 pc property tax exemption to industrialists Staff Reporter BHILAI, BJP Corporators of the Bhilai Municipal Corporation accused the Congress of proposing a 50% property tax exemption to industrialists. Addressing a press conference they claimed that the decision was made to benefit big industrialists who donate to the Congress for political gains. The BJP Corporators alleged that the Congress Corporators tried to avoid discussing the matter by making noise in the general body. The proposal to give 50% exemption in property tax to industrial units was brought in the general body of BMC. Responding to this, all BJP Corporators said in one voice that if the government has decided to give 50% exemption in property tax to the industrial units of big industrialists, then it should also give the same exemption to disabled, widows, abandoned people, BPL cardholders living in the area of Corporation, those living in Atal Awas, and deprived poor people living in different areas. The BJP Corporators present at the press conference included Leader of Opposition Bhojraj Sinha, Santosh Maurya, Mahesh Verma, Piyush Mishra, Satyadevi, Nohar Verma, Rikesh Sen, Sarita, Vinod Chelak, Shailja Priyanka Sahu, Laxmi Diwakar, and others. Cgarh honoured with excellence award for implementation of PM Fasal Bima Yojana Staff Reporter RAIPUR, The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, has given the award of excellence to Chhattisgarh for the efficient and successful implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in State. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey have congratulated the officers and employees of the Agriculture Department for this achievement. It may be noted that Chhattisgarh is one of the leading states across the country in the implementation of Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana. The award was given at the 9th National Review Workshop organised by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, in the capital Raipur today. Secretary to the Government of India Manoj Ahuja handed over the citation to Chhattisgarhs Agriculture Production Commissioner Dr Kamalpreet Singh, giving him the award of excellence. On this occasion, Special Secretary Dr Ayyaz F Tamboli Special Secretary, Agriculture Department, Director Agriculture Ranu Sahu, Director Horticulture Department V Matheswaran, Additional Director Horticulture Bhupendra Pandey and Joint Director Agriculture B K Mishra were also present. In the national review workshop, it was informed that the ambitious scheme of the Government of India namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, has been successfully implemented in Chhattisgarh with Digiclaim module for automatic calculation and settlement of National Crop Insurance Portal. Along with this, remarkable success has also been achieved in registering the portal and taking the benefits of insurance to the farmers. 6,77,558 eligible farmers have been given the benefit of crop insurance under this scheme in Chhattisgarh, in the year 2022-23 and an amount of Rs 192.41 crore has been given to the farmers as insurance amount. CM Baghel appeals people to follow path of Babasaheb Staff Reporter RAIPUR, On the occasion of the 132nd birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel garlanded the statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, architect of the Indian Constitution at Ambedkar Chowk. The event was organised by Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Sarvajanik Jayanti Samaroh Samiti, Raipur. During his address, the Chief Minister spoke about the significance of Babasaheb Ambedkars contribution to the country and how he fought for the downtrodden society to get their rights. He inspired the people of the backward classes to struggle by being educated and organised. Baghel said that Babasaheb realised that the biggest weakness of Indian society is education. He referred to Indian philosophy and said that India considers the whole world as a family. Baghel added that although India is ideologically very high, our behaviour is not like that, and human beings are discriminated against in our society, and equality is not practiced. He further stated that many great men of the country, including Babasaheb, realised this evil of Indian society and fought against it. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar fought for the rights of the downtrodden, the oppressed, by becoming their voice. Baghel said that legends like Babasaheb are born once in centuries. Dr B R Ambedkar gave us the mantra to be educated, be organised and struggle. His thoughts inspire us to struggle and move forward. He imbibed Lord Buddhas message of wisdom, compassion, and friendship, which society needs today the most. The constitution given by Babasaheb gives us an opportunity for social, economic, and political equality, which is our fundamental right. Dr Ambedkar had tried to bring changes in society by introducing reservation. He had accepted Buddhism in the presence of thousands of people in Nagpur. Baghel also stated that his government has simplified the process of making a caste certificate. Chhattisgarh is the first State in the country where if the parents have a caste certificate, then the newborn child is given its caste certificate. If someone does not have a record of 50 years, arrangements have been made to make a caste certificate after the resolution is passed by the Gram Sabha or the General Assembly in urban areas. The Buddhist Society of India demanded land in Naya Raipur, and the Chief Minister stated that land is being allotted to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes on giving 10 per cent of the cost of the land and 15 percent to other classes. He said that if the society wants to take government land, then mark the land, and the land will be allotted as per the prescribed procedure. The Chief Minister also informed the audience that Guru Ghasidas Museum, Shaheed Veer Narayan Memorial, and world-class schools are being built in Nava Raipur. President of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Sarvajanik Jayanti Samaroh Samiti Raipur Dilip Wasnikar and The Buddhist Society of India State President B S Jagrit addressed the program and demanded that the Chief Minister provide 255 acres of land to the Buddhist Community for opening of school at Nava Raipur. several dignitaries attended the function. The Chief Minister also made a scathing attack on the BJP government at the Centre, stating that constitutional institutions are being weakened in the country and the Indian constitution is in danger. Baghel accused the Central Government of continuously weakening all constitutional institutions and not allowing reservation to be implemented in State, even after passing the reservation bills in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. He also spoke about how bungalows are vacated when questions are asked, and the job of the Opposition and journalists is to ask questions, but they cannot ask questions in the current scenario. ED concludes raids against Atiq, aides; papers, jewellery seized PRAYAGRAJ, THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday concluded its fresh raids against gangster Atiq Ahmed and his associates, and recovered a large number of documents related to bank accounts, asset papers, and gold jewellery worth Rs 2.5 crore. The ED launched searches in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation against gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed, and his associates, according to sources. Meanwhile, the body of Atiq Ahmeds son Asad and his aide Ghulam will be brought to Prayagraj from Jhansi. Asads body will be received by his maternal kin and will be taken to a family graveyard at Kasari Masari in Prayagraj for burial. Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case and were killed in an encounter by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) in Jhansi on Thursday. Each of them carried a reward of Rs 5 lakhs. The police said that foreign-made weapons were recovered. Meanwhile, police deployment was seen outside Maharani Laxmibai Medical Hospital in Jhansi where the bodies of Asad and Ghulamhave beenkept for post-mortem. Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday brought Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf to Dhoomanganj Police Station in Prayagraj after Prayagraj Chief Judicial Magistrate courtsentthemtofourday police custody. Thepolicecustodyof the duo started from 5 pm on April 13 till 5 pm on April 17. The Uttra Pradesh Police chargesheet filed before the court mentioned a recorded statement of Atiq Ahmed. ...I have no dearth of weapons because I have direct connections with Pakistans ISI and terror organisation Lashkar-eToiba. Weapons from Pakistan are dropped on the Punjab border with the help of drones and local connectioncollects them.Terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir get weapons from this consignment. If you take me with you, I can help you recover that money and arms and ammunitionusedintheincident, the chargesheet said citing Atiq. Asads maternal grandfather and Ghulams wife have reached Jhansi. Ghulams mother and brotherhavealreadysaidthat wouldnottakethedeadbody of Ghulam. Tight security arrangements have been made to ensurethatlawandorderare maintainedduringthefuneral. On Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired a highlevel meeting on law and orderafterthekillingofAsad andGhulaminanencounter. CM Yogi also lauded the 12-member STF team involved in the shootout. On March 28, Atiq Ahmed wasconvictedbyanMP-MLA court and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in the abduction case of nowdeceased Umesh Pal. Atiq Ahmed and his family came under the scanner in the Umesh Pal murder case. Atiq Ahmed, who has over 100 cases against him over the last 43 years, has been convicted in the same case. Umesh Pal, a key witness to the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party leader Raju Pal and one of his two armed security escorts was shot dead in Prayagrajs SulemSarayareaonFebruary 24.Several roundswerefired and bombs were hurled at Umesh and his gunners, according to officials. FIR on 3, including official of State Co-operative Dairy Federation Staff Reporter MP Nagar Police Station has registered a case of fraud against three people, including the administrator in connection with the fake appointments made in the Madhya Pradesh State Co-operative Dairy Federation (MPCDF). He is accused of illegally appointing employees. Investigation has been started in this matter. Sub-Inspector R K Mishra of MP Nagar Police Station said that Vijay Kumar (65), a resident of Gorakhpur, Jabalpur, is a retired officer. He had made a written complaint at MP Nagar police station, in which he told that many posts in MPCDF have been appointed fraudulently. In the complaint, he alleged that in-charge Chief Executive Officer, Sahakari Milk Union RPS Tiwari carried out the incident with the help of Jayashree Ganesan, Manager Shakha Johri and others. The accused have wrongly appointed their acquaintances on the vacant posts of MPCDF till December 2019, six months after the validity of 18 months after the declared results of the examination conducted by MP Staff Selection Board. After investigating the matter, the police have registered a case of cheating against the in-charge Chief Executive Officer Co-operative Milk Union RPS Tiwari, Manager Sharda Johri and Jayshree Ganesan. Vijay Kumar has told the police in the complaint that the accused have done similar rigging in the appointment of about 23 other employees besides Pankaj Pandey Manager (Marketing) of Indore Dugdh Sangh. The names of more people may come forward in this case. It is alleged that these officers, who have been accused of fraud, have remained in their posts even after the matter came to the fore and are continuously making their records disappear by tampering with the documents. India, Japan, France launch platform on SL debt By Lalit K Jha WASHINGTON, INDIA, Japan and France have announced a common platform for talks among creditors to address the debt restructuring programme of Sri Lanka which is grappling with its worst economic crisis. The representatives of the three creditor countries, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, held a press briefing on the margins of the annual spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington on Thursday. The purpose of the event was to demonstrate the multilateral cooperation regarding the debt restructuring process among the creditors, together with Sri Lanka, said an official statement. Indian banking, financial systems remain insulated: RBI Guv: Indias financial system remains completely insulated from the recent developments in the US and Switzerland, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said, asserting that the countrys banking system is resilient, stable and healthy. The Governor of the RBI told a press conference here on Thursday that at the global level, the recent developments in the banking system in the US and in Switzerland, have once again, brought into focus the importance of financial stability and banking sector stability. Within the framework of the visit of the assistant to the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Elchin Amirbayov to the Netherlands, meetings were held with deputies of political parties in this country, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Netherlands Rahman Mustafayev wrote on his Twitter page. The ambassador thanked the deputies for a constructive exchange of views with Assistant to the First VP of Azerbaijan Elchin Amirbayov on a broad range of issues regarding cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands, as well as regional issues. Meetings were held with representatives of the ruling People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, which is part of the coalition of the Democrats 66 Party, as well as the Volt, DENK, In the name of the interests of the Netherlands, and with a senator from the "Ja21" party. By Junko Horiuchi, KYODO NEWS - Apr 15, 2023 - 12:41 | All, World, Japan, G7 Ministers from the Group of Seven nations started a two-day meeting in the northern Japan city of Sapporo on Saturday, looking for ways to enhance energy security in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine while at the same time accelerating decarbonization efforts. Attention is focused on whether the G-7 meeting on climate, energy and environmental issues, the first in a series of in-person ministerial gatherings leading up to the group's summit in May, will achieve unity on ambitious goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, including in the electricity and vehicle sectors. "We are facing the challenge of promoting reforms to resolve climate change...and achieving energy security at the same time," while the economic environment is beset by uncertain energy markets and supply chain vulnerabilities, said Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is co-chairing the meeting with Environment Minister Akihiro Nishimura. "Through the discussions, I hope that the G-7 ministers will send out a message outlining specific actions toward reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and stabilizing the energy market," he said at the outset of the opening session that was open to the media. Environment Minister Nishimura said, "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had a serious negative impact on global environmental and energy issues. The importance of cooperation among the G-7 countries, the leaders of the international community, is growing." At last year's G-7 summit chaired by Germany, member states agreed to "fully or predominantly" decarbonize the power sector by 2035 but failed to agree on a specific timeline for the goal of phasing out coal power generation due to opposition from resource-poor Japan, which plans to continue using the relatively cheap fossil fuel despite the pollution it causes. At the meeting, Britain and Canada are seeking to eliminate the phrase "predominantly" in a push for full decarbonization of the power sector by 2035, while Germany has been among the countries calling for a phasing out of coal power that is not mitigated by emissions reduction technologies, negotiation sources said. Another focus is the G-7 ministers' commitment on promoting zero emission vehicles, including whether they will set a target for the market share of such vehicles or even a time frame for phasing out fossil-fuel vehicles. Japan is believed to be reluctant to agree as its major automakers are strong in gasoline-electric and plug-in-hybrids. The meeting is taking place amid growing demands for efforts to curb global warming to be speeded up, with a U.N. climate panel calling for more ambitious action in its March report, saying, "The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years." The report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that for global temperature rises to be kept to 1.5 C compared with pre-industrial levels -- the target under the Paris Agreement -- the world needs to halve CO2 emissions by 2030 from 2019 levels and cut them by 65 percent by 2035. Russia's war in Ukraine, however, has posed challenges for decarbonization, as countries that relied on oil and natural gas from Russia moved to diversify and secured stable supplies of energy, including coal, according to the International Energy Agency. The ministers will also address how to prevent the loss of biodiversity. Negotiation sources have said the G-7 plans to set up an economic coalition aimed at achieving nature positive, or reversing nature loss. The coalition, which will collaborate with a global group pushing for nature-related financial disclosures, will aim to help financial institutions appropriately evaluate the environmental impact of companies they are considering investing in, the sources said. The G-7 ministers are expected to come up with guidelines to encourage companies to manufacture products that are easy to recycle, at a time when demand for rare metals is expected to increase amid the widespread use of electric vehicles. There is also a need to ensure a transparent and sustainable supply of critical minerals to enhance energy security as the production of rare metals including lithium and cobalt is dependent on certain countries such as China. The G-7 comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union. Ministers from India, chair of the Group of 20 major economies, Indonesia, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the United Arab Emirates, the host of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP28, all for this year, have been invited to the meeting. MP man dies of COVID-19 Staff Reporter Nagpur city recorded a COVID-19 death when a 43-year old man from Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, died in Nagpur. This is the first COVID-19 death witnessed by city after a years gap. The man had come to Nagpur to get his liver problem treated and was co-morbid. Dr Govardhan Navkhare, Health Officer with Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) told The Hitavada that the death audit is being done to know the exact cause of such deaths. Every critical patient has to get the COVID-19 test done. Most patients were found positive for the virus because of other ailments. We will study all the aspects and then draw conclusion, Dr Navkhare made it clear. Meanwhile on Friday, the coronavirus count has crossed the 200-mark as 230 persons became positive for the virus in one single day. Of the total 152 alone found in city, 73 in rural and five patients are not the residents of district. This has taken the active cases to 777. NAAC team inspects study centers of Pt Sunderlal Sharma Open University Staff Reporter Bhilai, The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) recently completed a two-day inspection of Pt Sunderlal Sharma Open University and its all-regional centers, including the Durg Regional Centre, which handles study centers in three districts of Durg, Balod and Bemetara. The team was headed by Dr Hema Sunder Naidu from Devi Ahilya University, Indore and Dr Vijay Jaiswal from Choudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut. During the inspection, the team reviewed the teaching, study materials and infrastructural facilities at the center and subsequently gave the NAAC grading of the university. The team visited all the departments, laboratories, conference halls, and research centers to inspect the facilities and research work going on in the department. Dr D N Sharma, the Co-ordinator of the Regional Study Centre in Durg district, informed that the team also inspected study centers at Government VYT Postgraduate College Durg and Mansa College, Kohka Road, Kurud. He added that the students of the study center have excelled in different exams of the university in the past years and many of them have secured top positions. The NAAC is a UGC-funded autonomous body that assesses and accredits higher education institutions, including degree colleges and universities in the country. Accreditation signifies that an educational institution has met certain standards of excellence across its operations, making it eligible for grants from the union government. Accreditation also has major benefits for students. All three centers presented their reports through a PowerPoint presentation. Over dozen slums gutted in devastating fire near CSIR-AMPRI Staff Reporter A massive fire broke out on Friday evening near CSIR-AMPRI (Advance Material and Process Research Institute) located at Hoshangabad Road near Habibganj Naka in Bhopal. Firstly, a cotton mattress shop caught fire, which spread to some shanties and idol pandals. Due to this slums and pandals were burnt to ashes. Fire-fighters are trying to extinguish the fire. During this, explosions are also occurring. The information about the blast in the cylinder is coming to the fore. Information about a large number of idols of gods and goddesses being kept in the pandal is coming to the fore. Fire broke out at 6.40 pm, which could not be extinguished till the filing of this report. As per an eyewitness, cotton mattress shop was the first to catch fire. There was no water to extinguish it. Because of this the fire spread. There were many slums and idol-making pandals nearby, which were burnt to ashes. In the preliminary information, information about 15 slums being burnt due to fire is coming to the fore. At the same time, many idols kept in the pandal have also been burnt to ashes. Due to wood, plastic and foil, the fire spread more. Fire engines from Mata Mandir, ISBT, Govindpura and Pul Bogda reached the spot as soon as the fire was reported. At the same time, tankers have also reached. A civic body worker Nafees, who reached from Mata Mandir fire station to extinguish the fire, told that the slums were completely gutted. The pandal was also turned into ashes. The sounds of explosions are coming from inside. Probably gas cylinders were kept inside the slums. There have been blasts three to four times. At present, there is no information of any kind of loss of life. PCR to Pujari till Apr 24 Staff Reporter AFTER city police invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Jayesh Pujari alias Salim Shahir for his links with terrorist organisations, the court further remanded him to police custody till April 24 on Friday. Jayesh, who was already in police custody for making threat calls to harm Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to extort crores of rupees, was now being intensely interrogated by a joint team of City Police and State and Central Intelligence agencies. He was taken into custody from Hindalga Central Jail in Karnatakas Belagavi by the City Police for making threat calls to Gadkaris public relations office from the prison. A team of city police had also seized two cellphones and two SIM cards which he was using from jail to make threat calls. Political leaders from city remember Dr Ambedkar on birth anniversary Staff Reporter A number of senior leaders and members of political parties paid tributes to Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, on Friday. They in large number reached Ambedkar Chowk and garlanded the statue of Baba Saheb. Speaking on the occasion, BJP leaders said their Government is endeavoring hard to provide due benefits of Governments schemes to each and every beneficiary, especially the last man in the society. BJP leaders said due to social inequality, evils started flourishing in the country and Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar did the most capable work to remove such evils. He contributed in bringing the society and classes together and in this way all are working together to take the country forward. They further said Baba Sahebs active social work and huge contribution for the upliftment of the underprivileged is still remembered by everyone. The BJP government imbibes the ideas given by him. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working continuously for the development of last person of the society. Shah sets 35 LS seats target for WB BJP in 2024 elections SURI (WB), UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday set a target for the BJP to win 35 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in next years election, and said the Mamata Banerjee Government in the State wont survive beyond 2025. Stating that Narendra Modi would again be the Prime Minister of the country in 2024, Shah asserted that leaders like Mamata Banerjee, cannever give a befitting reply to Pakistan or fight militancy in Kashmir. Let me make it very clearthat in2024,NarendraModiwillagain be the countrys Prime Minister. The people of Bengal have given us great responsibility by giving us 77 seats in the last assembly polls. Give us more than 35 Lok Sabha seats fromWest Bengal,and I can assure you that the corrupt TMC government wont survive beyond 2025, he said while addressing a rally in the Suri area in Birbhum district. The Mamata Banerjee Government is scheduled to complete its third term in 2026. The BJP won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in the 2019 elections. Leaders like Mamata Banerjee can never give a befitting reply to Pakistan, fight militancy in Kashmir, the BJP leader said adding that only Prime Minister Modi is capable of handling such national issues. Criticising the TMC overthe arrest of its ministers and leaders in graft cases by ED and CBI, Shah said the party should be ashamed of itself. Electing Narendra Modi again as the PM would be the trailer before removing Mamata Banerjee from power in Bengal,said Shah, considered the principal electoral strategist of the party. Referring to the criticism that central agencies have targetted the TMC for political reasons, Shah said those who engage in corruption and loot will eventually end up in prison. He claimed Banerjee does not care about the youth of Bengal who were being duped in the school jobs scam as her only target is to make her nephew the next chief minister of this state. But let me clarify, the next West Bengal Chief Minister will be from the BJP. Only the BJPcan fight and defeat the corrupt TMC. Under Mamata Banerjees rule, West Bengal has turned in to a hub of bomb-making factories, the Union Home Minister claimed. Banerjeesnephew Abhishekis TMCsnational General Secretary and a two-time MP. Tributes paid to Dr Ambedkar on his birth anniversary NEW DELHI, PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tribute to Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, a social reformer, economist, jurist and the Architect of Indias Constitution, on his birth anniversary. Ambedkar dedicated his life to the empowerment of the deprived and the exploited sections of society, Modi tweeted, posting an audio clip of his earlier remarks on Ambedkars life. At a ceremony in the Parliament complex, President Droupadi Murmu and the Prime Minister were joined by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in paying floral tributes to Ambedkar. President Droupadi Murmu on Friday extended her greetings on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dalit icon and the Father of the Constitution, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Taking to Twitter, Murmu said, I extend my heartiest greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Architect of our Constitution, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde offered floral tributes to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on the occasion of his birth anniversary. Speaking at an event in Mumbai to mark Ambedkar Jayanti, CM Shinde said, We are the largest democracy in the world and this has been possible because of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. CM Shinde was accompanied by Governor Ramesh Bais and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Babasaheb Ambedkar has worked for equality all his life. Ambedkar gave our country a Constitution which assured equal rights and opportunities to everyone, Deputy CM Fadnavis said. The Governor planted a sapling on the premises of Chaityabhumi and visited an exhibition of photographs on the life of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar put up by the Public Relations branch of the BMC. A Tri-Sharan Buddha Vandana was recited on the occasion. Flower petals were showered on the memorial from a helicopter. The Governor also presented the holy ochre clothes to the Bhantes on the occasion. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararjan, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, leaders of the ruling BRS, Opposition BJP, Congress and others in Telangana paid rich tributes to Dr B R Ambedkar on Friday. In a message, the Governor said Ambedkar is one of Indias greatest sons who shaped the countrys Constitution. Launching a scathing attack on the Government on Dr B R Ambedkars birth anniversary, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday alleged that the regime in power is misusing and subverting the institutions of the Constitution, and the people must act to defend the Constitution from this systematic assault. Penning an article in The Telegraph on the birth anniversary of Ambedkar, the Architect of Indias Constitution, Gandhi said today the real anti-nationals are those who are misusing their power to divide Indians against each other on the grounds of religion, language, caste and gender. As we honour Babasahebs legacy today, we must remember his prescient warning that the success of the Constitution depends on the conduct of the people entrusted with the duty to govern, the Congress parliamentary party President said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday paid his tributes to the Architect of Indias Constitution, Dr B R Ambedkar, on his birth anniversary. Equality, Liberty, Fraternity and Justice - The universal values Babasaheb Ambedkar championed, will always remain our guiding light and strength! Tributes to the Architect of Indias Constitution on his birth anniversary, the Congress leader tweeted. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, too, paid his tributes to the Dalit icon on Ambedkar Jayanti. After the death of its shop owner in November, the contents of the Wall Street Exchange in Norwalk are going to auction. Located at 19 Wall St., the Wall Street Exchange operated for a number of years before owner Angell DAlessio closed the shop more than a decade ago, according to the auction site, AuctionNinja. Up until six years ago though, DAlessio would occasionally open his shop once every couple of months, explained Brian Vasquez, auction manager for Clearing House Estate Sales, who is handling the auction of DAlessio's items. DAlessio passed away last November at the age of 96, and now everything is being cleared out. The first of several auctions of DAlessio's estate will conclude online on Saturday, with featured items including a large carousel horse, a crystal chandelier, a 39-star American flag and a flag honoring the 300th anniversary of Norwalk from 1951. When first let into the store to go through items, Vasquez said there were notes from prospective customers slipped under the door asking for the price of certain items. The current bidding prices range from $270 for the large carousel horse to $21 for a decorative deer head and down to a painting of Joan Crawford and her husband for $1. Some items still have a starting bid of $0. Contributed by Clearing House Estate Sales "It's like a museum," Vasquez said, adding that the offerings from DAlessio's estate are "a few notches above a normal estate sale." Vasquez said this is because DAlessio had an eye for items of quality and knew their value. The auction manager knew DAlessio for more than two decades, and is currently working with his family to go through his estate. According to his obituary, D'Alessio was a U.S. Army veteran who served during World War II. In the '50s and '60s, he owned Fairfield Realty. D'Alessio got into antiquing after graduating college and spending time in Vermont near Lake Champlain. The former shop owner traveled the globe to obtain his antiques, including Europe and the Middle East. In approximately a month, Vasquez will run an auction for items from DAlessio's Bell Island home, which will include bronze and marble statues, stained glass windows and even a 2005 Corvette. Items in the current auction will close at 8:05 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. Pickup will take place in Norwalk on Monday, April 17 for any items won during the auction. Shipping is also available for some items. All items not picked up on Monday will be forfeited without refund. Fernando Vergara/AP WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is hosting Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House for talks next week, offering a high-profile visit to the leftist leader who has vowed to bring total peace to his nation of 50 million after six-decades of conflict. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that Biden and Petro during the April 20 visit will discuss economic and security cooperation as well as efforts to combat climate change, counter narcotics trafficking, migration, and more. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macrons unpopular plan to raise Frances retirement age from 62 to 64 was enacted into law Saturday, the day after the countrys constitutional body approved the change. Macron's signature and publication in the Official Journal of the French Republic allowed the law to enter into force. The authorized changes will start being implemented in September, French government spokesperson Olivier Veran said. On Friday, the Constitutional Council rejected some parts of the government's pension legislation but approved the higher minimum retirement age, which was central to Macrons plan and the focus of opponents' protests. The nine-member councils decision capped months of tumultuous debates in parliament and fervor in the streets. Spontaneous demonstrations took place in Paris and across the country after the ruling. France's main labor unions, which organized 12 nationwide protests since January in hopes of defeating the plan, have vowed to continue fighting until it is withdrawn. They called for another mass protest on May 1, which is International Workers Day. The government argued that requiring people to work two years more before qualifying for a pension was needed to keep the pension system afloat as the population ages; opponents proposed raising taxes on the wealthy or employers instead, and said the change threatened a hard-won social safety net. Opinion polls show Macrons popularity has plunged to its lowest level in four years. The centrist president, who made raising the retirement age a priority of his second term, plans to make a televised national address on Monday evening, Macrons office said. The presidents remarks are very much awaited and will both seek to appease tensions in the country and explain decisions that have been made in the past months regarding the pension reform, government spokesperson Veran said. Macron was first elected in 2017 on a promise to make France's economy more competitive, including by making people work longer. Since then, his government has made it easier to hire and fire workers, cut business taxes and made it more difficult for the unemployed to claim benefits. KYODO NEWS - Apr 15, 2023 - 11:37 | All, World, Japan Senior defense officials of Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed Friday to step up efforts to realize real-time information sharing about North Korean missiles. The agreement was reached in Washington a day after North Korea said it had test-fired a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. The officials also said they discussed ways for their armed forces to resume trilateral drills to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region in a "more effective manner." In the wake of a thaw in relations between Japan and South Korea, the three countries held a director-general level meeting for the first time in about three years. "The three defense officials confirmed that each side would remain vigilant and enhance trilateral security cooperation to deter (the North Korean) nuclear and missile threats," Kazuo Masuda, Japan's director general for defense policy, and his U.S. and South Korean counterparts, Ely Ratner and Heo Tae Keun, said in a joint statement. The United States currently has a system linked separately to Japan and South Korea for the detection of North Korean missiles, from launches to landings, but its Asian security allies do not have a mechanism to share such information immediately. During the meeting, the officials said they also discussed the regularization of three-way missile defense and anti-submarine drills to deter and respond to North Korea, which, according to its official media, fired the Hwasong-18 ICBM propelled by a three-stage rocket system on Thursday. South Korea recently informed Japan of the complete normalization of an intelligence-sharing pact between the two countries. But it does not allow them to exchange real-time information. The General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA, was on the brink of termination under the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol's predecessor, when bilateral ties deteriorated to their worst level in decades mainly due to historical issues. Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed in mid-March to move past a dispute over wartime conscripted labor to thaw icy bilateral ties. The rapprochement has fueled expectations for stronger trilateral cooperation, with the United States expressing "full support" in the statement for the renewed commitment by Japan and South Korea to facilitate communication among defense authorities, especially in leveraging the GSOMIA. Besides North Korea, the statement said the countries reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, where China has been increasing its military activities, and the need to support Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia's invasion. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Front Row (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 15, 2023 07:00 11 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b05499785 4 Front Row Qatar Free Everything we do is culture. Our perception of the world itself powers the way we foster new dialogues with one another, and as humans, we are the byproducts of culture and perhaps an entanglement of many as well. Especially in the contemporary world. A unanimous language is then created across the globe, a language that symbolizes unity deriving from all of our differences, one of which is our joy in food. Hence the birth of QatarIndonesia Year of Culture 20203 special event in the Qatari Nights Festival, a unique yet transformative collaboration with Qatari and Indonesian chefs presented by the ramu Rasa cooking studio. Held in The Dharmawangsa, you are enveloped under the sheer fabrics of royal blue and scarlet red that hang above your head with elegance, your feet swiftly padding across the electric-design carpets as you delve deeper into this instant teleportation from the traditional flavors of Garangao to the nostalgic local Apem, unveiling the home of Indonesian flavors. And as if on Aladdins magic carpet, you find yourself whisked away to The Qatar Food Corner, seduced by the rich aromas trailing from the live-cooking of Qatari chef, Noof Mohammed S H Al Marri. No culture has a truer worldview than any other; we are all floating in the metaphysical realms of many truths. These many truths could be revealed as a multisensory experience. Pre-iftar,chef Noor gives The Jakarta Post a little sneak peek as she cooks her delicate samosas. (Picture taken by Amanda Karina Dwipayana/.) Such it is for one of Qatars stars specializing in local cuisine. Cooking for chef Noof is a form of art as the eyes also eat as well, as she explained when speaking to The Jakarta Post on Thursday, revealing the true magic of the culinary world. Her cooking communicates a storytelling experience of every glossary found in her spice-and-seasonings selection, which poignantly diffuses through her nakheh, mardouba and sago dishes. When desserts are indulged in, guests unravel a hint of rosy aftertastes that unveil themselves with time, becoming a signature to her multilayered dishes. Chef Noofs culinary art often finds itself plated in a delicate floral touch that speaks of nothing less than her identity as a female Qatari chef. Seen in her homemade cheese-filled dates drizzled in minimalist berry and floral reds, an artistic creation is made from her heart and soul, to be devoured by the eyes of the beholder. You. Whether that be through the generational exchange of culinary techniques, literature, musical knowledge and many others that have been touched by the face of globalization, the many truths that communicate through various symbolic systems is our global language. We are different but also one, forever rings the heart of The Year of Culture, once again enlightening us with the magic of intersecting our nation with various souls across the globe. Topics : Qatar Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fikri Harish (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 15, 2023 With more than 123 million people expected to make their mudik (exodus) trip this year, transportation observers are urging the government to set up a centralized mudik information database to accommodate travelers and reduce the publics reliance on long-distance motorcycle trips. The Transportation Ministry has predicted that some 123.8 million travelers will make the trips in the coming week, accounting for around 45 percent of Indonesias total population, and would mark the busiest mudik season in the countrys history. Indonesia Transportation Society (MTI) has said it was high time the government considered newer solutions to the annual mudik problem. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fikri Harish (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 15, 2023 Reversing course, the House of Representatives on Wednesday pushed the government to immediately make a decision on importing used Japanese trains to replace the aging fleet currently used in the Greater Jakarta Commuter Line (KRL) network. In a meeting with the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry on Wednesday, House Commission VI member Andre Rosiade explained that given the urgency, the government must come to a decision soon. For 2024, Im in favor of retrofitting [the old trains] as we still have some time left while we should already have the [locally made] trains by 2025, Andre said during the meeting. But for 2023, what do we plan on doing? We must be quick in making a decision as the public desperately needs [a solution]. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dini Kusumaningrum (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 15, 2023 Indonesia achieved gender parity in education participation at the national level in 2019, with a GPI of 1.00 for school enrollment rates of children 7-12 years old. Therefore, World Bank stated Indonesia had made considerable progress toward gender equality over the past decade, with improved rates of literacy, school enrollment and employment, as well as policies to pave the way for a more gender-equitable society. Does it benefit women? Some stigma about education for girls remains Enrollment in education, literacy and employment for females in Indonesia are increasing. However, there is still some stigma, a belief that education for girls is unimportant, as if they will be housewives who fulfill "only" domestic roles of childbearing, cooking and serving the husband. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agencies (The Jakarta Post) Berlin/Copenhagen/Bucharest Sat, April 15 2023 Germany on Thursday approved a request from Poland for the re-export of five Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine, one of Kyiv's key requests to help repel Russia's forces. Germany has approved "the delivery of five MiG-29 from the inventories of the [East German] National People's Army", Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement, as reported by AFP. The Soviet-designed jets, codenamed the Fulcrum by NATO, came into the possession of the German army following reunification, and were sold to Poland in 2003. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ross Kerber and Sarah N. Lynch (Reuters) (The Jakarta Post) Massachusetts, US Sat, April 15 2023 The FBI in the United States on Thursday arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Air National Guard, over the leaks online of classified documents that embarrassed Washington with allies around the world. Federal agents in an armored car and military gear swooped in on Teixeira, dressed in gym shorts, a T-shirt and trainers, at his home in Dighton, Massachusetts, a mostly wooded town of 8,000 about 80 km south of Boston. The arrest comes a week after the leaks first became widely known, setting Washington on edge about the damage they may have caused. The episode embarrassed the US by revealing its spying on allies and purported Ukrainian military vulnerabilities. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Laurie Goering (Thomson Reuters Foundation) Oxford, UK Sat, April 15, 2023 12:58 10 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc4bcfe4 2 Europe biodiversity,Government-Politics,Environmental-Justice,European-Union,pollution,Climate-Politics,environment,climate-change,Nature-Wildlife,Crime-Law-Justice,Climate-Adaptation-and-Solutions,Non-Governmental-Organizations,Climate-Policy-and-Regulation Free Pledges to slash climate-changing emissions to nearly zero now cover more than 90 percent of the world's economy. But emissions themselves are still rising, despite scientists warning they must plunge by nearly half this decade to keep people safe. Dealing with climate change through voluntary commitments, especially by businesses, "has simply not worked", noted Arianne Griffith, a lawyer and corporate accountability expert with advocacy group Global Witness. New transparency and accountability mechanisms are needed to ensure that corporations and governments meet their promises on climate action, she and others said this week at the Skoll World Forum, an expert gathering focused on solving global problems. Griffith said those measures could include things like a European Union Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) - which Global Witness and its partners have pushed for since 2019 in Brussels, despite corporate opposition. The directive would require firms to track and show how their businesses, and the products and services they produce, align with the Paris Agreement on climate change - or face civil lawsuits for the climate and human rights damage they cause. "The idea is to create a credible threat of legal action for the companies that are threatening all of us with persistent inaction," Griffith said. So far such legal pressure remains relatively rare, despite what experts described as widespread "greenwashing" by companies that make pledges - often for commercial gain - with few credible plans to meet them. "We're in a tough spot when it comes to transparency and accountability," said Gillian Caldwell, chief climate officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Among national governments, Colombia is the only country that has enshrined in law its climate action plan developed under the Paris Agreement, giving the plan some level of enforceability, she noted. Beyond that, governments are held to their climate commitments only by public opinion or pressure from countries they team up with in trade or other partnerships, she said. "In most cases, there really is no accountability," Caldwell added. She and other experts said genuinely reducing emissions in line with what scientists say is needed would require stronger steps, from new legal liability for climate harm to ensuring businesses that make net-zero claims cut their own emissions rather than just purchasing carbon offsets. Curbing deforestation In Brazil - the world's fifth biggest carbon polluter, largely due to loss of its forests - efforts to crack down on illegal deforestation are emerging using satellite data. MapBiomas, a Brazilian non-profit, uses satellite maps that break the country into 9.6 billion parcels - each 30 by 30 metres (98 ft) - to show in fine detail where deforestation and other changes in land use are happening. It then works with state governments, prosecutors and even the state-controlled Banco do Brasil to flag illegal land clearance and hold the culprits to account with consequences including fines, lawsuits and loan refusals. Because banks provide about 80 percent of the money needed to convert deforested land into cattle ranches or soy farms, choking off finance is an effective way to curb illegal activity, said Tasso Azevedo, MapBiomas founder and general coordinator. The satellite mapping is also helping hold Brazil to account on its pledge to restore 12 million hectares (29.7 million acres) of degraded land, he said. While the satellite maps show that 46 million hectares are in some state of regeneration, they also reveal that many replanted areas are rapidly being cleared again, which suggests that tracking tree-planting is no real measure of improvement. By combining satellite maps with local knowledge, "our job is to tell the story" of each piece of land, Azevedo said. MapBiomas is now expanding its work to Indonesia, another country struggling to lower forest loss, with plans for further expansion in the tropics, he added. Role for communities In many cases, communities can play a key role in holding governments to account, said Sonkita Conteh, a lawyer in Sierra Leone and co-founder of Namati, an organisation that uses legal networks to advance social and environmental justice. Last year, Sierra Leone passed a customary land rights act that gives communities greater power over their collectively held land, making it harder for authorities to hand it out to loggers and other corporations. Now if the government wants land to give to investors, it needs to gain consent from local people - a measure that should help cut runaway deforestation, Conteh said. Griffith, of Global Witness, said new and more substantial consequences are required, to incentivise those who make green pledges to keep them. "We need to tackle what I call the 'greenwashing machine', that is so often accompanied by total inaction," she said. --- The Thomson Reuters Foundation is the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) Hanoi Sat, April 15, 2023 14:02 10 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc4bd80e 2 Asia and Pacific G7,Government-Politics,Conflicts-War-Peace,G8,Diplomacy-Foreign-Policy,military-conflicts,international-trade,US,Vietnam,Southeast-Asia,China,South-China-Sea Free Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed a willingness on Saturday to upgrade bilateral ties as the US seeks to balance an increasingly assertive China. In his first visit to the key southeast Asian country as the top US diplomat, Blinken met Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, saying during that the past decade there has been "extraordinary progress" in the bilateral relationship. Noting that the two nations mark the 10th anniversary of their formal partnership this year, Blinken told reporters Washington had "hope to be able to take it to an even higher, higher level." Chinh said both sides were "looking to further strengthening, further elevating our bilateral ties to a new height," after a phone call last month between President Joe Biden and the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong. Vietnam is a crucial Southeast Asian trading partner that Washington is looking to bolster ties with as it works to balance China's growing assertiveness in the region and beyond. The diplomatic anniversary and the Biden-Trong call could lead to a meeting between the two in July or other high-level meetings, analysts say. It is still unclear, though, when an upgrade of formal ties could be agreed. Blinken, who is to meet with top Vietnamese officials, including Trong, broke ground on a new US embassy compound in Hanoi after meeting the prime minister. The US diplomat heads to Japan on Sunday for a meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven wealthy nations. The United States faces challenges in Southeast Asia in building a coalition to counter China and deter any potential action by Beijing against Taiwan. Many countries in the region are reluctant to antagonise their giant neighbour, which is not just a military power but also a key trading partner and source of investment. For Hanoi, it has been a difficult balancing act, being open to more cooperation with Washington without upsetting Beijing, even though Vietnam has been alarmed by China's growing military claims in the South China Sea. The diplomatic calculus is further complicated by increasingly close relations between Beijing and Moscow, which last year declared a "no limits" partnership shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But while the United States has been keen to push for stronger ties with Vietnam, Hanoi has been cautious, fearing the impact an upgrade of relations with Washington could have on its relations with Beijing. Editors note: This story first appeared in the April 2013 edition of The Lo-Downs print Magazine. One of the things that makes New York City great is its classic neighborhood diners. On the Lower East Side, weve got our share of these old-school spots places that are so familiar some of us think of them as extensions of our own apartments. In a world thats becoming more impersonal, theres something comforting about these no-nonsense hangouts. Theyll make you anything you want, exactly the way you want it, and fast! The guys behind the counter are quick to refill your coffee and will remember exactly how you like your eggs in the morning. Youve got to admire their ability to handle just about anything, or anyone, and usually with a smile. As gentrification changes the LES and real estate prices skyrocket, we fear these classic spots may be in danger of extinction. But theyre here now, continuing to ride the ups and downs of the restaurant business, seemingly stronger than ever. Recently, photographer Alex M. Smith and I spent some time hanging out at our local diners, photographing the people who make them tick. These guys have clearly seen it all, having experienced decades of changes in the area. Heres our tribute to the classic diners of the Lower East Side. (Click through for each owners fascinating story and some excellent words of wisdom.) EVEREST DINER 23 Chatham Square (East Broadway at Bowery) Owner: Teddy Vasilopoulos Years in business: 5 History: Vasilopoulos and his family have owned diners throughout the city since emigrating from Greece in 1973. (His younger brother John runs Cup and Saucer.) At this location since 2008, the diner was formerly a small luncheonette when he took it over. Vasilopoulos and his partner have also owned Landmark Diner at 158 Grand St. for the past 32 years. Their first diner was in the Chrysler Building, but rent increases quickly brought them downtown. Rent: Vasilopoulos is confident about staying on Chatham Square, saying he knows the landlord would be hard-pressed to find another tenant whos so reliable. Words of wisdom: I always make my food fresh. And I always have a smile for my customers. CLASSIC COFFEE SHOP 56 Hester St. (at Ludlow Street) Owner: Carmine Morales Years in business: 37 History: As the menu states, this place has been, Serving Real Lower East Siders Since 1976. Morales has lived in the neighborhood his whole life. He attended public school across the street. After emigrating from Puerto Rico, his father opened Classic Coffee 37 years ago. Carmine worked in the shop with his father and then took it over. Rent: Its been pretty touch-and-go. The landlord raises the rent every few years and Morales is not sure hell stay open if it goes too much higher. The area around Hester Street is booming right now. Words of wisdom: Neighborhoods change, thats what they do. I dont mind it. Things are a lot better here now than they used to be. I dont make a lot of money but I work for myself, set my own hours and dont have to worry too much. Overall Ive been pretty lucky. ZAFIS LUNCHEONETTE 500 Grand St. Owner: Nodas Kekatos Years in business: 35 History: Kekatos has owned the restaurant since 1978. He came to New York from Kefalonia, the Paradise Island in Greece. His son, Mike, took the lead about 10 years ago, but Nodas still works a couple of days a week. The original Zafiropolis opened the diner in 1948; there were two other owners before Kekatos took it over. Rent: Its not a concern since Zafis is one of the few dining options on this part of Grand Street. The space is owned by the Hillman Cooperative, whose residents are some of the diners best customers. Words of wisdom: Every morning I look at myself in the mirror and I see some flawsa wrinkle here, something else thereand I say, You arent perfect. Then when I come in and I have [a disgruntled customer] I dont get upset. I remind myself no one is perfect. EL CASTILLO 131 Rivington St. (between Essex and Ludlow streets) Owner: Luis Miguel Collado Years in business: 27 History: The place was a Chinese restaurant before he took it over in 1986. Collado came to New York in 1963 from the Dominican Republic. He owned a couple of restaurants previously, including Jagua Restaurant on Clinton Street, which was sold in 1977. That restaurant would later became the Spanish restaurant, Alias (long before what we now know as Alias). Collado opened the second El Castillo at 521 Grand St. in 2003. He built the diner from scratch and now his daughter, Yreinel, runs it. Rent: Collado is not worried yet. He has a long-term relationship with the landlord. Words of wisdom: My food is always fresh and I keep the prices down. People want a place that is affordable. Even if you spend a lot to go out for a special night, you need a place to come to the rest of the time. OLYMPIC DINER 115 Delancey St. (at Essex Street) Owners: Steve Palakas (above) and Spiros Nakos Years in business: 33 History: The place used to be a Jewish diner. Palakas came over from Greece in 1969 and took over the diner in 1980. Rent: Although the city is on the verge of demolishing the building, part of the Essex Street Market, to make way for the Seward Park redevelopment project, the owners are not too concerned. Theyve been hearing about the project for 40 years. Words of wisdom: Give the customers what they wantFlirt with the ladiesWe always welcome you back. CUP & SAUCER LUNCHEONETTE 89 Canal St. (at Eldridge Street) Owners: John Vasilopoulos (above) and Nick Castanos (below) Years in business: 25 History: The place has been open since 1940 and was always called Cup and Saucer. It was originally a Jewish luncheonette. They took it over in 1988 when the area was mainly made up of Jewish-owned jewelry stores. Then Chinatown began expanding in the last decade or more. Like his older brother, Teddy, who runs Everest, John is from Kalavrita, Peloponisos, in Greece. Nick is from Cuba. Rent: They recently renewed their lease for another five years but are worried about a steep rent increase in the future because the building recently sold. Words of wisdom: We work hard, we love our customers, we have great service, especially now we have these nice, lovely ladies working with us. Block, Inc. (NYSE:SQ Get Rating) insider Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.59, for a total transaction of $2,048,907.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 413,160 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $27,512,324.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Alyssa Henry also recently made the following trade(s): Get Block alerts: On Wednesday, April 5th, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.62, for a total transaction of $2,080,599.78. On Monday, April 3rd, Alyssa Henry sold 5,507 shares of Block stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.00, for a total transaction of $368,969.00. On Wednesday, March 29th, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.72, for a total transaction of $2,022,138.68. On Wednesday, March 22nd, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.08, for a total transaction of $2,340,905.52. On Wednesday, March 15th, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.55, for a total transaction of $2,232,290.95. On Wednesday, March 8th, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.30, for a total transaction of $2,378,443.70. On Wednesday, February 22nd, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.04, for a total value of $2,247,367.76. On Wednesday, February 8th, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.74, for a total value of $2,545,827.06. On Wednesday, January 25th, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.29, for a total transaction of $2,378,136.01. On Wednesday, January 18th, Alyssa Henry sold 30,769 shares of Block stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.29, for a total value of $2,316,598.01. Block Price Performance SQ traded down $0.52 during trading on Friday, reaching $64.04. 11,827,127 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,667,274. The companys 50-day moving average is $73.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.65. The company has a market cap of $38.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -67.96 and a beta of 2.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.85, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Block, Inc. has a 12-month low of $51.34 and a 12-month high of $127.15. Analysts Set New Price Targets Block ( NYSE:SQ Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The technology company reported ($0.23) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.16) by ($0.07). Block had a negative return on equity of 2.28% and a negative net margin of 3.11%. The firm had revenue of $4.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.53 billion. Research analysts forecast that Block, Inc. will post -0.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Truist Financial increased their price target on Block from $85.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 20th. Oppenheimer cut shares of Block from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Mizuho raised shares of Block from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $80.00 to $93.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Block from $85.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Block from $90.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and twenty-two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $105.58. Institutional Trading of Block Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Block by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 33,781,540 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,857,647,000 after buying an additional 1,236,425 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Block by 148.7% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 11,359,972 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $713,861,000 after buying an additional 6,791,842 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Block by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 8,490,470 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $533,541,000 after buying an additional 132,504 shares in the last quarter. Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Block by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 6,968,097 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $437,945,000 after buying an additional 97,166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Block during the 4th quarter valued at about $353,954,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 59.49% of the companys stock. Block Company Profile (Get Rating) Square, Inc provides payment and point-of-sale solutions in the United States and internationally. The company's commerce ecosystem includes point-of-sale software and hardware that enables sellers to turn mobile and computing devices into payment and point-of-sale solutions. It offers hardware products, including Magstripe reader, which enables swiped transactions of magnetic stripe cards; Contactless and chip reader that accepts EMV chip cards and Near Field Communication payments; Chip card reader, which accepts EMV chip cards and enables swiped transactions of magnetic stripe cards; Square Stand, which enables an iPad to be used as a payment terminal or full point of sale solution; and Square Register that combines its hardware, point-of-sale software, and payments technology, as well as managed payments solutions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Block Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Block and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Singapore Exchange Limited (OTCMKTS:SPXCY Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,700 shares, an increase of 311.1% from the March 15th total of 900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.1 days. Singapore Exchange Trading Up 1.3 % Shares of OTCMKTS SPXCY traded up $1.41 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $108.66. 727 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,675. Singapore Exchange has a twelve month low of $85.30 and a twelve month high of $110.00. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $101.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $99.60. Get Singapore Exchange alerts: Singapore Exchange Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 20th were issued a dividend of $0.8586 per share. This is an increase from Singapore Exchanges previous dividend of $0.80. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.18%. Singapore Exchanges dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 89.27%. Singapore Exchange Company Profile Singapore Exchange Ltd. is an investment holding company, which engages in the treasury management, provision of management and administrative services to related corporations, provision of contract processing and technology connectivity services. It operates through the following segments: Equities, Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities, Data, Connectivity & Indices, and Corporate. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Singapore Exchange Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Singapore Exchange and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD Get Rating) (TSE:ABX) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $23.60. Several research firms have recently weighed in on GOLD. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Barrick Gold from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. BNP Paribas lowered shares of Barrick Gold from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Fundamental Research set a $19.02 target price on shares of Barrick Gold and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. National Bank Financial cut their price target on shares of Barrick Gold from C$29.00 to C$28.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Raymond James cut their price target on shares of Barrick Gold from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Get Barrick Gold alerts: Barrick Gold Trading Down 1.9 % Shares of GOLD stock opened at $19.67 on Monday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $17.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.08. Barrick Gold has a fifty-two week low of $13.01 and a fifty-two week high of $25.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a current ratio of 2.71. The company has a market cap of $34.53 billion, a PE ratio of 81.96, a P/E/G ratio of 8.94 and a beta of 0.33. Barrick Gold Cuts Dividend Barrick Gold ( NYSE:GOLD Get Rating ) (TSE:ABX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The gold and copper producer reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.79 billion. Barrick Gold had a net margin of 3.92% and a return on equity of 4.12%. Barrick Golds revenue was down 16.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.35 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Barrick Gold will post 0.89 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were given a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. Barrick Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 166.67%. Institutional Trading of Barrick Gold Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GOLD. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Barrick Gold in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Barrick Gold by 355.1% during the 3rd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,661 shares of the gold and copper producers stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 1,296 shares during the period. RFP Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Barrick Gold during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Barrick Gold during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Barrick Gold by 82.2% during the 4th quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,150 shares of the gold and copper producers stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 970 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 56.82% of the companys stock. About Barrick Gold (Get Rating) Barrick Gold Corporation is a sector-leading gold and copper producer. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOLD and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ABX. In January 2019 Barrick merged with Randgold Resources and in July that year it combined its gold mines in Nevada, USA, with those of Newmont Corporation in a joint venture, Nevada Gold Mines, which is majority-owned and operated by Barrick. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Barrick Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barrick Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CAE (TSE:CAE Get Rating) (NYSE:CAE) had its price target increased by The Goldman Sachs Group from C$35.00 to C$37.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. CAE has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Scotiabank increased their price target on CAE from C$37.00 to C$38.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on CAE from C$33.00 to C$37.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. CIBC increased their price target on CAE from C$33.00 to C$37.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. National Bankshares increased their price target on CAE from C$34.00 to C$37.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, TD Securities increased their price target on CAE from C$34.00 to C$37.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, CAE presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$36.78. Get CAE alerts: CAE Trading Down 2.1 % Shares of CAE stock opened at C$31.46 on Tuesday. CAE has a 12-month low of C$20.90 and a 12-month high of C$35.18. The stock has a market cap of C$10.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 2.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.28. The businesss 50 day moving average is C$30.42 and its 200-day moving average is C$27.90. About CAE CAE ( TSE:CAE Get Rating ) (NYSE:CAE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported C$0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.25 by C$0.03. CAE had a return on equity of 4.42% and a net margin of 4.60%. The company had revenue of C$1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$1.04 billion. Equities research analysts predict that CAE will post 1.2404477 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. (Get Rating) CAE Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides simulation training and critical operations support solutions worldwide. It operates through three segments: Civil Aviation, Defense and Security, and Healthcare. The Civil Aviation segment provides training solutions for flight, cabin, maintenance, and ground personnel in commercial, business, and helicopter aviation; flight simulation training devices; and ab initio pilot training and crew sourcing services, as well as end to end digitally enabled crew management, training operations solutions, and optimization software. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for CAE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CAE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chunghwa Telecom (NYSE:CHT Get Rating) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a buy rating in a note issued to investors on Friday. Chunghwa Telecom Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:CHT traded down $0.22 during trading on Friday, hitting $40.73. The companys stock had a trading volume of 82,762 shares, compared to its average volume of 132,235. The company has a 50-day moving average of $38.53 and a 200-day moving average of $36.74. Chunghwa Telecom has a 12 month low of $32.90 and a 12 month high of $44.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market cap of $31.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.78 and a beta of 0.13. Get Chunghwa Telecom alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chunghwa Telecom A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. OLD Mission Capital LLC raised its stake in Chunghwa Telecom by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC now owns 43,039 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,575,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in Chunghwa Telecom by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 6,665 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $296,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Chunghwa Telecom by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 21,093 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $943,000 after acquiring an additional 394 shares during the period. CAPROCK Group Inc. raised its stake in Chunghwa Telecom by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. CAPROCK Group Inc. now owns 6,597 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 454 shares during the period. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Chunghwa Telecom by 154.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 769 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 467 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 2.19% of the companys stock. About Chunghwa Telecom Chunghwa Telecom Co, Ltd. engages in the provision of integrated telecommunication services. It offers domestic & international fixed communication, mobile communication, broadband, Internet services. The Company also provides information and communication technology services; and innovative technology services such as Internet of things and artificial intelligence. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Chunghwa Telecom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chunghwa Telecom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HC Wainwright reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Endeavour Silver (NYSE:EXK Get Rating) (TSE:EDR) in a report published on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $5.50 price target on the mining companys stock. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Endeavour Silvers FY2023 earnings at $0.06 EPS. Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. CIBC dropped their target price on shares of Endeavour Silver from C$7.50 to C$6.50 in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Endeavour Silver from C$4.50 to C$4.75 in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Endeavour Silver to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Pi Financial upgraded shares of Endeavour Silver from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of Endeavour Silver from a d+ rating to a c rating in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $5.79. Get Endeavour Silver alerts: Endeavour Silver Stock Down 3.6 % EXK stock opened at $4.31 on Tuesday. Endeavour Silver has a 52 week low of $2.47 and a 52 week high of $5.78. The company has a market capitalization of $818.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 143.67 and a beta of 1.44. The firms 50-day moving average is $3.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.38. The company has a current ratio of 2.77, a quick ratio of 2.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Endeavour Silver Endeavour Silver ( NYSE:EXK Get Rating ) (TSE:EDR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The mining company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter. Endeavour Silver had a net margin of 2.95% and a return on equity of 4.11%. The company had revenue of $81.99 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.22 million. On average, analysts forecast that Endeavour Silver will post 0.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can purchased a new position in Endeavour Silver during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new position in Endeavour Silver during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Citigroup Inc. purchased a new position in Endeavour Silver during the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in Endeavour Silver by 49.1% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 9,017 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 2,971 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Endeavour Silver during the first quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 23.64% of the companys stock. Endeavour Silver Company Profile (Get Rating) Endeavour Silver Corp. operates as a mineral company. It engages in the evaluation, acquisition, exploration, development and exploitation of precious metal properties in Mexico and Chile. The firms projects include the Terronera property in Jalisco, the El Compas property, the Guanacevi Mine in Durango, Bolanitos Mines in Guanajuato, and the Parral project in Chihuahua, Mexico. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Endeavour Silver Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Endeavour Silver and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Invesco High Income Trust II (NYSE:VLT Get Rating) saw a large decrease in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 16,500 shares, a decrease of 63.1% from the March 15th total of 44,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 23,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.7 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco High Income Trust II Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Invesco High Income Trust II by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 84,395 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $866,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Invesco High Income Trust II by 6.3% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 15,409 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $161,000 after acquiring an additional 916 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in shares of Invesco High Income Trust II by 19.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 12,064 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $149,000 after acquiring an additional 1,959 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in shares of Invesco High Income Trust II by 32.7% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 8,010 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $98,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Invesco High Income Trust II by 12.8% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 17,713 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $182,000 after buying an additional 2,012 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.42% of the companys stock. Get Invesco High Income Trust II alerts: Invesco High Income Trust II Stock Up 0.9 % NYSE:VLT traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $10.84. The company had a trading volume of 24,769 shares, compared to its average volume of 20,120. Invesco High Income Trust II has a 1 year low of $9.45 and a 1 year high of $12.01. The company has a 50-day moving average of $10.67 and a 200 day moving average of $10.47. Invesco High Income Trust II Dividend Announcement About Invesco High Income Trust II The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.0964 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 14th. (Get Rating) Invesco High Income Trust II is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Invesco Ltd. The fund is co-managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc, INVESCO Asset Management (Japan) Limited, INVESCO Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, INVESCO Asset Management Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, INVESCO Senior Secured Management, Inc, and Invesco Canada Ltd. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Invesco High Income Trust II Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco High Income Trust II and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (OTCMKTS:MGTI Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 98,900 shares, a growth of 345.5% from the March 15th total of 22,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,706,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days. MGT Capital Investments Stock Performance MGTI stock remained flat at $0.01 during trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 327,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,907,942. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $0.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $0.01. MGT Capital Investments has a 1 year low of $0.00 and a 1 year high of $0.02. Get MGT Capital Investments alerts: About MGT Capital Investments (Get Rating) Further Reading MGT Capital Investments, Inc engages in cryptocurrency mining business. It solves complex mathematical problems using custom designed and programmed application-specific integrated circuit computers. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Raleigh, NC. Receive News & Ratings for MGT Capital Investments Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MGT Capital Investments and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AGF Management Limited (OTCMKTS:AGFMF Get Rating) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 335,800 shares, a growth of 407.3% from the March 15th total of 66,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 239.9 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Desjardins lifted their price target on AGF Management from C$10.00 to C$10.50 in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Scotiabank cut their price target on AGF Management from C$9.50 to C$9.25 in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on AGF Management from C$9.50 to C$8.50 in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. CIBC lifted their price target on AGF Management from C$9.00 to C$9.50 in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on AGF Management from C$9.50 to C$9.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Get AGF Management alerts: AGF Management Price Performance Shares of AGF Management stock traded up $0.09 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $5.83. 1,100 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 954. AGF Management has a 12 month low of $4.23 and a 12 month high of $6.97. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $5.48. AGF Management Company Profile AGF Management Ltd. is a diversified global asset management firm. It offers investment solutions to a wide range of clients, from individual investors and financial advisors to institutions, including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and foundations. The firm provides investment management with operations and investments in North America, Europe, and Asia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for AGF Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AGF Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Apr 15, 2023 - 20:01 | All, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was unhurt after a man threw a cylindrical object which exploded ahead of a stump speech he was due to make during his visit to western Japan on Saturday, less than a year after a former premier was fatally shot during election campaigning. Kishida immediately left by car after the incident, which took place as he was talking with a candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party just before his scheduled speech at a fishing port in the city of Wakayama. According to investigative sources, Ryuji Kimura, a 24-year-old man from Hyogo Prefecture, was arrested at the scene. In a stump speech elsewhere in the city, Kishida said the incident should not be allowed to disrupt the electoral process. "Together with you all, we have to carry on with the election." The object was thrown at around 11:25 a.m. from among a crowd of people. A loud explosion was heard shortly afterward, sending people fleeing in panic. Footage by the public broadcaster NHK showed the suspect holding another silver cylinder as he was wrestled to the ground by two nearby civilians and police officers. Investigative sources said the suspect brought with him two pieces of objects believed to be explosive devices, including the one used in the attack. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters at the prime minister's office, "Elections are a bedrock of democracy. It is extremely unforgivable that such violence took place (at such a time)." Matsuno, Japan's top government spokesman, said police are investigating the suspect's motive and called for the National Police Agency to ensure the protection of VIPs. The suspect is refusing to answer police questions in the absence of a lawyer, according to the local police. He was only 10 meters or so away from Kishida when he threw the object, they said. The NHK footage showed one of Kishida's security guards pressing down on the object thrown in his direction and kicking it back as the prime minister was escorted out of the site. A man is held down after throwing a cylindrical object at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Wakayama, western Japan, on April 15, 2023. (Kyodo) Naoya Tanimoto, who was among the crowd awaiting Kishida's speech, said he heard a loud explosion around 10 seconds after the suspect was held down. "It is usually quiet in the fishing port, so I was really scared. We were all in a panic," Tanimoto, 31, said. Only one minor injury, that a local police officer, was reported. After the incident, Kishida was escorted by security police officers to a car parked just a dozen meters away and driven to the headquarters of the Wakayama prefectural police. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot in July last year during a stump speech in the city of Nara before the House of Councillors election, leading the NPA to bolster its VIP security. The agency had also called for security to be stepped up ahead of House of Representatives by-elections in late April and the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May. The latest incident took place during official campaigning for a lower house by-election in the Wakayama No. 1 district. The NPA said it has reviewed in advance the security plans made by the local police in Wakayama and they were carried out in line with the guidelines made after Abe's incident. Mitsuru Fukuda, professor of emergency and crisis risk management at Nihon University, said the location at the port selected for Kishida's speech was far from ideal for such an event and there should have been a much larger distance between him and the audience. The incident hurts the credibility of the Japanese police's VIP protection programs ahead of the G-7 summit, Fukuda said. A woman in her 50s who works near the fishing port said, "I thought there was some kind of explosion and something similar to what happened to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might have occurred." In Sapporo, Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's minister of natural resources, said on the fringes of the G-7 ministers' meeting on climate, energy and environmental issues that he heard about the incident. "We are all very happy that he (Kishida) is well," Wilkinson said at the outset of a bilateral meeting with Japan's economy and trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura Chronology of major attacks on politicians in Japan The following is a list of major attacks on politicians in Japan. Jan. 18, 1990 -- Nagasaki Mayor Hitoshi Motoshima shot by member of right-wing group, suffers serious injury. March 20, 1992 -- Shin Kanemaru, vice president of ruling Liberal Democratic Party, unhurt after gun shots fired in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture. May 30, 1994 -- Ex-Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa unhurt after gun attack at Tokyo hotel. Oct. 25, 2002 -- Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Koki Ishii stabbed to death by right-wing group leader. April 17, 2007 -- Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito shot by senior member of crime syndicate, dies next day. July 8, 2022 -- Ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dies after being shot by man while giving stump speech in Nara. April 15, 2023 -- Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unhurt after explosives attack during campaigning for by-election in Wakayama. China Life Insurance Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CILJF Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 144,000 shares, a decline of 78.9% from the March 15th total of 683,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 12,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 11.5 days. China Life Insurance Trading Up 1.5 % OTCMKTS CILJF traded up $0.02 on Friday, hitting $1.63. 8,673 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 15,842. China Life Insurance has a 1-year low of $1.06 and a 1-year high of $1.95. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $1.69. Get China Life Insurance alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of China Life Insurance from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 13th. About China Life Insurance China Life Insurance Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a life insurance company in the People's Republic of China. The company operates in four segments: Life Insurance Business, Health Insurance Business, Accident Insurance Business, and Other Businesses. It offers critical illness protection, annuity, children/women/pension, security, life, medical, and accident protection insurance products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for China Life Insurance Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Life Insurance and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:JAPSY Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 12,100 shares, an increase of 572.2% from the March 15th total of 1,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 63,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Japan Airlines Stock Performance Shares of JAPSY stock traded down $0.11 on Friday, reaching $9.33. 13,804 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 28,947. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $9.54 and a two-hundred day moving average of $9.67. Japan Airlines has a 1-year low of $7.69 and a 1-year high of $10.66. Get Japan Airlines alerts: Japan Airlines Company Profile (Get Rating) Recommended Stories Japan Airlines Co, Ltd. engages in scheduled and non-scheduled air transport, aerial work, and aircraft maintenance services. It operates through the Air Transport and Others segments. The Air Transport segment engages in air transport business, airport passenger service, ground handling service, maintenance service, cargo service, passenger transport service and airport area business. Receive News & Ratings for Japan Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Japan Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Trine II Acquisition Corp. (NYSE:TRAQ Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 21,900 shares, a growth of 655.2% from the March 15th total of 2,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 203,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Trine II Acquisition Price Performance Shares of Trine II Acquisition stock remained flat at $10.47 during midday trading on Friday. 4 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 185,261. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $10.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.27. Trine II Acquisition has a 52-week low of $9.87 and a 52-week high of $11.02. Get Trine II Acquisition alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On Trine II Acquisition Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its position in shares of Trine II Acquisition by 243.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 858,277 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,609,000 after purchasing an additional 608,277 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada acquired a new position in Trine II Acquisition in the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,997,000. CSS LLC IL increased its holdings in Trine II Acquisition by 27.9% in the 4th quarter. CSS LLC IL now owns 137,239 shares of the companys stock worth $1,414,000 after buying an additional 29,963 shares during the period. Glazer Capital LLC acquired a new position in Trine II Acquisition in the 4th quarter worth approximately $587,000. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS acquired a new position in Trine II Acquisition in the 1st quarter worth approximately $498,000. 58.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Trine II Acquisition Company Profile Trine II Acquisition Corp. 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 or entities. The company was incorporated in 2021 and is based in New York, New York. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Trine II Acquisition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Trine II Acquisition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of TMBThanachart Bank Public (OTCMKTS:TMBBY Get Rating) from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report report published on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports. TMBThanachart Bank Public Stock Performance Shares of TMBBY stock opened at $10.20 on Tuesday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $10.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.20. TMBThanachart Bank Public has a 52 week low of $9.90 and a 52 week high of $10.20. Get TMBThanachart Bank Public alerts: TMBThanachart Bank Public Company Profile (Get Rating) Recommended Stories TMBThanachart Bank Public Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various commercial banking products and services to individuals, small and medium sized enterprises (SME), and corporate customers primarily in Thailand. It operates through Commercial Banking and Retail Banking segments. Receive News & Ratings for TMBThanachart Bank Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TMBThanachart Bank Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited (OTCMKTS:TSGTF Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 29,000 shares, a drop of 55.9% from the March 15th total of 65,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 8,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.6 days. Tsingtao Brewery Trading Down 2.4 % Shares of OTCMKTS TSGTF opened at $10.40 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $10.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $9.53. Tsingtao Brewery has a 1 year low of $6.78 and a 1 year high of $10.89. Get Tsingtao Brewery alerts: Tsingtao Brewery Company Profile (Get Rating) See Also Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, wholesale, and retail sale of beer products worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Shandong Region; South China Region; North China Region; East China Region; Southeast China Region; Hong Kong, Macau and Other Overseas Region; and Finance Company. Receive News & Ratings for Tsingtao Brewery Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tsingtao Brewery and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSE:WCP Get Rating) has been assigned an average recommendation of Buy from the eleven research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$14.86. Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Barclays set a C$14.00 price target on Whitecap Resources and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. National Bankshares upped their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$15.00 to C$15.50 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$13.50 to C$14.00 in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$15.00 to C$14.50 in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Finally, TD Securities upped their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$16.50 to C$17.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 21st. Get Whitecap Resources alerts: Whitecap Resources Trading Up 0.7 % Shares of Whitecap Resources stock opened at C$11.03 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$10.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$10.41. Whitecap Resources has a 12-month low of C$7.70 and a 12-month high of C$12.71. The company has a market capitalization of C$6.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.10. Whitecap Resources Increases Dividend Insider Buying and Selling at Whitecap Resources The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 17th will be issued a $0.0483 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.58 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.25%. This is a boost from Whitecap Resourcess previous monthly dividend of $0.05. Whitecap Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.40%. In other Whitecap Resources news, Director Grant Bradley Fagerheim purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$10.14 per share, with a total value of C$101,400.00. Insiders have acquired a total of 17,660 shares of company stock valued at $178,651 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.74% of the companys stock. Whitecap Resources Company Profile (Get Rating) Whitecap Resources Inc, oil and gas company, acquires and develops petroleum and natural gas properties in Canada. Its principal properties are located in West Central Alberta, British Columbia, Southeast Saskatchewan, West Central Saskatchewan, and Southwest Saskatchewan. As of February 14, 2022, it had a total proved plus probable reserves of 701,829 thousand barrels of oil equivalent. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Whitecap Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Whitecap Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nigeria's presidential election held on 25 February 2023 leading to Mr Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tunubu being declared winner by the election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Although no fewer than 4 (four) political parties and their candidates have rejected the result as declared by the INEC, and filed lawsuits (election petitions) in the Court of Appeal sitting as the Presidential Election Tribunal in the FCT, Abuja, the controversy trailing the fiercely disputed election have led to calls that planned swearing in of the President-elect by stayed pending resolution of the court cases arising from the election. Many who support this call fear that if he's sworn in, the judiciary could get compromised by the power of incumbency, into doing anything but justice in the cases before it, judging by the widespread negative perception (founded or unfounded) of the Nigerian judiciary. While this commentary does not propose to investigate the reasons for the poor perception of the judiciary among the public, it's important to note that the call for Tinubu to not be sworn in until the final resolution of all pending election petitions is as thick-skinned, hardheaded and vehement, as the opposition to the call. So, there are two directly opposing camps. But then there's this middle-ground, conciliatory call (championed by Olisa Agbakoba SAN et al) that the Presidential Election Tribunal could, indeed should, proceed to determine all pending election cases before 29 May 2023, so that each of Mr Tinubu and his transducers would know their fate before 29 May 2023. I've examined and found as remote, the possibility or practicability of resolving or determining the pending lawsuits before 29 May 2023, considering the extant law vis-a-vis the issues and facts raised or arising for determination in each or all of the pending petitions. While the arguments and counter arguments persist, the questions herein discussed include: (1). Does the Nigerian Constitution have any room for an interim government? (2). Can the tenure of the current president be lawfully extended to allow for resolution of pending election petitions before the swearing in of the President-elect? (3). Is there any law that supports the suggestions that Tinubu's swearing in be paused to allow for resolution of pending election lawsuits? (4). What is the way out of the brouhaha raging among the swear-him-in-on-29-May-2023 camp, the do-not-swear-him-in-yet camp, and the resolve-these-cases-before-29-May-2023 conciliatory group? Well, without wasting anyone's time, and with due respect to all the camps, the position of the law, as I see it, is that if the election petitions pending before the Presidential Election Tribunal over the 25 February 2023 presidential election, are not resolved one way or another before 29 May 2023, Mr. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ought to be sworn in on 29 May 2023, pending resolution of the lawsuits, Tinubu having been declared the winner of the election. My reasons: (A). Nature abhors vacuum. If Asiwaju Tinubu is not sworn in on 29 May 2023, there might be a vacuum/void in governance in Nigeria because Mr President Buhari ought to vacate the office on 29 May 2023. A country should never, at any time, be left without a leader. However, some have argued that, although section 135(2), CFRN 1999 provides that Subject to the provisions of [section 135(1)], the current president shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of four years commencing from the date when he took oath of allegiance and oath of office [the 4-year terminates on 29 May 2023], yet the president could lawfully be made to hold office until the next president is sworn as allowed by section 135(1)(a) of the Constitution which provides that _ a person shall hold the office of the president until when his successor in office takes the oath of that office. This is especially so, considering that section 135(2) would ordinarily give way to section 135(1)(a) in any case of conflict between the two, because section 135(2) is stated to apply subject to section 135(1) meaning that section 135(1) is superior to section 135(2) of the Constitution. While I agree that by virtue of section 135(3), the National Assembly may by resolution extend for a period not exceeding six months, the tenure of office of the president, the thorny problem (with the argument for extension to enable resolution of pending election lawsuits) is: under what circumstances may it be lawful to make the current president to hold office beyond 4(four) years? Luckily, section 135(3) lists out such circumstances that may justify extension of the presidents 4-year tenure, but unfortunately does not include nor envisage the current scenario (when the election process that produced the President-elect is being challenged in court). According to section 135(3) the National Assembly may invoke this power to extend the current presidents 4-year tenure only If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and the President considers that it is not practicable to hold elections. The Constitution interpretation Rule of Exclusio unius est exclusio alterius is derived from a Latin term literally meaning the expression of one thing is the exclusion of the other. This is a common law principle for construing legislation which holds that a syntactical presumption may be made that an express reference to one matter excludes other matters not expressly or impliedly mentioned. I submit that this principle applies here. Besides, the lawmakers must be held to have said what they meant and to mean what they have said as seen in the plain words of section 135(3) of the constitution. In my opinion, the only way to lawfully stop such swearing in pending resolution of pending election petitions, is by an amendment of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022. Unfortunately, such an amendment appears either not being contemplated or outright impracticable at the moment. Nevertheless, even if such an amendment is undertaken at this time, it would not apply to the (current) Tinubu scenario especially in view of the concept of non-retroactivity of legislation. It's accordingly considered more reasonable to conclude on this point, that while the National Assembly is entitled to extend Mr Presidents tenure of office beyond 4 years, yet where an election has already been held and a winner declared by the INEC, the National Assembly is NOT entitled to invoke the provisions of section 135(3) of the Constitution to stop or otherwise halt inauguration of the declared winner of the election; its immaterial that the election is being challenged in court. This being the case, the current president must vacate the office on 29 May 2023, and the President-elect must be sworn in on 29 May 2023, pending resolution of pending lawsuits, unless anyone of the following happens: (I) If the President-elect dies (God forbid) before 29 May 2023 in which case the Vice President-elect must be sworn in his place on 29 May 2023 (see Section 136(1) of the Constitution); or (II) If both the President-elect and the Vice President-elect die or are unable, for any reasons whatsoever, to assume office before the inauguration of the National Assembly, in which case the INEC must conduct a fresh election (see Section 136(2) of the Constitution). As it stands today, since (a) an election has been held, a winner declared by INEC, and since nothing has happened to warrant the invocation of any of the circumstances listed in section 136 of the Constitution, its respectfully submitted that the declared winner must be sworn in on 29 May 2023, unless and until an election tribunal or court gives a contrary directive. (B) The Candidates of the Labour Party (LP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), among others, and their respective political parties, have already instituted lawsuits at the relevant Election Tribunal (in line with section 130 of the Electoral Act, 2022) to challenge INEC-declaration of Asiwaju Tinubu as the President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The mere fact that these opposition/aggrieved parties have filed lawsuits challenging the INEC-declaration is a sufficient admission or acknowledgement by the Claimants/Plaintiffs (technically called Petitioners) that Asiwaju Tinubu has already been declared the winner and is accordingly the President-elect, who alone is entitled to be sworn in on 29 May 2023, to avoid a vacuum in governance pending resolution of the pending lawsuits. The Claimants are therefore under an obligation, having submitted their grievances for judicial adjudication or determination, to maintain and respect the status quo pending the determination of the cases in court (the tribunal). This does not mean that the Claimants have accepted the declared winner as the next president, nor that the Claimants have accepted the process that produced him, but that in the eyes of the law, whether the declaration and return made by the INEC was lawful or unlawful, the declared winner (Asiwaju Tinubu) is and remains the President-elect, and unless the Court says otherwise, ought to and must be sworn in on 29 May 2023 pending resolution of the disputes in court. I have earlier submitted thus: _I think section 138 of the Electoral Act provides a reasonable guide under the circumstances. If as is provided by section 138, a candidate whose election has been declared VOID by the tribunal, could still stay in office pending resolution of the appeal arising from the tribunal decision, there appears to be no good reasons to support any view that a person whose election is being challenged at the Tribunal on grounds that the election was unlawful or that his declaration was unlawful, should not be sworn in pending resolution of pending lawsuits?* [*"The Arise TV Interview and likely holes in Agbakoba (SAN)s suggestions on upshots of Nigerias Presidential Election"* By Sylvester Udemezue; 06 April 2023; lawandsocietymagazine] PLEASE READ MORE:* _"Limits Of Individual Freedoms In A Constitutional Democracy In Light Of Datti Baba-Ahmed's "End Democracy" Asseverations"_ *By Sylvester Udemezue* *(published on 09 April 2023 in each of BarristerNG; ThenigeriaLawyer; LawAndSocietyMagazine; Newswirelawandevents; TrippleNetMedia; NewsDeskNg, Thenigerianvoice, etc) Respectfully submitted, Sylvester Udemezue (Udems), 08039136749 . [email protected] KYODO NEWS - Apr 15, 2023 - 21:17 | Sports, All Teenage figure skating sensation Ilia Malinin had a disappointing fifth-place finish in the men's free skate, but the United States completed a wire-to-wire World Team Trophy victory Saturday. The Americans dominated the six-nation team competition with 120 points from eight events over three days at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, while South Korea edged Japan 95 to 94 for second place, buoyed by men's free skate winner Cha Jun Hwan. Italy, France and Canada finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. The United States had built a commanding lead before Malinin and Jason Brown took the ice in the last event of the meet. It was the second win in three World Team Trophy meets and the fifth overall for the United States. Cha scored 187.82 points, 0.47 clear of second-place Matteo Rizzo of Italy. Japan's Shun Sato and Kazuki Tomono could only manage eighth- and ninth-place finishes, respectively, in the absence of world champion Shoma Uno, who is nursing a right ankle injury. Earlier in the day, Americans Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier won the pairs free skate, outpointing Japan's world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara 147.87 to 143.69. Each team was composed of eight skaters. Two men and two women competed in singles, with one pair and one ice dance couple also skating. Related coverage: Figure skating: U.S. in command, Japan 3rd at World Team Trophy Figure skating: U.S. on top, Japan 3rd after World Team Trophy Day 1 On-going contention within Afenifere necessitates this intervention by the Yoruba Referendum Committee (ILU-SO-PE). Since Afenifere is the Yoruba language rendering of the Action Groups philosophy of freedom for all, life more abundant , any Yoruba organization, whose ideological/philosophical direction is anchored on one form of social welfarism or the other, is Afenifere-- at least in spirit. The Yoruba Referendum Committee has proposed the Yoruba Referendum as the pathway towards Re-Federalizing Nigeria. Re-Federalization will enable a reversal of Yoruba underdevelopment, which has been rising in leaps and bounds since the abolition of the Federal System which ushered in the Golden Era of the Western Region. Social welfarism/social democracy and maximum use of our God-given human and material resources for the uplift of our people from the underdevelopment occasioned by colonial and post-colonial, especially Unitary rule was (and is still) the driving force. Therefore, the Yoruba Referendum Committee is well positioned to intervene in the rediscovery of Afenifere as a philosophy of action. We, therefore, state as follows: (i) We begin by placing Afenifere within our historical context. Its formal presentation and representation began with the formation of Egbe Omo Oduduwa, whose Constitution contained the following, among others: to study fully its (Yoruba) political problems, combat disintegrating forces of tribalism, stamp out discrimination within the group and against minorities and generally infuse the idea of a single Nationality throughout the Region and the propagation of the ideal of a modern Yoruba State and Federal State of Nigeria through the agency of reliable persons who share our ideals . (ii) It must be noted that True Federalism/Restructuring is a political question that is achievable through various political means, to wit: electoralism, that is, contestation for political power through electoral means, mass mobilization, direct and indirect engagement with electoral forces on ground, etc. (iii) The exception is military rule which can decree a Restructuring of the country into existence and which we have experienced with the creation of states, anchored on certain political factors which brought such states into being. Yet state creation, while it restructured the Regions into states, ended up not only atomizing the various peoples of Nigeria but also turned the states into appendages of the central administration, thereby negating the central thrust of Restructuring, to wit: the manifestation of the expectations and aspirations of the peoples in their existential realities. (iv) Earlier Presidencies also took political actions towards Restructuring through the instrumentality of various Conferences, all of which were carried out by way of Zonal Consultations but whose conclusions were ignored by every Presidency. These Zonal Consultations had no roadmap/pathway for Legitimizing their conclusions to which the central Government would be bound, which further enabled the central Governments to ignore them. Therefore, the political context for achieving True Federalism must rest within the historical and contemporary context of such engagements. (v) Despite the Egbes existence, the necessity for a political party platform to contest the 1951 Parliamentary Elections led to the formation of the Action Group, whose welfarist philosophy, Freedom for all, life more abundant was translated into the Yoruba language as Afenifere. The Action Group dismissed the attempt at making the Egbe serve the partisan political purpose, by maintaining a noticeably clear identity from the Egbe, despite the initial and temporary overlapping roles of top members of the Egbe in the Action Group. (vi) The victory of the Action Group in 1951 made it the dominant political party in the West, and it became the vehicle for Yoruba political activities in the run-up to Independence, even as the party was not a Yoruba party, despite its Center of Gravity being in Yorubaland. This enabled the party to lay the foundation for social democracy in Yorubaland. This was the case with the UPN, with its Center of Gravity in Yorubaland, and the dominant partisan Party in Yorubaland. (vii) An aberration occurred during the June 12 struggles, with the emergence of NADECO, with a new organization known as AFENIFERE, playing a significant role in it. (viii) This organizational Afenifere leadership comprised most of those formerly in the Action Group and the UPN. Unlike the temporary overlapping between the Egbe and AG, the new Afenifere mixed up its organizational existence with the philosophical/ideological social welfarism (Afenifere) of the AG and claimed proprietary rights to both the philosophy as well as the organization. (ix) The consummation of June 12 struggles also required the formation of political parties, which led to the formation of the AD, whose Center of Gravity was also in Yorubaland but within a more centralized political atmosphere. Despite this limitation, it became the dominant partisan political party in Yorubaland and followed the informally established paradigm. (x) However, June 12 and its aftermath presented a dilemma, to wit: the comingling of the philosophy with the organizational structure, hence the issue as to whether AD is Afenifere or not. This was compounded by the drafting of the then Afenifere Leader, Pa Abraham Adesanya as the Spokesperson for the Yoruba, which was eventually converted to Leader of the Yoruba. This conversion formally brought the comingling of the philosophical with the organizational and brought the conflict between AD and Afenifere to a head. (xi) Ordinarily, the issue would have been easily resolvable, in the sense that it had already been resolved by the AG. That is, the AG was the political party that fought the necessary battles with Afenifere as its ideological/philosophical weapon of choice; therefore, the AD could not have dissolved itself into the new Afenifere nor become subservient to it. (xii) The conflict resulted in the extinction of the AD as a political party, which transmuted into various political formations, with a major faction becoming what is now known as the South-West All Progressives Congress (SWAPC). (xiii) On the other hand, Afenifere, because it combined the philosophy with its organizational structure, foreclosed other groups from appropriating the same philosophy. Yet all these groups define their ideological/philosophical bent in one form of social welfarism or the other, in other words, as carriers of the Afenifere vision for the polity, thereby informally making all other groups philosophically Afenifere but organizationally distinct and have no input or stake in Afeniferes organizational structure. (xiv) Hence, the Afenifere Question cannot be divorced from the philosophical, organizational, and politically partisan vehicle of its expression. This mandates an examination of current organizational and political choices to arrive at a resolution. (xv) We start by recognizing that Nigerias political contestation for power at the center since Independence has never been a function of democracy, justice, equity, or fairness, but on the balance of forces/power between the contending parties, mainly between Unitarist and Federalist forces, and which the Yoruba Referendum Committee believes has come to a head with the 2023 elections. (xvi) The contestation was manifested in every instance of political power contest at the Center, reflecting the balance of forces between the political parties as well as the Nationalities, as these examples show: the Alliance between the NPC and NCNC to sustain their Parliamentary majority and rejecting creation of more Regions for a balanced Federation; the success of the January 15/16 Military coups largely dependent on the dominance of Igbo Officers in the Nigerian Army and whose outcome was the abolition of Nigerias Federalism; the revenge coup of July 1966 largely due to the command and influence of Officers and rank and file of mainly northern origin; the NPN/NPP Alliance of the second republic reflecting the earlier NPC/NCNC Alliance; the military interregnum largely dominated by officers of northern origin; the declaration of Biafra without taking cognizance of the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the minorities in the Eastern Region; the 1999 Transition anchored on sustaining Unitarist Nigeria by deflecting the June 12 struggle via selecting a Yoruba candidate of their choice, and subsequent elections since then, anchored on different types of alignments and realignments of various political forces in order to take power. (xvii) From all these, justice, equity, and fairness are directly tied to the question of Federalism and the forces for or against it. (xviii) The PDP, for now, has become the party whose goal is permanent Hausa-Fulani Hegemony in Nigerias political firmament by failing to even honor its own unwritten agreement to field a southerner. This is despite its presidential candidates foray into the realm of devolution. The Labor Party, through its Presidential candidate, has stated that there is nothing wrong with the 1999 Constitution, has no known affinity with social democracy, is anti-Federalist, judging by the positions it has taken on Federalism and has consistently been made available as a Special Purpose Vehicle for all sorts of political opportunists--all of which are a negation of Yoruba existential, historical, and contemporary pursuits. The APC, though not a Yoruba Party, nevertheless has a SW Leadership as a continuum of the AG through the AD. The pursuit of True Federalism as stated in its founding Manifesto makes it amenable to direct and indirect political engagement by the Yoruba. (xix) Afenifere, as an organization, will therefore be able to manifest its philosophy, that is, freedom for all, life more abundant by the practical engagement of the dominant political party in Yorubaland through the instrumentality of a pathway towards Re-Federalization. With this, Afenifere would have filled the gap between the dominant political party whose Center of Gravity is not in Yorubaland, and the necessity for achieving True Federalism. The United States has resumed huge crude oil importation from Nigeria, increasing the countrys oil revenue by N156bn last month, according the findings by a correspondent. The US increased its imports to 4.3 million barrels in March, the highest since June 2018, according to Customs data on Refinitiv Eikon. US refiners turned to other crude oil sources for the first time in seven years to boycott supplies from Russia as sanctions for the Ukraine invasion. Part of the crude grades the country turned to was North Seas Forties and Nigerias Bonny Light. Nigerias Bonny Light sold for $78 per barrel in March, and 4.3 million barrels were exported to the U.S. bringing total revenue from the countrys oil export to the worlds largest economy to about N156bn. Nigeria used to be one of the major crude oil suppliers to the US; however, Canada took over the position with its increased oil sand production. The Chief Executive Officer of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, and the immediate past Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Muda Yusuf told a correspondent that Nigerias failure to meet its OPEC quota and the continued importation of refined petroleum products had robbed the country of the gains of the increased exports to the US This is good news for Nigeria. Although Nigeria has been unable to meet its production quota from OPEC and then we still import petrol, otherwise, oil-producing countries are currently smiling to the bank, he said. He urged Nigeria to make the most of the current increase in revenue, caused by the Russia-Ukraine war. What the increase in importation from the US means is that Nigeria will now have more inflow of foreign exchange, more revenue and closer friendship ties with the country. The best thing is for us to take advantage of the current increase in revenue, he added. A former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) has faulted the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of ruling All Progressive Congress as winner of February 25 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The former AGF argued that before a candidate can be declared winner in a presidential election, such candidate must score 25 per cent of the votes cast in the election in 2/3 of the 36 states and 25% in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has also faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for declaring Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect, despite having not scored the required 25 per cent in the FCT. On his part, Aondoakaa, while appearing as a guest on ARISE NEWS Channel programme, maintained that this requirement has been the law and have not changed since the pronouncement of the Supreme Court in 2008. While noting that the matter is already in court and, as such, he would not dwell deeply on it, the former AGF recalled that the Supreme Court had in 2008 in a suit involving the current President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the then President, Alhaji Umaru Musa YarAdua, resolved the issue of the 25 per cent in 2/3 of the states of the federation and the FCT. Its a very difficult situation, but the matter has been interpreted before, around 2008, in a matter involving the current President, he said, adding that the pronouncement then was that the and is used conjunctively; that was the interpretation then.Maybe the Supreme Court may have another look since it was a long time ago, but as of now, that is the interpretation. The interpretation was that the states and the Federal Capital Territory shall be construed conjunctively. In order words, you must get 25 per cent in 2/3 and 25 per cent in the FCT if you go by the interpretation of the Supreme Court in 2008. But I know the Suprme Court has a right to depart from his previous decisions if the justices of the case demand so.I dont know if confronted with a similar situation they will follow their own decision or depart from it, he added. Meanwhile, the senior legal practitioner, Prof. Ozekhome (SAN), faulted INEC for declaring Tinubu as the president-elect having not scored the required 25 per cent in the FCT. The Constitution says you must get 25 per cent in 24 states, and in FCT, Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not score 25 per cent in the FCT, and since he didnt score 25 per cent in the FCT, he should not have been declared president as INEC wrongly did, he said.While claiming that the February 25 presidential election was not free, fair, and credible, Ozekhome pointed out that Tinubu would continue to carry a very heavy, strong burden of legitimacy and lack of it on his neck like an albatross; it doesnt require demonstration or protest on the street; the issue is a moral burden on him. The constitutional lawyer noted that in seeking 25 per cent in 2/3 of all the states of the federation and the FCT, the Constitution clearly distinguished the FCT as a separate entity or a special territory, wherein the presidential candidate needs to obtain at least 25 per cent of the total votes cast in the election. The framers of the Constitution certainly desired for Nigeria a President that is widely accepted with a national spread and not one that has only the support of his tribe or region. Hence they provided in the Constitution the sections relating to the election of the President because of our peculiarities as a multi-diverse and multi-facetted nation. The only logical conclusion is that sections 134 and 299 are not mutually exclusive or contradictory. Rather, Section 299 supports and complements section 134. To show this distinctiveness, FCT has never conducted any elections, either for gubernatorial candidates or state Houses of Assembly members, as done by states. Rather, under Section 301 of the Constitution, the FCT is governed by the President with an appointed Minister as his proxy in the form of Minister of the FCT. Likewise, the FCT does not have its own state House of Assembly but legislates through the National Assembly. This, therefore, speaks to its distinct status, which is not affected by section 299. Whether Abuja is regarded as a full state, pseudo-state, quasi-State, or semi-State, is immaterial. Even if it is none of these, the intention of the Constitution-makers matters if in their wisdom, they decided to reckon with the votes cast in even a single LGA in Nigeria, along with votes cast in the 36 states recognised under the 1999 Constitution, to decide the winner of a presidential election, then the six Area Councils in the FCT cannot be treated lesser or ignored, the senior lawyer argued. KYODO NEWS - Apr 15, 2023 - 13:46 | All, Japan Tokyo Disneyland on Saturday celebrated 40 years since first opening its doors to visitors, marking the milestone with colorful celebrations featuring Mickey Mouse and other iconic characters after weathering the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme park, located just east of Tokyo, welcomed 20,000 people on its first day in 1983, according to Disneyland's operator Oriental Land Co. It has expanded continuously since, adding attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain, which remain popular among visitors. The construction of nearby JR Maihama Station and several hotels in the area also encouraged steady growth before the opening of neighboring theme park Tokyo DisneySea to the public in 2001. The total number of visitors to the two parks had surpassed 800 million as of March last year, according to the company. Over time, the theme parks have produced die-hard fans, with some making several trips a year to enjoy seasonal parades and purchase limited-edition goods for big events, such as Halloween and Christmas. The parks have also come to be known as venues for the city's Coming of Age celebrations since 2002. The parks' operator experienced financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic, however. After closing for around four months from the end of February 2020, the company saw the number of visitors to both theme parks in fiscal 2020 drop to a record low of 7.56 million, far below the peak of 32.55 million in fiscal 2018. In the business year through March 2021, Oriental Land fell into the red for the first time since listing on the stock exchange in 1996. But the imposition of limits on daily visitors to the parks due to the pandemic has not been entirely negative, an Oriental Land spokesperson said, noting it had led to "shorter waiting times, and guests are spending their time at a more leisurely pace than before." The company now plans to reduce the number of annual visitors to the parks from the more than 30 million seen before the arrival of COVID-19 to about 26 million by fiscal 2024. "We want to make it a special year, celebrating our 40th anniversary with our guests," the spokesperson said. While workers at a Fenwick cannabis greenhouse feel blindsided by the companys decision to wind down operations, Pelhams mayor Marvin Junkin said the greenhouse closure should come as a relief to residents who have complained for years about odours emanating from the facility. Meanwhile, Junkin said he remains hopeful that many of the impacted workers will land on their feet, finding jobs with other cannabis-producing greenhouses in the region, or retraining for new careers. Last week, Phoena Holdings Inc., formerly known as CannTrust, was granted protection from its creditors under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act, for the second time since March 2022, and announced plans to liquidate its assets, including the greenhouse on Foss Road. A former worker who asked not to be identified, fearing reprisal from the company, said more than 80 workers were terminated on the spot, with no notice whatsoever and sent home. The worker said about 100 more former colleagues were told Phoena planned to close the greenhouse entirely in the near future. They blindsided us all and ruined our lives, the worker said in an email. Since the company is under CCAA protection, the worker said terminated employees wont even receive severance payments. Now I'm frantically looking for work and a way to survive and pay bills, the worker said. Junkin said the Balfour Street greenhouse was not a location to put a cannabis production facility, especially when they did not abide by the rules of no smells being emitted. However, he shared concerns about the job losses. Its not good for the people working there, he said. I can only hope that other facilities in the region could possible absorb them. Meanwhile, Junkin said he received notice from the Ministry of Labour following the job losses, offering assistance to impacted employees including retraining opportunities. I really feel sorry for the workers. No one likes to see workers lose their jobs, but for the community, I think the closing of this cannabis facility is not going to cause too much pain for residents. He said he also hopes to see the greenhouses used for other less aromatic produce perhaps peppers. It will be interesting to see where the property goes from there, Junkin said. In an affidavit filed last week, Phoenas chief executive Cornelis Pieter Melissen said the company sought creditor protection because it needs the breathing room and stability offered by a CCAA proceeding. It has been unable to revive its business and generate a profit since emerging from creditor protection in March 2022, after receiving $17 million in financing from a subsidiary of Netherlands-based private equity investment firm Kenzoll B.V. The companys attempts to rebound were hampered by accusations that it grew cannabis in unlicensed rooms at its facility in Fenwick in 2018 and 2019. However, last year an Ontario Court acquitted three former executives of charges linked to the allegation when the Ontario Securities Commission determined it no longer had a reasonable prospect of a conviction. The allegations, however, resulted in Phoena being delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange and temporarily losing its cannabis licenses. Nevertheless, Melissen said the company was unable to recover its patient base. Further, since the suspension of those licenses in September 2019, the Canadian cannabis market has become increasingly competitive, with market share dominated by a handful of major corporations, Melissen said. With files by The Canadian Press SHARE: Two people were arrested by city police after a loaded handgun and drugs were seized during a raid at a home in Peterboroughs west end on Thursday. On Thursday, officers with the city police drug unit arrested the two men, one during a traffic stop near Ravenwood Drive and Melody Crescent and the second after a search warrant was executed to raid a home in the Louden Terrace and Avery Avenue area in the northwest end of Peterborough, police said. A loaded Glock handgun was seized in the raid along with 133.2 grams of cocaine, 1.6 grams of fentanyl, $2,970 in Canadian currency, weigh scales, vacuum packaging and cellphones, police said. A 28-year-old Peterborough man and was charged with unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, possession of loaded prohibited or restricted firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possession of the proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking. He was held in custody for a court appearance on Friday. A 29-year-old Ajax man was charged with was charged with unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, possession of loaded prohibited or restricted firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possession of the proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking and four counts of failing to comply with a release order requiring him to not possess any unlawful substances, drug paraphernalia, weapons or more than one cellphone. He was held in custody for a court appearance on Friday. It was the third firearm seized by city police since the start of the year, according to police. For too many people the struggles are real; however, the sad reality is that all too often guns, drugs and violence go hand-in-hand, stated city police Chief Stu Betts. We at Peterborough Police will never stop trying to keep our city safe. Its our mandate and its our passion. We remain steadfast guardians of community safety. SHARE: The City of Peterborough and Electric City Culture Council are pleased to announce Peterboroughs second poet laureate spoken word artist Ziysah von Bieberstein. The Peterborough poet laureate is an honorary position that recognizes the excellence and outstanding achievement of professional poets, both print and spoken word, while at the same time bringing deeper meaning and reflection to official civic occasions. Von Bieberstein will serve as poet laureate until September 2024 and will create and present four new works for various official civic occasions, and undertake a community-initiated program of special events and activities. Mayor Jeff Leal will introduce von Bieberstein at the city council meeting on April 24, at 6 p.m. The event will be livestreamed at peterborough.ca/watchcouncil. A poet laureate is a reflection of our values as a community. Through poetry, were inspired and encouraged to reflect on our lives and the life of our community, Leal said. The arts community is a key part of the cultural, social, and economic vibrancy of Peterborough. Thank you to Ziysah, our new poet laureate, for helping to elevate the awareness of the arts in our community and for bringing the arts into our civic life. "I am deeply honoured and grateful to all who have recognized the vitality of poetry in creating this position, and to the foundational voice of our first poet laureate, Sarah Lewis said von Bieberstein. My vision for the coming year is to hold space for the kind of poetry that can lure us from our caves of isolation back to the warmth of a shared fire. Undie Sunday St. Pauls Presbyterian Church recently held two Undie Sundays in support of YES Shelter for Youth and Families, and encouraged other churches to do the same. The result was the collection of more than 500 pairs of new underwear, along with socks and T-shirts. The items have been donated to YES, where the supply is expected to last for several months. Everything is sorted and stored, ready to give out, says Sarah Cornett, shelter manager at YES. We are so grateful for this communitys generosity. We even had a few people come to the shelter directly with personal donations. St. Pauls pastor, Rev. Debora Rolls, was especially appreciative of the media coverage this project received. As a relative newcomer, I have had folks tell me that Peterborough is a very giving community, she said, but now I truly believe it! Peterborough Pop Ensemble The Peterborough Pop Ensemble presents A Century of Song, Saturday April 22 at 7 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte St. The concert features music from the 1920s to the 2020s, and every decade in between, and will highlight best of the Ensembles repertoire, including jazz standards, gospel, pop, songs of the Second World War and Motown. The ensemble will be joined by a live band, including members Barry Haggarty, Andrew Affleck, Curtis Cronkwright, Sean Hully, and Janina Kraus. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for youth. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit markethall.org. Reel Rock Film Festival Rock and Rope Climbing Centre presents the Reel Rock 17 Film Festival on April 23 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte St., at 6 p.m. The festival features three new films on the years biggest climbing and adventure stories an expedition on Nameless Tower in Pakistan; a new cutting-edge route in a massive limestone cave in France; and a journey to Palestines West Bank to explore the power of climbing to change lives. Tickets are $25 per person, if purchased in advanced at Rock and Rope, 280 Perry St, Unit 16, or at the door for $30 per person. Please visit rockandrope.com for more information and a preview of the films. SHARE: The next stage of artificial intelligence is here, and its already taking the tech world by storm. The launch of Auto-GPT last week an artificial intelligence program capable of acting on its own and improving itself over time has sparked the rise of autonomous AI agents that some believe could revolutionize the way we work and live. Unlike current systems like ChatGPT, which require manual commands for every task, AI agents are capable of assigning themselves new objectives to work on with the aim of reaching a greater goal, and without much need for human input an unprecedented level of autonomy for AI models like GPT-4. As the technology is still in its early infancy, experts say its difficult to forecast its future implications. Heres what you need to know. What are AI agents? AI agent is a term for any artificial intelligence able to perform a particular function without human interference, according to Steve Engels, a professor in the University of Torontos department of computer science who works with generative AI. The term has been around for decades, he said. For example, programs that play chess or control video game characters are considered agents because they have the agency to be able to control some of their own behaviours and explore the environment. This latest iteration of AI agents are similarly independent, but with far greater capabilities as theyre powered by state-of-the-art AI systems like OpenAIs GPT-4 a large language model capable of tasks that range from writing complex code, to composing sonnets, to acing the bar exam. OpenAI released an API for GPT-4 and their mega popular chatbot ChatGPT earlier this month, allowing any third-party developer to integrate the companys technology into their own products. Auto-GPT is among the latest products spawned from the API, and potentially the first example of GPT-4 being allowed to operate fully autonomously. What is Auto-GPT and whats it capable of? Auto-GPT was created by Toran Bruce Richards, the founder and lead developer at video game company Significant Gravitas Ltd. Its source code is publicly available on Github, allowing anyone with the programming knowledge to build their own AI agents. According to the projects Github, Auto-GPT is able to access the internet for searches and information gathering, can generate images, has short-term and long-term memory management and even features text-to-speech allowing the AI to talk. Perhaps most significant, the program boasts the ability to rewrite and improve on its own code, allowing it to recursively debug, develop and self-improve, according to Significant Gravitas. How effective these self-updates are remains to be seen. Normally, we interface with GPT-4 by typing specific prompts one by one into ChatGPT and waiting for the AI to churn out an answer, Engels said. For example, one might ask it: How can I transfer a file on my computer from one location to another? Auto-GPT is able to actually take those responses and execute them in order to make some larger task happen, Engels said, including coming up with its own prompts in response to new information. Auto-GPT hit viral success almost immediately after its launch, becoming the top trending repository on Github, garnering over 61,000 stars by Friday night, and leading to a plethora of offshoots. The program has topped Twitters trending tab over the past week, with countless programmers and entrepreneurs sharing their own takes on the program. Richards and Significant Gravitas did not respond to the Stars requests for comment before publication. How is Auto-GPT being used? Twitter has been chock full of users sharing their uses for Auto-GPT, from formulating business plans to a to-do list that does itself. While anyone can use Auto-GPT for themselves, it takes a bit of programming knowledge to set up. Fortunately, users have created AgentGPT, which integrates Auto-GPT into ones web browser allowing anyone to make their own AI agents for free. Due to the programs capabilities and affordability, its possible AI agents may eventually replace human jobs like customer service workers, content writers or even financial advisors. At the moment, the tech still has issues ChatGPT is known to fabricate news stories or scientific studies, for example, while Auto-GPT has had trouble staying on task. Still, AI is developing at a breakneck speed and its impossible to say what comes next, Engels noted. We dont really know at this point what its going to be or even what the next iteration of it is going to look like, he said. Things are still very much in the development stage right now. SHARE: Researchers behind the latest guidance on drinking alcohol want Health Canada to update findings on its website to inform the public about safe levels of consumption. And federal Health Minister Jean-Yves agrees Canadians should have access to that important piece of advice. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) released a Health Canada-funded report in January that says scientific evidence from around the world suggests no amount of alcohol is safe and low-risk is defined as two drinks per week, instead of two drinks per day, based on its previously recommended limits from 2011. But the old information remains on the federal agencys site. Duclos said people need access to the latest, robust data online to make decisions about drinking and their well-being. I think every Canadian deserves to know what the experts believe, he said in an interview. In the end, its for people to decide. They need to have easy access to the type of information that matters to them. However, Duclos said he could not say if the site would be updated. He deferred to Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett, but a spokeswoman for her said the minister was not available for comment. In a statement, Bennetts office said the government will continue to engage Canadians on policies to address alcohol-related harms and to determine best approaches to disseminate information on risks related to alcohol use. We believe it is essential to have this work done before proceeding to finalizing specific guidance tools and methods of communication. However, Bennett has not committed to mandating warning labels on alcohol containers, as recommended in the report. She said in February that she hoped the industry would voluntarily take on the labelling issue. Dr. Peter Butt, who co-chaired the CCSAs guidance project, said basic information should be provided by Health Canada to show the federal governments support of the project it paid for. Were talking about a cultural and political shift that doesnt happen overnight. But you know, people would like to see the government do the right thing, he said of replacing the old guidance, which set weekly limits at 15 standard drinks for men and 10 for women. Im sure Health Canada is grappling with this as individuals did when the guidance came out, said Butt, adding the evidence researchers considered raises multiple questions: What do we need to do to respond to this? Whats our responsibility? And where do we land in terms of tolerating risk -- politically and economically as opposed to the right thing to do? He called alcohol a complicated commodity in the way it is marketed, even as a potentially high-risk product that is linked to health conditions and rising health-care costs. Butt also questioned Bennetts stance on leaving the issue of warning labels to the alcohol industry. This is not providing any guidance whatsoever. This is just going to kick the can further down the road. And what do you think the tobacco industry would have done if they were told to voluntarily place labels on their packages of cigarettes, said Butt, who is also a clinical associate professor at the University of Saskatchewans department of family medicine. His clinical and research work focuses on substance use disorders. Wine Growers of Canada has said it is developing a QR code that could voluntarily be placed on alcohol containers to direct consumers to a site that warns about alcohols association with increased long-term risk of serious illness and potential negative effects on relationships. Butt called that approach equivalent to infomercials on websites aimed at furthering the financial interests of the industry rather than providing consumers with the information they need directly on alcohol containers. Alcohol is no ordinary commodity. It has a history. Its embedded in our culture. Theres an economy attached to it, he said. Dr. Tim Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) at the University of Victoria, said the latest guidance is based on scientific data and could be used to set policies, such as federal taxes, physical availability of alcohol and treatment interventions to minimize its harms. I certainly hope Health Canada will step up and play an active role in at least in this one aspect of improving things, he said of the agency posting the CCSAs updated guidance, for which he provided expertise. Preliminary results of CISURs latest edition of the ongoing Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation research project, which assesses how well provincial and federal governments are implementing policies, show all 13 provinces and territories are selling alcohol at a loss, meaning taxpayers are subsidizing sales, Naimi said. Theres lots to be done in Canada with respect to improving peoples health and well-being with respect to alcohol. And I think the guidance is an important part of reshaping that sort of conversation. So, of course, Im concerned that the word gets out. The previous guidelines were associated with health harms, said Naimi, adding: I cant really explain why (Health Canada) wouldnt at least post the new ones. Catherine Paradis, interim director of the CCSA, who, along with Butt, directed the guidance project, said plans are underway to launch an awareness campaign to educate the public online, through doctors offices and various agencies about the risks related to drinking alcohol. Were receiving tons of requests, she said of interest from organizations including the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Liver Foundation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2023. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. SHARE: Q My younger brother suffers from a chronic illness that affects him daily. Hes almost always in physical discomfort. It makes it difficult for him to go into an office setting, go out for dinner or to an event and even to have a relationship. Hes very bright, fun, sporty and has lots of friends. As a teenager, he worked through it fought through it so he could live as normally as possible. His friends were understanding and helpful. But now his friends are all in relationships, doing couple things, working real jobs, and moving forward in their lives. Hes having a hard time keeping up and I feel its getting him down. How can I help my brother manage his problem and have a healthy, fulfilling adult life? Concerned sib A You can help your brother by doing some research on his illness and finding out how other children have lived and grown up with the same affliction. Show him what youve found and ask him if hed like your help. Tell him that you want him to have the best life ever and you want to help him achieve that any way you can. Then help him make a plan. Together you two will figure out the ins and outs of his illness, his limitations, and possibilities. Good luck to both of you. Youre lucky to have each other. Q My son, in his early 30s, has had a nice life with only the best of everything. We sent him to the best private schools, which gave him the education to attend one of the best universities in the world. He was bright, worked hard and graduated with honours in Engineering. He got a great job, was making his own money, living at home and saving. He seemed happy and on the right track for a fulfilling life. Recently, my mother-in-law passed away and left my son a small inheritance. We thought he would save it to help buy a house later, when his next phase of life started. Instead, he quit his job and bought a fixer-upper. The money left to him was not enough for him to live off, certainly not if he used the bulk of it to buy a property. The rest wont cover the cost of material for fixing the house. Im not sure what my son is thinking but my husband is apoplectic about our sons sudden lack of ambition. Hes now refusing to work and my husband is refusing to speak with him. Standoff A I understand your husbands frustration. He feels that everything he did for your son was for naught. But thats not true. Your son may just need a break from the spinning wheel of life. He was on track from day one, thanks to you and everything you gave him, and he was successful. But maybe it wasnt enough to light his soul on fire. This small windfall has opened a door for him and hes breaking free. Let him do his own thing. Easier said than done, I know. But hes still young enough to have this blip in life. Really, only three things can happen: he can find his passion and live his own life successfully; he can enjoy this break and then go back to what he knows best; or he can get lost and suffer from his poor choices. I know the last option is the worst, but you cant help someone who doesnt want help. He needs you to let him take this time. Support him emotionally, not financially. Give your husband time to accept whats happening. I have a feeling theyll both be fine. FEEDBACK: Regarding the mom worried about her daughters future (March 9): Reader: As a teenager in the late 1960s, I was one of those girls who rolled my long pleated private school skirt up. We werent creative enough to turn our blouses into crop tops but we generally tried to do anything to feel a bit cooler in our uniforms. All kids who wear a uniform try to make it look cooler. Its not a whole lot of fun as a teen to be out in public in a conservative school uniform. I would suggest that if students are going to school and getting good grades, how they wear their uniform is just a creative expression of fitting in; not really anything to be worried about. FEEDBACK: Regarding the daughter thinking her father doesnt like her (March 6): Reader: I also immediately jumped to health issues. Two potential issues come to mind: early-stage dementia and hearing loss. Ellie Tesher and Lisi Tesher are advice columnists for the Star and based in Toronto. Send your relationship questions via email: ellie@thestar.ca or lisi@thestar.ca SHARE: HALIFAX - Federal fisheries officials shut down the lucrative baby eel fishery in the Maritimes on Saturday amid growing concerns of illegal poaching and violence. Fisheries and Oceans Canada said the elver fishery in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick would be closed for 45 days, effective immediately, due to conservation and safety concerns. Conflicts have escalated to violence and threats, risking the safety of harvesters and constituting a threat to the proper management and control of the fishery, the federal department said in a statement. Closing the elver fishery is a required response to address these combined risks. The young eels, or elvers, are shipped live to Asian markets such as China and Japan, where they are grown for food. Under 10 centimetres in length, the majority of elvers are caught with small fixed gear called dip nets that are set or operated by hand. They have become a prized commodity for commercial and First Nations fishers, with prices reaching $5,000 per kilogram in 2022. The American Eel was designated as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 2012. The federal fisheries department said it stepped up monitoring of the fishery in recent weeks, including patrolling rivers, inspecting holding facilities and conducting surveillance and inspections at airports and border crossings. The extensive monitoring led to multiple seizures and arrests and showed that unreported removals account for a significant proportion of elver landings, it said. All elver harvesting is now prohibited and subject to enforcement action, the department said. DFO will continue to work closely with the RCMP and local police to monitor and address criminal activity and reports of threats, intimidation, or violence. Conservative MP Rick Perkins, who represents the Nova Scotia riding of South Shore-St. Margarets, said its no secret what is driving what many believe is a spike in poaching this year. Anywhere that you get something thats $5,000 a kilogram and pretty cheap and easy to fish, you run the risk (of poaching), Perkins said in an interview on Wednesday. Its become a free-for-all. Perkins, fellow Nova Scotia Conservative MP Chris dEntremont and the partys fisheries critic, Clifford Small, signed a letter sent to federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray last week that called for her department to immediately enforce the law and stop all illegal elver fishing to conserve the stock and prevent violence on the rivers in Nova Scotia. The letter from the Tory MPs followed concerns voiced earlier this month by the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mikmaw Chiefs over the fisherys safety. We had previously expressed concerns to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans about the safety of our harvesters in this region, said Chief Gerald Toney, fisheries co-lead for the assembly. DFO appears to be doing little to control unlawful elver harvest activity and to make sure our Kespukwitk fishers are safe from violence. This is unacceptable, and it is time that federal officers start taking steps to ensure the safety of all. Toney could not be reached for further comment. On Thursday, Nova Scotia RCMP said two men were facing charges following an attack linked to the elver fishery in Hubbards, N.S., on the southern outskirts of Halifax. Police allege a man was approached by a group of seven people and was assaulted with a pipe by one of the assailants. On Friday, police said the alleged victim of the assault has also been charged with uttering threats before the assault. The fisheries department said its officers had conducted 741 patrols of rivers from March 13 to April 10, resulting in the seizure of 35.8 kilograms of elvers. That total includes 25 kilograms seized at the Halifax International Airport on April 5. To date, the department said it has seized 21 nets, storage equipment and an all-terrain vehicle and a trailer, in addition to arresting 12 people and issuing one summary offence ticket for violations of the Fisheries Act. The illegal activity has added to growing tensions over allocations for the 2023 fishing season, which runs from March until June. For the second consecutive year, the federal government gave Indigenous fishers 14 per cent of the commercial quota as it looks to increase their access to the fishery in recognition of a treaty right to make a moderate living from fishing. The total allowable catch is 9,960 kilograms a limit that has been in place since 2005. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: A staff member introduces products to visitors at the pavilion of Indonesia's leading coffee company Kapal Api at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, on April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Huimin) HAIKOU/JAKARTA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- At the ongoing third China International Consumer Products Expo held in Haikou, capital city of south China's island province of Hainan, Kapal Api coffee from Indonesia has been popular with Chinese consumers. During the company's debut at the Hainan expo, it is like a holiday hustle and bustle in its pavilion as baristas are busy preparing coffee for visitors, while salespeople are busy introducing products to customers or packaging products for them. Jiang Jiawen, marketing manager of Kapal Api China, said they brought a special Indonesian product, the kopi luwak, which is made from coffee beans partially digested by civets. "It sells very well on the first day of the expo," said Jiang, "In addition to the kopi luwak, other products like Java Latte and Indonesian coffee beans have also become hot sellers." "Kapal Api has a silky and smooth taste, with just the right acidity, and it offers a favorable price at the expo," said Xie Li, a local resident and coffee enthusiast who bought two large boxes of Kapal Api coffee. She added that if Kapal Api were to participate in the expo next year, she will definitely come again, and she hopes the company brings more unique products next time. The Chinese market has unlimited potential, and the Hainan expo will help more Chinese consumers understand Indonesian coffee, said Robin Setyono, Chief Operating Officer of Kapal Api Global. "We believe that by bringing coffee to the Hainan expo, we will be able to introduce our company, our products, as well as new ways of drinking coffee," Setyono said. Seeing China as a very potential market and one of the company's strategic focuses for export, he said the products exported to China are all made especially for the Chinese market. "We believe Hainan is a strategic place to enter and get our product to be known by Chinese consumers," he said, adding that his company hopes to find potential partners to further grow in the Chinese market. While the expo kicked off on Monday, the first coffee shop jointly operated by Kapal Api and Mushan Coffee, a local coffee brand, officially opened in Haikou. "This is the beginning of cooperation between Kapal Api and the local coffee industry, and we hope to further expand the Chinese market through the cooperation, "said Jiang, the marketing manager. Li Changjian, general manager of Hainan Nongken Mushan Coffee Company, expressed hopes that by cooperating with Kapal Api, Mushan can further explore the coffee industry and promote sales in the international market. "Kapal Api has a strong industrial foundation and supply chain, while we have plantations, factories, and related supporting facilities, so Kapal Api and our company can benefit from complementary advantages," Li said. A barista prepares coffee for visitors at the pavilion of Indonesia's leading coffee company Kapal Api at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, on April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Huimin) People visit the pavilion of Indonesia's leading coffee company Kapal Api at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, on April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Huimin) KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) Sudans military and a powerful paramilitary force battled fiercely in the capital and other areas, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict. A doctors syndicate said Sunday the death toll rose to 56, with at least 595 people wounded. The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the military and its partner-turned-rival, the Rapid Support Forces group. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup. Chaotic scenes unfolded in the capital of Khartoum, where fighters firing from truck-mounted machine guns battled in densely populated neighborhoods. Fire and explosions are everywhere, said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. We havent seen such battles in Khartoum before, said resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa. By the end of the day, the military issued a statement ruling out out negotiations with the RSF, instead calling for the dismantling of what it called a rebellious militia. The head of the paramilitary group, in turn, branded the armed forces chief a criminal. The tough language signaled that the conflict between the former allies, who jointly orchestrated the 2021 coup, was likely to continue. Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure appeared to be mounting. Top diplomats, including the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.N. secretary-general, the EU foreign policy chief, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission urged the sides to stop fighting. Arab states with stakes in Sudan Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also called for a cease-fire and for both parties to return to negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he consulted with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. We agreed it was essential for the parties to immediately end hostilities without pre-condition, he said in a statement early Sunday. The fighting comes after months of escalating tensions between the commander of Sudans miltitary, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. It also followed years of political unrest since the 2021 coup. The recent tensions stem from disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Dagalo, should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudans unsigned transition agreement with political groups. The fighting erupted early Saturday. The two sides traded blame over who started and also made rival claims over who controlled strategic installations around the capital. By early Sunday, at least 56 people had been killed across Sudan and at least 595 wounded. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate said at least six of the deaths were reported in the capital Khartoum and its sister city Omdurman and another eight near Nyala, the capital city of the South Darfur province in the southwest. The syndicate said the casualty toll was likely higher, with many believed to be still uncounted in western Darfur region and the northern town of Merowe. The military said in a statement late Saturday that its troops had seized all RSF bases in Omdurman, while residents reported heavy airstrikes on paramilitary positions in and around the capital that continued into the night. After nightfall, sounds of gunfire and explosions were still heard in several parts of Khartoum, they said. One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport. There was no formal announcement that the airport was closed, but major airlines suspended their flights. Saudi Arabias national airline said one of its aircraft was involved in what it called an accident. Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a Boeing 737 for SkyUp, a Kyiv, Ukraine-based airline. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The doctors group said two civilians were killed at the airport. Burhan, the armed forces chief, told the Qatar-based satellite news network Al Jazeera, that the day began with RSF troops harassing the military south of Khartoum, triggering the clashes. He said RSF fighters entered Khartoum airport and set fire to some planes. He said all strategic facilities including the militarys headquarters and the Republican palace, the seat of Sudans presidency, are under his forces control. He threatened to deploy more troops to Khartoum. Dagalo accused Burhan of starting the battle by surrounding RSF troops. This criminal, he forced this battle upon us, he said. Dagalo told Al Jazeera that he believed the fighting would be over in the next few days. The RSF alleged that its forces controlled strategic locations in Khartoum and the northern city of Merowe some 350 kilometers (215 miles) northwest of the capital. The military dismissed the claims as lies. The clashes also took place in other areas across the country including the Northern province, the conflict-ravaged Darfur region, and the strategic coastal city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, a military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. Pro-democracy activists have blamed Burhan and Dagalo for abuses against protesters across the county over the past four years, including the deadly break-up of a protest camp outside the militarys headquarters in Khartoum in June 2019 that killed over 120 protesters. Many groups have repeatedly called for holding them accountable. The RSF has long been accused of atrocities linked to the Darfur conflict. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, warned of a possible regional conflict if the fighting escalates. Shooting must stop immediately, he said in a video appeal to both sides posted on his Twitter account. Cameron Hudson, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank and a former U.S. diplomat, said the fighting could become wider and prolonged, calling on the United States to form a coalition of regional countries to pressure the leaders of the military and RSF to de-escalate. Volker Perthes, the U.N. envoy for Sudan, and the Saudi ambassador in Sudan, Ali Bin Hassan Jaffar, were in contact with Dagalo and Burhan to try to end the violence, said a U.N. official who asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Chad announced that it is closing its land borders with Sudan. ___ Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. SHARE: BEIRUT (AP) After meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss Syrias political fate, a group of regional leaders promised Saturday to continue talks to reach a political solution to the Syrian conflict, but stopped short of endorsing its return to the Arab League. The meeting, which included top diplomats from the Arab Gulf countries as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, was convened days after Syrias foreign minister visited Saudi Arabia for the first time since the kingdom cut off diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012. Syria and Saudi Arabia said Thursday they were moving toward reopening embassies and resuming flights between the two countries for the first time in more than a decade. Syria was widely shunned by Arab governments over Syrian President Bashar Assads brutal crackdown on protesters in a 2011 uprising that descended into civil war. The breakdown in relations culminated with Syria being ousted from the Arab League. However, in recent years, as Assad consolidated control over most of the country, Syrias neighbors have begun to take steps toward rapprochement. The overtures picked up pace since the massive Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and the Chinese-brokered reestablishment of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. Saudi Arabia is hosting the next Arab League summit in May, when Syrias membership is widely expected to be on the table. Some members, mainly Qatar, have opposed Damascus return to the organization. Qatar did not appear to have changed its stance after the meetings convened in Jeddah late Friday. A statement issued by the Saudi foreign ministry Saturday said the ministers had stressed that a political solution is the only solution to the Syrian crisis, and the importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis. They agreed to set up the necessary mechanisms to do so and hold intensifying consultations among Arab countries to ensure the success of these efforts. The ministers also condemned recent Israeli police raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalems Old City and emphasized the centrality and priority of the Palestinian cause, and condemned illegal Israeli practices that undermine the two-state solution with an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem based on pre-1967 borders, the statement said. Also on Thursday, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad arrived in Algeria on an official visit to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and coordinating positions between the two countries in the Arab and international arenas, Syrian state media reported. Algeria is one of the few Arab countries that did not cut off relations with Syria during the conflict. SHARE: OTTAWA - Canada and South Korea have launched talks aimed at sharing defence and security information as the two countries work to counter increasing threats from Russia and China. The agreement to develop an intelligence-sharing pact, called the General Security of Information Agreement, capped Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Jolys second official visit to the East Asian country. Joly says building on shared priorities with South Korea is part of Canadas developing Indo-Pacific strategy. She says South Korea is a strong and trusted partner with whom Canada continues to deepen and strengthen its co-operation. In October, Joly announced plans for a similar information-sharing accord with Japan. At the time, she said the exchange of intelligence would help Canada better counter threats at home while working with partners to create greater stability in the region. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: MONTREALAs Justin Trudeau celebrates a decade as Liberal leader this week, questions abound as to his future, as well as that of his party and his government. Here are some of them: 1. Trudeau beat long odds when he brought his party from third place in the House of Commons to a majority government in 2015. But could he again make history in the next election by securing the fourth consecutive term that has eluded almost all of his predecessors? On the horse-race issue, the poll numbers are inconclusive. While the Liberals tend to lag behind the Conservatives in national voting intentions, they are still too competitive in Quebec and Ontario for the CPCs own good. With an election possibly as far removed as two years from now, the main takeaway of the polls is that no one has the next election in the bag. As things stands now, a return to majority rule under either the Conservatives or the Liberals looks unlikely. 2. After a decade as party leader, including eight years as prime minister, does Trudeau still have enough gas in the tank to lead the country for another three to five years? By comparison to his predecessors, the length of Trudeaus leadership tenure to date puts him at the low end of the scale. Stephen Harper and Jean Chretien led their respective parties for 13 years. Pierre Trudeau was Liberal leader for 16 years. But politics has become more corrosive over time and Trudeau has faced more than his share of unexpected challenges since he became prime minister. Between the advent of Donald Trumps administration, the pandemic and Russias war on Ukraine, this is a government that has not had many opportunities to really catch its breath and replenish its energy supplies. Still, if Trudeau is running on empty, he hid it well over his recent post-budget tour. Never a reluctant campaigner, the prime minister looks like he could still enjoy another round on the election hustings. 3. But if battle fatigue has not yet gotten the better of the prime minister, is that also true of his inner circle? Over the past few months, his Prime Ministers Office has dropped the ball on too many occasions for Liberal comfort. As often as not, its management of issues has tended to make things worse for the government rather than better. The issue of foreign interference in Canadian elections is a case in point. That leads to the larger question of whether Trudeau and his team still have enough political stamina to move the country forward. It is one thing to win another election and another to manage a productive fourth term. It is a fact of life that the exercise of power drains a partys intellectual capital. Trudeaus government is no more immune from wear and tear than its predecessors. Take the recent and remarkable Liberal enthusiasm for a national dental care plan. To listen to the prime minister, the program, as featured in last months budget, is exhibit one of his governments commitment to do great things for Canadians. Except that it was not part of the Liberal agenda until the NDP forced the governments hand in exchange for its support on confidence votes in the Commons. It is possible to both admire the sudden Liberal openness to the proposals of its political rivals, and to wonder whether the latter is motivated by the fact that the governments well of fresh ideas is running dry. 4. Does Trudeau absolutely need a fourth term to cement his legacy? Had Jean Charest been chosen to lead the Conservatives or had Erin OToole remained at the helm, the answer would be a cautious no. On many fronts, including climate change, both would have been inclined to build on Liberal policies. But there is little doubt that a Pierre Poilievre victory would see the prime ministers legacy on the chopping block. And the Liberal climate policy infrastructure would not be the only casualty of a return to power of the Conservatives under their current leader. Little seems to energize Poilievre as much as the prospect of scorching as much progressive earth as possible. 5. Finally, would the party not be better off replacing Trudeau with a fresh face in time for the next election? After all, much like his predecessors, the prime minister has very much become a lightning rod for voters dissatisfaction with the government. For the answer to that question to be affirmative, one needs a solid mix of magical thinking and political amnesia. For one, none of the would-be successors to Trudeau commands an audience quite as large as his own. That is particularly true in Quebec, a province central to Liberal reelection hopes. And in any event, the short prime ministerial spans of the likes of John Turner, Kim Campbell and Paul Martin who were all heralded by their respective parties as saviours speak for themselves. Chantal Hebert is an Montreal-based freelance contributing columnist covering politics for the Star. Reach her via email: chantalh28@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert Read more about: SHARE: One death, 11 injured on Day 4 of Seven Days campaign PHUKET: Phuket officials reportednine road accidents that resulted in one death and 11 people injured during Day 4 of the Seven Days of Danger road and water safety campaign yesterday (Apr 14). Safetyculturedeathtransporttourism By The Phuket News Saturday 15 April 2023, 10:24AM Image: PR Phuket The official report for the 24-hour period came from the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) and was released on the Public Relations Phuket Facebook page this morning (Apr 15). The 11 people injured comprised eight males and three females, the report said. The person that lost their life was female, it added. This brought the tally for the Seven Days of Danger campaign, which began on Tuesday (Apr 11), to 34 accidents resulting in 36 people injured and two deaths, according to the report. Of the action taken by police against traffic law offenders, the top three infractions were, respectively, driving without a drivers licence, not wearing a helmet while riding a motorbike and drunk driving. Details of the fines levied or arrests made were reported. The most common driving behaviours that led to accidents were drunk drinking, speeding and cutting across other vehicles, the report said. Phuket Vice Governor Arnupap Rodkwan Yodrabam had previously called for all agencies to target stores selling alcohol to ensure they comply with the law. Officials are to ensure that alcohol is not sold to minors (under 20 years of age), not sold as a promotion with discounts, and only sold by shops during the hours of 11am to 2pm and 5pm to midnight. Use positive community measures, increase the potential of community checkpoints to screen drivers who are intoxicated. In the event of an injury or death, the alcohol content of every person must be measured. If [the person is] unable to give a breath test, send [him/her] to the hospital for blood testing and enforce strict laws on offenders, Vice Governor Anupap said. The Seven Days campaign for the Songkran Thai new Year holidays will continue until midnight Monday (Apr 17). Police weed out illegal cannabis sellers PHUKET: Officials have arrested a man in Patong who was producing and distributing cannabis related products illegally, warning that harsh punishments will be enforced on anyone operating similarly without the appropriate licence. natural-resourcespoliceCannabishealthSafetytourismpatong By The Phuket News Saturday 15 April 2023, 11:39AM The raid occurred on Thursday evening (Apr 13) at a stall on Soi Banzaan opposite the Jungceylon Mall in Patong. Dr Kusak Loan Kiatkul and professional pharmacist Phuttachat Sangpraphan, both from the Phuket Provincial Public Health office, joined the Colonel Sujin Nilbdee, superintendent of Patong Police Station, to conduct the raid after complaints had been made of smelly smoke causing a nuisance to passers by and local businesses. The stall owner was identified as 43-year-old Prem Pitiraksakul who it was revealed was operating without the correct license to do so. Mr Prem was offering a wide range of cannabis-related prodcuts, including two separate jars containing a bouquet of marijuana flowers, one weighing about 20 grams which he was selling for B100 per gram and another weighing approximately five grams that he was selling at B1,000 per gram. Additionally, he was offering ready-rolled marijuana cigarettes at B100 each, of which the athorities said they seized seven in total. According to the police report Mr Prem was arrested, charged with distribution of controlled herbs (marijuana bouquets) without permission and taken to Patong Police Station for further questioning and legal action. Follwing Mr Prems arrest police reiterated that any public sale of marijuana in Phuket must be done so under strict licence laws and that they will be closely monitoring the situation elsewhere moving forward. Police also warned the public that cannabis must be consumed in appropriately designated areas and that the smoke can become a serious nuisance to those nearby. Section 28 of the Public Health Act B.E. 2535 can be enforced in this regard if the business and premises owners and/or customers do not comply. Violation of the law can result in a three-month jail term, a fine of up to B25,000, or both. The authorities also reiterated that any restaurants or vendors using marijuana in their cooking must display clear signs on the menu stating so, while also providing clear recommendations and guidelines on suitable consumption of marijuana products. This is something stipulated in Section 38 of the Public Health Act B.E. 2535 and offenders can face jail time of up to six months, a fine up to B50,000, or both. The Bangkok Post reports that marijuana has been delisted from the Category 5 list of narcotics in the Royal Gazette since June 9, 2022, allowing people to legally cultivate and use cannabis as a household herb for medicinal purposes. However, decriminalisation preceded passage of the legislation needed to control and regulate cannabis, which has led to a free-for-all in the industry as businesses, many owned by foreigners, invest in cannabis outlets and users buy weed with little or any medical or consumer guidance. Parliament has yet to pass the cannabis bill, which has led to questions over how far cannabis liberalisation has actually come. TAT optimistic about reaching long-haul market target BANGKOK: Stronger air traffic in the summer, with a projection of more than 98,000 flights, should help each long-haul market to exceed 1 million visitors by the end of this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). tourismRussianCOVID-19 By Bangkok Post Saturday 15 April 2023, 02:00PM A tourist poses for a photograph with the Songkran sign at Suvarnabhumi airport, Samut Prakan province, which has seen an increase in traffic during the Songkran festival of 2023. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, said 98,625 flights scheduled between April and October exceeded the flight capacity of the previous cool season. Typically the cool season is the busiest period of the year, particularly for long-haul markets, reports the Bangkok Post. He said these figures helped confirm that even though the average airfare remained considerably higher than before COVID-19, tourism demand still kept growing from the final quarter of last year and first quarter of this year. The number of flights in the past winter schedule resumed to just 60-70% of the corresponding period in 2019. However, the sign for summer was more positive as the resumption rate has improved to 70-80% of 2019s summer schedule, said Mr Siripakorn. With the goal to help carriers boost the average load factor to 80%, he said the agency is preparing to extend cooperation with domestic airlines to create more seamless connectivity with international airlines. He said many international carriers have expressed interest in a code-share partnership with airlines in Thailand to enable passengers to be issued tickets just one time and connect without having to buy separate domestic tickets upon arrival. The TAT will also sign a letter of intent with Eva Air to strengthen tourism promotional plans via the extensive global network of the airline, which has the potential to bring more direct flights from long-haul markets to Thailand. Mr Siripakorn said TATs eight offices in Europe and the Middle East and three offices in the US were tasked with the mission to bring at least 1mn travellers each to Thailand this year, and more seat capacity will help them achieve that target. In 2019, most offices in Europe surpassed that mark, with the London and Paris offices securing more than 1.2mn tourists each, while the Moscow office brought more than 1.5mn Russians and visitors from the Commonwealth of Independent States to Thailand. The offices in Rome, Stockholm, Prague and Dubai which have a smaller market size will be paired to strengthen promotions. Each pair of offices should reach the target of 1mn tourists by the end of this year as well. He said if those offices can recover by only 80%, it would be enough to contribute 40% revenue to Thai tourism this year. Some markets even have high potential to match the same level in 2019, such as Russia which had already tallied 591,002 travellers as of Apr 5. This market contributed 1.48mn tourists in 2019. Mr Siripakorn, one of two contenders for the new TAT governor, said he is confident his 33-year experience with the agency could help steer the industry to a full recovery from the pandemics impact. An international consumer products expo in China's Hainan has provided a platform for global food and beverages to enter the Chinese market. Join Xinhua's Zhang Li for an eye-opening, taste-bud-tickling tour of the expo. Bon appetit! Produced by Xinhua Global Service Update, Thursday April 20: The VegFest event scheduled for Earth Day, Saturday April 22, has been postponed "due to inclement weather," says an April 19 news release. "Our vendors are on board to postpone, and we'll find another date soon. We look forward to celebrating the Earth with the region when the weather is better!" says the release. Original article: KW VegFest is back for its sixth year with a pop-up event planned on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Waterloo Town Square. People can drop by for free samples of plant-based foods, including cheeses, milks and sausages, with international fare from Africa, Asia, Canada, Eastern Europe and India. There will be baklava, gourmet donuts, tropical juices, curries, perogies and Korean bao, as well as Canadian favourites like mac and cheese. Highlighting plant-based foods, the pop-up event is presented by Waterloo Region Climate Initiatives, with assistance from VegFund and the City of Waterloo. Music will be provided by vegan artist VEFO of Vegan Love 4 All. With such a small window of time left for us to turn things around for the planet, scientists tell us that turning our attention to the food we eat is essential, and VegFests across the planet celebrate and promote the benefits of plant-based living for everyone, and for our children's future, a news release says. SHARE: Plan your trip before youre in your car: The Ministry of Transportation has scheduled seven closures in Waterloo on April 15, 2023 for roadwork on Highway 401, Highway 6 and Highway 8. Highway 401 eastbound at Oxford Road 29 / Drumbo Road: one alternating lane closed until April 14 at 9 a.m. Highway 401 eastbound between Franklin Boulevard / Waterloo Road 36 and Welllington Road 32: one alternating lane closed from April 16 at 8 p.m. until April 18 at 6 a.m. Highway 401 eastbound between Highway 24 / Hespeler Road and Welllington Road 32: two alternating lanes closed until April 15 at 6 a.m. Highway 401 westbound between Oxford Road 3 and Oxford Road 29 / Drumbo Road: one alternating lane closed until April 14 at 9 a.m. Highway 6 northbound between Wellington Road 34 / County Road 34 and Maltby Road / Concession 4: one alternating lane closed from April 17 at 9 a.m. until April 21 at 3 p.m. Highway 8 eastbound at Franklin Street: one alternating lane closed until April 14 at 6 a.m. Highway 8 westbound between Franklin Street and Mitchell Crst: one alternating lane closed until April 14 at 6 a.m. Have further to travel? Highway closures for planned roadwork outside Waterloo About this story This story was automatically generated using open data from Ontario 511. These closures are scheduled for short-term or emergency repairs and maintenance of provincial highways around Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. The disruptions may be intermittent or ongoing and can change due to weather, emergencies and other factors. SHARE: KITCHENER A 27-year-old Toronto man is facing more than 20 criminal charges after being arrested in Kitchener on Friday. Waterloo Regional Police said officers from the Direct Action Response Team located a stolen vehicle in the area of Victoria Street South and Walnut Street South, and arrested a male after a short foot pursuit. Through investigation, police learned the man was wanted on a Canada-wide parole revocation warrant. Officers also located and seized an automobile master key, a loaded handgun, a prohibited magazine, suspected fentanyl, oxycodone, cocaine and Canadian currency. He has been held in custody and is awaiting a bail hearing. Charges include: Possessing a firearm contrary to order (five counts); Possessing ammunition contrary to order (five counts); Carrying a concealed weapon; Unauthorized possession of a firearm; Careless use of a firearm; Careless storage of a firearm; Careless storage of ammunition; Possessing a prohibited device; Possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose - firearm; Possessing a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition; Possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose - ammunition; Possession for the purpose of trafficking (three counts); Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000; Possession of an automobile master key. SHARE: A committee made up of councillors and community experts alike will be floated for feedback as the city explores potential changes to Hamiltons public health governance model. The hybrid body designed to bring health professionals and equity-seeking voices to the table would advise and help shape policy for city council. What I hear from the community, and I think theyve been loud and clear for two years, is we want to have some input on the board of health process, Coun. Cameron Kroetsch said. The existing board of health is made up of Hamiltons 16 council members. Despite having the same membership, its decisions are ratified at council meetings. This week, council backed Kroetschs motion to present the proposed blended public health committee during upcoming consultations on the question of reform. That committee would have six council members, six community members with interests or expertise in health, and an education representative. A selection committee would pick the members. Among the preferred skills for potential applicants is an understanding of principles including diversity, equity and inclusion; anti-racism; anti-oppression, and health equity. The citys consultation efforts on the reform question are expected to start in the summer and to be summed up in a staff report with recommendations before council in the fall. The city is able to strike a public health committee in house. But restructuring the existing board of health into an autonomous or semi-autonomous body to include community members would require provincial approvals a wild card, especially in terms of timing, Kroetsch pointed out. Were doing this because its all were able to do in the short term. Thats why Im trying to push it forward. Hamiltons exploration of a new public health governance model has been complex and protracted, with advocates calling for reform drawing inspiration from mixed-membership boards in Ottawa and Toronto since the last term of council. In a recent Spectator op-ed, Dr. Natasha Johnson and Dr. Anjali Menezes, both McMaster medical experts with focuses on equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism, reiterated that call. The pandemic highlighted known and avoidable inequities in access and health care outcomes that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous and other racialized people, they wrote. But the status quo: a system where elected officials along with one physician decide the fate of our communities ...(without diverse community representation) is designed to fail diverse and marginalized communities. Some councillors have embraced the push for change, but others have expressed reticence to ceding seats on the board to non-elected representatives. In February, in a 9-7 vote, the new council opted to direct staff to conduct consultations on board governance, rather than an immediate restructuring, which Kroetsch and others had pursued. Staff were directed to report back with options, including a public health committee, and continue exploring a semi-autonomous board. On Wednesday, Coun. John-Paul Danko, who floated the motion leading to Februarys approval, said the prescriptive model in Kroetschs proposal offers a good starting point for the citys upcoming feedback efforts. Likewise, Mayor Andrea Horwath, who in February urged due diligence in exploring a new model, praised efforts to establish a path forward on the governance question. It was complicated. There was no doubt. But I think weve gotten to a really great place. But Lyndon George, executive director of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, said he has mixed feelings about Wednesdays outcome. George commended Kroetsch for doing an excellent job, but overall, community members long urging change have been shut out. What I saw there was this wasnt a priority for some on the board. Councillors expressed the need for time to mull reform, but racialized communities, who were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, for instance, dont have that luxury, George explained. That, to me, is the part that I dont think got across. CLARIFICATION: The article was updated April 16 to include the title of doctor for Dr. Natasha Johnson and Dr. Anjali Menezes, McMaster experts with focuses on equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. SHARE: A prominent law firm thought it was promoting inclusivity in the workplace. Its messaging backfired. In February 2021, in a bid to honour Black History Month, Gowling WLG Canada, one of the countrys largest law firms, asked employees to share what the month meant to them. The responses, which the firm shared on social media, were widely condemned by the public for containing stereotypes and insensitive messaging. In one instance, a firm member described their daughters Black friend as well brought up. During the same period, Durham Region received backlash over its Black History Month document entitled Can You Rise to the Challenge? which asked employees to dance to a reggae song, spend a few minutes learning about Africa, and have a conversation with a Black employee. The region later issued an apology, calling its document a misstep. George Floyds murder in 2020 became a turning point for businesses around the world. The outrage over Floyds death ignited efforts to implement broad-based cultural sensitivity training and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to improve the workplace not just for Black employees, but for other non-white employees as well. And while businesses might have the right intentions, those efforts can backfire or feel disingenuous, further impacting racialized groups in the workplace. While companies try to push forward equity and inclusion efforts, public awareness campaigns arent enough to ensure Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) have a seat at the table, experts say. Systemic barriers must be identified then dismantled and honest dialogue around tackling racism in the workplace should take place to reduce increasing stress levels among BIPOC professionals and ensure a supportive, welcoming environment, they add. When an organization is solely focused on the numbers, with their hiring targets, for example, but dont do anything on the inclusion side, it shows a reluctance to have BIPOC employees in the decision-making process by not having them on panels, committees or boards, said Silvia Gonzalez-Zamora, national leader of equity, diversity and inclusion practice at KPMG. Theres a disconnect. Youre saying, I want you to be part of my organization, but I dont want you at the table. Thats if companies have even met their hiring targets, she added. Stress levels on the rise Workplace stress is on the rise among BIPOC professionals who work in predominantly white workplaces, having increased 10 per cent year-over-year, according to a 2022 study of more than 200 respondents by People of Colour in Canadian Advertising and Marketing (POCAM). Some 96 per cent of Black Canadians report racism to be a problem at work, with 78 per cent reporting that workplace racism is a serious or very serious issue, according to a 2021 survey conducted by Toronto Metropolitan University. Increasing stress levels among racialized and Indigenous staff arent just found in the marketing and advertising sectors; they can also be seen in manufacturing, technology, real estate, financial services and the public sector, said Gonzalez-Zamora. Pre-pandemic, BIPOC professionals were already experiencing higher levels of stress compared to their white counterparts, due to discrimination and microaggressions (daily slights that make marginalized or stigmatized groups feel unwelcome) in the workplace, said Julian Franklin, co-founder of POCAM. Weve done this study now for three years, and its consistent that the people surveyed have experienced and continue to experience racial bias in and outside of work, which contributes to an acute and specific level of stress, he said. Anti-Asian racism rose by 47 per cent during the pandemic, according to the Chinese Canadian National Council. Black and Indigenous communities have historically reported and continue to report acts of discrimination in their daily lives, according to Statistics Canada. Now, even commuting to and from work feels more unsafe than pre-pandemic, said Ruby Latif, who has been a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant for 15 years. According to her doctoral research, during the pandemic many people worked from home and had limited exposure to the outside world. But as restrictions ease and people return to the office, BIPOC professionals may face challenges on their commute, such as discrimination or aggression on public transit. These experiences can negatively impact their sense of safety, well-being and job performance. BIPOC professionals are facing discrimination even to get to work, said Latif, adding that it contributes to their stress levels. Another major form of stress stems from diversity, equity and inclusion efforts being performative and not long-lasting, said Ken Gamage, POCAM community member. For example, recognizing Black History Month isnt enough to make Black employees feel empowered in the workplace, he said. Likewise, sending out a Happy Ramadan email isnt enough to ensure Muslim employees feel supported, said Latif. The email should include what Ramadan is about, how its observed, and how the workplace can accommodate those observing, she said. For example, scheduling work events during the holiday completely misses the mark, she said. Were not just celebrating different cultures or religions anymore, Latif said. We need to translate it into how does that affect my employees and how do I ensure that they have what they need? A majority of companies believe theyre promoting and supporting a diverse and inclusive workplace, with nearly three-quarters saying they have a documented strategy, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. At the same time, 35 per cent of BIPOC workers said theyve been discriminated against and were twice as likely to experience high levels of stress compared to those who didnt face discrimination, the report said. The burden of responsibility Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts often fall on BIPOC professionals, which is a double-edged sword, experts say. The onus on these professionals to champion and encourage others to participate in improving diversity in the workplace can place pressure and additional responsibilities on marginalized employees already experiencing everyday work pressures, said Aleena Mazhar, a POCAM steering committee and board member. It unfairly puts pressure and responsibility on BIPOC professionals to ensure these diversity and equity measures actually happen, she said. Its important to have BIPOC employees included in the conversation, said Latif. But if executives are asking them to join a committee to help with diversity and inclusion initiatives, is the workplace being flexible with their regular work deadlines? she added. Many companies often display tokenism the practice of hiring or using someone as a symbol of inclusion by calling on a person of colour to speak on a topic to represent their entire community, said Gonzalez-Zamora. There are many cases where only a few BIPOC workers are coming into the workplace and are being tapped by higher-ups to give the same talk over and over to represent their communities, she said. For example, I cannot represent the entire Latin-American population as a Mexican-Canadian. We all have different experiences, but a lot of groups get bundled up in that BIPOC experience. Thats why having more BIPOC professionals in leadership positions improves representation and inclusivity in the workforce, said Alyssa Gray-Tyghter, a teacher with the Peel District School Board. But that can only happen if theres a large enough talent pool to choose from, she added. For example, in education, there are fewer BIPOC teachers to pull from for those leadership positions, said Gray-Tyghter. That has a trickle-down effect because BIPOC students arent guided into these career paths, so theres less of us in teachers college. Getting BIPOC teachers into the door is the first hurdle, she said. Often, BIPOC teachers are saddled with greater responsibility at improving diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in their schools, which is important work, but also draining, she added. Staff are coming in and getting burnt out by the emotional toll, because theyre having to care for themselves while also helping out students who are facing similar barriers. As a cathartic exercise, Gray-Tyghter and her colleague Andre Mattrasingh created a podcast, Teachers Like Us, which delves into the lived experiences of Black teachers in a predominantly white school board. Equity work is hard work, Mattrasingh said. People think if you tick a certain box then the problem is solved, but thats not it. Committing to this work takes a lot of compassion and care because equity is about recognizing the humanity in others. Thats not easy, and it takes time. Being the change To create long-lasting change, companies must dismantle systemic barriers by hiring more BIPOC professionals and promoting them into leadership positions. They must also encourage more open and honest conversations about confronting racism in the workplace, experts say. Toronto Metropolitan Universitys Diversity Institute analyzed the diversity of companies in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Toronto in 2019, and found that of 1,639 board members from 178 corporations, just 13 board members, or 0.79 per cent, were Black. White members held 1,483 spots, or 91 per cent, and other racialized members held 61 spots. Representation is not much better in the public sector. Around 2.8 per cent of executive positions in government jobs are occupied by South Asian/East Indian professionals, followed by 1.9 per cent for Black professionals, as well as non-white West Asian, North African or Arab professionals, according to Statistics Canadas demographic breakdown. With so few BIPOC professionals in leadership positions, implementing cultural and sensitivity training, as well as creating committees dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, are just some of the important steps companies can take, Mazhar said. But more must be done in terms of hiring a diverse workforce and stopping nepotism hires, she said. One way to achieve that goal is to be more strategic about who is sitting in the interview room when hiring is done, said Gonzalez-Zamora. The emotions BIPOC professionals bring into the interview process is different, she said. Impostor syndrome is much higher, as sometimes we dont have the same access to higher levels of education. Having someone like us in the hiring room makes a big difference. Hiring more than just a handful of racialized and Indigenous employees also ensures people dont feel tokenized, resulting in them feeling safer in the workplace, Gonzalez-Zamora said. Fast-tracking BIPOC professionals into executive positions is a huge issue in many workplaces, said Mazhar, adding that diversity in leadership brings their lived experiences to the table, helping to foster a more inclusive workplace. In addition, having executive leadership confront the status quo by acknowledging that racism and prejudice exist in the workplace opens up the conversation for employees to voice their concerns and mistreatment without fear of reprisal otherwise, discussions of racism can be reduced to only interpersonal levels. If companies just commit to social media awareness campaigns and training initiatives, but dont go beyond that in their equity efforts, it looks like the company is being performative, and not truly committed to long-lasting change, Mazhar said. Some workplaces are now interrogating these bigger systemic issues, she said. Workplaces are now tracking their change year-over-year instead of just committing to one year of training. But it will take time to break these walls down. SHARE: EDMONTONDanielle Smith nods along as she listens to the naturopath talk. The naturopath is laying out her thoughts about cancer patients and how mainstream medicine deals with them. Smith agrees with her guest that medical practitioners dont do enough to promote disease prevention and she says that when a person shows up at a hospital with Stage 4 cancer, they must consider everything that built up before you got to Stage 4 because thats completely within your control. Its a conversation from a podcast that Smith released in July 2022 as she was running to become the leader of the United Conservative Party and premier of Alberta. Critics would later say it was a glib way to talk about a complex disease that claims the lives of so many. Some of that criticism came from Smiths fellow UCP leadership candidates, several of whom now sit in her cabinet. But it is also one of several examples, observers say, of the unexpected and at-times confrontational approach Smith and some other conservatives seem to take, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with health and medical science. The issue took the spotlight again this week, as a candidate with Smiths United Conservative Party faced criticism of her own for suggesting that people who have heart attacks need to be held more responsible for their actions. Critics see such remarks as a form of magical thinking the kind of easy answers to complex problems that dont hold up to scrutiny. Emerging from the COVID crisis at a time when trust in institutions and doctors has faltered, this thinking can resonate, they say. Increasingly coming from some conservative quarters, its a fusion of self-responsibility, institutional distrust and unscientific rhetoric that conservative politicians in and outside Alberta have been voicing. Its a shift some worry could have implications if Smith and the UCP win Albertas election next month, and are given a mandate to enact significant changes to the provincial health-care system. It could also fly in the face of Smiths stated goal of fixing that system. What happens when the person in charge of fixing the health system seems to be a skeptic? Long before entering politics, Smith promoted controversial positions related to health. In 2003, she penned a pro-smoking newspaper column promoting a controversial study suggesting that second-hand smoke didnt contribute to developing cancer. During the COVID pandemic, she hosted a popular talk-show in which she railed against public health measures being brought in and once promoted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the disease on social media. When Smith ran to be UCP leader, she was supported by many conservatives in Alberta who had opposed public health measures, such as masks and vaccine mandates. Those supporters make up much of her base. Its part of a recent phenomenon on the political right, said Tim Caulfield, a health misinformation expert at the University of Alberta. Politicians taking personal or unorthodox health-care stances isnt new and, historically, it hasnt been limited to conservatives. But the latest iteration of it has an ideological theme, Caulfield said, that seems to have mostly metastasized on the right. He pointed to several people in the United States who got involved in politics: Dr. Mehmet Oz, the TV personality from the Dr. Oz Show and COVID measures critic, ran for a Senate seat. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of former president John F. Kennedy and a critic of COVID vaccines, is running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024. And a Wisconsin attorney general candidate, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ran in 2022 on a platform to prosecute doctors who didnt give Ivermectin to COVID patients. It certainly seems to be whats happening in the United States, and youre seeing hints of that here in Canada, he said. Recently, Chelsae Petrovic, the UCP election candidate for Livingstone-Macleod, prefaced a comment that would land her in trouble by saying this might be political suicide and then went on to suggest that people who have heart attacks need to be more accountable. Maybe the reason you had a heart attack was because you havent taken care of yourself, Petrovic said on a recent podcast appearance. Youre extremely overweight, you havent managed your congestive heart failure, you havent managed your diabetes and theres no personal accountability. But they come into the hospital and all of a sudden its everyone elses problem but their own. She later issued a statement saying that her comments were taken out of context and that she should have chosen better language. Smith said she was glad Petrovic put out the clarifying statement. John Church, a health policy expert and political scientist at the University of Alberta, said the comments were in line with some of what Smith herself has said in the past. On one hand, the candidate can say theres an element of truth to her statement, but its also true that shes conflating what science tells us is a very complex situation. It has to do with people who live in poverty, people who have certain genetic characteristics, he said. There are all kinds of factors involved in that that are beyond the control of the individual. To Caulfield, Petrovic is essentially saying that this isnt government responsibility; this is your responsibility, which he said is an ideological position. Its inaccurate from a scientific and public health perspective, he added. One would hope that the health and science policies of a party were informed by the best science, by the emerging scientific consensus, and not by conspiracy theories and ideological spin. The problem, as he sees it, is that politicians are starting to stake out scientific positions with political flags. People politicize vaccines, Ivermectin and masks by using them as wedge issues. As a politician, grounding your beliefs about health care in good science means that when evidence changes, you can change, said Caulfield. But when youre based on a conspiracy, when it becomes a baked-in ideological position, it becomes much more difficult to change as the evidence evolves. Where critics worry about the rubber hitting the road with Smiths views is the provincial health-care system. One of the top goals for Smith and the UCP is getting surgical wait times down and bolstering front lines facing staff shortages. Lorian Hardcastle, a University of Calgary health law expert, said there are potential consequences to Smith pushing ideas not based on science if she wins a four-year term and goes on to make sweeping changes to the health-care system. If decisions around public versus private health care are made on a political or ideological basis, they will not be evidence-based and that will operate to the detriment of Albertans and will exacerbate health inequities, she said. One widely criticized idea that Smith is still promoting is that of health spending accounts for Albertans to use. Its a potential move that Hardcastle said is not evidence-based and an idea put forward to pander to voters. Smith, after becoming premier, changed her tune from her original idea which was to make it so that people paid to see doctors using the accounts to say that the accounts might only be used to pay for things outside the scope of public health insurance. Hardcastle also said she worries that the rhetoric and policy stances from Smith could drive health-care workers away rather than attract them to a province where political leaders are not making decisions that are evidence-based. On Tuesday, at a news conference where Smith pledged to maintain the public health system in Alberta and said no one will have to pay for medical services they need if shes elected in May, Church said news photographers captured a telling image. The photograph made the rounds on social media this week. Its of a masked health-care worker draped in a white lab coat standing off to the side of Smith with her arms crossed and a sideways middle finger strategically placed, directed toward the premier delivering her remarks. It represents to me that Danielle Smith may be standing up and saying that she supports public health care, but health-care workers, I dont think, are believing that for one minute, said Church. You stand up and you say something in public enough and people might actually believe it. And you can say, Well, no, weve said were supporting public health care, you know, look over here at what we said, dont look over here at what were doing. So, magical thinking. Read more about: SHARE: One of Canadas most prominent conservation groups has reached a deal to buy the largest privately owned island in Lake Superior, a move that will protect it from development. Batchawana Island, located 45 kilometres north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is set to be acquired by the Nature Conservancy of Canada for $7.2 million once the organization raises an outstanding $1.2 million for the purchase. The impact of conserving Lake Superiors largest privately owned island cannot be understated, Kaitlin Richardson, the Nature Conservancys northern Ontario program director, wrote in a statement. The communities of plants and animals that rely on Batchawana Island are unique and precious, the statement reads. I cant wait for the day when we can say they get to stay that way forever. The roughly 2,100-hectare island is home to several significant animal and tree species and has been owned by American investor Joe Acheson for the last 20 years. Acheson owns several parcels of land in Ontarios Algoma District and listed Batchawana Island for sale in February 2022, the Nature Conservancy said. Rob Cormier, the president of Sault Ste. Marie natural resource surveying company R&B Cormier Inc. that has worked with the islands American owner since 2012, said Acheson had for years intended to establish an exclusive sport fishing, hunting and Olympic training club funded by logging. But local opposition to a mainland barge dock and some necessary permits got in the way of that plan. Michigan logging companies interested in bringing the islands lumber to their markets were deterred by the same complications, Cormier said, noting Batchawana is home to valuable sugar maple, yellow birch, white and black spruce and northern white cedar. Richardson said the Nature Conservancy competed with cottage developers and logging operations for the island but eventually won out. The non-profit needs to buy properties at fair market value, which can be challenging when property prices are inflated, she said. When housing markets are hot, its harder for the NCC to compete because there are so many offers flying around and people have a lot of expendable income, she said. The economic downturn in the U.S. may have made the islands return on investment less attractive to other possible buyers, she added. The islands 27 kilometres of shoreline includes features ranging from sand beaches to cobblestone and rock cliffs and provides habitats for 36 provincially significant birds, Richardson said. The island is also home to forests teeming with moose, wolves and bears, as well as wetlands with potential to store carbon thats equivalent to the energy used by 500,000 homes, the Nature Conservancy said. The island is within the ancestral land of the Batchewana First Nation, who the conservancy kept informed on the status of their island bid throughout the past year, Richardson added. Contributions to the conservancys purchase effort came from major private donors, foundation partners, government grants and the community at large, Richardson said, adding shes confident the organization will be able to raise the outstanding funds required by May 9 to secure the deal. The purchase, she said, will mark a significant achievement. Well be talking about it for years. And we wont have to talk about it as the one that got away, she said. Were really excited. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2023 This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship. SHARE: BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Luciana Santos, president of the Communist Party of Brazil in Beijing on Friday. The pair exchanged views on strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, on promoting the development of bilateral relations, and on international and regional issues of common interest. Segregated. Landless. Unpaid. Shunned. Shamed. Bonded in perpetuity. While these conditions may well describe the enslaved people of the Antebellum South, they are but some of the markers of another brutal system that is the worlds oldest surviving structure of discrimination. A Canadian scholar argues in an upcoming book that the caste system of the Indian subcontinent, which established Brahminical supremacy there, was a template for the racial caste system that established white supremacy here. Caste is a template for race, says Chinnaiah Jangam, a historian at Carleton University. One week after the Toronto District School Boards historic vote in March that marked the first time that caste as a basis of discrimination was formally recognized in Canada, a human rights tribunal awarded a B.C. man more than $9,000 after finding that he had been a victim of casteism. Meanwhile, Seattle became the first U.S. city to ban casteism by incorporating caste into its anti-discrimination laws in February. In the two years prior, Harvard University added caste as a category to its anti-bias policies. The California State University System has joined it in making caste a protected status in its anti-discrimination policy. Casteism, vaguely understood in the West as a backward South Asian cultural phenomenon, is finally beginning to be reckoned with in Canada, thanks to decades of advocacy by caste-oppressed people. But caste-based discrimination, which manifests in myriad ways, should not be understood or dismissed as an internal South Asian matter. Oppressions such as casteism and racism need to be seen as interconnected, as part of the global empire, says Jangam, who is one of the first Dalit scholars in the country. To put it simply, caste equity is a human rights issue, says Anita Lal, a B.C. Dalit activist and founder of the advocacy group Poetic Justice Foundation. What is caste? Some 3,000 years ago, a system named Chaturvarna, or four occupation-based categories, came into being in Hinduism. It would morph into a caste system laced with harmful associations of spiritual purity and pollution. As with chattel slavery, the system decreed that the caste one was born into was fixed and passed on through family in perpetuity. The highest in this caste order was the Brahmin, or the priestly class; the lowest was the Shudra, tasked with doing menial work. Outside of this four-class social framework existed humans deemed beneath even being categorized. They were the Dalits, formerly untouchables, and Adivasis, literally meaning Original Inhabitants, the Indigenous forest dwellers on traditional lands. Dalit, or broken but resilient, is the cultural and political identity adopted by people from more than 1,000 oppressed castes, many of whom prefer it to the legal category of Scheduled Caste. The term rose in popularity in the 1970s alongside the Dalit Panthers, who fashioned themselves after the Black Panthers. They adopted the same form of radical protest, rejecting Brahminism, talking about abolition of caste, abolition of class and working-class solidarity, says Jangam. But unlike Black resistance heroes such as Malcolm X, they rejected all forms of religion, he says. This is not surprising. Hinduism is not a centralized religion and caste as a concept seeped across the Indian subcontinent and beyond, crossing religious lines and shape-shifting to fit regional traditions. Yalini Rajakulasingam, the TDSB trustee who brought forward the motion to ban caste discrimination, says, If food and culture and language can travel through diasporas, of course, privileges and power can as well. No ones going to want to let go of something that gives them privilege. The origins of caste may be ancient but the discriminatory effects in Canada, where the Dalit population is loosely estimated to comprise about 15 per cent of South Asians, are contemporary. There are many narratives within the community that have been silenced, says Lal. Its time to give voice to those stories. The story of Vijay Puli GTA resident Vijay Puli was born to a Mala Dalit community in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in the 1970s. I dont say I was born in the village, he says. I was born in the Dalit ghetto. His community was segregated from the nearby village by dominant castes who practised the crime of untouchability. Dalits were forced to walk on separate paths. They were not allowed to drink water from the village well, not allowed to enter temples. Dalits were considered so polluted that the slightest touch, even being touched by a shadow cast by a Dalit, was considered to defile an upper caste person. While India banned untouchability in 1950, stories of exclusions, beatings, assaults, rapes and lynchings of people from the Scheduled Caste form part of its daily news landscape. According to its National Crime Records Bureau, more than 180,000 criminal cases targeting Dalit communities were registered in the four-year period from 2018 to 2021. When Rajakulasingam, the Toronto school board trustee, who identifies as a caste-oppressed Tamil, visited India in 2010, she says, There were times when I would go to peoples homes and they would give me different (separate) utensils to use. Puli went to a dilapidated school in his colony in the 1970s. (Years later, Human Rights Watch researchers who visited schools in Dalit neighbourhoods in 2014 found they still lacked clean drinking water, toilets and adequate classrooms or teachers.) Then it came time in the 1980s to go to a high school that was located in the village. Puli says he and his friends were very nervous about being around dominant-caste students and staff, and they sat at the back of the class. Teachers mocked them with casteist slurs if they didnt answer questions correctly. Puli would hear slurs during playground fights, even when they were between dominant-caste kids. Forgive me for using words like these, he says, but they would say your mom should be f---ed by a Mala person. That means its very, very dirty. Sometimes he would get into fights over this, he says. This manifestation of casteism in the form of contemptuously flinging the name of a Dalit caste as a slur is a common experience in Canada. In the case that was brought forward to the B.C. tribunal, complainant Manoj Bhangu was able to prove the slur, Chamaar the name of his Dalit caste, which is historically associated with leatherwork was uttered by Inderjit and Avninder Dhillon during a brawl in 2018. When Puli went to a small town for his undergraduate degree, it offered segregated hostels for students. Rather than staying in the backward caste hostel, his father got a room in one for the dominant castes, thinking he might learn to fit in better that way. Fitting in or trying to pass as non-Dalit is a common coping strategy. In Coming Out as Dalit, the award-winning journalist Yashica Dutt writes how her Dalitness weighed heavily on her as she worked hard to hide it. I dragged its carcass behind me through my childhood and adulthood, she writes. Cows, considered holy for Hindus, and beef considered taboo are an unholy symbol of caste injustice. If a cow died, it would be the job of a Dalit to carry the cow off and skin it for leather, the products of which the dominant castes had no problem using. Given that the Dalits lived in grinding poverty, the meat of the cow represented survival, and they ate it. While Dalits remained historically downtrodden under governments led by all Indian political parties, in the current reign of Hindutva-fuelled governance, even the mere accusation of slaughtering a cow risks mob violence for Dalits (and Muslims). Pulis parents had stopped the family practice of eating beef when he was young as it would have marked Puli as Dalit. But his attempt to pass at the hostel ended quickly. When his roommate a young man Puli considered a friend found out Puli was Dalit, he changed rooms right away. When Puli went to the state capital, Hyderabad, for his post-graduation, he had to switch from learning in his native Telugu language to English. On the first day they (students) started laughing at me, he says. They jeered at his English-language skills and treated him like he was the village idiot. Whether in a village, a town or a city, casteism manifested as denigration and mocking, Puli said. No amount of education or worldliness changed those attitudes. Decades later, after the birth of his first child, Puli decided to move to Canada to escape from the relentless casteist violence. He assumed the lack of casteism in the founding of institutions here would mean there would be no casteism here. I knew that there is this racial discrimination here, and definitely, we are ready to face it like other South Asians, you know? He says he thought the South Asians, having faced discrimination, would stick together as a minority community. Once I came here, it was completely opposite. Casteism in Canada While casteist practices may not be as brutally explicit in Canada, anti-caste abolitionists and grassroots activists say this predatory system stigmatizes and profoundly affects peoples livelihoods, romantic lives, education and social self-worth. People of privileged castes who dominate the diasporic culture influence language, music, films and daily practices. For instance, the larger-than-life Bollywood-influenced Indian weddings where a flower-bedecked groom shows up on a horse is a popular cultural image. But it is an upper caste symbol of revelry. A Dalit groom who gets on a horse in India may be stoned or otherwise humiliated and forced down. Similarly, the practice of yoga is deeply linked to upper caste practices of vegetarianism (associated with spiritual purity), use of Sanskrit (language of the gods, not taught to lower castes) and the concept of karma (paying for balancing out sins of past lives). Karma enforced caste; according to this philosophy, lower castes, as sinners in past lives, had only themselves to blame for their plight. In language, the commonly used word pariah, for instance, is a casteist slur. Pariyar is a Tamil Dalit caste. During British colonization, the word was anglicized to pariah and its meaning expanded to include all oppressed castes to mean outcaste. When Puli arrived in Canada, he lived in a Mississauga basement. In his first month, a Sikh neighbour, assuming he was of dominant caste, conversationally pointed to another family in the neighbourhood saying, they were from the Chamaar caste. She said that they are lower-caste people. We dont go to them and we dont associate with them. They dont come to our temple. We dont go to their temple. We never go to their house. So, yeah, that was the first incident me and my wife encountered in Canada. We thought that, wow, it is here, too. Although caste hierarchy does not exist in Sikh religion and scriptures, the practice of untouchability and discrimination still exists, says Lal, the B.C. activist, who identifies as a Punjabi Sikh Canadian born into a Dalit family. She is of the Chamaar caste. Caste among Sikhs does not rely on a purity-pollution binary. Rather, power rests on ownership of land, Lal and co-author Sasha Sabherwal write in a chapter in A Social History of South Asians in British Columbia. This makes Jats a large and powerful caste group in Punjab and the diaspora. In Canada, for instance, it is predominantly Jats who step into organized state and federal politics, they write. Its common to see images of men on Tinder or other dating apps with handles including caste names such as Jat. Inter-caste marriages with an oppressed-caste member remain highly stigmatized in Canada among diasporic communities, including those from the Caribbean and Africa. Lals own family is inextricably linked to the history of caste-based oppression in Canada. Her great-grandfather, Maiya Ram Mahmi, who came to Canada in 1906, is considered one of the first Dalits to come to North America. Its understandable that the first story of caste discrimination would be his, because caste, a system of exclusion based on purity, follows you wherever you go, she writes in an email. Mahmi worked in a sawmill in Paldi, B.C., where men worked during the day and ate in the cookhouses in the evening. Mahmi, along with one other fellow Chamaar, were not allowed to eat in the cookhouse with the rest of the workers and were forced to eat their meals in their rooms, Lal says. Only after an upper caste supervisor intervened and threatened the other workers with job loss did they relent. At a time when they were facing harsh racism from the white man, learning to live in a whole new country which was so different than their own, without their family and loved ones, building community with the other South Asians, they still practised untouchability and continued to exclude and do more harm, Lal says. More recently, in Toronto, Puli co-founded the South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network Canada with fellow caste-oppressed people. They mark April as Dalit History Month to honour the births and deaths of Dalit rights leaders that fall this month, including B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian constitution, a renowned visionary and intellectual, who is revered as an icon of resistance. When Pulis own daughter was cruelly subjugated to casteism by fellow students, he had had enough. He went about mobilizing support to get the Toronto school board to recognize caste as a basis of discrimination. He got in touch with Rajakulasingam, who he says got it at once, and the rest is historic. The deep roots and widespread reach of casteism in Canada make it imperative for social and political organizations to create tools to address caste-based discrimination in their own spaces. When organizations such as the TDSB take this step, it allows people who face casteist discrimination to come forward, and with some legal protection in place, to feel safe to do so, says Jangam, the Carleton historian. This is one of the ways that Canada as a liberal society makes a path for people to be who they are. No human being deserves to live in fear. Shree Paradkar is a Toronto-based columnist covering issues around social and racial justice for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @ShreeParadkar Read more about: SHARE: Jeff Santos doesnt celebrate his birthday on March 25 in typical fashion. Almost every year, for at least the past two decades, hes cashed in on dozens of birthday freebies. From bubble tea and Japanese gyoza to breakfast platters and bagels, Santos has seen and received it all. This year was no exception. The 54-year-old culinary logistics coordinator took advantage of the deals available to him on his birthday last month. Up at the crack of dawn, he and his wife Diana Johnson-Santos first set off to Tim Hortons to claim a free coffee. Then, they headed to Starbucks, where Santos cashed in on a breakfast sandwich. That was just his first of three breakfasts. Later, the couple went to Kettlemans Bagel to claim another birthday breakfast, following it up with a third meal at Dennys in Mississauga. He capped off the day with a free bubble tea from Chatime in the afternoon. Its like your day to celebrate. It feels good, said Santos, on this birthday tradition and how it feels to receive all the free items. But planning for the day is also serious business. Santos usually starts weeks in advance, signing up for the deals and formulating a plan for his birthday to maximize the number of offers he can claim. I already have a note in my calendar for February, 2024 to double-check everything, he noted. Countless brands and restaurants in the Toronto area offer special birthday promotions. Some are simple discounts, while others are substantial items offered for free. Santoss favourite offer thats currently running, he said, is the one at Ikkousha Ramen, which will give you free gyoza based on your age. Turning 54 like Santos? Youll receive 54 gyozas. Though the deal requires you to purchase at least four bowls of ramen (bring your family and friends, Santos recommended), the best part is that the offer is not just valid for your birthday but also for the day before and after. You could basically go three days in a row and have gyoza and ramen, Santos said. These special deals are a win-win for both people on their birthdays and the brands who want their attention. In essence, its an acquisition strategy, explained retail analyst and author Bruce Winder. In marketing, what youre always trying to do is acquire new customers, he said. This allows you to go out and do that. Brands often capitalize on this strategy by requiring customers to sign up for a loyalty membership before they can redeem a birthday offer. They get your data, they form a relationship, they can email you (and) they can use other customer relationship management tactics to try to move you up from sort of a beginner customer to a high-profit customer, said Winder. He added that these birthday deals are generally more personal than other regular promotions: If someones giving you something on your birthday, you create this emotional bond with them, even if its subliminal and small, he said. For Torontonians considering a birthday jaunt around the city picking up special promos, Santos recommends planning in advance, signing up for loyalty memberships where necessary and looking for offers that stretch beyond the actual birthday and perhaps for the entire birthday week. Check the places you want to go to check the rules (and) keep your calendar updated so you know when you go, said Santos. Torontos best birthday deals Here are some of the best birthday deals in the city, along with details on how to claim them: Members of Sephoras Beauty Insider loyalty program, which is free to join, can receive a free birthday gift. Lowest tier members can choose from multiple available options. The Great Canadian Bagel offers half a dozen free bagels to members of its Bagel Birthday Club. Customers who sign up will receive a redeemable coupon during their birthday month. Monga Fried Chicken, which has four GTA locations, offers a free birthday Baoger to its rewards point members. Escape room fans can receive free admission at Trapped within three days of their birthday. The offer doesnt extend to other players in a group. Members of South St. Burgers Birthday Club are eligible for a buy-one-get-one-free offer on their birthday. Customers must register at least 72 hours in advance. SHARE: Fifteen days before 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes was stabbed to death at Keele Station, the man allegedly responsible spoke in court. I want to straighten out my life, 22-year-old Jordan OBrien-Tobin told Judge Cidalia Faria on March 10, reading from a letter he had written during his sentencing hearing. He was appearing in courtroom 308 of the one-floor North York courthouse at 1000 Finch Ave., joining by video from the Toronto South Detention Centre, where he had been for the last five days. Homeless, addicted to MDMA, cocaine and Xanax, and taking prescriptions for psychosis, depression, anxiety, night terrors and an addiction to opioids, OBrien-Tobin described plainly his challenges and how he wanted to improve. He needed to apply for provincial financial support and get help finding permanent housing. He also hoped to go to a residential rehabilitation program for his addictions, he told the judge. Im only 22 years old and have realized jail isnt where I want to be any longer, he said, adding he hoped to actually restart my life. Little over two weeks later, a teenager is dead, the Magalhaes family is at a loss for why their son was taken so violently from them, and the city is on edge over the latest in a series of fatal attacks on the TTC. Since March 25, when OBrien-Tobin was accused of randomly stabbing the 16-year-old as he sat on a bench with a friend, the Star has pored over hundreds of pages of court records and transcripts to piece together his complex criminal history and to try to understand what went wrong. Gabriel, his family earlier told the Star, was shy and sweet, loved snowboarding and hoped to study astrophysics after high school. He had dreams, they said. What the records reveal is how someone even the courts believed to be a possible danger to the public without rehabilitation was frequently released and rearrested while left to navigate a complicated system of mental health programs with limited support or direction. Taken together, the records paint a picture of a justice system that appeared acutely aware that OBrien-Tobin posed a public risk if he did not get urgent treatment, but couldnt prevent an alleged murder. The homicide charge against OBrien-Tobin has not yet been tested in court and he remains in custody. Though political officials, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, have focused their advocacy on federal bail reform, the records obtained by the Star suggest OBrien-Tobins crimes may not have been stopped by the proposed changes. Instead, legal experts say his case points to the need for more robust and available mental health supports inside the justice system and in the community touching systems that are the responsibilities of all three levels of government, from federal criminal laws to provincial health care, correctional facilities and probation programs, to municipal shelter services and police. OBrien-Tobins story is not unique, experts told the Star. No matter who is incarcerated, one day they will rejoin society and either they will rejoin society better off or worse off, said Daniel Brown, president of the Criminal Lawyers Association. Lengthy periods of incarceration and no programming on the front end or treatment on the back end is leading to this cycle of criminality. A history of crimes, childhood trauma and mental health diagnoses According to the court records, OBrien-Tobin was born in Newfoundland as the only child in a family where he was the victim of and witness to repeated abuse. By the age of three, his longtime lawyer Robert Cutruzzola recently told court, the boy was already being monitored by psychologists. At age five, he was diagnosed with numerous developmental and behavioural challenges including deviance and aggressive acting out. By age nine, that behaviour resulted in diagnoses of ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder, and he was prescribed multiple medications. Often doctors seemed to be experimenting to see what would work for him, Cutruzzola said in one transcript reviewed by the Star. (The Star did not receive a response to requests to speak with Cutruzzola, who is representing OBrien-Tobin on the homicide charge, and OBrien-Tobins mother, through the lawyer.) From ages 11 through 17, OBrien-Tobin lived in a group home. After he turned 18, he racked up a slew of relatively minor criminal charges in St. Johns, according to records from Newfoundlands provincial court in the span of five months, he was charged with multiple thefts from places like Sobeys, Shoppers Drug Mart, a Jungle Jims restaurant and a liquor store, as well as damaging property and uttering threats against a person. Soon after, he travelled to Ontario, looking for work and hoping to start a new life, according to the court records. But he almost immediately began committing new crimes; the Ontario court records show new charges starting in 2019 when OBrien-Tobin was just 19 and only newly eligible for adult punishment. There is no central system to look up public records of criminal offenders in Ontario. Instead, reporters have called, emailed and visited courthouses in Toronto, Brampton, Newmarket, Brantford and Woodstock to try to get a clearer picture of OBrien-Tobins life. That effort was not always successful. Working off each new document and a bare-bones list from the provincial ministry responsible for courts, the Star has yet to identify the dates and type of charges for more than a dozen historical cases against OBrien-Tobin in Ontario. The records the Star has been able to compile nearly 30 different cases paint a picture of a man who was constantly charged with new offences and repeatedly breaching conditions of bail or probation orders, which often overlapped with each other, sometimes several active at the same time. The information the Star was able to obtain did not always confirm whether OBrien-Tobin was found guilty. It is a criminal history riddled with relatively low-level or procedural offences, punctuated by at least three other unprovoked assaults that OBrien-Tobin pleaded guilty to where he wielded or threatened to use edged weapons but did not seriously injure anyone with them. From September 2020 to mid-2022, OBrien-Tobin appears to have bounced between the GTA and nearby regions, his address often listed as a homeless shelter or no fixed address. In at least 22 separate cases during that period with charges ranging in severity from failing to comply with probation orders to theft to assault OBrien-Tobin never went more than four months without appearing in a court for a new alleged offence. His longest periods between charges appear to line up with lengthier stays in custody. In October 2021, he was arrested for another incident on the TTC. Coincidentally, it was for this case that he would return to court two weeks before Magalhaess alleged murder at Keele Station. According to an agreed statement of facts, OBrien-Tobin approached a woman on a northbound TTC subway train leaving Bloor Station. He told her she was cute and repeatedly touched her upper leg. He also offered to pay her for sex and tried to grab her phone. The two struggled and she called out to attract attention, eventually joining a group of other female passengers who escorted her to help once at Finch station. Meanwhile, OBrien-Tobin was taken to hospital for a drug overdose. There, he was recognized by a police officer as being wanted for the sexual assault. On this charge, OBrien-Tobin spent a total of 100 days in jail in between periods of release on bail pending a possible trial. But over the next year-and-a-half before he was eventually sentenced last month, he was arrested again and again and again on other offences. The list of offences is dizzying over a one-week period in April 2022, he falsely reported to police that a woman had stolen an illegal gun from him in Brampton; he was charged in Brantford for theft under $5,000, for which the outcome is unknown; and he punched a security guard on Elm Street in downtown Toronto and threatened to stab him because he had been asked to leave the vestibule where he was sheltering. For that Toronto assault, OBrien-Tobin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 36 days in custody and a year of probation. But he never reported to his bail program office; he was charged with failing to comply with his conditions and another warrant was obtained for his arrest. Soon after, he was arrested in Richmond Hill for shoplifting at a Walmart and assaulting a man there. He spent another 51 days in jail ahead of a sentencing hearing where a judge gave him one further day in custody and another three years of probation. Then, on July 10, 2022, he lunged at a Boston Pizza manager in Mississauga while brandishing a box cutter. For that and other crimes in Peel Region, he was sentenced that September to 220 days in custody. This is the longest jail sentence in the documents reviewed by the Star, and OBrien-Tobin served much of it at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton before he could face sentencing on the TTC sex assault. He pleaded guilty to that charge and on March 10, 2023, Judge Faria took into account the by-then over 100 days he had already spent in presentence custody a standard step in any sentencing hearing ordering him to serve one additional day in jail and another two years on probation. The probation term included conditions to actively participate in treatment for substance abuse and sexual boundaries. Farias reasons for sentencing have not yet been approved for release by the court. At the sentencing hearing, defence lawyer Cutruzzola described how health problems that plagued OBrien-Tobin as a child had followed him into adulthood, including physical ailments like asthma and hypertension, and his many mental health issues. According to Cutruzzola, in December 2021, CAMH reported he was also suffering from an unspecified schizophrenia spectrum disorder as well as potential other psychotic disorders and low-grade psychosis. Cutruzzola noted that a Toronto program focusing on offenders with serious mental health challenges was willing to work with his client. It was far from the first time court had heard OBrien-Tobin needed help for his many problems. In the Mississauga box cutter case, Judge Sandra Caponecchia had ordered him into mental health counselling, saying: The public is at risk if he does not get the rehabilitation that he so clearly needs. But, like in the Mississauga case, its not clear whether OBrien-Tobin ever got the treatment directed, nor whether he was able to make it to the rehabilitation program following his sentencing in the earlier TTC case. Less than two weeks later, he was arrested for allegedly killing Magalhaes in an unprovoked attack. No treatment plan was prepared, no release plan was prepared In the days since Magalhaess death, politicians, led by Ontarios Doug Ford, have called on the federal government to reform the criminal bail system, arguing that it should be much harder for potentially dangerous criminals to be released into the community following an arrest. The suggested reforms include, for example, a reverse onus on bail for offences involving a loaded firearm. The measure would mean an offender would have the burden of proving why they should be released rather than the current system where its the Crowns responsibility to prove just cause for detaining someone ahead of trial. Its not clear whether those proposed reforms would have made a difference in OBrien-Tobins case. Because he had already been sentenced for the sex assault, OBrien-Tobin was not on bail when he allegedly killed Magalhaes. This means he was not subject to typical bail conditions, such as mandatory police reporting or an order to stay at a specific address, nor did he have a surety a person who agrees to be responsible for ensuring someone follows their bail conditions before trial. OBrien-Tobin was instead on probation, a type of sentence that involves community supervision by a provincial probation officer. This person is responsible for monitoring any sentencing conditions laid out by the judge and calling police to report a breach, if necessary. The Star has not seen records that detail anything other than the conditions of OBrien-Tobins brief probation. His sentencing records show that his lawyer had already been communicating with OBrien-Tobins probation officer on securing mental health treatment. It is unclear if these efforts led anywhere in the 14 days between his release from custody and Malagahaes death. A probation officer assigned to OBrien-Tobin would have also been responsible for several other cases. According to the provincial website, probation officers in 121 offices supervise approximately 32,000 probationers on any given day. Asked to provide details of OBrien-Tobins history in Ontarios probation and parole system, a provincial spokesperson told the Star to file a freedom of information request. The Star also found no previous records accusing OBrien-Tobin of using a firearm, loaded or otherwise, in the commission of any crimes, nor has he ever appeared to commit a violent offence that would have clearly warranted a lengthy jail sentence under the Criminal Code. Despite dozens of offences, none of OBrien-Tobins cases were heard at Superior Court, which typically takes on the most serious of cases where lengthier prison sentences are on the table. Save administrative matters, all of his Ontario court records are at the lower provincial court level. Thats not to say he didnt spend significant time in jail for the more serious crimes he had committed, including his 220-day sentence for the Mississauga assault. But while in jail despite the judge acknowledging the risk he posed court records suggest there were few or no supports for mental health treatment. Anita Szigeti, president of the Law and Mental Disorder Association, said its frustrating to see people with serious mental health issues continue to show up with new, most often minor charges such as failure to appear, mischief, property damage and relatively low-level assaults. A large percentage of their clients dont have housing or a stable source of income and are dealing with underlying mental health issues, she said. They may also not have ID and therefore have no access to the Ontario Disability Support Program: All of those things combined do contribute to constant offending. To Szigeti, a lot of these issues could be resolved by housing people, providing them with basic income, food security and social supports but the status quo is theyre just completely lost to the system. In OBrien-Tobins case, his criminal sentences included orders to seek mental health assessment and treatment, but its never clear from the records if he was ever able to actually get help. In court, Cutruzzola noted his client had not received treatment in jail and that no programs were set up for him upon his release. His most recent time in custody for six months, nothing was done at the institution, no treatment plan was prepared, no release plan was prepared, he said. That story is not unusual, said Jessyca Greenwood, a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto who focuses on mental health. People with mental health issues often dont get any treatment at all in custody or may be in seclusion or voluntary confinement, she said. There are also limited resources to help them plan for their return to the community. I think it probably is true that people in our community are upset when they see someone whos out on bail and commits an offence thats upsetting and it offends our community standards. But what the public doesnt see is how people with mental health issues are often not well treated in jail, she said. None of those pieces helps set that person up for success when they may be struggling. On a recent release from custody on March 2, Cutruzzola noted OBrien-Tobin had been ordered to attend a shelter in North York, but because there was a lack of beds in a city in the midst of an ongoing housing crisis his spot had been given away before he was released. OBrien-Tobin instead went to a hospital for addiction treatment, Cutruzzola said, but he was nevertheless arrested again on March 6 for failing to comply with the order to live at the shelter. OBrien-Tobin faced other logistical hurdles that are common for people who face similar challenges. For example, as of March 10, he had yet to obtain an Ontario Health card a key step to accessing various provincial supports and services. Without one, someone could have a more challenging time, for example, getting prescription medicines. Jennifer Stone, the executive director of Neighbourhood Legal Services in the citys downtown east, says even just getting a health card can be challenging for someone with mental health concerns making the appointment, getting to the appointment on time and not becoming agitated in the waiting room. The profile is just so familiar to us. She said so many of their clients need case management to deal with their complex and overlapping needs everything from precarious housing, evictions, immigration status, mental and physical health, poverty and criminality which is hard to come by. We struggle to try to connect people to services, Stone said, with long waiting lists and care that can sometimes be temporary just months at a time before a new program needs to be found. At the same time, legal aid funding clinics like hers rely on money that was cut by the Ford government in 2019 cuts she said theyve never recovered from. Only two staff are assigned to housing files at their clinic she said, describing the challenge like drinking out of a fire hose. Were just doing so much more with less, she said. Following her sons death, Andrea Magalhaes, the mother of 16-year-old Gabriel, spoke about how she sees the problem: People with mental health issues need more access to services, she said. Its not about just adding more security; you have to provide the tools for people with mental illness to cope with life. Stone, told the Star she has been thinking about Gabriels mother. She has twins who are 16 years old and use that subway route. One of them knew the slain teen. It could have easily been my family, Stone said. My heart goes out to her and her family. With files from Wendy Gillis, Dhriti Gupta and The Canadian Press SHARE: Toronto is a city of three million people, but just 200,000 of them could decide who will be its next mayor. Thats the tale told by some rough electoral math, as the crowded race to replace John Tory heats up. As of Friday, 46 candidates had signed up for the June 26 byelection. Under the citys first-past-the-post electoral system, the winner will only need to get more votes than any other challenger, not a majority, and the unusually high number of big-name contenders increases the likelihood whoever comes out on top will win far less than half the ballots cast. Add to that the possibility that turnout for the special byelection will be low, and Torontos next leader who will take charge of a $16-billion annual budget and new powers enabling them to overrule a majority of council could require the backing of just a fraction of the 1.9 million citizens eligible to mark a ballot. Voter turnout math shows local democracy is broken, say critics To some city hall watchers, its an indication local democracy is broken. Its extremely troubling, said Michael Urban, chair of the Ranked Ballot Initiative (RaBIT), a group that advocates for changes to the citys electoral process. You have a system here that could very easily be unrepresentative of what Torontonians want. And in a democracy, thats not how its supposed to work. With no incumbent and election rules allowing councillors to run without resigning their seat, the 2023 mayors race is wide open. Of the candidates registered to date, a half-dozen look to have the experience and organizational backing required to mount a serious challenge. Among them are ex-police chief Mark Saunders, Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter, former Davenport councillor Ana Bailao, and sitting council members Josh Matlow and Brad Bradford. Former NDP MP Olivia Chow is expected to register soon. A candidate could win with only a fifth of the vote A lot will happen in the 10 weeks between now and voting day. Candidates could drop out, or two or three front-runners could separate themselves from the pack. But as it stands, some campaigns think a candidate could secure victory with as little as a fifth of the vote. You could certainly win with 20 per cent, given the field today, said a senior official on one of the leading campaigns, who like other operatives spoke to the Star on the condition they not be named, in order to discuss internal strategy. Everyone is trying to get to 20 or 25 per cent, knowing they might need more than that, said a senior member of another campaign. How many votes that translates to will depend on how many voters go to the polls. Just 30 per cent of eligible Torontonians cast a vote in last falls municipal election, a historic low experts blamed on COVID-19 and a contest in which Tory faced no big name challenger. He strolled to victory with about 61 per cent support, or 340,000 votes. If turnout for Junes byelection stays at Octobers levels, to win with 25 per cent support a candidate would need about 140,000 votes. If they needed 30 per cent to win, that would be close to 170,000. If turnout matched the 2018 elections 41 per cent, which is close to the historical average for Toronto, a candidate would need about 194,000 votes hit 25 per cent, and 230,000 to get 30 per cent. In all those scenarios, the mayor-elect wouldnt get the backing of more than 13 per cent Torontos nearly two million eligible voters. Dennis M. Pilon, an associate professor of political science at York University, predicts that very, very few people are ultimately going to make this decision about who becomes mayor. He expects the byelection will suffer from all the factors that normally limit participation in local elections, but on steroids. Lack of political parties means municipal voter turnout is lower Turnout in municipal races is generally lower than federal and provincial contests, because the lack of political parties makes it harder for voters to determine which candidate aligns with their views, Pilon said. In addition, the upcoming byelection, which was triggered by Torys abrupt resignation, will be for mayor only. In a regular municipal election, candidates for mayor and councillor are both on the ballot, and mayoral hopefuls can tap into council allies local ground games to get supporters to the polls. Finally, the byelections three-month campaign period will be half as long as a normal race, meaning voters will have less time to engage before election day, which is scheduled for a week in late June when many families already have one eye on vacation. Im prepared to put money right now on the fact that the turnout will be well, well, well below (the October election), Pilon said. Low turnout could lead to more polarizing election campaign If candidates do need only a sliver of eligible voters to win, it could lead to a more polarizing campaign. Instead of appealing to a large swathe of the electorate with broadly popular platforms, mayoral hopefuls try to energize their bases with more extreme progressive or conservative policies. In a low turnout election, you win not by increasing the number of people who support you, but making sure that everyone who actually supports you gets themselves to the polls, said one progressive organizer. Zachary Taylor, an associate professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario, cautioned that forecasts about a candidate squeaking into the mayors office with anemic support are overstated. He predicts the field will narrow as leading candidates vie for the limited financial and organizational resources a required for a winning campaign (Tory raised $2 million for the 2022 race). Those who cant muster the backing will drop out, reducing the chance the popular vote splits between five or six candidates. Torontos competitive 2003 mayoral election could be a guide. It started with at least five high-profile challengers in a field of dozens, but David Miller eventually emerged as a front-runner and won with a respectable 43 per cent of the vote, Taylor said. Taylor acknowledged that provincial and federal byelections have lower turnout, but he argued thats because premiers and prime ministers arent on the ballot, so the outcome doesnt affect whos in charge of government. By contrast, the June byelection will determine who takes charge at city hall. Turnout could also be boosted by the fact the campaign looks likely to centre on issues residents care deeply about, like public safety and housing affordability. I think if the candidates put forward very clear proposals that really contrast with each other, the race could really focalize in a way that could generate a lot of attention and excitement, Taylor said. Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr Read more about: SHARE: Police have identified the 24-year-old man killed in a shooting on Friday night in the area of Dovercourt Village. He has been identified as 24-year-old Munawar Warsama. Officers responded to a call about a shooting near Bloor Street West and Concord Avenue at around 10:45 p.m. on Friday. There, they found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. (In a previous social media post, police said the call was at Bloor Street West and Delaware Avenue.) Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene, police say. Warsama is the 14th homicide victim of the year. Ana Pereira is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @anabpereiraa SHARE: Graham Pinchin wanted to open a brewery so he could brew the beers he wanted to drink, sure, but that wasnt the only reason. What he really craved was community. I wanted to serve those beers to people who enjoy talking to us, to their friends and to their neighbours, he said. After all, he added, there isnt much missing from Torontos beer scene, since you can get well-brewed local beers of any style practically anywhere. But what we wanted to offer was a place where people knew their local brewers and brewery owners, he added. We wanted to make a change in the little neighbourhood of Brockton Village. Last fall, he, along with his wife Diana Rivera and university pal Asa Davis, threw open the doors to Steadfast Brewing Co., at 301 Landsdowne Ave., between College and Dundas, and have since welcomed a steady stream of locals, city-wide beer fans, even folks from farther abroad like the couple visiting from Korea, who invited him to stay at their home after he gave them an impromptu brewery tour. Every once in a while, someone says thank you for treating them like family, he said. Thats the nicest feedback anybody can give us. Along with nine signature brews including Hidden Rivers Pale Ale and White Man Cant Dunkel Dunkelweizen Steadfast also has a bustling events schedule, including low-stakes trivia nights, Suds an Bubs parent-baby meet-ups, and newbie-friendly board-game nights featuring Dungeons & Dragons. On Turntable Thursdays, anyone who brings a record to play gets a complimentary pint. In the spirit of inclusivity, all Steadfast events are free (no beer purchase required). Beer, for me, is about community and friendship, Pinchin said. When someone comes in angry because they were locked out of their Airbnb, and I see their mood turn when I give them samples from a fermenter, chat with them about the neighbourhood, give them a dinner recommendation, and they leave in a good mood, that brings me joy. When I introduce two locals and they leave together talking about funk music, those little experiences give me the most joy. If you dont drink beer and just want to stay for the vibes, Steadfast always has a cocktail on tap. For those who do drink beer, there are nine taps on offer. Many of the selections are brewers beers, or less-common classic styles that drink easily and end cleanly. Steadfast tries to make sure all the tap beers are very different from one another, whether theyre malty, hoppy, fruity, rich or light. Steadfasts most popular beer is Going Steady Amber Ale, a malt-forward brew that tastes like caramel, biscuits and toasted bread, which Pinchin said is excellent for introducing people without much craft-beer experience to more flavourful beers. For those with more adventurous palates, Steadfast sells a spicy hot-pepper citrus session IPA, a champagne tripel, and a maple-syrup red ale. Whether its trying (new) flavours or a beer that reminds you of a smell from childhood, or returning to a favourite youve drunk for years with a friend you havent seen in a long time, beer has an ability to be both unexpected and comfortable, Pinchin said. I often tell people who ask what the best beer is: the best beer is the one you enjoy the most. Looking for some new suds to enjoy this spring? Here, the Steadfast co-owners share five of their favourites. Meerkat Grisette by Avling The first beer I thought of when asked about fun spring beers in the city. Its a crisp beer without being too light, and gives notes of pear, cider and a light touch of funk that makes it quite interesting. Its got body, quite a bit of haze, and pairs great with a sunny afternoon and a High Park picnic. Rivera Daystar by Shacklands Brewing Im a very seasonal beer drinker, and what I want in the summer is usually a different style from what I want in the fall or winter. Three quarters out of the year, I dont really go for Belgian beers, but for some reason, as the weather warms, I really enjoy the phenolic characteristic of Belgian yeast. And Daystar by Shacklands is a perfect Belgian blonde to enjoy as we start getting into patio weather: light, dry, with an herbal backbone to complement the coriander and clove notes. Davis Masino by Bar Volo Bar Volo is known as one of Torontos first craft-beer bars and have quietly opened a little brewery of their own right downtown. This is a fruity pale ale with a bit of haze to it crisp and refreshing. Theyve made this shift from serving to production extremely well, and a bottle of Masino is perfect with a bit of sunshine. Its packaging is nice enough to make all your park friends ask where you got it. Davis Starke Pilsner by Amsterdam Brewery This was the beer we obsessed over most when I worked at Amsterdam, constantly tweaking it to take advantage of the best hops, malt and yeast we could find. The result is a perfect beer for spring: light and fresh enough for the sun, with a floral and spicy Saaz note my favourite hop! but just enough weight to keep you warm until the temperatures finally get out of the teens. Pinchin Arbeit Hefeweizen by Godspeed x Michael Hancock People know Godspeed mostly for their Czech pale lagers and their Japanese flavours. But for this beer, they collaborated with Michael Hancock, the godfather of wheat beer in Canada. The result is a classic hefeweizen that marries the classic banana and clove flavours with a subtle aroma that smells like cutting the pineappleweed on the first lawn-mow of the spring. Pinchin Briony Smith is a Toronto-based writer and editor. She covers lifestyle, culture, social justice, and sex and relationships. You can find her on Twitter at @brionycwsmith. SHARE: After wrongly dismissing Daniella Mallias domestic violence report as a he said, she said days before she was killed, the Toronto police constable who took no action to protect the young woman stood and faced her grieving relatives inside police headquarters Friday, telling them her death will always weigh heavily on me. I want to start by expressing my deepest remorse and apologies to your family, said Toronto Const. Sang Youb Lee, pausing to look into the eyes of Mallias sisters and father, who listened from the front row of the tribunal office, at times wiping tears and shaking with emotion during the hearing. Lee said he vividly remembered talking with Mallia the day she called police for help I could tell she was a kind-hearted person who always thought of others first, he said and apologized for what he called a misunderstanding of the circumstances she found herself in, saying he thought hed done his job that day. I understand that my apologies cannot undo the tragedy that occurred to Daniella. However, I hope that my words are a small step toward healing for your family. Lees apology came after pleading guilty to one count of neglect of duty under Ontarios Police Service Act for his succession of failures on Aug. 15, 2022, after Mallia called police to report threats and harassment from her ex-boyfriend. Lee responded alongside partner Const. Anson Alfonso, but neglected to arrest Mallias ex-boyfriend despite having grounds for a criminal charge. He also failed to take several critical steps outlined in Toronto police intimate partner violence policy, including properly documenting the call and notifying a superior. On Aug. 18, 2022 just 72 hours after Mallia called police for help she died from multiple gunshot wounds in a Downsview area parking garage. Her ex-boyfriend, Dylon Dowman, is charged with first-degree murder in her death. His charges have not been proven in court. She had a beautiful spirit, confident, hard-working, Amille Ingram, Mallias sister, said in an interview Friday. She says whats on her mind. She says how she feels. Mallias case has prompted public outcry, including from those who say Mallias call for help should have been treated far more seriously particularly since the relationship had recently ended one of the most dangerous times for victims of domestic violence. Intimate partner violence experts have noted that, as a Black woman, Mallia may have been especially fearful to dial 911 due to systemic anti-Black racism within policing. Toronto police are seeking to fire Lee for misconduct that police prosecutor Alexandra Miller said has shaken public trust and left the chief questioning what is the future usefulness of this officer. Only the harshest of penalties will do, Miller said. But in an impromptu address to the tribunal, Mallias father whod cried after Lees apology and then left the room, spurring a recess asked the officer adjudicating the case to give Lee a second chance. Mr. Lee, I forgive you, Albert Ingram said, looking directly at Lee while wearing a shirt bearing his daughters photo and the message: Justice For Daniella Mallia. I think you learned a lot from this. I know deep in my heart that youll be a better officer if given the chance, Ingram said. Later, in an interview outside Toronto police headquarters, Ingram said had chosen to forgive Lee because he didnt want to hold on to anger. Im still going to feel the pain. But I got to forgive to move on in life, he said. Thats what I think Daniella would want me to do. Mallias sisters, Amille and Tashawna Ingram, later joined Albert in his formal request to the tribunal that the hearing officer spare Lees job. The apology seemed sincere and his guilt was evident, they told the Star. If he does remain on the job, he has purpose, he has a reason to do better, hes being watched, Tashawna Ingram said in an interview. The tribunal heard new details Friday about the high-profile incident, which was first reported by the Star late last month when Alfonso, Lees partner, made his first appearance before the disciplinary tribunal. Alfonso has not yet entered a plea on multiple counts of professional misconduct in the case; Lee and Alfonso are both suspended with pay. According to an agreed statement of facts filed Friday, Mallia had called police to report her exs threats and harassment. She showed Lee and Alfonso text messages that showed an unpleasant breakup, with the ex-boyfriends texts being threatening in nature. But she told the officers she did not want her ex charged and instead wanted advice on how to obtain a peace bond or a restraining order, the document said. She said she did not want to see another Black man go to jail and she was concerned that if he were charged, he would retaliate against her, according to the agreed statement of facts, which noted Mallias interaction with Lee and Alfonso was recorded on the officers body-worn cameras. Lee misapprehended the evidence presented to him, believed there was mutual harassment and though he had grounds to charge the ex-boyfriend for uttering threats didnt arrest him, the document said, instead calling the ex-boyfriend to warn him to stay away. Lee spoke to Mallia for 39 minutes but to the ex-boyfriend for just three, showing a deficient investigation and insufficient collection of information, according to the document outlining Lees neglect of duty charge, which noted Lee took no action to protect Mallia and showed a reckless disregard for her safety. His actions constituted a substantial departure from what is expected of a reasonable police officer in these circumstances, reads the agreed statement of fact. Documents previously filed with the tribunal in Alfonsos case allege at one point Alfonso cautioned Mallia with a charge, even though there was ample evidence that (she) was the victim. In submissions before Peel Regional Police Supt. Taufic Saliba, the external disciplinary officer brought in to hear the case, defence lawyer Gary Clewley described Lee as an inexperienced officer with just two years on the job who hadnt received domestic violence training because COVID-19 impacted recruit training. Lee also hadnt been paired with a more senior officer, either, Clewley said, noting Alfonso had only three years with the force. Clewley said Lee has taken responsibility for his actions, pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and has sought counselling once he realized the enormity of his errors, he was overcome with grief, he said. Noting dismissal is typically reserved for officers who are repeat offenders and detailing multiple egregious cases of police misconduct that did not result in dismissal Clewley instead asked for Lee to be docked 10 days pay. He also asked that Lee be sent back to the Toronto police college for training and, as a condition of his continued employment, that he talk about what happened in Mallias case to other officers. On account of this incident, hes going to be ever more useful, Clewley said. Saliba, the hearing officer in the case, reserved his penalty decision to a later date. Mallia was a beloved employee of PetValu in Bloor West Village, and was herself a huge animal lover who adored her guinea pigs. She absolutely loved the job you could see the glow in her eyes after work, her dad said. Last week, the family celebrated what would have been Daniellas birthday, gathering for a barbecue and to release balloons in her honour. She would have turned 24 years old. Wendy Gillis is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and policing for the Star. Reach her by email at wgillis@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @wendygillis SHARE: When Health Canada approved the blood disease drug deferiprone, it relied in part on data from a University Health Network program that harmed patients and may have violated federal guidelines on the use of unlicensed medications, two doctors from the hospital allege. Now those doctors Nancy Olivieri and Brenda Gallie want the federal health regulator to revisit how the drug was approved. The UHN denies the allegations and said it properly and safely used the drug to treat patients with thalassemia. The doctor who runs the program that administered the unlicensed deferiprone said he and his colleagues have always put the interests of patients first. From 2009 to 2015, 72 patients at UHN were treated with unlicensed deferiprone. In each case, Health Canada signed off on the use of an unapproved drug through its Special Access Program, a compassionate-use protocol intended for patients in which already licensed medications are unsuitable or dont work. Olivieri and Gallie reviewed the medical charts of dozens of those patients and say they found no evidence to explain why so many patients were switched from approved treatments to the unlicensed drug. Their research found many patients given deferiprone suffered significant toxicity, and that the UHN clinic where they were treated had received funding from deferiprones maker, Apotex. Eight years after Health Canada licensed deferiprone, a Star investigation has confirmed that Apotexs licensing application included evidence from the UHN program, which the regulator considered in its decision to approve the drug. That acknowledgment from the regulator comes amid continued secrecy from UHN and has rekindled questions about the potential influence Big Pharma funding has inside trusted Toronto health institutions. This story is not an attempt to settle the fraught scientific debate over the safety of deferiprone. It is about research integrity, and questions about evidence that apparently factored into the decision to approve a controversial drug. UHN patients experience part of Health Canada submission Health Canada licensed deferiprone in 2015 for thalassemia patients whose current treatment is inadequate. At the time, Apotex said it was already approved with similar limitations in more than 65 other countries. The regulators approval of the medication marketed as Ferriprox was based on a large body of evidence, but primarily on data from two key studies submitted by the drug company, a spokesperson for the regulator said. The regulators evidence also included the experience of 46 UHN patients who were not part of any trial to test the drugs efficacy but were treated with unlicensed deferiprone, starting in 2009, as part of the UHN program run by Dr. Richard Ward, Health Canada told the Star. Wards program was funded, in part, by drugmaker Apotex, internal documents show. Olivieri and Gallies 2019 study found most of the 41 UHN patients whose charts they examined suffered significant toxicity including liver dysfunction, diabetes and in one case, death. Ward has presented rosier outcomes of deferiprones use in his thalassemia program, which purports to be the largest of its kind in North America. Health Canada said a review it conducted in 2019 of the study by Olivieri and Gallie did not lead to a shift in the known benefit-risk profile of the drug. But Olivieri and Gallie say the use of unlicensed deferiprone at UHN, and how Health Canada approved the drug, demands a true forensic audit. Health Canada owes an obligation to the world and to patients to come and inspect all the data that was submitted to them by Apotex alongside the patients medical charts, Gallie said. Apotexs licensing application to Health Canada included a summary of a report from Ward on how those patients fared from 2009 to 2012, a spokesperson for the regulator said. The contents of that report, however, are not public. UHN has repeatedly refused to discuss Wards role in Apotexs application, or disclose the evidence Health Canada said he provided to the drug company. A spokesperson for Health Canada said the regulator is working on a request from the Star to release the evidence from Ward that it considered. Concerns treatment violated federal guidelines One reason Olivieri and Gallie want the federal regulator to take another look at how the drug was approved is that UHNs use of it may not have followed federal guidelines, they allege. There are strict rules around testing drugs in humans. In clinical trials, scientists must typically show an ethics board that the potential benefits outweigh the possible risks, get informed consent from patients, and take steps to keep their duties as clinicians caring for patients separate from their role as investigators testing a new drug. Unlicensed drugs obtained through special access dont undergo such ethics board scrutiny. Health Canada imposes limits on the program, which is intended to meet emergency needs only. The program is not a mechanism to encourage the early use of drugs nor is it a means of circumventing drug clinical development or the regulatory review of a submission for marketing, the regulator says. All of UHNs deferiprone requests were approved by Health Canada, a spokesperson said. But Olivieri and Gallie question how such a large number of patients satisfied the requirements for approval under the special access program, and are concerned that data from these patients was apparently used to help Apotex license an experimental medication but without going the more arduous route of a clinical trial. In a 2011 abstract in a medical journal written by Ward and other UHN colleagues and that touted the drugs benefits, the authors said they had decided to systematically enrol patients in the special access program. The same year the abstract was published, Wards program received an $80,000 unrestricted grant from ApoPharma, the division of Apotex that marketed the drug, according to documents Olivieri obtained through Freedom-of-Information (FOI) legislation. Ward told ApoPharma the money would go to analysis and reporting of our centres experience with deferiprone, among other activities, the documents show. Ward agreed to share safety and efficacy data with ApoPharma, according to those documents. Ward did not respond directly to questions for this story. In an email, he said the Stars questions raise matters that have been thoroughly investigated by UHN and the University of Toronto on several occasions, with validation of our actions. As an academic clinician I take my ethical, academic, and regulatory responsibilities seriously, he said. Myself and clinical colleagues in the (Red Blood Cell Disorders) program at UHN have acted, and will continue to act, in the best interests of patients, and to prioritize those interests over the interests of external parties, such as the pharmaceutical industry. Unlicensed drug was part of standard clinical care, hospital says UHN officials say the unlicensed drug was provided as part of standard clinical care, which was not influenced by conflicts of interest, and that all patients who got the drug did so following discussion regarding the risks and benefits. If you report that patients at UHN were given deferiprone as part of an unapproved research study, that UHN influenced Health Canadas approval of deferiprone, that patients were continued inappropriately on deferiprone without appropriate consideration, that conflicts of interest influenced the care of patients you will be wrong, former spokesperson Gillian Howard said. Before she retired last month, Howard told the Star that the 2011 abstract authored by Ward and colleagues reports some early findings of a retrospective review of patients medical charts, which was approved by UHNs ethics board. Such reviews allow researchers to track impacts of various treatments, but differ significantly from clinical trials, which expose patients to drugs for the purpose of testing their efficacy and safety. Olivieri and Gallies 2019 study triggered a review at UHN that found the use of unlicensed deferiprone was justified. As the Star recently reported, the hospitals review, which officials had said would include an external and independent voice, was done with the help of an expert who had received consulting fees from drugmaker Apotex and had supervised a research dissertation by Ward, the UHN program director who gave the patients the drug. Apotex has always rejected concerns about the safety and efficacy of deferiprone. When the Toronto-based firm sold the rights to the drug to Chiesi Group in January 2020, the companies acknowledged that no controlled trial had shown a direct treatment benefit. The companies did not directly address questions for this story. In Canada, the drug is approved to remove excess iron in patients with a severe form of thalassemia and who require frequent blood transfusions. The transfusions cause iron to build up, which can lead to organ damage or death. Thalassemia patients should take deferiprone only if their current medication is inadequate. Health Canada also has approved the drug for treatment of other blood diseases. Some researchers and clinicians say it can be a useful thalassemia medication in limited circumstances. For others, including Olivieri, who was among the first scientists to test deferiprone on human subjects, it has no place in the doctors tool kit. Side effect reports have been omitted, doctor charges Olivieri, a senior scientist and blood diseases expert at UHN, and Gallie, a specialist in data analysis who does pioneering research in retinoblastoma, a rare form of childrens eye cancer, say there is evidence suggesting not all side effects that UHN patients experienced during their deferiprone treatments were reported to Health Canada before the drug was approved. Health Canada requires drug companies and physicians who provide patients with unlicensed drugs through the special access program to promptly report any suspected adverse reactions, which the regulator publishes in an online database. According to the database, just four reports of suspected adverse reactions related to deferiprone were filed from 2009 to February 2015, when the drug was licensed. Two of those reports are categorized as non-serious, while the other two report multiple serious adverse reactions including death. It is not clear if any of the additional reports that were filed after the drug was approved relate to UHN patients. Olivieri said the reports filed before the drug was approved do not account for hundreds of adverse reactions to the drug reportedly experienced by many more patients that she and Gallie documented in their paper, published in 2019 in the journal PLOS ONE, including dangerous spikes in liver-iron concentration and diabetes. These are facts that have been omitted, she said. Ward, UHN and Health Canada did not directly respond to questions from the Star about this apparent discrepancy. The hospitals review found four deaths of patients treated with deferiprone from 2009 to 2015, only one of which was linked to deferiprone, and no connection between the use of the drug and diabetes. Ward touted the benefits of deferiprone in a paper he co-authored in the European Journal of Haematology in 2019, a few months after Olivieri and Gallies study came out. In Wards paper, which analyzed the medical records of 71 patients who received the unlicensed drug at UHN between 2009 and 2015, he and his co-authors said serious adverse events occurred in five patients, far fewer than were reported by Olivieri and Gallie, and they did not mention diabetes. Since 2017, roughly 1,000 prescriptions for Ferriprox have been dispensed at pharmacies across Canada each year, the regulator said. As of last May, about 30 UHN patients were taking deferiprone, a hospital official said. Read more about: SHARE: THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) Four migrants and a suspected trafficker, all from Syria, died Saturday and six were others injured when their car collided head-on with another as it sped the wrong way on a major highway in Greece near the Turkish border, police said. The driver of the other car, a 46-year-old Greek man, also died in the collision, police said. The car, with the driver and other 10 passengers, some of them stowed in the trunk, was driving along an older road, away from the border, when it came upon a police checking point, near the city of Alexandroupolis, on Saturday morning. Signaled to stop, it rammed the patrol car that stood in its way and sped away instead. Police say they followed at a distance. The suspected trafficker entered the Egnatia Highway, northern Greeces major east-west highway, when it collided head-on with the other car. Police said the drivers, both men, died instantly, as well as a man in the car carrying the migrants and a girl, who was sitting in the lap of the man in the passenger seat. Two more died in a hospital; the extent of the other six migrants injuries was not known. Police said firefighters who rushed to the scene had a hard time extricating the people from the cars, which had sustained considerable damage. Read more about: SHARE: LAS VEGAS (AP) U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland joined members of Nevadas congressional delegation and tribal leaders on Friday to celebrate Avi Kwa Ame, the states newly designated national monument, saying the recognition of the desert mountain heralds a new era of environmental conservation in which the federal government and tribal nations will work together to maintain protected areas. Haaland, the nations first Native American Cabinet member, said she visited Avi Kwa Ame on Friday to watch the sunrise and was moved by the desert mountains rich history. I was struck by the power and presence of the ancestors in tribal communities who have prayed on, protected and drawn strength from this special place for thousands of years, Haaland said later in Las Vegas at a celebration attended by tribal leaders and members of Congress. President Joe Biden established the monument last month, nearly a year to the day after U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat, introduced legislation to permanently protect the desert mountain region considered sacred by some tribes. The area stretches more than 500,000 acres (202,300 hectares) in southern Nevada and includes Spirit Mountain, a peak northwest of Laughlin called Avi Kwa Ame (ah-VEE kwa-meh) by the Fort Mojave Tribe and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Titus, in her remarks at the private Las Vegas event, described Avi Kwa Ame as a crown jewel. It just doesnt get any better than that, she said. So we celebrate today on this gorgeous southern Nevada day all the things that Avi Kwa Ame means to the tribes. Tribal leaders in Arizona said earlier this week they hope to build on the momentum of Avi Kwa Ames national monument designation to persuade the the Biden administration to create similar protections for areas adjacent to the Grand Canyon, which they also consider sacred. SHARE: Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping this week conducted a four-day inspection trip to south China's Guangdong Province, long considered a pacemaker of the country's reform and opening up that began in the late 1970s. This time, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, set a new target for the province -- to be a trailblazer on the Chinese path to modernization. The trip took him to the cities of Zhanjiang, Maoming and Guangzhou, where he visited companies that manufacture screens and new energy cars, a port, and a lychee-growing village, among other sites. The trip followed the launch of a Party-wide campaign to conduct in-depth research and study, asking Party cadres, in particular, to go out of their offices to better understand the situations on the ground -- the prominent problems and how to solve them. As the Party's top official, Xi has set an example of conducting such fact-finding research. And his inspection in Guangdong revolves around the topic of pursuing Chinese modernization. He chose the western part of Guangdong as the focus of his research. This part of the province is less developed than the Pearl River Delta, known for the high concentration of manufacturers and hi-tech companies. During the trip, Xi said that Guangdong's development not only depends on the Pearl River Delta, but also on the joint development of northern, eastern, and western Guangdong. "Chinese modernization is aimed at promoting common prosperity and addressing the unbalanced development among regions," Xi said. In China, unbalanced development typically manifests itself in the disparity between urban and rural areas. To Xi, the root cause of unbalanced development between western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta largely resides in industries. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a lychee orchard at a village in Genzi Township, Gaozhou City of Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, April 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) In order to learn about rural industries, Xi visited a lychee orchard in a village in Maoming, checking local efforts to develop the lychee industry into a successful one that has brought both jobs and income to locals. Talking with technicians on the spot, Xi learned that by growing lychees and selling them and related products, a family could earn an average annual income of 100,000 yuan (about 14,600 U.S. dollars) in a good year. Hailing the broad prospects of the local lychee industry, Xi emphasized efforts to remain committed to pursuing common prosperity and increase assistance and support for places that are lagging behind financially. Chinese modernization is essentially different from Western modernization, he said, adding that China will not tread the path of Western modernization -- with features including polarization and plunder -- as such a path leads nowhere. Xi also learned about the challenges the lychee industry faces, in particular fresh-keeping techniques, and urged local authorities to solve the problems. Adopting the problem-oriented approach is an essential requirement of the campaign to conduct in-depth research and study, and it was practiced by Xi in his inspection trip to Guangdong. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a water resource allocation project in Zhanjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province, April 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) With the water shortage in western Guangdong in mind, Xi visited Dashuiqiao Reservoir in Xuwen County in Zhanjiang, a junction station for water diversion, where he learned about the progress of the reservoir construction and the water quality. Xi said that a sound allocation of water resources will help address unbalanced development among regions, and coordinated development is necessary for achieving common prosperity. Xi has always stressed the need to ensure security in the pursuit of development and attached great importance to food security. In his previous inspection tours, he often went to farmlands to check the local farming industry. But this time, he came to a mariculture base on Donghai Island in Zhanjiang, where he called for efforts to utilize both land and sea resources to guarantee food security. "The general secretary pays great attention to the mariculture and fisheries industry, and is also very familiar with these fields," said Mai Kangsen, dean of the Fisheries College at the Ocean University of China. "This shows that the general secretary cares a lot about ensuring food supply for over 1.4 billion people in the country," Mai said. Sci-tech development is another concern of Xi, who has said on many occasions that high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology are the keys to Chinese modernization. The final leg of his trip is Guangdong's capital city, Guangzhou, one of the country's sci-tech hubs. In an inspection of GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., Xi visited the exhibition hall, assembly workshop, and workshop for producing batteries, and learned about the enterprise's progress made in achieving breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields and what it has been doing in developing higher-end, smarter and greener manufacturing. At the GAC R&D Center, Xi took an attentive look at the labs for intelligent networking and model design. "Breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields made by companies are of great concern to the general secretary," said Zeng Qinghong, chairman of GAC Group. China is a big country and must attach importance to the real economy and take the path of self-reliance. Core technologies in key fields should be based on independent research and development, Xi said. "Self-reliance in no way means seeking development with our doors closed to the rest of the world. International cooperation is also welcome," Xi said, adding that China's reform and opening up policy will remain unchanged over the long term. Looking to the future of China's development, Xi is fully confident. "With clear goals, plans and strategies, Chinese modernization will surely be achieved. We will advance the modernization drive with solid steps," he said. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. Missouris foremost LGBTQ advocacy group raised alarm on Friday that adults currently receiving transgender medical care will face egregious barriers to continued treatment under new emergency rules in Missouri. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, on Thursday published rules that will apply to all Missourians starting April 27. Gender-affirming health care will be very challenging to access for transgender adults and transgender youth going forward, said Shira Berkowitz, spokesperson for the Missouri advocacy group PROMO. Bailey had previously only mentioned regulations for minors, and his office only acknowledged the expanded rules when questioned by the news media. National LGBTQ rights groups have condemned Baileys action affecting transgender people of all ages. It will chill the effect of providers being able to provide care to their current patients and their future patients, Berkowitz said. And its going to continue to instil a huge amount of fear and sadness in a community that is ... being used as political pawns. While Baileys public statements have so far focused on minors, his spokeswoman acknowledged Thursday night the emergency regulations would affect everyone. Puberty blockers, hormone therapies and surgeries would be restricted under the regulation. We believe everyone is entitled to evidence-based medicine and adequate mental health care, said Madeline Sieren, spokeswoman for Bailey. She did not respond to a request to interview Bailey about the rules. While the requirements say that current patients may continue with a prescription or provision of a specific intervention that has already begun, the patient or their provider would need to promptly seek to initiate the treatments and assessments called for by the state. Baileys new rules require a full psychological or psychiatric assessment, of at least 15 separate, hour-long sessions over at least 18 months. The rule also bars treatment unless a provider ensures that any psychiatric symptoms from existing mental health comorbidities of the patient have been treated and resolved. The rules require annual assessments to ensure someone is not experiencing social contagion and for minors, annual assessments for social media addiction. The requirements also include annual assessments on whether the patient continues to have gender dysphoria, and a requirement that physicians provide a health disclosure to patients written by the attorney generals office. Patients would also need to be screened for autism. National LGBTQ advocacy groups Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Human Rights Campaign, and GLBTQ Advocates and Defenders issued on Thursday a joint statement blasting the rules. This action by Missouris Attorney General crosses a red line that should strike fear in the heart of every person who values individual liberty and believes that individuals, not government officials, should make health care decisions for their children and themselves, the letter said. Cutting off treatment for those who need it will create predictable, unnecessary, and serious harm, the groups said. It is also a blatant attempt to strip transgender people of equal protection under the law and to subject them to intrusive government surveillance and control. The ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal issued a joint statement Thursday: We will defend the rights of transgender people through any necessary legal action, just as we have done in other states engaging in this anti-science and discriminatory fear-mongering. SHARE: Last weeks sale of a $1.12 billion stake in seven Alberta pipelines to First Nation and Metis communities is one of the most important milestones in Canadian economic history. The acquisition of the Enbridge pipeline shares by Athabasca Indigenous Investments, which is owned by almost two dozen Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 First Nations and Metis governments, reinforces two important patterns: Indigenous economic engagement with the energy sector, and the growing Indigenous presence in Canadian prosperity. Three decades ago it was news whenever a First Nations, Metis or Inuit purchased a small-town gas station, hotel or retail store (typically in an Indigenous community). For years, Inuit art sales were one of Canadas few sustained Indigenous commercial ventures that supported artistic expression, community development and personal incomes. Indigenous entrepreneurship unfolded slowly, constrained by almost no access to investment capital, non-Indigenous resistance to First Nations, Metis and Inuit businesses, and limited experience in business. Today, large-scale Indigenous investments are almost routine: In 2020, Nova Scotias Membertou First Nation led the $1 billion purchase of one of Canadas largest seafood companies, Clearwater Seafoods. The Squamish and Musqueam First Nations are fronting separate large scale residential projects in Vancouver. Suncors partnership with the Fort McKay First Nation and Mikisew Cree First Nation saw the First Nations invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the oilsands supply chain. On the B.C. coast, First Nations have purchased several high-profile resorts and established Indigenous-themed tourism operations. In Yukon, the Vunta Gwitchin are major shareholders in regional airline Air North, while Canadian North, a major airline in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, is owned by Makivik Corporation and the Inuvialuit Development Group. These examples can be multiplied dozens of times. Indigenous communities are investing in renewable energy, including hydroelectric plants, solar panel installations and wind farms. Economically successful First Nation communities are involved in hotels, casinos, construction companies, food distributors, environmental management services, retailers, and so on. Less noticeable but equally important are investments related to collaborations with mining, forestry, and energy sectors. From a near standing start 40 years ago, literally hundreds of service and supply companies are now owned and operated by First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples. While most Indigenous investors focus on their own territories or regions, many opt to invest more broadly. Given the non-economic location of most reserves, many seek investments that are related to major cities or large resource projects. As with any sound strategy, this can give communities both immediate cash flow and long-term wealth creation. Such arrangements also produce own-source revenues, to be expended by the Indigenous governments without cumbersome, paternalistic federal government approvals. We can expect to see more purchases like the stake in the Enbridge pipelines, especially through Indigenous consortia. Few communities have the finances to tackle massive investments on their own, however a combination of court judgments, claims settlements, resource revenue sharing arrangements, Treaty Land Entitlement agreements, and other revenue-producing opportunities are giving Indigenous Peoples serious investment capital for the first time. Legal requirements for developers to consult with Indigenous Peoples have also opened doors for equity investments in major infrastructure projects, like the 10-per-cent stake that First Nations secured in the Coastal Gas Link pipeline. Ontarios Hydro One signed an agreement with the Gwayakocchigewin Limited Partnership (GLP) to build the Waasigan Transmission Line project in Northwestern Ontario, giving the nine First Nations access to a 50-per-cent stake in the project. With stronger leadership from Indigenous governments, regional consortia and co-ordinating organizations like the First Nations Major Project Coalition, Indigenous communities are overcoming challenges like geographic isolation or limited financial resources to negotiate substantial deals with resource firms and infrastructure developers. That First Nations and Metis are still trying to purchase the Trans Mountain Pipeline and are supporting a gas pipeline to Prince Rupert, B.C., shows the determination of Indigenous governments to end the poverty and economic marginalization that has defined their communities for generations. The Enbridge pipeline deal wont be the last major agreement involving Indigenous governments and the private sector. Barred by government policy and centuries of racial discrimination from sharing in Canadian prosperity, and empowered by decades of legal victories that recognized their role in Canada, First Nations, Metis and Inuit people are now players at the table. They are taking back their country and our country in a stepwise fashion, using their resources to buy companies, infrastructure, and revenue-producing assets that will generate the money needed to determine their destiny. And this, fellow Canadians, is one of the most exciting things to happen in Canada in decades. J.P. Gladu is an Indigenous business leader and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Ken Coates is a distinguished fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a Canada Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan. SHARE: Torontos ombudsman recently released a report criticizing the citys unacceptable response to the clearing of the homeless encampments that occurred in the summer of 2021. However, the investigation notably did not address the actions of police officers, a major oversight considering the Toronto Police Services history of overpolicing those experiencing homelessness. Given the recent investigation into the citys mishandling of homeless encampments, It is time we also renew our attention to the role police have when interacting with the unhoused population and once again call for more funding and support for non-police responses. While the Toronto Police Service adopted 81 proposals put forward during the Black Lives Matter 2020 protests, one of the biggest changes still listed as a work in progress is analyzing calls that would be better addressed by a non-police response and looking at areas in the current police budget that could be given to alternative community safety models. However, just this past February, former Toronto Mayor John Tory, approved a $48.3 million increase in the police budget, while city council ruled at the same time not to open 24/7 warming centres to provide shelter for vulnerable city residents. Considering Black and Indigenous Peoples are overrepresented in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Toronto and Black and Indigenous Peoples are also more likely to have police interactions that result in charges or the use of force, this increase in the police budget and refusal to open warming centres is a clear failure by both the politicians and police officers who are tasked with protecting and serving the public. Yet, the Toronto Police Service and city council would like us to think they are doing enough to change how they interact with people. Right now, there are two pilot programs for non-police responses to people in crisis that do not require a police response: the Toronto Police Service Crisis Call Diversion Pilot Program with the Gerstein Crisis Centre and the City Council funded Toronto Community Crisis Service Pilot Program (TCCS). But these programs are lacking in both city funding and support. I do not wish to dismiss the success of these alternative response programs. These programs are essential in helping people having mental health crises and making sure that community-based trained workers, who are not police officers, can connect people with the resources they need. Community-based programs like these are important steps in rebuilding trust and effectively helping anyone in need. But they are only pilot programs. When reports show that more than three homeless people died on average every week last year, we cannot pat ourselves on the back and say we have done enough. When the Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) evaluation report found that there were big gaps in their program when it came to support services, such as housing, shelter, and safe beds, we as a city cannot say we have done enough. We cannot rest easy thinking city council and the police have done enough when we know there is more they can and should be doing. Moving forward, there needs to be an increase in funding to these non-police responses to make sure the programs and community partners working with these programs can successfully help people both short term and long term. In order to address this funding need, the Toronto Police Service has to follow through on completing its 2020 adopted changes and stop requesting budget increases and instead look at its already significant budget to see where it can better use their funding to help these community-based response teams. The foundation for alternative, community-first safety programs exist, they just need proper city support and for our leaders to turn their words into actions. Every person in this city deserves to be treated with respect and dignity and it is up to the city to ensure that people are given the support they need to not just survive, but thrive. Julia Moran is pursuing a masters degree in criminology and sociolegal studies at the University of Toronto. SHARE: Once again, Premier Doug Ford is publicly urging Toronto citizens who to vote for in the upcoming mayor election. With his ally John Tory gone, Ford is resorting to pretty trumpian language in his drive to stick it to Toronto, again. I think it is dangerous for all citizens of Toronto to be told by our premier who to vote for in our upcoming election for mayor. Some of the same people who staffed Fords election, including Nick Kouvalis and Kory Teneycke, are now associated with at least three of the candidates for mayor. My message to all Toronto citizens is beware who you vote for on June 24. Betty Ann McKenzie, Toronto Former police chief enters Toronto race, March 21 Mark Saunders running for mayor is laughable and indeed down right shameful. His record in his final years of police chief are all one needs to look at to realize just how poor a mayor he would be. Saunders preaches concern for public safety, yet look back on the endless gun violence he let Toronto become saturated with. His failures to create a safe city continue to plague Toronto to this very day. Furthermore, Toronto needs an accountable and straightforward mayor. No more dithering like we saw from John Tory, or Saunders during his time as police chief. Enjoy your retirement, Mark, you are not missed nor wanted back in any leadership capacity. John Fowler, Brampton Contenders Brad Bradford, Josh Matlow and potential candidate Olivia Chow are the only mayoral candidates who comprehend the term public space in regards to Torontos waterfront. The rest cannot recognize horrific planning. As a constituent of Mitzie Hunter, I intended to vote for her. Sadly she does not rule out a spa resort on our waterfront. I dont understand former police chief Mark Saunders $700 a day contract from Premier Doug Ford as an Ontario Place adviser. Does he have specific knowledge in the field of destroying public property? Aileen Johnson, Toronto Read more about: SHARE: Given that the campaign for mayor of Toronto isnt even two weeks old, and that theres still more than two months until election day, and that lottery-ticket long-shot candidates were still registering this week (hello, Anthony Perruzza) and that expected heavyweight-ranked contenders are still taking their sweet time about getting in the ring (any day now, Olivia Chow) given all that, the online ad from Brad Bradfords campaign this week was an unexpectedly harsh attack. Mark Saunders, the text that ran over the ad said, had failed as police chief, presiding over a rise in the murder rate, failing to detect a serial killer preying on the LGBTQ community, abandoning traffic safety and making costly mistakes with no deep thought that needed to be reversed. The last thing Toronto needs is another government insider with a track record of failure, it concludes. Well, check out the big brawn on Brad! But it isnt just Bradford. The movie-trailer tag line for this suddenly bare-knuckled campaign so far might be Strong Mayor Election II: This Time its Personal. Conventionally, you might expect campaigns to wait until later in the race to go negative, since theres a perceived risk of turning voters off of yourself as well as the opponent youre attacking. Though not necessarily: Canadas Conservative backroomers since the Harper era many of the type staffing both the Bradford and Saunders campaigns have been known to employ early attacks to try to define opponents before they can define themselves (remember Stephane Dions tax on everything?). Still, its kind of remarkable that Bradfords video wasnt even the first direct attack on the former police chiefs record by a fellow candidate. Ana Bailaos campaign fired off a bullet-point email back on April 6 when the campaign was only three days old calling Saunders Doug Fords preferred candidate and citing a rise in murders, shootings, assaults and car thefts while he was police chief. Of course, Bailao and Bradford have both also been subject to direct personal attacks on their record early in the campaign, not from other candidates but from citizen groups that have emerged specifically to oppose their candidacies. From the start of the campaign, one group started circulating posters online bearing Bradfords shaved head and perpetually scruffy face with unflattering portrayals of his voting record on TTC cuts and rent control, among other subjects. One video, for which some accused the group of crossing the line from parody into impersonation, cut video of the candidate with overdubbed audio in which he is made to appear to say things like Behind me is city hall, if I get elected it will be a big waste of space. A separate campaign apparently run by the same people had also been launched against Bailao, citing her loyalty as a councillor to John Tory and her voting record in that role, and using the tag line She cant fix it, Bailao broke it. Another such campaign by the same group now targets Saunders, too. The city elections department has caused a minor social media debate a kerfuffle in a coffee cup, likely with public outreach to these social media accounts presumably intended to determine if they are required to register as third-party advertisers in this campaign to account for the mud theyre throwing. But in the meantime, these candidates themselves are picking up handfuls of mud on their own. Which brings us back to Saunders. Sights set across the political spectrum at Josh Matlow, Saunders called him Status Quo Matlow in one image, while accusing him of having no new housing ideas. In his launch video, Saunders talked about political insiders and the status quo while showing a few different images of Matlow speaking to council meetings. (Among actual city hall insiders, this might raise a few mild chuckles, since political outsider Matlow recently saw himself condemned by council colleagues for his allegedly intemperate remarks condemning the outgoing mayor and city bureaucrats who he accused of misleading and mistreating Torontonians.) Its worth noting that none of this so far strikes me as dirty politics these folks are mostly going negative on peoples public records, not launching low blows or smears. For all of our sake, itd be nice if it stays that way. Beyond the substance of the attacks, at this point its interesting to see whos aiming their fire at who. No one so far (that Im aware of) seems to see Mitzie Hunter or Gil Penalosa as meriting open criticism. Activist citizen groups angry with Torys years in office are on a mission to see his closest council allies defeated. It appears Bradford and Bailao see themselves in direct competition with Saunders for the right-wing law-and-order votes Saunders is shamelessly fear-mongering to get as if to win the bigger race they need to first topple him in the reactionary primary. Saunders himself seems ready to position himself as the right-wing leader going head to head with presumed progressive front-runner Matlow. And Matlow himself? On council, he was often defined by his vocal, strident and often blunt criticisms of Tory and Rob Ford and their governments a self-styled leader of the opposition in a body with no official parties. But as a candidate, he seems so far to be heeding journalist Paul Wellss Fourth Rule of Canadian Politics, which says, The guy who auditions for the role of opposition leader will get the job. As far as I can see so far, Matlow has been ignoring the other candidates and releasing policy planks and the standard fuzzy photos of him visiting various local communities. Well see if that changes if Chow enters the race, or if Hunter or another candidate comes to the forefront as a left-of-centre alternative. The campaign ahead is long. From what weve seen so far, it could get rough. Read more about: SHARE: Last fall, weeks before the 33rd anniversary of the Polytechnique massacre, a Canadian gun rights organization posted a promo code called POLY that provided a discount on its merchandise, including shirts that read Firearm Rights are Womens Rights. The promotion shocked many Canadians who took it as a ghoulish nod to the Montreal shooting that left 14 young women dead. That was a gross misunderstanding, according to the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), the group behind the promo code. Amid the backlash, the CCFR, which bills itself as Canadas most effective and recognizable firearm rights organization, released a statement that said the promotion was in no way a reference to one of Canadas deadliest mass shootings, but instead a response to a Twitter account criticizing us for fundraising. The group later said the promo code came down on Nov. 25 to make way for its Black Friday sale. The Twitter account in question belongs to PolySeSouvient, or PolyRemembers, a gun control advocacy group that includes survivors of the Polytechnique shooting, as well as family members of victims. I dont know how they can disconnect our Twitter account from us, said Heidi Rathjen, who survived the 1989 massacre and later co-founded PolySeSouvient. But thats their rationale. In the age of social media, Rathjen has watched the debate over gun policy in Canada adopt a vitriolic, intensely personal tone. Along with other gun control activists, Rathjen faces a torrent of backlash for her push to strengthen Canadas gun laws, ranging from trolling like in 2017, when a Quebec-based firearms rights group planned to hold a rally at the memorial for those killed at Ecole Polytechnique to threats. Meanwhile, those on the other side accuse gun control advocates of maligning law-abiding gun owners and ignoring violence that stems from illegally-acquired guns. Although PolySeSouvient often publicly criticizes the firearms lobby, principally CCFR, Rathjen flatly rejects the notion her organization demonizes gun owners or ignores shootings that involve illegal firearms. Rod Giltaca, CEO and executive director of the CCFR, which boasts 43,000 members, faces online attacks, as well, though he says hasnt felt the need to call the police. The CCFR emerged in 2015 to counter, as its website says, 30 years of bad branding suffered by Canadas more than two million licensed gun owners. In doing so, it has become a permanent thorn for the Liberal government, which took office just as CCFR was starting off with a promise to get handguns and assault rifles off the streets. Now is a crucial time in CCFRs attempt to beat back Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus efforts. This past week, the group, alongside Canadian gun manufacturers, was in Federal Court to challenge Ottawas 2020 prohibition of more than 1,500 assault-style firearms, including the Ruger Mini-14, the semi-automatic rifle used in the Polytechnique massacre. The Liberals introduced the regulatory change less than two weeks after 22 people were killed in Nova Scotia in what remains Canadas deadliest mass shooting. The CCFR believes the ban violates Canadians charter right to to life, liberty and security of the person. The lawsuit also challenges the RCMPs role in prohibiting firearms, which has led to hundreds of additional guns being banned since 2020. Its a pivotal moment for PolySeSouvient, as well. For decades, Rathjen and other gun control advocates have pushed for a permanent, comprehensive ban on civilian access to military-grade, assault-style weapons. Its a policy that appears to have broad support among Canadians, including gun owners. And in late November, it looked like it might happen. Catching opposition MPs off guard, the Liberal government added two significant amendments to Bill C-21 that wouldve dramatically expanded the scope of a bill primarily intended to freeze the sale of handguns. One change would have enshrined an evergreen definition of an assault-style firearm into law, helping to solidify a ban and avoid repeal by future governments. That proposal was recently endorsed by the Mass Casualty Commission, the result of an inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting, which urged lawmakers to, among other things, clarify in law that gun ownership is a conditional privilege, not a right. (Some critics say more attention should be focused instead on the flow of illegal guns.) But in February, the government withdrew the amendments after an uproar from opposition MPs, firearm advocates, hunters and Indigenous groups, who feared many of the guns theyve long used to hunt would be banned. Advocates argue those fears were overblown, the result of confusing language within the amendments, poor communication on the governments part and exaggerated claims by the gun rights lobby that were adopted by some opposition MPs. Its true that some guns used for hunting would have been banned, a point the Liberals initially failed to acknowledge. However, the scrapped amendments didnt provide the legal ability to ban every firearm left in Canada, as the CCFR suggested in a promotional video. The group highlighted several hunting rifles it said wouldve been immediately outlawed. However, other models of many of those guns would have remained available and in all but one case, the outlawed models noted by the CCFR were already prohibited. For PolySeSouvient, hope still remains. According to a spokesperson at the ministry of public safety, the government is considering reintroducing an amendment that would legally define what kind of gun should be permanently prohibited. This is our last fight, Rathjen said. If they cant secure an effective ban on assault weapons now, with support from the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois, she continued, Its never going to happen. Many of the parents who lost daughters in 1989 and took it upon themselves to push for stricter gun laws have since died, including the father of Annie St-Arneault, who was 23 when she was killed. There is a limit on how (long) you can carry on a fight of that magnitude, her older brother, Serge, told the Star. Rathjen, who works in public health, began advocating for stricter gun laws almost immediately after she escaped the Polytechnique shooting more than three decades ago. There has long been pushback. But she said the attacks, often anonymous, have multiplied tenfold. A few years ago, she received a photo of herself in the mail that was punctured by a bullet hole. One person left her a voicemail with the sound of gunshots. Every year on Dec. 6, the anniversary of the Polytechnique shooting, Nathalie Provost, another PolySeSouvient member who was shot four times that day, receives a spike in nasty messages to her Facebook account. She said some call her a complete idiot and that she doesnt understand anything about guns. Rathjen believes the CCFR inflames the hostility directed at PolySeSouvient and others calling for stricter gun laws. She said its PR strategy often vilifies gun control advocates by name, while distorting their views, including taking quotes out of context to suggest they want all guns banned. Though PolySeSouvient has called for a ban on assault weapons and handguns, the group said it hasnt targeted firearms designed to hunt or sport shoot. Still, Giltaca believes his opponents ultimately want to do away with civilian gun ownership altogether: Theyre always looking for the next most dangerous firearm. In the past, the CCFR has said no firearm should be prohibited, though some should require additional training and vetting. The CCFR may not be the ones doing the threats, Rathjen said. But theres definitely a link. In response, Giltaca a sport shooting enthusiast who said he hadnt touched a gun until he was in his 30s said PolySeSouvient and like-minded advocates receive constant negative responses from gun owners because they relentlessly demonize licensed gun owners and spread patently false information. He pointed to a questionable gun violence study shared by a Canadian organization called Doctors for Protection From Guns and challenged PolySeSouvients use of the phrase assault weapon, a contentious term. The CCFR has faced scrutiny about its tendency to target perceived opponents in the past, including the public shaming of a company the federal government had hired to help with its firearm buyback program in 2020. Eventually, the groups followers posted the phone number and location of the CEOs family cottage online according to the Globe and Mail. Tracey Wilson, the CCFRs vice-president of public relations, told the Globe and Mail she eventually tried to call off the dogs and said she didnt condone the way things went down. But she added, When somebody takes that contract, business will change for them. A year earlier, the CCFR went after Dr. Najma Ahmed, a trauma surgeon at Torontos St. Michaels Hospital who treated victims of the 2018 shooting on Danforth Avenue and has since become an advocate for stricter gun control. In early 2019, the CCFR encouraged its members to lodge formal complaints against Ahmed with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, even if they had never been her patient. I hate to say it, but stay in your lane, Doctor, the group wrote in a post that provided a step-by-step guide on how to file a grievance. The college later dismissed the more than 70 complaints it received as politically motivated. The vociferousness of the gun lobby in Canada surprised Ahmed, a founding member of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. She told the Star she still receives intimidating messages and threats from gun rights supporters. Sometimes hospital security walk her to her car. Gun rights advocates themselves say they, too, are a persecuted group. Once you step into that arena, then any time your name comes up, you get some harassment and pushback, said A.J. Somerset, a former gunnery instructor with the Canadian Army and author of Arms: The Culture and Credo of the Gun, who said hes agnostic about an assault-style weapon ban but supports additional restrictions on those guns. Somerset counted social medias tendency to provoke inflammatory rhetoric as one reason. But after years of legislation that has whittled away the scope of gun ownership, he said, some gun owners simply see themselves as a persecuted minority one with its own deep-seated culture thats under attack. For Rathjen, the backlash shes faced has reinforced her determination. Were all tired. Were all exhausted. We all want to go back to our lives. And if we do that without finishing this fight, then these people will win. With files from Stephanie Levitz, May Warren and The Canadian Press SHARE: The term cyberspace was coined by William Gibson in his 1984 science fiction work Neuromancer ~ a dark social universe. But America created cyberspace, the Internet, based on its democratic value system ~ free, open, decentralized, distributed, and self-governing. What if the Internet had been created in China or Russia? architecture and algorithms would have been very different, geared more toward creating a surveillance society than enhancing democratic values. Unfortunately, its very openness and freedom have become the source of its susceptibilities to surveillance. Authoritarian nations find the freedom of cyberspace very threatening to their hold on power. While they have built firewalls to protect their societies from free speech and free flow of information, they use cyber weapons to attack others critical infrastructure. A most attractive feature of cyberspace is that its entrance threshold is so low that an ingenious self-taught person could create apps and new platforms, and become rich. Or, become a hacker and get into infrastructure, financial or military systems. Rogue states and well-organized digital terrorist groups use footloose hackers to steal intellectual property, and pry into diplomatic and strategic plans. Most cybersecurity attacks are unobtrusive, stealthy, and insidious. There are no rules of the road to protect cyberspace, the domain in which all our activities, military, economic, commercial, political and cultural, are being done now. Power grids, financial systems, defense networks could be brought down by not only hostile states but also non-state actors acting alone or in collusion with their state governments. Based on Googles research findings, the Wall Street Journal wrote, State-sponsored hackers from China have developed techniques that evade common cybersecurity tools and enable them to burrow into government and business networks and spy on victims for years without detection. In 2021, Chinese espionage group hit tens of thousands Microsoft customers. The 7 May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, one of Americas largest fuel suppliers, was carried out by a criminal hacking group DarkSides affiliate that crippled its computer system and for which it had to pay the ransom in cryptocurrency, 75 Bitcoin, or about $4.4 million, according to media reports. Cryptocurrency based on Blockchain technology is a possible future for global finance. The US Department of Justice was able to recover 64 bitcoins. In October 2020, a cyber-attack shut down the electrical grid of Mumbai, Indias financial capital, plunging millions into darkness. The New York Times argued that it was a Chinese cyber-attack as a warning that China could not only fight India in the Himalayas but also in its financial hub. One of Americas most precious assets, intellectual property, is under constant threat. Chinese hackers have been accessing the designs of some major US weapon systems to modernize the countrys military. Perpetrators conceal their location due to the anonymous nature of the Internet, which makes the attribution of cyber attacks problematic. But technology is being developed to locate perpetrators. Mandiant, a Googles computer security company, was able to pinpoint that a unit of the Peoples Liberation Army, located in Shanghai, had systematically stolen hundreds of terabytes of data from American corporations, organizations and government agencies. They stole product blueprints, manufacturing plans, clinical trial results, pricing documents, negotiation strategies and other proprietary information from more than 100 of Mandiants clients, predominantly in the United States. But what can be done with hackers if they originate from Russia, North Korea or China? The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, an independent commission, said in its March 2021 report that IP-intensive industries support more than 45 million US jobs. IP theft costs the US economy hundreds of billions of dollars annually and reduces U.S. companies R&D investment and innovation. China continues to be the largest origin of IP theft today, a situation that has not changed since the Commissions first report a decade ago when it said, Intellectual Property (IP) theft needs to have consequences, with costs sufficiently high that state and corporate behaviour and attitudes that support such theft are fundamentally changed. Its most intriguing recommendation included that companies that experience cyber theft ought to be able to retrieve their electronic files or prevent the exploitation of their stolen information. And furthermore, the report recommended, both technology and law must be developed to implement a range of more aggressive measures that identify and penalize illegal intruders into proprietary networks. Americas National Security Agency conducts surveillance under the authority of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It collects metadata from telephone companies and Internet data from Internet Service Providers. It watches the crossborder data flow. With so much data collected through its surveillance power, the NSA should have known through its Early Awareness System about the DarkSides ransom attack before it occurred. One would think that Silicon Valley tech wizards should have developed foolproof encryption to protect the nations data. But they havent done so yet. Cyberspace, in the ultimate analysis, is nothing but data. Data is power, as Dartmouth Tuck Schools Dean Matthew Slaughter and David McCormick of Bridge Associates, argued in Foreign Affairs. With 5 G technology and the Internet of Things that would turn everything into a networked object, data would expand exponentially. They say data is non-rivalrous in the sense that it can be used simultaneously and repeatedly by any number of firms or people without being diminished. True, but how dangerous is that in practical terms! Just consider: The Pentagon spends hundreds of millions of dollars of American taxpayers money in R&D for the development of advanced defense systems, which are nothing but data. If data is non-rivalrous, the Pentagon shouldnt worry when hackers copy the weapon design system based on which China could develop a competitive advanced defense system, saving millions of dollars and years of research and development; and pose a threat to America. Pfizer and Moderna vaccine patents are non-rivalrous data, but they wouldnt share this with anyone. Cyberspace has been called the fifth domain: land, air, water, space, and now cyberspace, for which the United States established Cyber Command, the Pentagons offensive cyber force that was elevated in 2017 to a separate unified military command to strengthen cyberspace operations. America like India and other technologically advanced nations has become a data nation. Data gives us power, but it creates vulnerabilities of which the DarkSide and Mumbai attacks gave us a foretaste. Who would set the new world order in the digital age? Techno-autocratic nations like China and Russia or the worlds democratic nations, the US, EU, Japan, India and others? There can be no freedom without vigilance. (The writer is affiliated with the Diplomacy and International Program at the Graduate College, Norwich University and is the author of Indian In A New Key: Nehru To Modi. He publishes the podcast Freedom Public Square) Every year, Poila Baisakh (Bengali New Year) brings with it a fresh flicker of hope for Bengalis across the world. An array of traditional dishes and sweets, new clothes, cultural programmes, haal khata (opening a ledger account), the celebration knows no bounds. The inexorable mixture of culture and cuisine extends from affluent classes forming a beeline for restaurants to lovers of music, dance and poetry attending soirees or cultural presentations. Several television and radio channels hold adda sessions, verbalising the essence of Nobo borsho. However, there is much more to Poila Baisakh than new clothes and food that make the day a redolent extravaganza. Talking to The Statesman, veteran vocalist Srikumar Chattopadhyay (in photo) delved into the celebration through music. Ramnidhi Gupta was the first person to compose a song on the occasion of Poila Baisakh, with words: Haay ki shukher agomon borosho horosho aanhe. Siraj udDaulah, the then nawab of Bengal, honoured Nidhu Babu at his durbar for his composition, said Mr Chattopadhyay. Becoming familiar with Hindustani tappa of Shori Mian, Ramnidhi Gupta introduced Bengali tappa using soft vibrations on each tone in lieu of the celerity of Shori Mians tone to accentuate the poetic beauty of Bengali melodies. Mr Chattopadhyay continued, In the later years, another personality, Dasharathi Roy came up. Hes mostly popular for composing panchali songs. One of his compositions for nobo borsho goes: puraton holo goto, aashe nobagoto din. Dasharathi Roy worked as a clerk at an indigo factory. Having a penchant for poetry, he joined the kaviyal group of Aka Bai (Akshay Katani) and competed against the well-known kaviyal Nidhiram Suri. Taking offence at personal retorts, he left the group in 1836 and started his own akhda (group) to concentrate on writing songs and panchali. Roy was soon acknowledged by Nabadwips intellectual community as a highly skilled panchali poet. His panchali, rising to fame under the name Dashu Royer Panchali, were notable not only for the religious and devotional overtones, but also for the alluring musical appeals that made them enjoyable for all. Next came Amritalal Basu, a renowned playwright and stage actor. He composed a song which painted a thorough description of how people celebrated Nobo borsho in those days. The song is, Nobo borosho praate mon khushite maate, added Mr Chattopadhyay. Throughout his career, Amritalal wrote, directed and acted in diverse plays. Well known for his farces and satirical dramas, he was popularly named Roshoraj or the king of wit. Despite changes in the celebration, Bengalis continue to look forward to Poila Baisakh The temperature in Kolkata is likely to touch around 42C on 15 April. People are advised to take necessary precautions against the predicted heat wave, said Sanjeev Banerjee, deputy director-general of the Indian Meteorological Department at Alipore. The IMD special bulletin announced an orange alert for the districts of South Bengal, including Kolkata, South and North 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East Burdwan, Midnapore and parts of North Bengal between 12-16 April. The recorded temperature till Thursday afternoon was three to five degrees above normal and might rise by one to two degrees more till 17 April. Meanwhile, a 70-year-old taxi driver, Sameer Chowdhury, fainted in the scorching heat. Doctors at the SSKM Hospital declared him dead. The West Bengal government has announced a bringing ahead of summer vacations in schools. The holidays are to begin from 2 May instead of the scheduled 24 May. For the general population, the heat wave is of mild concern, but it poses a serious health risk to those who are most vulnerable, including children, the elderly, those with chronic illnesses, and those who spend a lot of time in the sun. Heat rash and cramps are likely. Vegetable plants are highly likely to dry out and livestock is likely to suffer heat damage. People have been advised to stay indoors between 11-4 in the afternoon. Dr Shagufta Yasmin, a Kolkata-based physician, told The Statesman, Lots of hydration is the key factor to protect ourselves from dehydration. A considerable amount of electrolytes is lost from the body along with sweat. Consume plenty of fluids in the form of fruit juice, ORS and tender coconut water. Signs of heatstroke include mental confusion, dizziness, rapid breathing and heart rate, nausea and/or vomiting, dry and hot skin along with redness. Seeking medical help is advised on the appearance of the above signs. The traffic police force is to get umbrellas and water pouches according to the Police Commissioner of Kolkata. My father-in-law is 75 and suffers from respiratory issues. He needs regular health check-ups. Its highly inconvenient for us to bring him out in this scorching summer heat. Were afraid we might lose him, said Ahfroza Begum, a passenger on a public bus. In order to avoid the heat, the Dakshineswar Kali Temple is to open its doors for all devotees from 5 in the morning on the occasion of Poila Baisakh. Debashis Das, hawker union leader, told The Statesman: The government has advised everyone to stay indoors. The shops need to be opened owing to the festivity of Poila Baisakh, but hawkers shall be resting under shades in the afternoon. Necessary steps shall be taken in order to beat the heat. Union home minister and former national president of BJP Amit Shah on Friday slammed Trinamul Congress and its chief Mamata Banerjee for the incidents of communal violence that erupted in Shibpur and Rishra in Howrah and Hooghly districts respectively during Ram Navami observations at the end of March. While addressing in a rally organised by the BJP in Suri of Birbhum district, Mr Shah also came down heavily on the ruling Trinamul Congress in Bengal for what he called its politics of appeasement which he claimed was behind the trouble in Shibpur and Howrah town. The Union home minister said that if Bengal votes for the BJP in the coming elections in the state, no one will dare to attack Ram Navami processions. Give Narendra Modiji 35 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in the 2024 elections we will stop all kinds of trouble in the state, Mr Shah said. It may be mentioned that chief minister Mamata Banerjee, without taking names of Bajrang Dal and VHP, organisers of the Ram Navami procession in Shibpur, had stated: They had brought so many arms and many people could have been killed if the police had not restrained both sides on the spot. Police took one hour to take strategic steps. BJP had brought outsiders from Munger in Bihar to create violence in Shibpur. Many of them carrying revolvers were seen dancing madly, she alleged, adding, No one in Bengal wants violence. All stay here together in peace. A Washington, D.C., appeals court on Thursday declined to shield Donald Trump from the first of two civil defamation lawsuits by E. Jean Carroll, a writer who said the former U.S. president raped her nearly three decades ago. The district's highest local court, the Court of Appeals, said it did not have enough facts to decide whether Trump deserved immunity, after he accused the former Elle magazine columnist in June 2019 of lying about the alleged encounter. A ruling that Trump was acting as president, and not in his personal capacity, would have immunized him and doomed Carroll's first lawsuit because the government could substitute itself as the defendant, and the government cannot be sued for defamation. The court sent the case back to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, which had last September asked the Washington court for guidance on local law. Lawyers for Carroll had no immediate comment. Rafaela (L), Manuela (C) and Maria take a selfie near the Weiming Lake of Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Maria (R) chats with her language partner Yin Yue, a student majoring in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, at Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Liu Lingyi) This photo taken with a mobile phone on March 31, 2023 shows Maria (R) talking with an instructor after a Chinese class at Peking University in Beijing, capital of China. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua) Maria (R) scans a QR code on a vending machine at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Manuela practices volleyball at Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Maria (2nd L) chats with schoolmates at Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Rafaela (R) and Maria talk at a classroom at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Marco (1st L) chats with schoolmates at Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Rafaela (R) chats with a schoolmate at Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Rafaela (R) reads a book at a library of Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Maria (2nd R) talks with schoolmates at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Liu Lingyi) Rafaela (L), Manuela (C) and Maria pose for a photo near the Weiming Lake of Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2023. Maria Eduarda Variani, Rafaela Viana dos Santos, Manuela Boiteux Pestana, and Marco Andre Rocha Germano are Brazilian students studying in the Master of China Studies program at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in China. The four of them have been interested in Chinese culture since they were young. After arriving in Beijing, they have been impressed by the Chinese capital's profound cultural heritage, convenient public services, and fabulous cityscape. While making Chinese friends and learning about Chinese culture, they also participate in intercultural exchanges with other international students. "Studying at Peking University gives me the chance to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history, tradition, and living customs," said Manuela. In the view of the four Brazilian students, China and Brazil have much in common. For example, both are major developing countries rich in natural resources and cultural heritage. Additionally, both countries attach great importance to education, culture, and economic development. According to them, they all want to make contributions to the development of China-Brazil relations after they graduate. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Naren Dutta, who later became Swami Vivekananda had set up a Greedy Club where he used to meet his friends regularly and the sole purpose of the club was to organize picnics and feasts where mouth watering food was served. His friends used to contribute to organizing them. Swamijis father Biswanath Dutta, who was a well-known attorney at Calcutta High Court, was a connoisseur of good food. Mutton biryani was his favourite dish and Swamiji had inherited his love for mutton from his father. In Belur Math, Swamiji often used to cook food. In the United States and England Swami treated his friends and admirers by inviting them over for lunch or dinner and cooked various items for them. He used to say, Those who can sing and cook good food can have an early vision of god. Swamiji said soon in Calcutta (now Kolkata) shops selling sweets will be replaced by those selling chops and cutlets. Swamijis prediction has come true. Now, in Kolkata there are more shops selling Western fried food than traditional sweets. There was a time when people, particularly young couples, used to visit the shops on the first day of Baishak. In those days, it had become a practice in many Bengali families to see theatre and have food in restaurants in the evening. In those days, young couples could not go to watch movies in the halls with their wives or husbands and these restaurants were the only places which were frequented by young couples who could take western food. Chinese restaurants were unknown in the 1950s up to mid 1960s. The first restaurant selling Chinese food was Peeping, now non-existent, at Park Street. The old restaurants, some of whom are more than a century old, have not closed and are still selling western food. Mitra Cafe at Grey Street crossing was set up in 1910 by Sushil Roy. Young people used to come for adda sessions in the evening. Roys friend Ganesh Mitra lent space to his friend as a token of friendship. It was named Mitra Cafe. The shops still use wooden furniture. Lime chicken pakora, brain chops and fish kabiraji are some of the popular items. In our times, in the mid1950s, after watching a Bengali theatre on Poila Baisakh it was kind of a custom to visit Mitra Cafe to taste western food. There were theatre halls like Star Theatre, Biswarupa and cinema halls like Rupbani, Aruna, Mitra among others. Except Star theatre, the other auditoriums are closed now. Allens kitchen is more than 125 years old and is still going strong. Keeping with the times, the restaurant has started home delivery. The famous dishes are mutton kabiraji, mutton steak, and special fish batter cutlet. A food expert recently told me that even in England these dishes are not available. Cafe Restaurant in South Kolkata is open for five hours, from 4pm to 9pm. The eatery situated beside Jatin Das Metro station where Uttam Kumar, as a not so famous hero, was a regular visitor to the restaurant. The shop sells pudding, chicken stew, fish fry, chicken cutlet among other items. It is really a pleasure that we cater to three generations of people. Now, the youngsters come and enjoy our food. Pudding and chicken is in heavy demand, said a spokesman for the restaurant. Niranjan Agar, a restaurant in north Kolkata is famous for mutton kofta, vegetable chops, deviled eggs, snacks and fries. People from distant areas come to enjoy food. These shops do not have modern looks. There are ageold wooden chairs, cabins, family cabins and lights that are not modern. But still there are people who come here regularly. This is Kolkatas uniqueness and here lies Kolkatas charm, said Shreemati Ganguly, a research scholar on food. Trinamul Congress leaders lambasted the Union home minister Amit Shah for keeping quiet on the questions asked by the party on the delay in releasing funds that are due to West Bengal. Coming down heavily on Mr Shah, Trinamul Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said, It is really amazing to see that Mr Shah is talking about corruption by keeping an FIR-named accused by his side on the dais. The accused was seen taking money in the sting operation and once he joined the saffron party he was given the status of a saint. This is a double standard of the BJP, Mr Ray said, adding, Mr Shah talks about the coal scam, completely forgetting that a union minister had come to West Bengal to see a coal mafia. Dr Shashi Panja, national spokesperson of the party, said, Mr Shah had remained silent on the questions raised by Trinamul yesterday. Mr Shah did not answer why the Centre is not giving the dues worth Rs 1 lakh crore to the state. His cabinet colleague, namely, the panchayat minister fled and did not meet the Trinamul delegation. Is this the way the BJP should run the country. Kunal Ghosh, state general secretary of Trinamul Congress, said, Mr Shah is talking about getting 35 seats in Lok Sabha polls. The BJP will have to struggle even to get one seat. In 2021 he talked about getting 200 seats. Mr Shah is talking about family-run politics. Those who live in glass houses, should not throw stones at others. The BCCI has become an extended office of the BJP. Mr Shah is hobnobbing with the Adhikari Private Limited where every family member is involved in politics. He should look around before making such callous and irresponsible statements. The Trinamul Congress tweeted: A seasonal bird is here in Bengal but no one wants to see it. Mr @Amit Shah, go back to Delhi and do your job. Clearly no one in Bengal is interested in your trash-talk, your lies, your hate laden agenda. Go spew venom elsewhere. Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee came down heavily on union Home minister Amit Shah and told him not speak imagined ill about him, he will quit politics if the Centre clears dues worth Rs 1.15 lakh crore. Mr Banerjee tweeted [email protected] AmitShah you spoke about my imagined ills but didnt care to address the harm @BJPIndia has inflicted upon West Bengal. If my existence pains you to this extent, release the Rs 1.15 lakh Crore rightfully due to my state and I will withdraw myself from the political arena. The Delhi government has called a special session of the Legislative Assembly on April 17, a day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned to appear before the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam case. According to sources, the Assembly will discuss the fact that certain powers are creating an atmosphere against the developmental works being carried out by the AAP-led Delhi government. In this special session, a committee report on the issue of unanswered questions from MLAs Rajesh Gupta and Atishi, and the Services Department, will be presented on the floor of the House, the sources said. In response to the CBI summon, Kejriwal has claimed that the central probe agencies were going to extreme heights to target their strongest political rivals. Referring to the arrest of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodias, Kejriwal said on Saturday that these agencies have falsely claimed that 14 phones were destroyed, lying to the courts in affidavits, torturing suspects to extract falsified confessions and employing thuggish threats. The agencies have not found a single penny of ill-gotten wealth that they claim was amassed from the so-called liquor scam, the Chief Minister added. A gang of armed dacoits looted a jewellery store of a multinational company at gunpoint in broad daylight at NS Road in Raiganj town in North Dinajpur district and decamped with jewellery, including gold and diamond, worth several crores of rupees. Such a daring dacoity in broad daylight and in a populated area in the town has sent people in panic mode. After being informed, police immediately turned up at the spot and started investigations. The criminals are yet to be caught, sources said. According to employees of the store, five persons wearing motorcycle helmets barged into the shop at around 11 am, while two of them held the employees at gunpoint and confined them in a corner. The three other person slooted all the gold and diamond jewellery and fled on their cotorcycles, a store staff said. General Secretary of the West Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce Shankar Kundu expressed concerns about the incident and said that traders were now panic-stricken. We have urged police to hunt down the criminals soon. Otherwise, we have to start a movement, demanding security, he said. The Superintendent of Police of the Raiganj Police district, Sana Akhtar, said, We have started investigations. The employees of the store are being interrogated, while police is checking the CCTV footage. The criminals will be caught soon. The ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh faced severe criticism from the Opposition Congress over the arrest and alleged manhandling of Dalit Congress MLA Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho by police at Maheshwar before the arrival of Governor Dr Mangubhai Patel and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to attend a Laadli Behna function there on Ambedkar Jayanti on Friday. Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho alleged that a woman constable held her by the neck and pushed her into a police jeep in the process of arresting her. In some pictures of the incident available on the internet, a woman constable is seen with her hand on former Congress minister Dr Sadhos neck trying to push her into the police jeep. The Congress launched a blistering attack on the BJP and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging that if such a senior Dalit MLA is subjected to such police brutality in MP, the situation of the general public could be easily gauged. Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho said not just her neck was throttled but democracy and the voice of women was strangulated. Taking a dig on CM Chouhan, she said one of his laadli behna was subjected to police brutality for no reason. The Congress MLA from Maheshwar was about to meet Maheshwar with a large number of supporters displaying placards with various demands. Her demands included setting up of a medical college, at the road from where the convoy of the governor and the CM had to cross on its way to the laadli behna and Ambedkar Jayanti function. However, the police forcibly removed the MLA and her supporters from the spot and it was during the ensuing confrontation with the police that the MLA was arrested along with her supporters and she was allegedly manhandled by a police lady constable. MP Congress President Kamal Nath charged the BJP government with anti-Dalit and anti-woman mindset which, he said, has been exposed by the way police mistreated and arrested Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho. In a sarcastic remark on the tussle over power between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, Union Home Minister Amit Shah suggested to them that (Gehlot and Pilot) not to fight for CMs chair anymore as the BJP is going to form the next government in Rajasthan. Speaking at a rally in Bharatpur, Amit Shah said that the BJP will come to power in the state by 2/3 majority in the next assembly polls due in December. Janata has voted the Congress government to power in the 2018 assembly polls in the state, but two guys are fighting for power since then, Gehlotji does not want to step down, while Pilot wants to be CM. Shah said at the party booth workers rally at Bharatpurs college ground. Bhaiya, you both (Gehlot and Pilot) are fighting unnecessarily because the BJP is going to form the new government in Rajasthan with a two-thirds majority, he averred. He gave another suggestion to the Congress leaders, albeit satirically, Pilot ji, aap kitana bhi kar lo, jor laga lo, aapka number nahi ayega. Aapka control jameen par jayada ho sakta hai, magar Gehlot ka contribution Congress ke khajane mein jyada hai (Mr. Pilot, your number wont come no matter how best you try, you can have hold over masses on ground, but Gehlots contribution to the Congress treasury is much more than that of yours). The BJP leader lamented that the Gehlot Government is the worst off among the Congress governments in Rajasthan since Independence as it only looted the public. Over two dozen question papers of competitive examinations were leaked. It is a 3-D Gehlot Government, one day, there are communal clashes, the second day, it is a day for crime against women, and other third day, its atrocities on Dalits. The Congress rule in Rajasthan has become an arena of corruption, he pointed out. Accusing the Gehlot Government of appeasement politics, he pointed out that all convicts of Jaipur Serial Bomb blasts were released because the government made a very poor argument in the high court. The state government is witnessing planned communal riots. It does not ensure any action because it is indulging in vote-bank politics. Unemployment rate is much higher than what it is in other places. The home minister said, adding, all previous crimes related to law and order reported in parts of Rajasthan in the last two years. Appealing the public to raise their hands to bring victory to the BJP in the next assembly polls due later in December this year, Shah claimed that not only the state of Rajasthan would won by 2/3 majority but the BJP would win all 25 MPs seats in the state for third consecutive time in 2024 LS poll in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. The Assembly poll victory in Rajasethan would be a trailer, and the final success would be winning all 25 LS seats in the state, he reminded party workers and asked them to vocalise slogans. Listing the achievements of the Modi Government in the last nine years on health, corona management, free foodgrains, money transfers to beneficiaries, infrastructure development in road, trains and business, Shah took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi asking as to what was the outcome of his Bharat Joda Yatra when the Congress was wiped out from three state assembly polls. Over 4600 booth workers were present at the rally which was addressed among others by the former deputy CM Vasundhara Raje, BJP state president C P Joshi, Leader of Opposition R S Rathore. Four Union ministers including Gajendra Singh Shekhwat and local MPs of neighbouring districts were present on the dais. BJP continued its Easter diplomacy with party leaders in Kerala hosting a feast for Christian clergy on Saturday, on the Vishu Day. The BJP leaders invited representatives of the Church at the residence of partys Thiruvananthapuram district president V V Rajesh for a breakfast on Saturday, the Vishu Day. Father Varkey Attupuram and Father Joseph Venmanath of the Syro Malankara Church participated in the feast held at Rajeshs residence in Thiruvananthapuram. Speaking at the breakfast, BJPs Kerala prabhari Prakash Javadekar said the BJP was not playing vote-bank politics by holding such events. This is part of the series of meetings launched by the prime minister extending love to all sections of the people. Javadekar said the BJP leaders will visit Muslim homes also during Ramzan. He said the party has decided to go ahead with the political strategies started by the BJP on the Easter. The metropolitan Bishop of Kunnamkulam Diocese of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Geevarghese Mar Yulios was on Saturday invited to BJP leader N Haris house. The Bishop had a sumptuous Vishu lunch at Haris residence along with BJP leaders. Metropolitan Bishop Gevarghese Mar Iulios said there was no politics in the visit. No political party is either enemy or friend for the church, he added. Geevarghese Mar Yulios has earlier stated that it is unfair to hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for all tussles in India. India is a multicultural nation and conflicts between communities are bound to occur. As 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 Arch diocese 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. Prime Minister Modi had participated in the Easter celebrations at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi. Both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the CPI-M and the Opposition United Democratic headed by the Congress had come out against the BJPs moves to reach out to various religious communities by taking part in their festivals. However, the BJP leaders went ahead with the programmes on Vishu. Cardinal Mar George Alenchery, head of the Syro-Malabar Church and a prominent face of the Christian community in India, has recently 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 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. If Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then there is no one in this world who is honest, Delhi Chief Minister said on Saturday, a day after CBI summoned him for questioning in connection with the excise policy case. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, he said, Tomorrow, they (CBI) have called me and I will definitely go. If Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then there is no one in this world who is honest If BJP has ordered CBI to arrest me, then CBI will obviously follow their instructions. Later, taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said appropriate cases will be filed against Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts. We will file appropriate cases against CBI and ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts, he tweeted. I have received a summons from CBI. I will certainly honour it. My press conference is on the same, the Aam Aadmi Party supremo added. Earlier in the press conference, Kejriwal also claimed that he knew he would be next in line to be summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since the day he spoke against corruption in the Delhi assembly. While talking to mediapersons, he said, Central agencies are lying to courts against us in the liquor policy probe. Arrested people are being tortured, pressure is being created on them to nail us. He added, The CBI has falsely accused Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case. People were beaten to obtain false statements. The agencies are torturing people for evidence. This was a great policy to eradicate corruption. The CBI has summoned Kejriwal to appear before the agency on April 16. AAP leaders said that Kejriwal will appear before the CBI for questioning. Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, a key aide of Kejriwal, is already in jail over alleged irregularities in the excise policy case. Sisodia was arrested by ED and CBI in the ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy in Delhi. The CBI arrested Sisodia on February 26. Later on March 9, the ED arrested him, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail. The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authoritys approval. The beneficiaries diverted illegal gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their account books to evade detection, the probe agencies said. As part of Congresss strategy to counter the BJPs Christian outreach programmes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year and the positive response from some members of the clergy to such moves, KPCC president K Sudhakaran visited Thalassery Archbishop Joseph Pamplani at Thalassery Bishop House, in Thalassery on Saturday evening. Speaking to media persons after visiting Archbishop Joseph Pamplani, Sudhakaran said the Christians in Kerala have stood with the Congress at every stage and he is not worried about the BJPs move. Sudhakaran said that the discussion with the Archbishop was encouraging and he was satisfied with the meeting. It may be noted here that the Thalassery Archbishop Joseph Pamplani had recently observed that Christians would vote for the BJ if the rubber prices were raised to Rs 300 per kg. Sudhakaran will also meet other Church leaders like Cardinal Mar George Alencherry and Thamarassery Archbishop Mar Remijius Paul Inchananiyil next week. Other Congress leaders like VD Satheesan and KC Venugopal are also likely to join the outreach programme in the coming days. The Political Affairs Committee of the Congress is likely to discuss the BJPs attempts to come closer to the Churches through its Christian outreach programmes. A section in the Congress is of the view that the state leadership had viewed the BJPs attempt to reach out to the Christian community in the state lightly. As 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. Prime Minister Modi had participated in the Easter celebrations at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi. Twelve people were killed and over 25 persons sustained injuries after a bus fell into a ditch in the Khopoli area of Raigad in the early hours of Saturday Maharashtra police said. A rescue operation is underway, he added. According to Raigad Superintendent of Police (SP) There were 40 to 45 people in the bus, out of which, seven people have died while more than 25 people are injured, the rescue is still underway, a crane has been called to pull out the bus. Visuals from the site show the bus falling into a ditch, and window and the roof of the ill-fated vehicle was completely damaged in the accident. Rescue personnel were seen taking the survivors of the accident to safety with the help of ropes. Passengers of the bus belonged to an organization from Goregaon area who had gone to Pune for an event and were on a return trip. Meanwhile, seven people were killed and 10 others sustained injuries after being allegedly run over by a truck in the Garhshankar area of the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab.Hoshiarpur on Friday. People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) KUNMING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Dai ethnic group in southwest China's Yunnan Province has been busy celebrating its New Year, with local Dai people and crowds of tourists observing a grand water-splashing festival. The three-day festival, from Thursday to Saturday, is regarded as the most important festival observed by the Dai people. People splash water on one another during the festival to wash away all the bad luck from the previous year and begin a new year of happiness and good fortune. The water festival is celebrated by over 1.3 million Dai people living in China, mainly in Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. Various activities were also staged during the festival, such as colorful dragon boat races and spectacular dance and musical performances. Girls of Dai ethnic group collect water to celebrate the water-splashing festival beside the Lancang River in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) A girl of Dai ethnic group collects water to celebrate the water-splashing festival beside the Lancang River in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) A girl is splashed during the celebration of water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) A girl plays with a toy water gun during the celebration of water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) People splash water on one another to celebrate the water-splashing festival at a square in Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended greetings on the occasion of Poila Boishakh and wished happiness and good health to all. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, Shubho Nabo Barsho! May the year ahead bring joy and exceptional health. The Bengali culture and heritage are admired all over. As a new year commences, I pray for everyones happiness and good health. Shubho Nabo Borsho. Poila Boishakh marks the beginning of the traditional New Year for Bengali-speaking people across the world who celebrate the occasion with much fervor. Shubho Nabo Barsho! May the year ahead bring joy and exceptional health. pic.twitter.com/xc6dnjzYYU Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 15, 2023 Poila Boishakh, which falls on Saturday this year, marks the first day of the first month (Baishakh) of the lunisolar Bengali calendar. According to Bengali Sakabdi, the first day of the year is considered the most auspicious. Poila Boishakh is observed by Bengalis all across the world irrespective of geographical location but the occasion has a special significance for Bengalis in Bangladesh and in Bengali-speaking areas of India including West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. To celebrate Noboborsho (New Year), homes are cleaned and decorated to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. The front door is decorated with alpana, which is a painting done with a mixture of rice and flour. On the New Year, people wearing new dresses go to temples to pray and get blessings from God. The auspicious day is marked by various cultural and art performances. People visit their relatives and greet each other saying Shubho Nobo Borsho (Happy New Year). Traditional food is prepared at home, and restaurants, especially in Kolkata, serve authentic Bengali cuisine that offers a gastronomic delight. Shopkeepers start the day by performing Lakshmi-Narayan and Ganesh pooja wishing for a prosperous year ahead. They start new account books of the business in the name of God. As a custom, priests draw a Swastik symbol with vermilion on traders accounts book to bring good fortune in business. Late on Friday West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Kalighat Temple in south Kolkata and offered prayers, according to a tweet posted by the All India Trinamool Congress. She extended her heartfelt wishes for a healthy, energetic and blessed year ahead. Lets embrace the new year with optimism & resolve to create a brighter tomorrow for our beloved state, the AITC official tweeted. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, Raj Bhavan opened its doors to the public on Poila Boishakh. Bengal has walked in the new dawn during this Nobo Borsho. The youth power has been unleashed and the youth will see that peace and harmony are established in society. Bengal will regain its glory, said West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha offered prayer at Mata Tripura Sundari Temple on the occasion of Poila Boishakh in Udaipur on Saturday. Poila Boishakh, also known as Noboborsho Bengali New Year is an important festival celebrated in the Indian state of West Bengal and Bangladesh, as well as by the Bengali communities around the world. The festival marks the first day of the Bengali calendar and usually falls on the 14th or 15th of April, every year. The word Poila means first and Boishakh is the first month of the Bengali calendar. According to the Hindu calendar, it falls on the same day as the Baisakhi festival in Punjab and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu. The history of Poila Boishakh dates back to the Mughal era in the 16th century, when the emperor Akbar introduced a new system of taxation based on the harvest season. This coincided with the Bengali New Year, which was already celebrated by the local population. He introduced the Mughal calendar, which was a combination of Islamic and Hindu calendars. Akbars decision to align the fiscal year with the Bengali calendar made the festival an official event in the Mughal court. Today, Poila Boishakh is celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal by Bengalis all over the world. In Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, the day begins with people waking up early in the morning and taking a bath to purify themselves. They wear new clothes and start the day by worshipping Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, seeking their blessings for prosperity and happiness in the coming year. People also indulge in various cultural activities like singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments. The streets come alive with processions and colourful parades, with people dressed in traditional attire and carrying placards and banners. One of the highlights of the festival is the traditional Bengali meal, which includes dishes like fish curry, rice, and sweets like Rasgulla and Sondesh. People also exchange sweets and gifts with their friends and family, and it is considered auspicious to start new ventures on this day. In Bangladesh, the celebration of Poila Boishakh is known as Poila Boishakh, and it is a national holiday. The day begins with a grand procession called the Mangal Shobhajatra, which involves people carrying colourful masks and banners to signify the triumph of good over evil. The festival is also marked by cultural events and fairs, where people buy traditional handicrafts and clothing. The significance of Poila Boishakh extends beyond just a New Year celebration. It is a time for renewal and fresh beginnings, and it represents the spirit of unity and togetherness among the Bengali community. The festival is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Bengali people and their deep connection to their roots. Poila Boishakh is a festival that celebrates the spirit of Bengali culture and tradition. It is a time for new beginnings, new hopes, and new aspirations. The festival brings people together, and it is a time to forget all the worries and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday made an appeal to the youth to ideate, innovate, research and make headways in the field of science and technology to take the county to greater heights. The use of technology will increase across all sectors in the coming times and there is a need to achieve excellence in science and technology, he stressed while addressing the 16th convocation of the Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University) in Udaipur. He made an appeal to the youth to come up with new ideas to empower the country in the field of science and technology and help the government in its efforts to make India safer, stronger and self-reliant. Rajnath was of the view that the youth possessed a unique power to create, nurture and transform and the government was providing a level-playing field to them to ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of New India was soon realised. He listed a number of steps taken to tap the potential of young minds, including the National Education Policy 2020, which focuses on holistic education and lays equal emphasis on knowledge and skills. He also spoke on campaigns such as Ayushman Bharat, and the Fit India movement, which aim to create a healthy, educated and skilled workforce. The defence minister also highlighted the steps taken by the Ministry of Defence for the youth to contribute to national security. He also enumerated the initiatives taken to promote an entrepreneurial mindset among the youth. He stated that a culture of venture capital funding has been developed for start-ups, which was important for their hand-holding at an early stage. The number of unicorns in the country has crossed 100 from just four or five eight-nine years. About one lakh start-ups have emerged in the last few years. It is a big proof of the success of start-up-based innovation ecosystem, he added. Rajnath pointed out that whether it was economy, science and technology, health or defence, India, the fifth largest economy, has emerged as a strong nation in recent years and was well on course to find itself among the top three economies by 2027. Condemning the violent incident at a public event in Japans Wakayama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he is relieved that his friend Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is safe. PM Modi said India condemns all acts of violence. Kishida was on Saturday evacuated from a venue in Wakayama city, after an explosion was heard, Japan public media NHK reported. As per Japanese officials, Kishida was safe and unharmed in the incident. Learnt of a violent incident at a public event at Wakayama in Japan where my friend PM @Kishida230 was present. Relieved that he is safe. Praying for his continued well-being and good health. India condemns all acts of violence, PM Modi tweeted. Learnt of a violent incident at a public event at Wakayama in Japan where my friend PM @Kishida230 was present. Relieved that he is safe. Praying for his continued well-being and good health. India condemns all acts of violence. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 15, 2023 One person was on Saturday arrested in connection with the incident in which Kishida was evacuated after a smoke bomb was thrown at him during a campaign trail in Wakayama city, CNN reported. The man was arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business after he threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb CNN said. In a speech broadcast on Japans public broadcaster NHK following the attack the Japanese prime minister said police were investigating the explosion and apologized for causing concern, adding that we are fighting an important election for our country. Kishida resumed campaigning activities for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party shortly after and gave a speech at the Wakayama railway station, CNN reported. The dramatic scenes took place in the city of Wakayama, shortly after a visit by Kishida to the local Saikazaki Fishing Port. The arrested man was taken to the Wakayama West Police Station for questioning. Officials at the Wakayama Nishi Police Station told CNN that they are unable to release any information about the suspect yet. They said more details would be announced in the future. Video footage released by NHK shows members of the public fleeing and a man being arrested following the incident. The footage showed multiple men believed to be police officers, holding the suspect on the ground. Other pictures showed a silver cylinder that appeared to have been thrown in Kishidas direction, CNN reported. A Saudia Airlines cargo flight on Saturday made an emergency landing at Kolkata Airport after its windshield cracked mid-air, airport officials told ANI. The aircraft landed safely at the Kolkata Airport at 12:02 pm. Before the landing, the airport had made all the necessary arrangements. Full emergency was withdrawn after tje flight landed, according to airport officials. Recently, an Abu Dhabi-bound Etihad Airways flight returned to the Bangalore International Airport shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. The airline said that the aircraft did a normal landing at Bangalore airport. The flight inspection was done and later took off to its destination where it landed this morning. Earlier on April 1, a full emergency was declared at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi after a Dubai-bound FedEx aircraft suffered a bird hit soon after take-off, according to airport officials. Telangana Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao has said that his party was going to form the next government at the Centre and his flagship scheme of Dalit Bandhu which offers financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each to scheduled caste families will then be extended across the country. Rao, popularly addressed as KCR, was addressing the gathering after unveiling 125 feet tall statue of Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar on the Necklace Road when he declared that the BRS was getting huge response from Maharashtra and the spark that has been lit would spread to other parts of the country as well. I once said that I was going to Delhi from Andhra Pradesh and returned only to the state of Telangana and that is how it happened, said KCR, adding that such declarations require self confidence. Exuding confidence, he then went on to declare: Let me tell you in the 2024 Parliament elections the next government will be ours. A spark is just what is needed to set off things and Im already seeing a positive change in Maharashtra. The Dalit Bandhu scheme also earned accolades from Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Babasaheb and a former Parliamentarian as an initiative aimed at implementing the economic vision of BR Ambedkar. Praising KCR, Prakash Ambedkar said: He has initiated a new consciousness among the downtrodden, he has given a new spark. Prakash Ambedkar, the president of Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi Bhavan, also said that Babasaheb had called for Hyderabad to be established as the second capital of the country. Meanwhile, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticized the Chief Minister, asking Why didnt KCR take part in Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanthi and Vardanthi programmes all these years? Didnt KCR insult Babasaheb by asking to rewrite the Constitution? What happened to the promise to make a Dalit the first Chief Minister? Why were Dalits not given three acres of land as promised? The following is Retro Roundup's favourite encounters in person, on the phone and in writing with musicians, and favourite concerts since the early 1980s. They are presented in no particular order. Roger Whittaker: This was the first concert I attended, I believe at the Universite de Montreal in either the late 1970s or very early 1980s. I always liked Whittaker's deep, warm voice, particularly on the song I Don't Believe In "If" Anymore. But what I remember most about the concert was Whittaker's virtuoso whistling. Utterly amazing. The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson: There's a lot here involving my favourite pop group and musician, respectively, so let's go in chronological order. My first encounter with the group was at the old Montreal Forum in the late 1980s. I don't know if it was the sound at that venue or the performance, but the show just seemed perfunctory. Still, it was the only time I saw founding member Carl Wilson perform. Flash forward to the summer of 2001, and I saw the current version of the Beach Boys, comprised of co-founder Mike Love; and Bruce Johnston, who joined in 1965, at Molson Stadium. The show was what I call fun, though not revelatory. That same year, I met Brian Wilson in New York City outside Rockefeller Center, but suffice it to say he was in no mood to talk. He did manage a handshake. Four years later was the charm I interviewed Brian on the phone, but he was into his short, to the point answers at that point in his life. No problem, I knew enough about the Beach Boys to fill in the spaces. Most notably, though, when he said hello, he sounded like the Brian of the 1960s. Not long afterwards, I saw Brian and his band at Place des Arts performing the just released solo version of the legendary, previously shelved Smile album, and was able to go backstage where the picture accompanying this article was taken. A great concert, though the sound was not the best. I next saw Brian on his Reimagines Gershwin tour, also at Place des Arts, and the show presented quite a contrast. He seemed listless during the "greatest hits" section, but during the Gershwin section of the show, he was absolutely focused on his singing. The best concert was seeing all the surviving Beach Boys at the Bell Centre for their 50th anniversary tour, and the musicianship was stellar. Subsequent Beach Boys (Mike and Bruce) concerts in Florida and at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal were terrific, and Brian's musicians reached new heights of virtuosity, in my opinion, at his 2018 Beach Boys Christmas Album tour in Florida. Brian didn't sing much, sadly, but Al Jardine performed a wonderful version of Brian's Winter Symphony, from the unreleased 1977 Beach Boys Christmas album. Other Beach Boys encounters involved Bruce Johnston a question answered on Steve Hoffman's music forum, and a question responded to verbally at the 2016 Florida Beach Boys concert. I asked Bruce if he was writing an autobiography, and his answer was an emphatic No. Chuck Leavell: I mainly interviewed the founder of Sea Level, former member of the Allman Brothers Band and part of the Rolling Stones' group of musicians about his environmental efforts. What I remember most is that, to me, his soft-spoken Southern accent resembled that of Bill Clinton. Herb Reed: My interview with the original member of the Platters many years ago included his wrath at the fact other groups, with no original members, were posing as The Platters; and for some reason, that the German label Bear Family released all of the group's Mercury record label recordings. Paul McCartney: I saw Paul in concert in 2010 and 2018 at the Bell Centre. The first concert was terrific, with Paul's voice only cracking on a high note on the big hit My Love, although I wasn't wild about a heavy metal version of Paperback Writer. The second concert was terrific on the part of Paul's musicians, but the former Beatle's voice was very sub-par. The Who/Roger Daltrey: Interestingly, I only saw the Who, on two occasions, when they performed one of my favourite albums of all time, Quadrophenia, in its entirety. The second time, though without bassist John Entwistle, was fantastic, particularly the video accompaniment. And the classic Won't Get Fooled Again was performed the way it's supposed to be, not acoustically as in 1997. I also saw Roger Daltrey performing the rock opera Tommy at Place des Arts, and I was especially impressed with the drummer Scott Devours, whose playing was the closest to that of original drummer Keith Moon of all the post-Moon drummers the Who had. Devours has even played for The Who, when their current drummer Zak Starkey (son of Ringo) was not available. Next time: Retro Roundup's two favourite albums of all time. SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Senate has passed two bills that would work to further decriminalize cannabis use in Illinois. The bills Senate Bill 125 and Senate Bill 1886 would prevent an individuals vehicle from being searched solely based on the smell of cannabis and would allow some individuals on probation to consume cannabis or alcohol. When Illinois legalized cannabis in 2020, it also made individuals previously charged with minor cannabis offenses eligible to have their records expunged. At the end of 2020, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced 492,129 cannabis-related convictions had been expunged and 9,219 people with low-level cannabis convictions had been pardoned. It was incredibly important as we were looking to legalize this product that has clearly demonized so many communities, Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, said of the legalization law at a Tuesday news conference. oth bills will still need approval in the House and a signature from the governor to become law. SB 125 would ensure that the smell of burnt or raw cannabis in a motor vehicle cannot alone be probable cause for an individuals vehicle to be searched. People especially people of color are unnecessarily pulled over far too often, Sen. Rachel Ventura, a Democrat from Joliet and lead sponsor on the bill, said of the legislation during floor debate. The odor of cannabis alone shouldnt be one of those reasons (for their car to be searched). Cannabis is legal in Illinois and its a pungent scent that can stick to clothes for extended periods of time. An amendment to the bill created an age exemption, specifying that individuals under the age of 21 are still eligible to have their vehicle searched solely based on odor. After that provision was added, the ACLU of Illinois shifted from supporting the bill to having a neutral stance on it. We do have concerns that the amendment to the bill creates a workaround, or a loophole, that could have the effect of incentivizing police to target youth for unnecessary traffic stops or vehicle searches, Atticus Ballesteros, an attorney with ACLU of Illinois, said in an interview. Ballesteros added that ACLU of Illinois originally supported the bill because there are many reasons why a vehicle may smell of cannabis. And to us, that applies irrespective of age, Ballesteros said. The measure passed 33-20 in the Senate and awaits action in the House. SB 1886 would bar courts from preventing individuals from using cannabis or alcohol if theyre on probation, conditional discharge or supervision. The bill has several exemptions, though, including if the person is sentenced to a crime that involved the presence of an intoxicating compound in the persons body. Courts would also still be allowed to impose substance use restrictions if the person is under the age of 21 or if they are participating in problem-solving court, a system of courts designed to help people with mental health and substance abuse problems. The measure passed with a 34-21 vote and will head to the House. Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Springfield April 18. Photo provided/Candidate WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, and two dozen members of Congress sent a letter Wednesday to President Joe Bidens Defense Secretary about a letter sent to priests over Easter weekend. According to Miller, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center sent a "cease and desist" letter to Catholic priests to stop providing care during Holy Week, violating their First Amendment rights. EDWARDSVILLE On Jan. 3, 2022, Brandon A. Reames was charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles (auto theft or possession of a stolen auto) and theft over $300. It was the first felony charge filed in 2022 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office. Approximately 362 days later, Adam C. Orscheln was charged with aggravated battery and resisting arrest. It was the last case filed in 2022. Reames case was combined with three other outstanding felony cases from 2021, and the last note in his file was a continuance granted March 6. Orscheln was found guilty of the aggravated battery charge Jan. 13, and was sentenced to 18 months probation. The other charge was dropped. In between, a total of 3,261 cases were filed, and 4,451 were prosecuted. The States Attorneys Office released its annual report Monday, highlighting the record-breaking number of cases prosecuted, as well as a significant reduction in vehicle thefts in the county at a time when that particular crime appears to be skyrocketing. It is an honor to serve as states attorney, and work with so many incredible professionals every day, Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine said in a written statement. These are public servants, dedicated to fighting for victims and supporting the rule of law. Im grateful that the Madison County Board, and the citizens of Madison County, view public safety a top priority, and support the efforts of this office. My pledge is that the States Attorneys Office will continue to work hard to earn their confidence and support as we fight for a safer community for everyone in the years ahead, Haine said He also said they are making inroads into the backlog of cases that developed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019 the States Attorneys Office prosecuted 4,066 cases. In 2020 that number was reduced to 2,354. It increased to 4,320 in 2021. At the end of 2021 there were 5,694 open felony cases because of the near complete shutdown of the court system during the COVID pandemic. At the end of 2022 the number of cases was 4,749, a decrease of almost 1,000. Were very proud of that, he said. The last two years each one has set a new record in cases prosecuted. However, he noted that they havent gotten there yet. He noted that the court system was basically shut down for about a year, then slowly ramped up. Another factor was that as part of the pandemic response, the speedy trial standards were not applied, pushing some cases farther back. Were very quickly working ourselves out of this hole, he said. Meth- and drug-related crimes account for one-quarter of felony cases Of the more than 3,200 cases filed in 2022, 560, or approximately one-in-six, is methamphetamine related. Others include 317 for possession of a controlled substance, 200 theft over $300, 165 vehicle theft, 163 theft under $300, 136 burglary, 125 aggravated fleeing police, 111 felon possessing weapons and 109 aggravated domestic battery. Haine noted a troubling increase in the number of aggravated fleeing cases, which has been in the top 10 of felony charges for the past three years. Thats a big problem, because it puts everybody in danger, he said, noting one case that involved a police officers death because of a fleeing suspect. Caleb L. Campbell, of Florissant, Missouri, was found guilty in December of first-degree murder in the death of Brooklyn police officer Brian Pierce Jr. in August 2021. In January he was sentenced to life in prison. Campbell was found guilty of fatally striking Pierce on the McKinley Bridge while fleeing from police. According to evidence presented at the trial, Campbell was driving a Dodge Charger at speeds up to 98 miles per hour and attempting to elude police when he struck Pierce, who was standing on the bridge after deploying a spike strip across the roadway. During the trial, a Venice police officer testified that one-third of their traffic stops result in suspects attempting to flee. I do think the fleeing is fleeing in one particular direction, Haine said, referring to Missouri. I do believe that has an impact. One positive is that criminals dont want to be prosecuted in Madison County. Related to that, Haine said the Cross-Rivers Task Force, created in 2021 because of large numbers of criminals coming from Missouri, committing crimes and then going back across the river, is having an impact. Were continuing to work hard and be proactive, he said. I think were sending a message that these kinds of criminal activities are going to face stiff resistance. In addition to the Task Force, he said the increased use of License Plate Reader cameras is making a difference. Over the past few years there have been approximately 140 stationary LPR cameras put up in Madison County, and the Sheriffs Department is asking for a mobile LPR for use one of its vehicles. Haine said that vehicle and officer would be attached to the Cross-River Task Force. Lawsuits filed against Governors office The report also highlighted three separate lawsuits filed by the Madison County States Attorneys Office, or joined by that office, against the state. The suits involved: the SAFE-T Act, a months-long backlog of County Jail inmates awaiting transfer to state facilities after being declared unfit to stand trial, and the political gerrymandering of Madison Countys judiciary into geographic sub-circuits. Regarding the ongoing suit against the SAFE-T Act, which is now before the Illinois Supreme Court, Haines office was one of a number of states attorneys to file suit against the law, which the report said would upend our criminal justice system. The biggest issue is the elimination of cash bail. The case bail system has long been utilized to keep dangerous defendants off the streets and to ensure they show up for trial, the report stated. Elminating cash bail will pose a threat to the public and to the victims of crime, and inevitably will result in delays in the prosecution of cases. Despite the lawsuit, Haine said the office has been expending considerable time and resources to prepare for implementation of the act. The office also filed suit against Gov. JB Pritzker over a chronic, months-long backlog of prisoner transfers from the County Jail to the Illinois Department of Human Services after a person has been declared unfit to stand trial. Since then that backlog has eased considerably. His office also sued in response to the creation of judicial subcircuits in Madison County. The suit ultimately failed after a request for the Illinois Supreme Court to review Madison Countys legal challenge to the legislation was denied in November. Despite that, Haine said he was honored by the chance to challenge this law, and that the County fought the good fight in the lawsuit. Ironically, although the creation of the subcircuits in Madison County was seen by many as a way of giving preferential treatment to Democratic candidates, Republicans swept three judicial races in November 2022. Also in 2022, the offices Civil Division announced the county would receive an estimated $3.7 million as its share of a settlement against opioid distributors, to be paid through 2038. The money will be used to support opioid remediation programs. Haine noted he appreciates citizen support for law enforcement, and expects the office to be fair and aggressive. If you see anything, report issues to the police, he said. Were just trying to let the citizens know what their hard-earned tax dollars are going for. A copy of the report is available on the Madison County website, https://www.madisoncountyil.gov/, under States Attorneys Office press releases. LIMA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Peruvian government announced a 60-day extension of the state of emergency in two provinces in the department of Loreto, as the country continues its fight against drug trafficking in its northeast border region, according to a decree released Friday. The extension will go into effect on April 19 and will allow continued actions by the National Police and the Armed Forces in the provinces of Putumayo and Mariscal Ramon Castilla, said the decree, which was published in the official newspaper El Peruano. It clarified that the military will help provide services for "women and people in vulnerable conditions" in the process of detention, retention and police intervention. The state of emergency entails restrictions or suspensions of constitutional rights related to the inviolability of the home, freedom of transit and freedom of assembly, as well as personal liberty and security. Signed by President Dina Boluarte, the decree said that the measure was adopted after considering the recommendation of the General Command of the National Police. A Loreto regional police report regarding criminal organizations' illicit drug dealing and related crimes in the two provinces was also taken into account. SIUE EDWARDSVILLE The School of Engineering (SOE) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville celebrated academic excellence, dedicated service and outstanding leadership at its recent annual awards ceremony. At the event, 83 scholarships totaling more than $122,000 were awarded. The SOE recognized students who achieved the fall 2022 Deans List and also honored its outstanding juniors, seniors, graduate students, teachers and alumni. VIRDEN The Sly Fox bookstore in Virden will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day April 29. The national event celebrates locally-owned independent bookstores. More than 1,000 bookstores across the country are expected to participate in the event, now in its 10th year. This is one of stores busiest days, commented George Rishel, owner of The Sly Fox. Some come for the exclusives, but everyone comes to show their support for independent bookstores. Its become a rite of spring for readers, Rishel said of the event. One of the main features of Independent Bookstore Day is the array of items publishers make available for sale on that day to customers who visit participating stores. This years exclusives include a special canvas tote bag, a signed paperback Pure Colour by Sheila Heti, a banned books jigsaw puzzle, a special paperback edition of Amanda Gormans Little People, Big Dreams, and a special edition of Nathan Hales the Mighty Bite. The list again includes a special Independent Bookstore Day edition of Blackwing pencils. The exclusives may be viewed at the stores website, www.slyfoxbooks.com. The Sly Fox will also have Greenville author Debbie Blankenship on hand to promote her childrens book, The Magic Stones and The Big, Black, Hairy Thing in the Woods. Tony Rubba, who illustrated the book cover, will also be at the store. He previously owned a physical therapy business in Virden, but has turned to art in his retirement. Besides The Sly Fox, other Central Illinois bookstores participating include Our Town Books in Jacksonville, Hartfield Book Company in Monticello, and Afterwords Books in Edwardsville. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JERUSALEM (AP) Christian worshippers thronged the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Saturday to celebrate the ceremony of the Holy Fire," an ancient ritual that sparked tensions this year with the Israeli police. In the annual ceremony that has been observed for over a millennium, a flame taken from Jesus' tomb is used to light the candles of fervent believers in Greek Orthodox communities near and far. The devout believe the origin of the flame is a miracle and is shrouded in mystery. On Saturday, after hours of frantic anticipation, a priest reached inside the dim tomb and ignited his candle. Each neighbor passed the light to another and, little by little, the darkened church was irradiated by tiny patches of light, which eventually illuminated the whole building. Bells rang out. Christ is risen! the multilingual worshippers shouted. He is risen indeed! Many trying to get to the church built on the site where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected were thrilled to mark the rite of the Orthodox Easter week in Jerusalem. But for the second consecutive year, Israels strict limits on event capacity dimmed some of the exuberance. It is sad for me that I cannot get to the church, where my heart, my faith, wants me to be, said 44-year-old Jelena Novakovic from Montenegro, who, like thousands of others, was trapped behind metal barricades that sealed off alleys leading to the Christian Quarter in Jerusalem's walled Old City. In some cases, the pushing and shoving escalated into violence. Footage showed Israeli police dragging and beating several worshippers, thrusting a Coptic Priest against the stone wall and tackling one woman to the ground. At least one older man was whisked, bleeding, into an ambulance. Israel has capped the ritual to just 1,800 people. The Israeli police say they must be strict because theyre responsible for maintaining public safety. In 1834, a stampede at the event claimed hundreds of lives. Two years ago, a crush at a packed Jewish holy site in the countrys north killed 45 people. Authorities say theyre determined to prevent a repeat of the tragedy. But Jerusalem's minority Christians mired in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and caught between Jews and Muslims fear Israel is using the extra security measures to alter their status in the Old City, providing access to Jews while limiting the number of Christian worshippers. The Greek Orthodox patriarchate has lambasted the restrictions as a hindrance of religious freedom and called on all worshippers to flood the church despite Israeli warnings. As early as 8 a.m., Israeli police were turning back most worshippers from the gates of the Old City including tourists who flew from Europe and Palestinian Christians who traveled from across the occupied West Bank directing them to an overflow area with a livestream. Angry pilgrims and clergy jostled to get through while police struggled to hold them back, allowing only a trickle of ticketed visitors and local residents inside. Over 2,000 police officers swarmed the stone ramparts. Ana Dumitrel, a Romanian pilgrim surrounded by police outside the Old City, said she came to pay tribute to her late mother, whose experience witnessing the holy fire in 1987 long inspired her. I wanted to tell my family, my children, that I was here as my mom was," she said, straining over the crowds to assess whether she had a chance. After the ceremony, Palestinian Christians carried the fire through the streets and lit the tapers of the worshippers waiting outside. Chartered planes will ferry the flickering lanterns to Russia, Greece and beyond with great fanfare. The dispute over the church capacity comes as Christians in the Holy Land including the head of the Roman Catholic church in the region as well as local Palestinians and Armenians say that Israels most right-wing government in history has empowered Jewish extremists who have escalated their vandalism of religious property and harassment of clergy. Israel says it's committed to ensuring freedom of worship for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Friction over the Orthodox Easter ritual has been fueled in part by a rare convergence of holidays in Jerusalems bustling Old City. A few hundred meters away from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Muslims fasting for the 24th day of the holy month of Ramadan were gathering for midday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Earlier this week, tens of thousands of Jews flocked to the Western Wall during the Passover holiday. Tensions surged last week, when an Israeli police raid on the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Jerusalem's most sensitive site, ignited Muslim outrage around the world. The mosque is the third holiest site of Islam. It stands on a hilltop that is the holiest site for Jews, who revere it as the Temple Mount. Israel captured the Old City, along with the rest of the city's eastern half, in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it in a move not internationally recognized. Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state. In its limestone passageways Saturday, Christians pushed back by police were trying to cope with their disappointment. Cristina Maria, a 35-year-old who traveled from Romania to see the light kindled from the holy fire, said there was some consolation in the thought that the flame was symbolic, anyway. It's the light of Christ, she said, standing between an ice cream parlor and a dumpster in the Old City. We can see it from here, there, anywhere. I have almost 5,000 Facebook friends. Many are close friends in what passes for the real world. Others, however, are persons I know only from social media. The person who initiated a recent dialogue in which I participated falls into that latter category. His Facebook bio states that he Studied General Trolling at St. Charles Community College." If that is indeed the case, he was surely a straight-A student. This person, with whom I share just one mutual friend, posted the following assertion on one of the most volatile issues of our day: You can't pick and choose your gender. That seven-word statement ignited a dialogue so heated that it could have been used to warm up ones hands after handling frozen vegetables. Epithets such as transphobe and tranny (a derogatory term for a transgender person) were freely exchanged. I read that Facebook regards tranny as hate speech and has banned it from use. As of April 13, however, the posts containing it on that thread are still up for all to see. Facebook seems to be quite selective when it comes to enforcing its alleged hate speech policies. The most thoughtful response agreed with the original post but in an unexpected way. It reads: Youre right, its not a choice. People feel how they feel, thank the gods for gender affirming surgeries and treatments that help people feel comfortable in their skin when they were born the wrong sex. The references to choice, both in the original post and the above response, goaded me into posting a comment. I let these two warring parties know that I agree with them. One cant choose ones gender. Nor your race. Nor your sexual orientation. Nor your ethnicity. However, one CAN choose one's values, I wrote. We cant choose our race, although a few have attempted to do so. Remember the case of Rachel Dolezal, a self-proclaimed Black woman who taught Africana Studies at Eastern Washington Universities in addition to serving as president of the NAACP branch in Spokane, WA? She was publicly outed as white in 2015. According to her brother, Dolezal began darkening her skin as early as 2011 in order to reinvent herself as Black. Back in 2002, when she still identified as a white woman and was a student at Howard University, Dolezal sued that historically Black school claiming that she had been denied a scholarship as well as a teaching assistant position because she was white. Maria Louise Cruz achieved fame for serving as Marlon Brandos spokesperson at the 1973 Oscar presentations. Drawing both applause and boos, Cruz explained to the audience that Brando refused to accept the Oscar for his performance in The Godfather to protest Hollywoods depiction of Native Americans. In her speech, Cruz identified herself as "Sacheen Littlefeather" and claimed to be Apache. Cruz fabricated her Native American descent. She was outed as an imposter shortly after her death in 2022 by Navaho writer and activist Jacqueline Keeler. Rosalind Cruz, Maria's sister, told Keeler that her late sister "created a fantasy. She lived in a fantasy, and she died in a fantasy. "Sacheen Littlefeather" was cast as a Native American in at least four films. I recall her performance as Patsy Littlejohn in The Trial of Billy Jack, which was Tom Laughlins follow-up to Billy Jack. How ironic that Cruz, a non-Native American, played Native Americans in films, a practice that has long been protested by Indian activists. Like race, sexual orientation is also immutable to change. So-called conversion therapy, which supposedly changes ones sexual orientation, is poppycock. The American Medical Association dismisses conversion therapy as clinically and ethically inappropriate. The American Psychological Association states that efforts to change sexual orientation are unlikely to be successful and involve some risk of harm. The American Psychiatric Association supports legislation that prohibits conversion therapy. As I stated in my Facebook post, however, one can certainly change ones values. Hillary Clinton was a Goldwater Girl during the 1964 presidential election. Elizabeth Warren was once a registered Republican. Gabby Giffords was a Republican until 2001. Unfortunately, persons do not always change their values for the better. Case in point: Ronald Reagan was once a New Deal Democrat. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) * Xi pointed out that China and Brazil are the two biggest developing countries and emerging markets in the Eastern and Western hemispheres. As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share extensive common interests. The overarching, strategic and global influence of the China-Brazil relations continues to grow. * Xi said China will actively explore greater synergy between its Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's reindustrialization strategy. * Lula said he is honored and proud to head a large delegation on his fourth visit to China. This is his first visit outside the Americas since being elected President last year. This choice reflects Brazil's affection for China and commitment to Brazil-China relations. BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Xi said China will work with Brazil to create a new future for their relations in the new era, deliver greater benefits to the two peoples, and play an important and positive role for peace, stability and prosperity in their regions and around the world. Lula said he is honored and proud to head a large delegation on his fourth visit to China. This is his first visit outside the Americas since being elected President last year. This choice reflects Brazil's affection for China and commitment to Brazil-China relations. SET COURSE FOR BILATERAL TIES Xi extended a warm welcome to Lula for his state visit to China. He pointed out that China and Brazil are the two biggest developing countries and emerging markets in the Eastern and Western hemispheres. As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share extensive common interests. The overarching, strategic and global influence of the China-Brazil relations continues to grow. China always views and develops relations with Brazil from a strategic and long-term perspective, and sees the relationship as a high priority on its diplomatic agenda, Xi said. Xi noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership between China and Brazil, and the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year. "China is now promoting high-quality development and high-standard opening-up, and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. This will unlock new opportunities for Brazil and countries around the world," Xi said. Xi called on the two sides to maintain regular strategic communication and increase experience sharing on national governance. The two sides need to be steadfast in seeing each other as important development opportunities, in supporting each other's development paths which fit national realities, and in supporting stronger solidarity and collaboration among developing countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) The two sides need to deepen cooperation, steadily advance the major cooperation projects, and further unleash cooperation potential in agriculture, energy, infrastructure, space, aviation, innovation, etc, Xi said, adding that the two sides need to explore ways for stronger cooperation on green economy, digital economy, clean energy, etc. "China welcomes more high-quality products from Brazil into its market. China will actively explore greater synergy between its Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's reindustrialization strategy," the Chinese president said, adding that both sides need to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year to carry out more people-to-people exchanges, and cultivate stronger public support for Sino-Brazilian friendship. "China is an indispensable force in global politics, economy and trade, science and technology, and plays a vital role in promoting world peace and development. Brazil is committed to building closer relations with China from the strategic perspective of shaping a just and equitable international order," Lula said, adding that Brazil's legislature and society share this strong desire for building strong, multifaceted relations with China. Noting his delightful visit to Huawei where he met Chinese business representatives, Lula expressed deep admiration for China's 5G progress and his hope to expand Brazil-China cooperation in relevant fields. He welcomed Chinese investment in support of Brazil's digital transformation and low-carbon development. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva before the talks between Xi and Lula in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Lula expressed the belief that deeper and greater cooperation with China will contribute to Brazil's reindustrialization, help address poverty and other issues and deliver benefits to the people. Brazil stands ready to develop closer exchanges and cooperation with China in education and culture to enhance mutual understanding between their people. After their talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of various bilateral cooperation documents on trade and investment, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, information and communications, poverty reduction, quarantine, space and other areas. The two sides released a Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and the Federative Republic of Brazil on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. PARTNERSHIP BEYOND BILATERAL LEVEL Xi pledged China's firm support for Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to cement the sound momentum of peace, stability, independence, solidarity and development, advance regional integration and play a greater role in international affairs. China will work with Brazil to ensure the continued success of the China-CELAC Forum, take cooperation between China and LAC countries to a new level, and achieve common development. China will also work with Brazil to strengthen cooperation with the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Facing global changes of a magnitude unseen in a century, China and Brazil are resolved to stand on the right side of history, practice true multilateralism, advocate the common values of humanity, work for a more just and equitable international governance system, truly safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international justice and equity, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. China will step up strategic coordination with Brazil on global issues of mutual interest in the UN, BRICS, the G20 and other multilateral institutions, and enhance coordination on climate response, according to Xi. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Lula said Brazil and China share common views and interests on many important international issues. The two sides both uphold multilateralism and international equity and justice. Brazil stands ready to work with China to strengthen strategic coordination in the G20, BRICS and other multilateral institutions, enhance coordination and cooperation in international finance, climate response and environmental protection, and contribute to developing countries' effort to shake off unfair rules and realize fairer and more balanced development. Lula expressed his full confidence that Brazil-China relations will embrace a brighter future. The two presidents also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Both sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation is the only feasible way for settling it and that all efforts that are conducive to its peaceful resolution should be encouraged and supported. They appealed to more countries to play a constructive role for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents agreed to stay in communication on the issue. Prior to the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Lula at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People. As Lula arrived, a guard of honor lined up in salutation. The two presidents stepped onto a stand, after which a military band played the national anthems of China and Brazil as 21-gun salute was fired in Tiananmen Square. Lula reviewed the guard of honor of the People's Liberation Army and watched the march-past in Xi's company. Madame Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi, and Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva, wife of Lula, were also at the welcoming ceremony. Xi and Madame Peng hosted a welcoming banquet for Lula and his wife at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People in the evening. Wang Yi and Qin Gang participated in the events. Trinamool Congress on Saturday accused BJP of hatching conspiracy against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government. In a statement, TMC said that the Amit Shah's claims of "toppling the goverment" was concerning. While addressing the rally at Birbhum in West Bengal on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged the people of Bengal to give BJP more than 35 seats. He also praised the leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari and his fight against Bengal government's alleged corruption. "Amit Shah made a flimsy declaration that if the BJP would get 35 seats from Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he would topple the democratically-elected Bengal government in 2025. Shah's claims of toppling the government are concerning. Being the Home Minister of the country, he has accepted that a conspiracy is being hatched against Bengal," TMC said in a statement. TMC also termed Shah's rally in Birbhum a "flop show". "He (Shah) can dream of winning 35 seats, just like bagging 200 plus seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. No one in Bengal or in Birbhum gave importance to his meeting...This time, BJP will struggle to even get one seat in the Lok Sabha elections," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh was quoted by The Indian Express. Shah has raised the issue of violence, and infiltration in the state claiming that once BJP comes to power there would not be any such crimes. "The only way to remove the misrule is BJP. Bengal has to be freed from terror...Just make the Lotus bloom once in Bengal and there will be no bomb blasts and no one would dare to attack on Ram Navami processions here...The only way to get rid of the kind of corruption in Bengal is also BJP," said Shah. Hitting back at Shah, TMC said that he (Shah) chose to remain silent as to why BJP workers were brandishing guns and swords at these Ram Navami rallies. Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi cannot be removed from Antigua and Barbuda, the country's High Court said Friday as it ruled in his favour. Choksi, wanted in India in connection with a Rs 13,000 crore scam in Punjab National Bank, was removed from the Interpols Red Notice List last month. In his plea, Choksi argued that there is an obligation on the part of the defendants, the Attorney General of Antigua and the Chief of Police to carry out a thorough inquiry and that he has an arguable claim that he was subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, ANI reported quoting Dominica-based Nature Isle News. Demanding an investigation into his claims, Choksi has sought relief which includes a declaration that suggests he is entitled to a prompt and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his forcible removal from Antigua and Barbuda on or about May 23, 2021, the report stated. The court order has prohibited the removal of the claimant, Choksi from Antigua and Barbuda's territory, without a High Court ruling. Collusion, forced abduction, removal from Antigua and Barbuda, assault, and battery are among the incidents detailed in the Claimant Mehul Choksi's affidavits in support of the claim. The CBI had said that it remains committed to returning fugitives and criminals to India to face the process of criminal justice. With his name off the Interpol red notice, Choksi will be free to travel outside Antigua without fearing arrest or questioning. The last time Choksi found himself on the verge of being extradited or deported to India was when he was found in Dominica on May 25, 2021allegedly battered and bruised after a rough boat ride from Antigua and Barbuda. The Interpols decision was a shot in the arm for Choksi and legal experts had predicted he is likely to use this to counter the claims of the CBI and ED who are demanding his speedy extradition from Antigua. Soon after Interpols decision in March, a spokesperson for Choksi said that the move buttresses his claim that he was kidnapped and was being forcefully taken to India, allegedly violating the international norms and protection given to him as an Antiguan citizen. Choksi was awarded Antiguan citizenship in November 2017 under the investment scheme of Antigua and Barbuda. He escaped to Antigua in January 2018, soon before news of the scam broke. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that the ministers of his party are targeted with an aim to reach to him. Ahead of appearing before the CBI summons, Kejriwal said that the central agencies including Enforcement Directorate and CBI are torturing people to testify against me. The day I spoke against corruption in Delhi Assembly, I knew I would be next...CBI, ED filed false affidavits in excise policy case in court; they're torturing people to testify against Manish Sisodia and me, said Kejriwal, while addressing a press conference. Kejriwal also added that in 75 years, no party has been targeted like AAP. We have given hope to people about good education. They want to end that hope, he added. On the excise policy case, Kejriwal said that ED, CBI alleged Rs 100 crore bribe taken, more than 400 raids conducted but that money was not found. Delhi excise policy was excellent, would have ended corruption, said Kejriwal. He also added that he will appear before the CBI. If Kejriwal is a thief, then no one is corruption free, said Kejriwal. He also said that CBI and ED had claimed that Manish Sisodia had destroyed 14 phones but the "reality is different". "Out of these, four phones are with the ED and one is with the CBI. Most of the other phones are active and being used by volunteers. The CBI and the ED know this. They are filing false affidavits in court," he said. While taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said that We will file appropriate cases against CBI and ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts. Meanwhile, BJP launched an attack against Delhi CM saying that he was the kingpin of the liquor scam. You were the chairperson of the meeting where this liquor scam was composed. Jaise jaise jud rahi hai kadi, Arvind Kejriwal paas aa rahi hai hathkadi, said Gaurav Bhatia, BJP. The moment Arvind Kejriwal was summoned by the CBI, he started trembling with fear. Arvind Kejriwal is the kingpin of the liquor scam, the investigation so far shows this, added Bhatia. Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, currently in police custody in connection with Umesh Pal murder case, has sought permission from a magisterate to attend the funeral of his son Asad who was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi. The Uttar Pradesh police brought the bodies of Asad and another accused Ghulam, who was also killed in the encounter, to Prayagraj early Saturday morning. Though Atiq moved the court of Friday, his plea was not heard as it was a holiday on account of Ambedkar Jayanti. The application will be presented in the court of chief judicial magistrate on Saturday, according to reports. Additional police forces will be deployed during Asad's last rites so that no untoward incident takes place. Security has also been tightened near the Ahmad family's ancestral home in Kasari Masari village in Prayagraj. The encounter was carried out by a 12-member Special Task Force team led by DSPs Navendu Kumar and Vimal Kumar Singh. The officials said foreign-made weapons were seized from Asad and his aide. This included one British Bulldog Revolver .455 bore and Walther P88 7.63 bore pistol. They added that they had an informer in Atiq Ahmed's gang who told them about Asad's whereabouts. The encounter took place when Ahmad was in a Prayagraj court, where he was presented before the chief judicial magistrate in connection with the same murder and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The court also allowed a five-day remand for the UP Police to question him. Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two police security guards were shot dead outside his home in Prayagraj's Dhoomanganj area on February 24 this year. Based on a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered on February 25 against Ahmad, his family members and others. Targeting the Congress in Rajasthan over infighting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday claimed the party will always give precedence to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over Sachin Pilot as his contribution is higher in filling its coffers with the 'corruption' money from the state. "Pilot sits on dharna on any pretext but his number will not come because his contribution in filling the coffers of Congress party is less and Gehlot's contribution is higher," Shah said while addressing booth-level party workers meeting in Bharatpur. Gehlot has made the Rajasthan government an 'adda' (hub) of corruption and has looted the state. This money of corruption has gone to the coffers of the Congress party, the BJP leader alleged. On the acquittal of the accused in the 2008 Jaipur bomb blast case, Shah alleged that the Congress government did not present proper arguments in the high court due to vote bank politics. The government is doing vote bank politics on the deaths of blast victims, he alleged. He said that it is "a 3-D government in Rajasthan and three Ds stands for 'dange' (riots), 'durvyavhar' (ill-treatment) with women and 'Dalit' atrocities. People "will vote out the government in elections, Shah said and exuded confidence that the BJP will form the government with a 2/3 majority in assembly elections and will again win all 25 seats in Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan. He said that the BJP will go to elections on the basis of the work of the Modi government, the party ideology and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is one of the most corrupt governments in the history of Rajasthan. People are fed up, he claimed. The clashes between RSF paramilitary force and the Sudanese army have left Indians reeling under panic and uncertainty in Sudan's capital. A number of SOS messages have been posted online by Indians, who are stuck in hotel rooms across the capital city Khartoum. Ravi, a manager of a hotel in Khartoum, and a native of Uttar Pradesh, said that the situation is very critical. He said that some of those who had gone to the airport to travel back home returned to the hotel since flight operations were disrupted. We can hear continuous firing and bombardment. This is the first time I am experiencing something like this. He added that he is hosting a number of Indian guests and he is trying his best to comfort them. After the Indian Embassy in Sudan tweeted an advisory asking Indian citizens to stay indoors, Surendra Yadav, an Indian currently in Khartoum replied, We are 13 Indians residing in Hotel Kanon, 15 Street, Khartoum, please let us know how we can go to India. According to some of the Indians there, the Indian Embassy has created a Whatsapp group to provide regular updates. However, some like Soumyaranjan were unable to join the group as it has reached its limit. The IT engineer from Mumbai, who is on an assignment for a bank, is staying at Hotel Paradise in Khartoum. I got up today morning to the sounds of gunfire. I panicked. Though the fighting erupted 3-4 kilometres away from my hotel, I could clearly see the smoke and hear sounds(of fighting). It feels like watching a show on TV. The windows get shattered occasionally. I havent told about my situation to my family since they would panic. My colleagues and I aren't able to step out anywhere. I have been here for a month but never expected such intense scenes. I have contacted my company which in turn is coordinating with the Embassy. Hopefully, I should be in a safe place soon. Maheen. S, a Youtuber from Kerala tweeted an image of smoke billowing from the ground. Full of gunshots. This is the view from the place I'm staying. I'm here in Sudan for travelling now from (for) last 3 & half weeks. Maheen said, Around morning 11.30, I heard something that sounded like thunderstorms. I checked through the window and later found out that it was the sound of jet planes flying around. I didn't feel anything suspicious (then) as I was sleepy. At 12.10pm, I woke up to loud sounds of gunshots around my area. And, I saw black smoke rising into the sky. Shooting is still going on and people are staying indoors. Many people are leaving the city with their bags. People are seen walking towards the Southern direction; it seems like Khartoum City is not at all safe now. Many even got robbed by armed groups in the city. Many people are exploiting the situation for their benefits. Through my friends, I got to know that conflict is also happening at other places like Dongola town Ahead of the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, Congress on Saturday has released its third list with some crucial decisions on Saturday. Congress had denied ticket for former chief minister Siddaramaiah from Kolar assembly constituency, while former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi got the Athani assembly seat. Congress has fielded Kothur G. Manjunath from the Kolar seat instead of Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah was seeking to contest from the Kolar assembly seat as the second constituency. The party had already fielded him from Varuna constituency, which was earlier represented by his son. The party also fielded former Governor Margaret Alva's son Nivedit Alva from the Kumta assembly seat. So far, the party has fielded candidates in 209 seats, including 124 seats in the first list and another 42 seats in the second list. The party is yet to announce the seats of 15 more candidates. Former BJP leader Savadi, who announced his decision to resign from the primary membership of the BJP after being denied a ticket to contest in the May 10 Assembly elections, had joined the Congress on Friday. Savadi, a Lingayat leader in Belagavi district, on Friday resigned from the Legislative Council and the BJP before heading to the office of the Congress. (With PTI inputs) ISTANBUL, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) provides excellent opportunities for global companies to explore the Chinese market, a Turkish business person said. "There has been a tremendous demand for the expo. The interest is beyond our expectations," Coskun Simsek, head of the China Trade Center in Istanbul, told Xinhua in a recent interview. For global manufacturers, entrepreneurs and investors who desire to integrate into this market, the expo is full of opportunities, said Simsek, who has been offering consultancy services to Turkish firms on investment in China and helping boost trade between the two countries. The third CICPE kicked off Monday in southern China's island province of Hainan, displaying more than 3,300 brands from 65 countries and regions under the theme of "Share Open Opportunities, Co-create a Better Life." It has an exhibition area of 120,000 square meters, up 20 percent from the previous edition. "Frankly, we shouldn't be surprised by this high demand," Simsek said. "Such interest in the Chinese market is inevitable for the companies to plan to boost their trade relations," especially since the optimization of China's COVID response, he said. The expo also serves as a solid platform for all sides to enhance business "without wasting more time and exerting much effort," Simsek noted. "Businesses in different countries who need to reach some specific products found the opportunity to compare various products under the same roof and contact the manufacturers directly," he said. "Otherwise, they have to travel to China, going from one city to another, which would take months." Meanwhile, the event is important for further deepening trade relations between Turkiye and China, Simsek said. "Turkiye and China have been in solid collaboration for a long time. Their partnership has become a win-win business model for Turkish and Chinese companies. This expo is essential for the two countries' companies," he said, noting that more Turkish companies have started to purchase Chinese-made semifinished products and raw materials, apart from end products. "Wherever you go in the world, no matter what products you look at, you see made-in-China labels on 90 percent of the products you will see in the global market," he said. "This is the biggest indicator of China being a great supplier worldwide. China is now at the center of a supply chain that can suffice the whole world. And this makes China indispensable for many countries," he added. Taking a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for threatening to sue the CBI and ED officials for alleged perjury and filing false affidavits in courts, Union minister Kiren Rijiju asked if the Delhi CM forgot to mention he will file a case against the court as well if it convicts him. Taking to Twitter, the Union minister posted the screenshot of a tweet by the Delhi CM which read, "We will file appropriate cases against CBI and ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts," and said, "We must believe in rule of law." "Forgot to mention that you will file case against Honble court also if it convicts you. Let law takes it own course & we must believe in rule of law," Rijiju wrote. In another tweet, the Union minister said, Sorry Anna ji (Anna Hazare) You didn't know that you were handing over such a huge burden to the country. The CBI summoned the Delhi CM in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam. He has been asked to appear before the agency for questioning on Sunday. The probe agency has already arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case. The Delhi CM alleged that the agencies were torturing people to extract false confessions. A two-month-long initiative, Peace Yatra, that aims to strengthen the push of citizens for a dialogue between government and Maoists to end violence and killing in conflict areas in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha, began on Saturday in Bhilai of Chhattisgarh. The first Chaikle Maandi (peace meeting) of a series of such meetings, planned for the next two months, was held with 50 tribal people most of them employees or retired employees of the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP)attending. The yatra (tour) has been launched under the banner of New Peace Process (NPP) an initiative of tribal and supporting groups seeking a peaceful resolution to the Maoist issue. Convener of the NPP, Shubhranshu Choudhary said the yatra will cover 10 districts in what is known as Dandakaranya region including seven in Bastar division and the Mohla-Manpur Ambagarh Chowki district of Chhattisgarh, Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and Malkangiri in Odisha. Attempts will be made to hold one 'Chaikle Maandi' per day during the two months, he said. Fifteen persons associated with the NPP will be carrying out the initiative, holding the 'Chaikle Maandis' with different groups of tribal people in the conflict areas of these 10 districts. The aim is that there should be citizens voice created that can pressurise the political parties, especially the Congress, which is the ruling party in Chhattisgarh to take steps forward for peace dialogue with the Maoists, ahead of the assembly polls that will be held in October-November 2023, Choudhary told THE WEEK. He said the time is ripe for such steps by the government as the Maoists have shown an inclination for peace dialogue during the past two years by seemingly adopting the united front strategy that saw secular democracy established in once-Maoist conflict-hit Nepal. The united front strategy involved alliances with like-minded over-ground groups that talk about the rights of the local people, which in the case of central India conflict area, is the rights of jal, jungle and zameen (water, forest and land) of the tribal people. Choudhary said the Maoists in Dandakaranya have managed to form a peoples front that uses the way of peaceful agitation to demand rights, starting with the Silger agitation of Sukma district where four locals were killed in CRPF firing in May 2021. The Maoists are also pushing their united front strategy by incorporating their own people in other established organisations that take up peaceful initiatives like informal dialogue with the government on various rights-based issues, he added. Choudhary, who has covered Maoist conflict as a BBC correspondent for a long time, said he sees similarities in the strategy adopted by the Maoists in Nepal whom he interacted with as part of his work. Now since the Maoists are adopting the united front strategy here; it is a good time for the government also to take steps forward. The Congress promised serious efforts for peace talks with Maoists in its 2018 poll manifesto. Now, another election is approaching and we feel that pressure from citizens can probably push them to take the required step. Our initiative is trying to ensure this, Choudhary said. Shraddha Walkar's father, on Saturday, moved an application in a Delhi court seeking the remains of her daughter for cremation, saying tradition and culture required performance of her last rites. Shraddha was allegedly strangled by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala on May 18 last year, following which he sawed her body into pieces and kept them in a fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi's Mehrauli. He scattered them at different places in the national capital to avoid being caught. During the court proceedings, the Delhi Police informed Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar that a reply will be filed on April 29. The application moved by advocate Seema Kushwaha on behalf of Vikas Madan Walkar said according to custom, the last rites had to be performed within a year and the last date for cremation based on the Hindu calendar is May 8. Underlining that more than 10 months have gone by since her death, the application requested for conducting the proceedings fast so the bones and other body parts of the deceased could be exhibited and handed over to her family. The traditional belief in our country is that unless the last rites are performed, the soul of the deceased shall not rest in peace and this belief is deeply rooted...It also has an emotional and sentimental aspect. Hence, the family members of the deceased victim should not be deprived of the right to perform the last rites, the application said. It said not providing a chance to perform the last rites would violate the fundamental rights of the deceased under Articles 21 (right to life) and 25 (freedom of free conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) of the Constitution. The application referred to a 2009 judgment of the Allahabad High Court, according to which the word 'person' in Article 21 of the Constitution included a dead person in a limited sense and the right to life with dignity should be extended in such a manner that the dead body is given respect, which the person would have deserved, on being alive, subject to the professed tradition, culture and the religion and that the society should not be permitted to show any disrespect to the deceased. Right to a decent funeral can also be traced in Article 25 of the Constitution of India which provides for freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion subject to public order, morality and health and to the other fundamental rights, the application said. A European spacecraft rocketed away Friday on a decadelong quest to explore Jupiter and three of its icy moons that could have buried oceans. The journey began with a morning liftoff by Europe's Ariane rocket from French Guiana in South America. It will take the robotic explorer, dubbed Juice, eight years to reach Jupiter, where it will scope out not only the solar system's biggest planet but also Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. The three ice-encrusted moons are believed to harbour underground oceans, where sea life could exist. Then in perhaps the most impressive feat of all, Juice will attempt to go into orbit around Ganymede: No spacecraft has ever orbited a moon other than our own. With so many moons, at last count 95 astronomers consider Jupiter a mini solar system of its own, with missions like Juice long overdue. We are not going to detect life with Juice, stressed the European Space Agency's project scientist, Olivier Witasse. But learning more about the moons and their potential seas will bring scientists closer to answering the is-there-life-elsewhere question. That will be really the most interesting aspect of the mission, he said. Juice is taking a long, roundabout route to Jupiter, covering 4 billion miles (6.6 billion kilometres) It will swoop within 125 miles (200 kilometres) of Callisto and 250 miles (400 kilometres) of Europa and Ganymede, completing 35 flybys while circling Jupiter. Then it will hit the brakes to orbit Ganymede, the primary target of the 1.6 billion-euro mission (nearly USD 1.8 billion). Ganymede is not only the solar system's largest moon it surpasses Mercury but has its own magnetic field with dazzling auroras at the poles. Even more enticing, it's thought to have an underground ocean holding more water than Earth. Ditto for Europa and its reported geysers, and heavily cratered Callisto, a potential destination for humans given its distance from Jupiter's debilitating radiation belts, according to Carnegie Institution's Scott Sheppard, who's not involved with the Juice mission. The ocean worlds in our solar system are the most likely to have possible life, so these large moons of Jupiter are prime candidates to search, said Sheppard, a moon hunter who's helped discover well over 100 in the outer solar system. The spacecraft, about the size of a small bus, won't reach Jupiter until 2031, relying on gravity-assist flybys of Earth and our moon, as well as Venus. These things take time and they change our world, said the Planetary Society's chief executive, Bill Nye. The California-based space advocacy group organised a virtual watch party for the launch. Belgium's King Philippe and Prince Gabriel, and a pair of astronauts France's Thomas Pesquet and Germany's Matthias Maurer were among the spectators in French Guiana. Thursday's launch attempt was nixed by the threat of lightning. Juice short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer will spend three years buzzing Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. The spacecraft will attempt to enter orbit around Ganymede in late 2034, circling the moon for nearly a year before flight controllers send it crashing down in 2035, later if enough fuel remains. Europa is especially attractive to scientists hunting for signs of life beyond Earth. Juice will keep its Europa encounters to a minimum, however, because of the intense radiation there so close to Jupiter. Juice's sensitive electronics are encased in lead to protect against radiation. The 14,000-pound (6,350-kilogram) spacecraft also is wrapped with thermal blankets temperatures near Jupiter hover around minus 380 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 230 degrees Celsius). And its solar panels stretch 88 feet (27 metres) tip to tip to soak in as much sunlight that far from the sun. Late next year, NASA will send an even more heavily shielded spacecraft to Jupiter, the long-awaited Europa Clipper, which will beat Juice to Jupiter by more than a year because it will launch on SpaceX's mightier rocket. The two spacecraft will team up to study Europa like never before. NASA has long dominated exploration at Jupiter, beginning with flybys in the 1970s by the twin Pioneers and then Voyagers. Only one spacecraft remains humming at Jupiter: NASA's Juno, which just logged its 50th orbit since 2016. Europe provided nine of Juice's science instruments, with NASA supplying just one. If Juice confirms underground oceans conducive to past or present life, Witasse said the next step will be to send drills to penetrate the icy crusts and maybe even a submarine. We have to be creative, he said. We can still think it's science fiction, but sometimes the science fiction can join the reality. (AP) The Constitutional Council in France on Friday approved President Macron's plan to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62. The order comes as a victory for President Emmanuel Macron after three months of mass protests over the legislation that have damaged his leadership. The move is likely to enrage unions and other opponents of the pension plan, including protesters gathered in spots around France on Friday evening as the decision came down. The council rejected some other measures in the pension bill, but the higher age was central to Macron's plan and the target of protesters' anger. Macron can enact the bill within 15 days. Protests continued strong on day 12 in France-- hundreds of thousands of protestors including trade unions and activists carried out nationwide demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. The Guardian reported that the constitutional council struck down some lesser elements of the proposal. These included measures designed to increase employment for older workers, which were rejected on the grounds that they did not belong in legislation which was tacked on to a social security budget bill, the publication reported. Germany on Saturday began processes to shut down its remaining three nuclear plants as part of its long-term plan for transitioning towards renewable energy. The shutdown of the reactors Emsland, Neckarwestheim II and Isar II, agreed to more than a decade ago, was being closely watched abroad. Germany delayed the closure of the plants, which met 6.5 per cent of Germany's power requirements owing to a reduction in Russia's gas supplies to Europe last year. The Guardian reported Germany began phasing out nuclear power more than two decades ago, but in 2010, former Chancellor Angela Merkel announced an extension to the life of 17 nuclear plants until 2036. However, the policy was reversed in 2011 after an earthquake and tsunami caused the meltdown of reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, the publication reported. The Guardian reported in Germany, coal accounted for just over 30 per cent of Germanys electricity generation in 2022, wind 22 per cent, gas-fired generation at 13 per cent and solar at 10 per cent. Biomass, nuclear and hydroelectric power made up the bulk of the remainder, the publication reported. Other industrialised countries, such as the United States, Japan, China, France and Britain, are counting on nuclear energy to replace planet-warming fossil fuels. Germany's decision to stop using both has met some skepticism, as well as unsuccessful calls to stop the shutdown. Public pressure in Germany, stoked by nuclear disasters at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima, put pressure on successive German governments to end the use of a technology that anti-nuclear activists argue is unsafe and unsustainable. Environmental groups planned to mark the day with celebrations outside the three reactors. Small, closed-door ceremonies inside the plants were also organised. Defenders of atomic energy say fossil fuels should be phased out first as part of global efforts to curb climate change, arguing that nuclear power produces far fewer greenhouse gas emissions. As energy prices spiked last year due to the war in Ukraine, some members of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government got cold feet about closing the nuclear plants as planned on December 31, 2022. The government agreed to a one-time extension of the deadline, but Scholz made clear the final countdown would happen on April 15. The government has acknowledged that in the short term, Germany will have to rely more heavily on polluting coal and natural gas to meet its energy needs, even as it takes steps to massively ramp up electricity production from solar and wind. The country aims to be carbon neutral by 2045. India and United Kingdom on Saturday advised its citizens in Sudan to stay indoors amid heavy firing between the Sudanese Army and paramilitary force RSF. Sustained firing was heard in Sudan's capital Khartoum on Saturday morning amid tensions between the military and the country's powerful paramilitary forces. The Guardian reported that the RSF claimed it had taken control of the presidential palace, the residence of the army chief and Khartoum international airport. The firing was reported in central Khartoum and the neighbourhood of Bahri. The Indian Embassy in Sudan tweeted, In view of reported firings and clashes, all Indians are advised to take utmost precautions, stay indoors and stop venturing outside with immediate effect. Please also stay calm and wait for updates. Similarly, the British Embassy in Sudan asked its nationals there to remain indoors. On Twitter, the Embassy said, "We are closely monitoring the situation in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan where there are ongoing military clashes. We advise all British Nationals in Sudan to remain indoors and follow our travel advice for more updates." UK issued travel advice for its nationals and said, There is a risk that the situation in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan could deteriorate. You should stay away from areas where demonstrations are planned. If you unexpectedly meet a demonstration, leave the area straight away. Tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces, as the paramilitary is known, have escalated in recent months, forcing a delay in the signing of an internationally backed deal with political parties to revive the country's democratic transition. In a statement issued Saturday morning, the RSF accused the army of attacking its forces at one of its bases in South KhartoumThe military used light and heavy weapons in the attack, it said. The army has not commented on the incident. Current tensions between the army and the paramilitary stem from a disagreement over how the RSF, headed by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, should be integrated into the military and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudan's unsigned transition agreement. In a rare televised speech Thursday, a top army general warned of potential clashes with paramilitary force, accusing it of deploying forces in Khartoum and other areas of Sudan without the army's consent. The RSF defended the presence of its forces in an earlier statement. The paramilitary recently deployed troops near the northern Sudanese town of Merowe. Also, videos circulating on social media Thursday show what appear to be RSF-armed vehicles being transported into Khartoum, farther to the south. The army-RSF rivalry dates back to the rule of autocratic President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019. Under the former president, the paramilitary force grew out of former militias known as the Janjaweed that carried out a brutal crackdown in Sudan's Darfur region during the decades of conflict there. As the US administration scrambles to deal with the fallout of the Pentagon Leaks, which resulted in troves of secret documents being released online, more details emerge about the extent of the security breach. Jack Teixeira, 21, who was arrested by the FBI on Thursday, appeared in court to face charges under the Espionage Act of unauthorised removal and retention of classified and national defence information. A federal magistrate judge ordered him held until a detention hearing next week. The FBI affidavit unsealed in court Friday revealed that Teixeira, an airman with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, allegedly began posting classified information on Discorda social media platform popular among online gamersas early as December 2022. According to CNN, Teixeira is believed to have been the head of an online private chat group named 'Thug Shaker Central', on Discord. Investigators stated in the affidavit that at least one of the documents that described the status of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including troop movements, was classified at the TS-SCI level, meaning it contains top-secret, sensitive compartmentalised information. Group members who spoke to the investigators had identified the leaker as the 'O.G.'. The group, with over two dozen memberss, often discussed guns, war updates related to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and shared memes. Some members also said Teixeira often discussed God and prayed with members of the group. The CNN reported that after writing his posts for a while, Teixeira started sharing photographs of crumbled-up papers, suggesting they were removed from a secure location. A Discord user told investigators that Teixeira had become concerned he might be discovered transcribing the documents in his workplace, so he started taking them home and photographing them. He was frustrated with the lack of response to his earlier written-up versions of the sensitive information. Weeks ago, one of the private group's participants shared some of the files in a different chat group and from there they appear to have spread across the Internet. After news broke of the classified documents circulating on the internet, Teixeira started using his computer to search the word 'leak' to check if the probe agencies had found anything. In a statement acknowledging the extent of the problem that the leaks exposed, President Joe Biden said Friday that he had directed both the military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information. Noida (India), April 15: Union Minister Ashwini Choubey inaugurated Burnett Homeopathy's outlet and clinic in Noida, on this Wednesday, 12th April. Dr. Nitish Chandra Dubey, a well-known homeopathy doctor of the country, who belongs to Bihar, has opened an outlet and clinic of his homeopathic medicine company Burnett Homeopathy Private Limited in Noida as well. After huge positive response from his outlet in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, the Burnett outlet has started in Sector-18 of Noida near Delhi, where all the products of the company can be bought under one roof, as well as a homeopathy doctor for medical consultation will be available for the patients. Dr. Nitish Chandra Dubey, CMD of Burnett Homeopathy Pvt. Ltd., himself also runs a clinic named Hari Om Homeo Kalyanpur in Delhi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Munger and Begusarai, where he sits in different clinics on different days of the week. A huge number of patients of all the clinics be it Delhi or Bihar trust Dr. Nitish Dubey for their treatment and there is always a rush in his clinic. Union Minister of State Ashwini Kumar Choubey arrived on Wednesday to inaugurate the new outlet of Burnett Homeopathy in F Block of Noida Sector-18 and congratulated Mr Nitish for the huge success. After inaugurating the outlet, Ashwini Choubey said during a media interaction that Dr. Nitish Dubey, is a talented and wonderful doctor of homeopathy. "Due to his talent and hard work, Dr. Dubey has not only given a big position to his clinic or pharmaceutical company in a very short time, but has also done a commendable job in the direction of taking the entire homeopathic system of medicine to the masses. Dr. Nitish has won the hearts of everyone by organizing a big function recently in Nagpur and also outside the country in Dubai for the upliftment of homeopathic medicine and in honor of homeopathic doctors. I congratulate Dr. Nitish that he should continue to raise the flag of homeopathy honestly" said Ashwini Choubey, Union Minister. Ashwini Choubey said that starting such a grand outlet and clinic in Noida is a big achievement and milestone. The opening of such grand homeopathy clinics also suggests that public confidence in this accessible and safe medical method is increasing and is only possible with such knowledgeable doctors like Nitish Chandra. Dr. Nitish is specialized in treating mental, physical, nervous, paralytic, sexual, male and female ailments. He has years of experience and in-depth knowledge in homeopathy for diseases like infertility, ADHD, autism, arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo and many more disorders. Dr. Nitish was very happy to have a new outlet for the treatment of people where he would the homeopathy treatment will be more accessible to people of Noida. "Every moment of my life has been devoted to homeopathy. I neither think nor do anything other than homeopathy. My aim is that homeopathy should be accessible to the masses. With this objective, an outlet and clinic has been started in Noida, where specialist doctors will be available for treatment" said Dr. Nitish Chandra Dubey, CMD of Burnett Homeopathy Pvt. Ltd. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) An IndiGo plane enroute to Bagdogra returned to Delhi on Saturday afternoon due to a technical problem. While a source said the aircraft made an emergency landing due to a technical problem, IndiGo said the flight 6E 6282 from Delhi to Bagdogra returned to Delhi as a precaution. "The pilot noticed a technical issue and requested a turn back. The aircraft landed safely and is undergoing necessary inspection. An alternate aircraft was provided for the passengers to be flown to Bagdogra," IndiGo said in a statement. According to the source, there were more than 200 people onboard. RAMALLAH, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Friday by Israeli soldiers during clashes in several West Bank towns and villages, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said in a statement. According to the PRCS, three people, including a child, were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets and 40 others suffered respiratory damage after inhaling teargas fired by Israeli soldiers to disperse Palestinians who threw stones at them. Fierce clashes broke out between anti-settlement protesters and Israeli soldiers in the villages of Beit Dajan and Beita, near the city of Nablus, as well as in the village of Kafr Qaddum, located east of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank, according to local sources. In Beita village, Palestinians have been protesting against a nearby Israeli settlement that has been allegedly encroaching on the land of the village since May 2021. Israeli authorities have not commented on the incidents yet. Beita and Beit Dajan have been the sites of weekly protests against the expansion of Israeli settlements in the two villages, with clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers. Official Palestinian figures indicate that over 700,000 Israeli settlers currently reside in 151 settlements scattered around the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel has controlled or blockaded these areas ever since. , Apr 15 (PTI) Amid peace prevailing along the Indo-Pakistan border due to year-long ceasefire, wheat harvesting on the zero line along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Gajansoo belt began on Saturday. Located bang on zero line, the agriculture department's Seed Multiplication Farm spread on nearly 2,300 acres of land on two sides of border fencing in the Golpattan-Chinore belt, nearly 55 kilometres from Jammu, saw men and machines getting into action since morning to harvest wheat crop. The ceasefire along the border between India and Pakistan is prevailing since last year. This has rekindled hopes for a peaceful future among border residents, who have been living under constant fear of cross-border shelling, in Jammu & Kashmir. The ceasefire was announced by the two armies through a joint statement issued on February 25 last. "We have started harvesting the wheat crop on this farm. Our crops are ripe. we will take few days to complete harvesting in this farm", the Manager of Seed Multiplication Farm, Chinore, Kuldeep Raj told PTI. He said that harvesting is taking place on 2,290 acres of land spread on two sides of border fencing. "After completion of the harvesting on this side, we will undertake harvesting across the fencing on an area of 280 acres of land with the support of BSF", he said. BSF troops, who are guarding the International Border (IB), allow farmers and employees of the agriculture department to cultivate and harvest their lands across the border fencing. "BSF troops go with us during harvesting work. They protect and support us", he said. Jammu and Kashmir government's Seed Multiplication Farm, is one of the biggest farms in the Jammu region to produce high-yield seeds for distribution to farmers under the 'Holistic Agriculture Development Plan'. The farm also grows oats on 200 acres of land, potatoes, mustard and many other crops. The men and machines, including harvesters were pressed into services by the department to undertake fast harvesting of the wheat crops. Harvesting usually starts with the festival of Vaisakhi in Jammu. The scores of employees agriculture department demand risk allowance on the pattern of BSF. "We are doing cropping activity under the eyes of Pakistan Rangers. There is also a constant fear among us. We don't have bullet jackets and helmets like BSF troops. So government should grant us risk allowances", an official said. The department is working on a war footing on 29 projects under the holistic agriculture Development Plan, Additional chief secretary Atal Dulloo said. He said that HADP is set to be a turning point in the agri-economy of the UT whereby Rs 5,013 crore shall be infused over the next five years through 29 interventions and projects. "Besides, the 29 interventions are set to create around 19,000 new enterprises in the agriculture sector and an additional 2.8 lakh jobs. This will ultimately increase the GDP of the UT significantly by the next 5 years", he said. Islamabad, Apr 14 (PTI) Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday directed the central bank to provide Rs 21 billion for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces after the government failed to provide funds for the polls. The apex court on April 4 ordered the federal government to provide Rs 21 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by Monday to enable it to organise polls in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Instead, the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, introduced a bill titled Charged Sum for General Election (Provincial Assemblies of Punjab & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Bill 2023 in Parliament on Monday to authorise the release of the required funds for the ECP to hold elections. The bill, sent to the House Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue for discussions by the National Assembly Speaker, was rejected on Thursday. The apex court took up the case of failure of the government to arrange necessary funds despite the court verdict of April 4 to provide money to the Election Commission of Pakistan by April 10. A three-member panel led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the case where State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Deputy Governor Sima Kamil and other officials including Attorney General Mansoor Awan were present. After the hearing, the chief justice ordered the SBP to release Rs21 billion and send an appropriate communication to this effect to the finance ministry by April 17. The court had already ordered elections in Punjab on May 14 but the ECP had been hamstrung due to the non-availability of money to carry out the exercise. The government has been using the pretext of a deteriorating economic situation to avoid the release of funds. However, the top court is adamant that elections are held on time. Separately, the court is also hearing petitions on the failure of the federal government to implement the order to provide Rs21 billion by April 10. Washington, Apr 15 (AP) The Supreme Court said Friday it was temporarily keeping in place federal rules for use of an abortion drug, while it takes time to more fully consider the issues raised in a court challenge. In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the court asked both sides to weigh in by Tuesday over whether lower court rulings restricting the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug, mifepristone, should be allowed to take effect while the case works its way through federal courts. The order suggests the court will decide that issue by late Wednesday. The justices are being asked at this point only to determine what parts of an April 7 ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, as modified by an appellate ruling Wednesday, can be in force while the case continues. The Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, the maker of the pill, asked the justices to intervene. The type of order issued by the court Friday, an administrative stay, ordinarily is not an indication of what the justices will do going forward. The Biden administration and a drug manufacturer asked the Supreme Court on Friday to preserve access to an abortion drug free from restrictions imposed by lower court rulings, while a legal fight continues. The Justice Department and Danco Laboratories both warned of regulatory chaos and harm to women if the high court doesn't block an appeals court ruling in a case from Texas that had the effect of tightening Food and Drug Administration rules under which the drug, mifepristone, can be prescribed and dispensed. The new limits would take effect Saturday unless the court acts before then. "This application concerns unprecedented lower court orders countermanding FDA's scientific judgment and unleashing regulatory chaos by suspending the existing FDA-approved conditions of use for mifepristone," Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, wrote Friday, less than two days after the appellate ruling. A lawyer for the anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations suing over mifepristone said the justices should reject the drugmaker's and the administration's pleas and allow the appeals court-ordered changes to take effect. The fight over mifepristone lands at the Supreme Court less than a year after conservative justices reversed Roe v. Wade and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright. The justices are being asked for a temporary order to keep in place Food and Drug Administration regulations governing mifepristone. Such an order would give them time to more fully consider each side's arguments without the pressure of a deadline. The Biden administration and Danco, which is based in New York, also want a more lasting order that would keep the current rules in place as long as the legal fight over mifepristone continues. As a fallback, they asked the court to take up the issue, hear arguments and decide by early summer a legal challenge to mifepristone that anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations filed last year. The court rarely acts so quickly to grant full review of cases before at least one appeals court has thoroughly examined the legal issues involved. A ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Wednesday would prevent the pill, used in the most common abortion method, from being mailed or prescribed without an in-person visit to a doctor. It also would withdraw the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone for use beyond the seventh week of pregnancy. The FDA says it's safe through 10 weeks. Still, the appeals court did not entirely withdraw FDA approval of mifepristone while the fight over it continues. The 5th circuit narrowed an April 7 ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, whose far-reaching and virtually unprecedented order would have blocked FDA approval of the pill. He gave the administration a week to appeal. To the government's knowledge, this is the first time any court has abrogated FDA's conditions on a drug's approval based on a disagreement with the agency's judgment about safety much less done so after those conditions have been in effect for years, Prelogar wrote. Erin Hawley, a lawyer for the challengers, said in a statement that the FDA has put politics ahead of health concerns in its actions on medication abortion. The 5th Circuit rightly required the agency to prioritize women's health by restoring critical safeguards, and we'll urge the Supreme Court to keep that accountability in place, said Hawley said, a senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that also argued to overturn Roe v. Wade. Mifepristone was approved by the FDA more than two decades ago and is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol. Adding to the uncertainty, a separate federal judge in Washington on Thursday clarified his own order from last week to make clear that the FDA is not to do anything that might block mifepristone's availability in 17 Democrat-led states suing to keep it on the market. It's unclear how the FDA can comply with court orders in both cases, a situation that Prelogar described Friday as untenable. (AP) ANB ANB Johannesburg, Apr 15 (PTI) The South African government has said that fugitive Indian-origin businessmen Rajesh and Atul Gupta are still its citizens using the country's passports, amid reports that they have acquired citizenship of Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. South Africa said last week that the UAE turned down its request to extradite the duo to face trial in the country on charges of fraud and corruption. The three Gupta brothers, Ajay, Atul and Rajesh are wanted in South Africa for their alleged roles in the looting of billions of rands from state enterprises. They are alleged to have used their proximity to former President Jacob Zuma for their gains. The family fled to Dubai five years ago as the law enforcement agencies closed in on them following Zumas ousting by his own African National Congress. The Guptas are using South African passports, I just can't tell when, because when you are a South African passport (holder) away from us, we won't know. Our movement control system doesnt show if you crossed into China (or anywhere else). It doesnt show, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Friday. The minister was reacting to media reports that the Guptas were now citizens of Vanuatu, a small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean east of Australia. Hailing from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, the Guptas built an empire in the IT, media and mining industries after arriving in South Africa in 1993 to start a shoe shop. Last week South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said his government was shocked and dismayed after the UAE declined the request to extradite the Gupta brothers to face trial in South Africa on fraud and corruption charges. Motsoaledi said the Guptas had acquired their passports irregularly from a corrupt home affairs official against whom action had been taken. But the Department has no plans yet to cancel their passports or revoke the citizenship of the Guptas as an appeal to the UAE on the extradition request would then be meaningless, Motsoaledi said. We can't take back the passport before we take away the citizenship. We must start there. We are chasing them because we believe they belong to us. So, if we take away that citizenship, do we still have any rights? the minister said. A report in the Vanuatu Daily Post said Vanuatus Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) had advised Vanuatus Citizenship Office on the hostile information against the corruption-accused fugitive brothers on two separate occasions in 2018. The report said the Vanuatu Citizenship Office and the Department of Immigration have declined to confirm or deny whether the Guptas are currently residing in Vanuatu. Previous reports indicated that the Guptas were seeking asylum in the African nations of Cameroon and the Central African Republic. Washington, Apr 15 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said an idea becomes a mass movement when it moves from "discussion tables to dinner tables" as he called for people's participation and collective efforts in the fight against climate change. He also told a gathering of world leaders on Friday that when people become conscious that simple acts in their daily lives are powerful, there will be a very positive impact on the environment. "People across the world hear a lot about climate change. Many of them feel a lot of anxiety because they do not know what they can do about it. They are constantly made to feel that only governments or global institutions have a role. If they learn that they can also contribute, their anxiety will turn into action," Modi said while addressing the World Bank-organised "Making it Personal: How behavioral change can tackle climate change" conference. Citing "Mission Life", which was launched by him and the UN secretary general last year October, Modi said the programme is about democratising the battle against climate change. "Climate change cannot be fought from conference tables alone. It has to be fought from the dinner tables in every home," he told the conference being held on the sidelines of the annual spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. "When an idea moves from discussion tables to dinner tables, it becomes a mass movement", making every family and individual a part, and their choices can help the planet as well as provide scale and speed, he said. Prime Minister Modi said when people become conscious that simple acts in their daily lives are powerful, there will be a very positive impact on the environment. The people of India have done a lot in this matter, he said. "In the last few years, people-driven efforts have improved the sex-ratio in many parts of India. It was the people who laid a massive cleanliness drive, be it rivers, beaches, or roads. They are ensuring public places are free of litter, and it was the people who made the switch to LED bulbs a success. Nearly 370 million LED bulbs have been sold in India," he said. This helps in avoiding nearly 39 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, the prime minister said. Farmers of India ensure coverage of nearly 7,00,000 hectares of farmland through micro-irrigation. Fulfilling the mantra of per drop more crop, this has saved a huge amount of water, he pointed out. "Under Mission Life, our efforts are spread across many domains, such as making local bodies environment friendly, saving water, saving energy, reducing waste, and e-wastes, adopting healthy lifestyles, adoption of natural farming, promotion of millets," Modi said. These efforts will save over 22 billion units of energy, save nine trillion litres of water, reduce waste by 375 million tons, recycle almost one million tons of e-waste, and generate around 170 million of additional cost saving by 2030, he said. "Further, it will help us reduce wastage of 15 billion tons of food," Modi said, noting that the global primary crop production in 2020, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, was about nine billion tons. He said global institutions have an important role to play in encouraging countries across the world. The World Bank Group is looking to increase climate finance from 26 per cent to 35 percent as a share of total financing. The focus of this climate finance is usually on conventional respects, he noted. The prime minister said adequate financing methods need to be worked out for behavioral initiatives and a show of support by the World Bank towards behavioral initiatives such as Mission Life will have a multiplier effect. Sapporo (Japan), Apr 15 (AP) Japan and the United States agreed on Saturday to cooperate on developing geothermal energy, one of the most plentiful resources on this volcanic island chain. The memorandum of commitment was signed on Saturday on the sidelines of a meeting of the Group of Seven energy and environment ministers in the northern city of Hokkaido. Japan's famed hot springs reflect its abundant geothermal activity, but the spas and resorts clustered around them have slowed efforts to use that resource to generate power. The pact signed by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Japan's minister of economy, trade and industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura, says that geothermal energy is recognised as a renewable energy technology that the United States and Japan can work together to advance. It calls for collaborating in research and development and exchange of information and in pursuing geothermal projects in the US, Japan and other countries. It's one of an array of areas where the two countries intend to collaborate in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. The prospects of offshore wind are enormous. The prospects of geothermal. We're very excited about partnering with Japan on these kinds of issues, Granholm said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday ahead of the G-7 meetings. Adding more geothermal power could make it possible for Japan to provide 90 per cent of its power generation from renewable sources, according to an estimate by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. That would amount to a 92 per cent reduction in the country's greenhouse gas emissions, it said in a recent study. So far, Japan's geothermal capacity has been underutilised: it has dozens of small power plants run on the steaming hot springs dotted across the country, but together they account for less than 1 per cent of its total power generating capacity. Both Japan and the US are looking to export geothermal technology. Japanese companies are participating in a joint project to build what is expected to be the world's largest geothermal power station, in Indonesia's Sumatra, with 320 gigawatts of electricity. Biomass and geothermal power also contribute less than 1 per cent of US generating capacity, according to the US Energy Information Administration. (AP) FZH Beijing, Apr 15 (AP) Beijing on Saturday protested US sanctions against additional Chinese companies over their alleged attempts to evade US export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains. The US Commerce Department on Wednesday put five firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong on its entity list, barring them from trading with any US firms without gaining a nearly unobtainable special license. Washington has been tightening up enforcement of sanctions against foreign firms it sees as providing assistance to Russia in its war against Ukraine, forcing them to choose between trading with Moscow or with the US. A total of 28 entities from countries ranging from Malta to Turkey to Singapore were added to the list. A statement from China's Commerce Ministry said the US action has no basis in international law and is not authorized by the United Nations Security Council". It is a typical unilateral sanction and a form of long-arm jurisdiction' which seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and affects the security and stability of the global supply chain. China firmly opposes this, the statement said. The US should immediately correct its wrongdoing and stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, it added. The latest sanctions were levelled against Allparts Trading Co., Ltd.; Avtex Semiconductor Limited; ETC Electronics Ltd.; Maxtronic International Co., Ltd.; and STK Electronics Co., Ltd., registered in Hong Kong. The list identifies entities essentially businesses that the US suspects have been involved, are involved, or pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States, the department said. Entities named were designated as "military end users" for attempting to evade export controls and acquiring or attempting to acquire US-origin items in support of Russia's military and/or defence industrial base, it said. The Chinese protest was similar to one issued in February after the US announced sanctions against the Chinese company Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd., also known as Spacety China. The department said the company supplied Russia's Wagner Group private army affiliates with satellite imagery of Ukraine that support Wagner's military operations there. A Luxembourg-based subsidiary of Spacety China was also targeted. At that time, China's Foreign Ministry accused the US of outright bullying and double standards for sanctioning its companies while intensifying efforts to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons. China has maintained that it is neutral in the conflict, while backing Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for the invasion of its neighbour. China has refused to criticize Russia's actions, blasted Western economic sanctions on Moscow, maintained trade ties and affirmed a no limits relationship between the countries just weeks before last year's invasion. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow last month and China announced Friday that Defence Minister Gen. Li Shangfu would visit Russia this coming week for meetings with counterpart Sergei Shoigu and other military officials. However, Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Friday said China won't sell weapons to either side in the war, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide outright military assistance to Russia. Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude, Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict, and manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations. (AP) PY PY Warsaw, Apr 15 (AP) Poland's government said Saturday that it has decided to temporarily prohibit grain and other food imports from Ukraine as it seeks to soothe the rising anger of Polish farmers, who say they are losing huge amounts of money to a glut of Ukrainian grain on the market. Ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said at a party convention in eastern Poland that the Polish countryside is facing a moment of crisis, and that while Poland supports Ukraine, it was forced to act to protect its farmers. Today, the government has decided on a regulation that prohibits the importation of grain, but also dozens of other types of food, to Poland, Kaczynski said. The government announced that the ban on imports would last until June 30. The regulation also includes a prohibition on imports of sugar, eggs, meat, milk and other dairy products and fruits and vegetables. Farmers in neighboring countries have also complained about Ukrainian grain flooding their countries and creating a glut that has caused prices to fall and causing them to take steep losses. The increasing imports of agricultural products from Ukraine cause serious disturbances in the markets of our countries, great damage to producers and social unrest, the Polish agriculture minister, Robert Telus, told his counterparts from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary this week. All are members of the European Union and he said the bloc should take urgent action on the matter. We cannot accept a situation where the entire burden of dealing with increased imports rests mainly with farmers from our countries, Telus said. The situation is the result of Russia's war against Ukraine. After Russia blocked traditional export sea passages, the European Union lifted duties on Ukrainian grain to facilitate its transport to Africa and the Middle East. Grain has since flowed into Poland but much of its has not transited further on to the Middle East and Northern Africa, as it was meant to under the EU plan. Poland's government has sought to blame the EU for the situation. But some unions and opposition politicians accuse government-linked companies of causing the problem by buying up cheap, low-quality Ukrainian grain, and then selling it to bread and pasta plants as high-quality Polish produce. Tomasz Obszanski, of the farmers' Solidarity union, said that about 3 million tons of grain intended for Africa were received by traders once the grain arrived in Poland, and he alleged that some companies have made huge money off the situation. The leader of the protesting farmers and head of the AgroUnia group, Michal Kolodziejczak, estimated farmers' losses at up to 10 billion zlotys ($2.3 billion). The rising anger of the farmers comes ahead of an election in the fall and is a headache for the ruling conservative Law and Justice party as it seeks a third term. Polls show that it is the most popular party in the country but could fall short of a majority in the next parliament. It faces a particular challenge from a far-right party, Confederation, which combines libertarian and nationalist views and which contains some members seen as sympathetic to Russia. The party has grown to be the third-most popular party in some polls. Kaczynski on Saturday also announced other measures meant to help farmers, including maintaining subsidies on fertilizer. (AP) NSA Hanoi, Apr 15 (AP) The United States and Vietnam pledged to boost relations as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Hanoi on Saturday as part of the Biden administration's push to counter China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Blinken and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday vowed to bring ties to a new level. Their meeting came just two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of American combat forces from South Vietnam that marked the end of America's direct military involvement in the Vietnam war. And it came as Blinken was set to break ground on a sprawling new USD 1.2 billion US embassy compound in the Vietnamese capital, a project the administration hopes will demonstrate its commitment to further improving ties less than 30 years after diplomatic relations were restored in 1995. Despite concerns over Vietnam's human rights record, Washington sees Hanoi as a key component of its strategy for the region and has sought to leverage Vietnam's traditional rivalry with its much larger neighbour China to expand US influence in the region. We now hope to be able to take (relations) to an even higher level, Blinken said. This has been a very comprehensive and effective relationship and going forward we will continue to deepen relations, Chinh said We highly appreciate the role and responsibility of the US towards the Asia-Pacific or, in the larger scheme, the Indo-Pacific. He added that Vietnam's communist government is keen to further elevate our bilateral ties to a new height. Along with a number of China's smaller neighbours, Vietnam has maritime and territorial disputes with the Chinese in the South China Sea. The US has responded by offering diplomatic support and bolstering military cooperation with the Philippines and the island of Taiwan, which China claims as a renegade province. And five decades after the Nixon administration pulled US combat forces out of Vietnam on March 29, 1973, Washington is pressing ahead with a push to increase its military relationship with the Vietnamese. (AP) FZH Moscow, Apr 14 (AP) Finland's embassy in Moscow said it received an envelope containing white powder and has turned it and two other sealed envelopes to authorities for investigation, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday. Maria Zakharova said on the ministry's website that the embassy reported three identical envelopes addressed to the Finnish military attache were found in the embassy mail. One was opened and white powder was found inside; the other two were left unopened. All three envelopes were handed over by the diplomatic mission to Russian law enforcement agencies, she said. The incident comes less than two weeks after Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, became a member of the NATO military alliance. Finland had maintained neutrality for decades, but sought membership soon after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. (AP) NSA by Luis Antonio Paulino The visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to China may open a new chapter in the bilateral relations between Brazil and China, thus helping to raise the relations between China and Latin America to a new level. As agreed between China and Brazil, Lula is paying a state visit to China from April 12 to 15. The visit focuses on seeking to expand and strengthen cooperation between Brazil and China in close ties and new areas, and will pave the way for a new leap in bilateral relations, which could promote greater synergy between Brazil's reindustrialization strategy and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Indeed, the meeting between Lula and Chinese President Xi Jinping will result in an even greater strengthening of the ties of cooperation and friendship between the two countries, mainly because, in many aspects, Lula's worldview is totally in line with what Xi has been proposing in international forums. Brazil's participation in the initiative not only means a new wave of Chinese investment in Brazil, but also will eventually consolidate the China-Latin America partnership and symbolically bury the notorious Monroe Doctrine. According to the Monroe Doctrine, the region must always obey the political and economic influence of the United States, which believes that the region is its backyard. For centuries, the region's development has been subordinated to the geopolitical interests of the United States in the hemisphere, which, for various reasons, has become an obstacle to overcoming the economic and social backwardness that has characterized the region since colonial times. The multiple moments in which, for geopolitical and ideological reasons, the various attempts to find an alternative development path for the region's countries were aborted by the local elites with the explicit support of the United States, are well recorded in history. The search for a new development model is an aspiration of the region's progressive forces committed to national sovereignty and the well-being of the people. China offers a viable alternative, which, correctly adapted to local conditions and realities, can represent the opening of a new chapter in the region's history. The partnership between China and Latin America, including Brazil, will be important for the region, not only through the example of China but through concrete actions, based on the principle of mutual gains, which could make all the difference for the region's future. Among the countless possibilities, I would highlight two for the future economy -- the green economy and cutting-edge technologies. In the environmental area, a partnership between Brazil and China could break with the current impasse between the country's desire for development and the pressure that Brazil receives from the United States and the European Union to resign itself to the status of environmental reserve on the planet. A partnership between Brazil and China in defense of the Amazon rainforest could open a new path that could combine the economic use of the region's resources, to the benefit of the country and local populations, with the preservation of the forest, thanks to the technologies and experience that China has been developing. Better than anyone, China knows the importance of developing and preserving the environment. Technical, economic, and financial cooperation in this area could help Brazil, and other countries in the region find the necessary balance between development and environmental preservation. In the technological area, this partnership could also open a new path for the insertion of Brazil and other countries in the region in the global supply chains of industrial and technological goods with higher added value. After the COVID-19 pandemic, much was said about the reorganization of global supply chains that could, in theory, benefit the region, but practically nothing has happened so far. It is not in the interest of the large multinationals in cutting-edge technology in the West, such as semiconductors and the pharmaceutical industry, among others, to transfer higher value-added activities to the region. The agreements that have been signed between Brazil and China in these areas during Lula's visit to China show that there is a world of possibilities that could be better explored and lead not only to the reversal of the deindustrialization process by which the countries of the region, namely Brazil, are currently passing by, as it could represent the entry of the region into the world of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, not only as a supplier of raw materials but also as a producer of goods with greater added value and development of technologies. Editor's note: Luis Antonio Paulino is professor of Sao Paulo State University's Faculty of Philosophy and Sciences. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency. Johannesburg, Apr 14 (PTI) The South African government said on Friday that fugitive businessmen Rajesh and Atul Gupta are still its citizens using the country's passports amid reports that Indian-origin brothers have acquired Vanuatu's citizenship. South Africa said last week said that the UAE has turned down its request to extradite the two to face trial in the country on fraud and corruption charges. The three Gupta brothers, Ajay, Atul and Rajesh are wanted in South Africa for their alleged roles in the looting of billions of rands from state enterprises. They are alleged to have used their closeness to former President Jacob Zuma to do this. The family fled to Dubai five years ago as the net closed in on them following Zumas ousting by his own African National Congress when he refused to step down. The Guptas are using South African passports, I just can't tell when, because when you are a South African passport (holder) away from us, we won't know. Our movement control system doesnt show if you crossed into China (or anywhere else). It doesnt show, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said. The minister was reacting to media reports that the Guptas were now citizens of Vanuatu, a small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean east of Australia. Last week South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said his government was shocked and dismayed after the UAE declined the request to extradite the Gupta brothers to face trial in South Africa on fraud and corruption charges. Motsoaledi said the Guptas had acquired their passports irregularly from a corrupt home affairs official against whom action had been taken. But the Department has no plans yet to cancel their passports or revoke the citizenship of the Guptas as an appeal to the UAE on the extradition request would then be meaningless, Motsoaledi said, We can't take back the passport before we take away the citizenship. We have to start there. We are chasing them because we believe they belong to us. So, if we take away that citizenship, do we still have any rights? the minister said. A report in the Vanuatu Daily Post said Vanuatus Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) had advised Vanuatus Citizenship Office on the hostile information against the corruption-accused fugitive brothers on two separate occasions in 2018. The Daily said the Vanuatu Citizenship Office and the Department of Immigration have declined to confirm or deny whether the Guptas are currently residing in Vanuatu. Previous reports indicated that the Guptas were seeking asylum in the African nations of Cameroon and the Central African Republic. Originally from Saharanpur in India, the Guptas built an empire in the IT, media and mining industries after first arriving in the country to start a shoe shop soon after Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years as a political prisoner to become the first democratically-elected president. Chandigarh, Apr 14 (PTI) Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his immediate intervention for the repeal of "anti-democratic and repressive" laws such as the National Security Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Badal alleged the AAP government in Punjab has turned these "black laws into weapons of mass witch hunt" against members of the Khalsa panth, especially innocent Sikh youths. He claimed in a party statement on Friday that the Punjab government was picking up Sikh youths on suspicion and booking them under laws like the NSA and sending them to far-off places such as Assam. "They have brought back the bitter memories of Kala Pani for the Punjabis under the British," he claimed. "Even innocent members of Sikh families, including the elderly, the women and children are being subjected to repression," the Shiromani Akali Dal chief said. He sought Prime Minister Modi's immediate intervention for the repeal of "anti-democratic and repressive" laws like the NSA and the UAPA because of their adverse impact on India's image as the world's largest democracy. On Monday, the lawyers of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee met eight people detained in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the NSA after they were nabbed during a crackdown by Punjab Police on radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his aides. The Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, recently asked the state government to revoke the detention of some persons under the NSA and demanded that those who have been sent to Dibrugarh jail should be brought back to Punjab so that law can take its course. Badal said in the past even respected Akali Dal leaders like Master Tara Singh, Harchand Singh Longowal, Parkash Singh Badal and Gurcharan Singh Tohra were targeted under these laws. "Today, however, the same black laws have returned under a different garb. The abuse is so rampant that even fundamental rights and legitimate democratic freedom guaranteed under the Constitution have come under a serious threat," Badal claimed in his letter. New Delhi, Apr 14 (PTI) An associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was killed in an attack by rival gang members inside Tihar Jail on Friday evening, according to officials. Prince Tewatia (30) was lodged in central jail number 3, they said. "At around 5.30 pm today, an inmate, Prince Tewatia, had a dispute with another inmate, Attatur Rehman, who is from a rival gang," a jail official said. "Tewatia attacked the other inmate with an improvised weapon and members of both the gangs joined the fight that left four people injured. Three of them are stated to be stable while Tewatia was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital where he was declared dead," the official said. A case was registered and an inquiry by the chief judicial magistrate has been initiated, the official said. According to officials, Tewatia was previously involved in 16 criminal cases, including murder and attempt to murder. In December 2022, Tewatia was arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police for his involvement in a case of carjacking in the national capital. He was arrested for the first time in 2010 in a murder case, they said. Surat, Apr 15 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a setback in Surat city of Gujarat as six of its corporators in the local civic body joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party functionary said on Saturday. These corporators joined the saffron party late Friday night in the presence of Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi. In the February 2021 Surat Municipal Corporation elections, the AAP had put up an impressive show and emerged as the opposition party by winning 27 seats in the 120-member civic body. The BJP had won 93 seats, while the Congress had failed to open its account. Five AAP corporators had joined the BJP in February 2022, but one of them had returned to the AAP fold. Now, with six more corporators joining the ruling party, the AAP's strength has come down to 17. Speaking at their welcome ceremony, minister Sanghavi said, "AAP corporators resigned from their party and joined the BJP." He added that the true face of AAP is coming to light before the country today. "The way AAP leaders spared nothing to defame Gujarat and people of the state, corporators of AAP joined the BJP with a pledge to develop their respective wards," the minister told reporters. One of these six corporators, Ruta Kheni, said that she decided to join the BJP after getting influenced by the ideology of the saffron party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's style of functioning. Its good performance in the Surat civic body elections in 2021 had boosted the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP's confidence ahead of the December 2022 Assembly elections. Although it contested all 182 Assembly seats, it managed to win only five, and not a single one in Surat. Meanwhile, the state unit of the AAP alleged that its corporators were being lured as well as threatened into joining the BJP. In a video statement, AAP corporator Dipti Sakariya alleged that she was invited to the residence of a BJP minister in state capital Gandhinagar, where she was offered money to join the BJP. "I informed our general secretary Monoj Sorathiya about what was going on. Meanwhile, the matter came out in the open after AAP corporators joined the BJP. It is sad to see the manner in which the BJP is misleading them to join the party," she said. Another AAP corporator Rachna Hirpara said the BJP has been trying to make AAP corporators switch sides ever since they won the election. "Offers have been made to us ever since we won the election. BJP has been giving offers, and many corporators fell for it and took up to Rs 50 lakh to join the ruling party," she alleged. Chaibasa, Apr 15 (PTI) A 35-year-old man and his son were injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, a police officer said. The man identified as Jena Koda alias Motka, a resident of Rengdahatu village and his six-year-old son had gone to Tenda forest to pluck leaves when the IED planted by banned CPI (Maoists) to target security personnel went off on Friday, injuring them seriously, Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar. The district police and Cobra battalion rushed the boy to Sadar Hospital after providing them primary treatment, the SP said, adding the condition of the boy was stated to be stable. Earlier, two IEDs were recovered on Thursday after a cattle was blown up in an IED blast in a forest near Hathiburu village of the district, a police officer said. The IEDs were planted by CPI (Maoists) to target security personnel on anti-naxal operation in Kolhan area of the district since January. Four villagers including a 62-year-old woman were killed and over a dozen CRPF jawans sustained injuries in IED explosions in district in the last three months. Kolkata, Apr 15 (PTI) Following are PTI stories from the eastern region at 5 pm. CAL13 WB-SHAH-ORGANISATION Unmask corruption, misrule by TMC : Amit Shah to WB BJP Kolkata: Union Home Minister and top BJP leader Amit Shah has asked the party's Bengal unit to unitedly fight against the ruling TMC and unmask corruption and misrule by it, a senior party leader said on Saturday. CAL12 BH-SPURIOUS LIQUOR-DEATHS Four dead after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar Patna: At least four people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in East Champaran district of dry Bihar in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, the police said. CAL11 WB-CB-RAIDS CBI raids TMC leaders' houses Kolkata: CBI sleuths Saturday raided the houses of TMC lawmakers Jibankrishna Saha and Bibhas Adhikari in Murshidabad and Birbhum districts of West Bengal respectively in connection with the school job recruitment scandal. CAL10 BH-NITISH-KEJRIWAL Kejriwal will reply to all actions initiated against him at appropriate time: Nitish Patna: A day after the CBI summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with an excise policy case, his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar on Saturday said Kejriwal will reply to "all the actions" initiated against him at an appropriate time. CAL9 WB-POILA BAISAKH 'Poila Baisakh' celebrated with usual fanfare in West Bengal, despite scorching heat Kolkata: Colourful processions were taken out in different localities in the morning, while devotees thronged the heritage Dakshineswar Temple, and Kali temple at Kalighat to offer puja and seek blessings for a happy and prosperous 'Poila Baisakh' (Bengali new year) on Saturday. CAL8 OD-SAMBALPUR-LD CURFEW Curfew imposed, internet suspension period extended in Sambalpur Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur: Curfew was imposed on Sambalpur city and the Odisha government extended internet suspension by another 48 hours on Saturday after sporadic overnight violence and the death of a man under mysterious circumstances. CAL7 BH-HEAT Maximum temperature crosses 43 degree Celsius in 5 places in Bihar Patna: There seems to be no respite from the heatwave like conditions for the residents of Bihar as the mercury crossed the 43 degrees Celsius mark in at least five places in the state. CAL5 JH-HEAT-ZOO ANIMALS Soaring mercury: Cooler, seasonal fruits, multi-vitamins for animals in Ranchi Zoo Ranchi: Air-coolers, seasonal fruits, multivitamin doses and adequate water have been arranged for the animals in Ranchi's Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, popularly known as Birsa zoo, in a bid to deal with soaring mercury in Jharkhand, an official said on Saturday. CES2 JH-POPPY HUSK Poppy husk worth around Rs 14 lakh seized in Jharkhands Palamu Medininagar: Seven quintals of poppy husk, worth around Rs 14 lakh, were seized from a truck on way to Uttar Pradesh in Jharkhand's Palamu district, police said on Saturday CES1 JH-IED-EXPLOSION Father, son injured in IED explosion in Jharkhand Chaibasa: A 35-year-old man and his son were injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, a police officer said. Bharatpur (Raj), Apr 15 (PTI) Targeting the Congress in Rajasthan over infighting, Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday claimed the party will always give precedence to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over Sachin Pilot as his contribution is higher in filling its coffers with the "corruption" money from the state. "Pilot sits on dharna on any pretext but his number will not come because his contribution in filling the coffers of Congress party is less and Gehlot's contribution is higher," Shah said while addressing booth-level party workers meeting in Bharatpur. Gehlot has made the Rajasthan government an "'adda' (hub) of corruption and has looted the state. This money of corruption has gone to the coffers of the Congress party, the BJP leader alleged. On the acquittal of the accused in the 2008 Jaipur bomb blast case, Shah alleged that the Congress government did not present proper arguments in the high court due to vote bank politics. The government is doing vote bank politics on the deaths of blast victims, he alleged. He that it is "a 3-D government in Rajasthan and three Ds stands for 'dange' (riots), 'durvyavhar' (ill-treatment) with women and 'Dalit' atrocities. People "will vote out the government in elections, Shah said and exuded confidence that the BJP will form the government with a 2/3 majority in assembly elections and will again win all 25 seats in Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan. He said that the BJP will go to elections on the basis of the work of the Modi government, the party ideology and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is one of the most corrupt governments in the history of Rajasthan. People are fed up, he claimed. New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) With the Opposition seizing on Satyapal Malik's comments to attack the government, the ruling BJP cited his past remarks, including the one that mocked Rahul Gandhi as a "political juvenile", and slammed him as the "disgraced governor of Jammu and Kashmir". BJP's I-T department head Amit Malviya tweeted an old remark of Malik, who has become a strong critic of the government in recent years, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the "best PM" for Jammu and Kashmir, to hit out at his "U-turn". In a recent interview, Malik alleged that Modi is "ill-informed" about the region. "And before Congress minions get all excited about Satyapal Malik, their new found knight in the shinning armour, here is what he had to say about Rahul Gandhi. So, sit down," Malviya tweeted, sharing a video of Malik. Besides calling Rahul Gandhi a "political juvenile", he is heard saying in the video that people will "beat him with shoes" during elections if they are told he (Gandhi) supports Article 370, which was nullified by the Modi government. Sharing a clip of the recent interview, in which Malik withdrew a controversial comment he claimed Home Minister Amit Shah had made, Malviya said Malik admitted to "lying and making up baseless stories on what Home Minister Amit Shah had said about Prime Minister Modi". "No one took him seriously even when he made these allegations back then. But it raises serious questions on his credibility," he added. Sharing another video, Malviya said, "Satyapal Malik, the disgraced Governor of J&K, tying himself in knots here." The Congress on Saturday demanded answers from the Centre on the outcome of the probe into the 2019 Pulwama incident in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. It asked why the CRPF personnel were denied aircraft and made to commute via road despite a threat. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP-led Union government of "minimum governance and maximum silence" and asked it to comment on the claims Malik made on the incident. Gurugram, Apr 15 (PTI) The leader of a right wing group was arrested and later let out on bail for allegedly disrupting people offering namaz at Leisure Valley Ground in Sector 29, police said on Saturday. According to police, Dinesh Bharti, the national president of right wing outfit Jai Bharat Mata Vahini, had gone to the ground last Friday, April 7, when people were offering namaz. He made comments against them and made videos of the people gathered there, which forced police to deploy a team at the spot as a precautionary measure. But Bharti again on Friday went to the ground in Sector 29 and started making videos of the people offering namaz, police said. At the complaint of ASI Mukesh Kumar, an FIR was registered against Bharti under sections 134A, 295A (deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class), and 505 (spreading rumours) of IPC at DLF Sector-29 Police Station and he was arrested late Friday evening. ACP East Dr Kavita Singh said the Hindu right member was released after questioning. Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri to honour its people who fought for the liberation of the district from Pakistan in 1948, officials said on Friday. The monument of sacrifice was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vikas Kundal. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, he praised the sacrifices of the brave hearts who gave their lives for the liberation of Rajouri and emphasised that the Balidan Stambh would not only serve as a symbol of their bravery but also as a reminder of the importance of valuing and protecting the freedom of the people. The DC also urged everyone to work towards building a stronger, more united Rajouri that upholds the values of peace, harmony and inclusiveness. In the early 1947, the Pakistani intruders captured the vital town of Rajouri which was liberated by the troops of 1 Kumaon backed by tanks of Central India Horse (CIH) and 5 and 30 Mountain Batteries on April 13, 1948, a day after advancing from Chingus (Rajouri). Rajouri municipal corporation chairman Mohammad Arif, who was also present at the event, emphasised the importance of remembering the sacrifices made by those who fought for the liberation of the district. He said the monument would inspire future generations to uphold the values of freedom, democracy, and human dignity. The inaugural ceremony was attended by eminent dignitaries and representatives of the local community, members of martyrs families and social workers further added to the solemnity of the occasion. Participants at a UN event to commemorate the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda observe a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the genocide at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 14, 2023. UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi on Friday lauded Rwanda's successful rebuilding from the 1994 genocide. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, April 14 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi on Friday lauded Rwanda's successful rebuilding from the 1994 genocide. With strength and determination, the people of Rwanda have rebuilt their nation from the ashes of devastation, he told an event to commemorate the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Through the establishment of the Gacaca Courts in 2001, Rwandans drew on traditional methods of dispute resolution to hold each other accountable. With a focus on restorative justice, they brought about reconciliation, elevated moderation over extremism and laid the foundation for sustained development, he noted. "Today, the success of these endeavors is seen everywhere. It is seen in the gender parity in the lower house of parliament. It is seen in the vibrancy of Rwandan innovation, in the resilience of its economy, and in the strength of its health care system," said Korosi. Importantly, Rwanda has invested in its young people, opening opportunities for those under 20 years old, who represent half of its dynamic population, he added. "Rwandans have built a nation that looks toward a better future," he said. The 1994 genocide in Rwanda was not an accident. It stemmed from years of fomenting a racist ideology and waging a campaign aimed at the systematic destruction of a population, said Korosi. "As it was carried out -- the world was silent," he said. "To this unconscionable inaction -- and in the spirit of Kwibuka -- we must say, 'never again.'" "Let us not shy away from our responsibilities. Let us remain committed to upholding the rights of every individual and addressing the drivers of hate speech -- online and offline. Let us stand firmly against any form of discrimination. And let us keep our focus on education," he said. "Given all that we see around us in 2023, this is our duty. And let us be sincere, this is our only choice," said Korosi. The International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda falls on April 7. UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi speaks at an event to commemorate the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 14, 2023. UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi on Friday lauded Rwanda's successful rebuilding from the 1994 genocide. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at an event to commemorate the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 14, 2023. Guterres on Friday warned against hate speech in reflection of the 1994 Rwanda genocide. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (3rd R) and other participants observe a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the genocide during an event to commemorate the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 14, 2023. Guterres on Friday warned against hate speech in reflection of the 1994 Rwanda genocide. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) Sharddha's Walkar's father Saturday moved an application in a city court seeking the remains of her daughter for cremation, saying tradition and culture required performance of her last rites. Shraddha was allegedly strangled by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala on May 18 last year, following which he sawed her body into pieces and kept them in a fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi's Mehrauli. He scattered them at different places in the national capital to avoid being caught. During the court proceedings, the Delhi Police informed Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar that a reply will be filed on April 29. The application moved by Advocate Seema Kushwaha on behalf of Vikas Madan Walkar said according to custom, the last rites had to be performed within a year and the last date for cremation based on the Hindu calendar is May 8. Underlining that more than 10 months have gone by since her death, the application requested for conducting the proceedings fast so the bones and other body parts of the deceased could be exhibited and handed over to her family. The traditional belief in our country is that unless the last rites are performed, the soul of the deceased shall not rest in peace and this belief is deeply rooted...It also has an emotional and sentimental aspect. Hence, the family members of the deceased victim should not be deprived of the right to perform the last rites, the application said. It said not providing a chance to perform the last rites would violate the fundamental rights of the deceased under Articles 21 (right to life) and 25 (freedom of free conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) of the Constitution. The application referred to a 2009 judgment of the Allahabad High Court, according to which the word 'person' in Article 21 of the Constitution included a dead person in a limited sense and the right to life with dignity should be extended in such a manner that the dead body is given respect, which the person would have deserved, on being alive, subject to the professed tradition, culture and the religion and that the society should not be permitted to show any disrespect to the deceased. Right to a decent funeral can also be traced in Article 25 of the Constitution of India which provides for freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion subject to public order, morality and health and to the other fundamental rights, the application said. Hyderabad, Apr 14 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Friday said it was because of his party that a person like him with a humble background could have a long political career and become an MLA and MP. Kharge, who addressed a 'Jai Bharat Satyagraha Sabha' at Mancherial in Telangana Friday night, said he would not have been a lawmaker had Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi not encouraged a "poor man" like him. He said that Sonia Gandhi gave him an opportunity to work as the president of the Congress which is a huge responsibility. While Rahul Gandhi was given notice and disqualified from the Lok Sabha within 24 hours of his conviction in the 2019 defamation case, a BJP MP from Gujarat was not disqualified despite being convicted in a criminal case, Kharge claimed. Kharge, however, did not name the MP from Gujarat. The Congress chief also accused the Narendra Modi government of weakening the public sector and not creating crores of jobs as promised. He also targeted the BRS government in Telangana, accusing it of not fulfilling its promises, including providing three acres of land to Dalits. Hailing the contributions of Dr B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, Kharge said it was because of the architect of the Constitution that Dalits and women got voting rights. New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) A former employee of a popular online financial marketplace and his two associates were arrested for allegedly duping ICICI bank customers of Rs 1.4 lakh, police said on Saturday. The accused stole data from paisabazaar.com and targeted ICICI bank customers, they added. With the arrest of the accused, police claimed to have worked out two cases of cheating in the city. A laptop and two mobile phones used in the commission of crime have been seized from the accused, they said. According to the police, a probe was launched after a complaint was received from a resident of Mandir Marg alleging that on February 21 he got a call from a person claiming that he was a representative of ICICI bank and offered help to activate his credit card. During the phone call, the imposter asked about the OTP received on the complainants mobile number, following which he received a message that Rs 1,45,000 has been deducted from his account. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal said with the help of technical surveillance and money trail of the bank transaction, the main suspect, Vivek Bind (23), a resident of Varnasi in Uttar Pradesh, was identified. On April 13, a raid was conducted in Patel Nagar and the accused was nabbed, he added. The accused disclosed that he is a BCA graduate and was working in Paisabazaar, an online marketplace for financial products. There he obtained data of different bank customers who applied for credit cards or who had got credit cards. He, along with his two associates Vishal and Jackey, called these customers on the pretext of helping them to activate their cards," Tayal said. "They then asked the customers to complete login credentials and after logging into the account, the money was transferred to the accuseds bank account using CRED App" he added. On the instance Bind, his associates Vishal (22) and Jacky Yadav (19) were arrested from Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, the officer said. He said Vishal, who hails from Baliya in Uttar Pradesh, was working with ICICI banks home loan department. He used to transfer money from credit cards to bank accounts using CRED app in his mobile, while Jacky used to log in in the credit card accounts of the gullible customers to transfer money from them. A North Atlantic right whale surfaces on Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts, Monday, March 27, 2023. The drive to protect vanishing whales has brought profound impacts to marine industries, and those changes are accelerating as the Endangered Species Act approaches its 50th anniversary. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, NOAA permit # 21371) Litigation specialist RGL Management has become the latest law firm to launch a group claim against big energy suppliers for inflating bills by paying secret commissions to brokers. The claim, expected to exceed 500 million in value, is being made on behalf of thousands of small firms and organisations such as charities. RGL says the average claim will be in the region of 60,000. It is confident it can reclaim the cost of the commission paid to brokers by energy companies and then recovered by a levy (a higher unit price) on customers' bills. Customers were unaware of the practice. Fast forward: In 2019, a report by energy regulator Ofgem into the 'micro business' energy market referred to 'sharp practices by some brokers' and 'gaps' in the redress available Legal experts believe such commissions were a form of bribe and undermined the integrity of brokers, who were under a duty to provide businesses with impartial recommendations. All business energy suppliers paid commissions including British Gas and Scottish Power. In 2019, a report by energy regulator Ofgem into the 'micro business' energy market referred to 'sharp practices by some brokers' and 'gaps' in the redress available. RGL chief executive James Hayward said: 'For many years, energy companies acted with impunity to obscure hidden payments to brokers, artificially inflating costs for UK businesses. 'Now that this unlawful practice has been exposed, RGL is launching this claim to recover appropriate redress for all affected businesses.' Firms that signed up to gas and electricity contracts through a broker from 2012 onwards could be eligible to join the claim. Rival lawyers Harcus Parker and Leigh Day have launched similar claims. Claims can be registered at: energylitigation.com (Harcus Parker); leighday.co.uk/our-services/group-claims/energy-broker-commission-claim (Leigh Day); and belit.co.uk (RGL). Although dividends are a form of financial thank you for being a shareholder, far more needs to be done to ensure investors feel wanted and appreciated for their commitment to UK plc. Not just by companies listed on the UK stock market, but by those businesses (platforms) that allow investors to build online share portfolios. Thankfully, I'm not alone. Earlier this month, Group Business Editor Ruth Sunderland reported on the launch of a high-profile campaign (Share Your Voice) to give shareholder democracy a major boost. Taking a stand: A a high-profile campaign (Share Your Voice) has been launched to give shareholder democracy a major boost. Spearheaded by Archie Norman, chairman of Marks & Spencer and backed by investor lobby groups ShareSoc and the UK Shareholders' Association the campaign calls for major changes to company law that would pave the way for greater shareholder empowerment. In a nutshell, the changes if enacted would trigger more interaction between companies and their shareholders and give firms the right to hold digital-only AGMs that more investors could take part in. They are long overdue and essential to encourage people to invest in companies, take an interest in the businesses they are backing, and, when necessary, hold management to account on issues such as executive pay and the environment. I was recently reminded of the current messy relationship between shareholders, companies and investment platforms when I unexpectedly got a letter from investment giant BlackRock. It was an invitation to attend the annual general meeting of its investment trust, World Mining. I hold shares in the fund through my online Isa and although they have performed a little poorly as of late (down six per cent over the past year), the previous 12 months was much better (up 35 per cent). The invitation is the first I've ever received from the various stock market listed investment trusts that form the backbone of my Isa and it was a rather nice surprise. In a world where most of our investments are held in massive nominee accounts operated by the platforms we invest through, any direct relationship between companies and their shareholders has evaporated. There is precious little engagement, and shareholders, quite rightly, feel disenfranchised and unloved. I jumped at the chance to attend the World Mining AGM. It's this Tuesday in London, where I work and, besides the meeting itself, I will enjoy wandering around the offices of a wealthy investment manager, admiring the expensive art that hangs on its walls. 'We see the AGM as a crucial way to keep you updated on the company's progress and the outlook for the year ahead,' BlackRock said in its letter. Portfolio managers, it added, would be on hand to answer questions. Yippee. The fun then began. I emailed BlackRock as requested, informing them I would be attending and I put the date in my diary. The response was swift my name would be added to the guest list. Yet, there was a big 'but'. While I could attend, I wouldn't be able to vote in person without a 'letter of representation' from the nominee platform through which my BlackRock World Mining shares are held. Alternatively, I could ask the nominee to appoint me as a third-party proxy. I duly requested a letter of representation, but scrambling around my online Isa account, I discovered that I need not have bothered responding to BlackRock's letter. I could have applied to attend World Mining's AGM and voted directly through the platform. Fine and dandy. But strangely, the platform had not alerted me to this right unlike the provider of my separate investment account, which emailed me directly about voting at another investment trust AGM (although it got the name wrong: Mercantile Trus rather than Mercantile Trust). So, all rather confusing, clunky and frankly off-putting. But I will go on Tuesday and feel as if I am a part-owner of an investment trust whose aim is to make me, fellow shareholders, and of course BlackRock, richer. As Share Your Voice argues, companies need to have a more intimate and direct relationship with shareholders. To its credit, BlackRock used its AGM invitation to encourage me to sign up to its monthly investment trust newsletter. It's the kind of shareholder engagement that other companies should be pursuing. Some investment platforms Interactive Investor in particular are also moving in the right direction, slowly making it easier for customers to connect with the companies they are shareholders in. But it's all a little bit haphazard. Better signposting is a must. If you're an investor who wants to be better informed about the companies you are a shareholder in including the right to vote at and attend AGMs find out from your platform provider what they are doing to help you. You'll probably find that the answer is 'not enough'. Finally, if you want to sign Share Your Voice's petition demanding that all shareholders should be given a voice, you can do so at the website: petition.parliament.uk/ petitions/636051. For the record, I've signed it. How cheap cover can be full of costly holes With home and motor insurance premiums heading ever skywards, a word of warning to those seeking cheaper cover at renewal. In shopping around, be wary of 'essentials' policies designed specifically to attract cost-conscious customers. Although these policies will suit some, they won't include various things you would normally take for granted for example on motor cover: windscreen cover, motor legal protection and the provision of a temporary car in the case of an accident. So, be sure to check what any new cover includes, and excludes, before you sign on the dotted line. If you have recently bought a competitively priced policy, only to discover the cover is full of holes, drop me an email at: jeff. prestridge@mailonsunday.co.uk. Where history was made... and a future could be born Barclays Bank continues to chip away at its branch network. A few days ago, it disclosed that another 15 branches would be chopped in the next few months, adding to the 58 already put on death row this year. Since 2015, Barclays has shut nearly 1,000 branches, more than any other high street bank. And with all banks looking to do away with a majority of their branches in favour of shared high street banking hubs, plenty more closures are coming down the road. I trust that in cutting its branch network to the bone, Barclays does not shut its branch in Enfield Town, North London. Fame: Barclays' Enfield branch, where Reg Varney was the first to use a cash machine Located in a magnificent Grade II listed building, the branch was home to the world's first cash machine. Installed nearly 56 years ago, local comedian Reg Varney (remember the sitcom On The Buses?) was its first user. Historic England has just acknowledged the building's significance by adding it to its National Heritage List. A blue plaque now sits alongside the ATM, acknowledging its place in banking history. Last week, Historic England told the Enfield Dispatch newspaper: 'It's extraordinary to think how much has changed since 1967 when it comes to everyday banking. While our use of cash has fallen in recent years, as contactless technology dominates, it still remains a lifeline to many, and we're glad to see this building recognised for its contribution to that story of evolution.' With Enfield currently having many bank branches and ATMs all the big banks have a presence in the town it won't be long before axes start swinging. Maybe, a fitting tribute to the role that the Barclays' branch played in banking history would be for it to be turned into a banking hub. A branch serving the WHOLE community complete with ATM and a snazzy blue plaque. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. N.S. writes: I invested 9,000 with art firm Smith & Partner Ltd after it cold called me and was very persistent. Two salesmen said demand for prints by the artist Miss Aniela was so great it would be no problem to exit within a week, and I was very likely to see strong returns within a year. However since requesting a sale I have been given a series of excuses. Flight of fantasy: A print from art photographer Miss Aniela (pictured right) Tony Hetherington replies: Since I first sounded the alarm over Smith & Partner a few months ago, complaints have flooded in. The company's long record of false claims and broken promises make it remarkable that it has not been investigated by Trading Standards, if not the police. You have told me that recently, Smith & Partner even tried to sell you more work by Miss Aniela, claiming that it would be easier to sell a larger portfolio of her prints, and that as she is due to have a baby, values would rise even more as there would be a lack of new work from her. Both these claims are untrue. Lots of Smith & Partner customers have told me that they were sold more prints for thousands of pounds as a condition of selling their whole collection at auction. Once they forked out, they were told the auction had fallen through. As for Miss Aniela, who does produce some very attractive surreal pieces, her real name is Natalie and her partner Matt Lennard says she is not expecting a baby. Lennard, who is also her producer, told me: 'We hope any investor will research first before purchasing. 'We would like to think the value of our work will increase, but nothing in life is guaranteed. Any investment is a risk.' Sensible advice. Armed with your signed consent, I asked Smith & Partner's owner, Luke Sparkes, to hand over all the recordings of his company's sales calls to you. He had told me that every customer was recorded agreeing to the terms of their purchase. This turned out to be another false claim, with Sparkes finally admitting: 'Smith & Partner do not record our phone calls'. Earlier falsehoods include the claim that Smith & Partner is a member of the respected Fine Art Trade Guild. The truth? It was kicked out ages ago. Another false claim was that investors were never promised profits. The truth? Its own advertising said profits were ensured. There is good news for you though. Luke Sparkes says he has sold Smith & Partner and quit as its director. The new boss is Michael Conway. He told me: 'As you know, I was not in charge when this deal took place. However, after speaking with the client, I have come to the decision to ensure the stock is sold by the end of next week.' If this does not work out, tell me. Debt collectors called in after meter blunder Ms A.B. writes:- In 2019 it became clear I was being overcharged by Scottish Power. I stopped paying. In 2020 it sent an engineer, who found I was being billed for the wrong meter. It then took Scottish Power a further year to agree with its own engineer. Meanwhile it refused to recalculate my bills and pursued me for the balance shown by the wrong meter. Confusion: An engineer found A.B. was being billed for the wrong meter Tony Hetherington replies: You told me that when Scottish Power demanded you pay for someone else's consumption, you appealed to Ombudsman Services, the private firm that referees complaints. It ruled that Scottish Power was to issue fresh bills, but only from June 2020 on. This was not ideal, but you agreed to it to put the matter behind you. You set up a payment plan to clear arrears as well as paying for normal monthly usage. But Scottish Power recently called in debt collectors, denied a payment plan existed, then conceded that the plan did exist but refused to call off its debt collectors. Scottish Power told me it used debt collectors because you failed to make the first payment due under the payment plan. When I challenged this, Scottish Power admitted it had actually failed to collect payment 'due to a system error'. By then, you had been pushed into handing over 36 monthly payments in just three months. Scottish Power told me: 'We are sorry for the distress and inconvenience Ms B has experienced.' It has provided a goodwill payment of 400 for the initial meter problem and a further 100 for falsely setting debt collectors on to you. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. Go into the imaging department of any NHS hospital and what do you see? A room full of people waiting for X-rays, ultrasounds and the like. Patients are fractious, receptionists are frazzled, doctors and technicians are fatigued. Intelligent Ultrasound tries to make the process smoother, faster and safer. The shares are just 7.25p but the price should rise materially this year and beyond. Spun out of Cardiff University, the company started off with a simulation tool to teach medical students how to conduct ultrasound scans. Using online teach-ins, virtual reality and other digital wizardry, trainee doctors and sonographers learn how to scan patients and, crucially, how to interpret the results. Hitting the spot: Intelligent Ultrasound's training makes it easier for clinicians to scan unborn babies The business has grown around the world and is now recognised as one of the top firms in this area, with about 10 per cent of the market and a reputation for excellence. Four years ago, however, chief executive Stuart Gall thought the time was right to move from classroom to clinic, developing equipment that would help medical teams in hospitals with real patients. Two products have been developed so far one for obstetrics, the other for certain types of local anaesthetic. Both use artificial intelligence to make the ultrasound process easier and more effective. As every mother knows, when a woman reaches the 20th week of her pregnancy, she is asked to go for a scan. Gel is rubbed on her tummy and a grainy image appears on the screen her baby! It all seems miraculous but, as the probe is moved across the skin, medics have to check 21 areas of the foetus to make sure everything is at it should be. The protocol is precise, the work is often stressful and it can take quite a while until the relevant images are secured. Intelligent Ultrasound's software automates the process, signalling to the doctor when images are right and alerting him or her if something is amiss. The kit was smart enough to attract the attention of GE, the number one manufacturer of obstetric ultrasound machines in the world. Gall has now signed a contract with GE, under which the American group has first dibs on any software that Intelligent Ultrasound develops in the obstetrics and gynaecology field. The technology has already been installed in about 5,000 GE machines, with another 10,000 expected to come on-stream by mid-2024. Late last year, Intelligent Ultrasound gained US regulatory approval for a second product, which helps anaesthetists administer certain types of local anaesthetic, known as nerve blocks. Used for chronic pain relief and routine operations, they are safer than general anaesthetics, avoid sedation and mean patients can usually be treated within a day better for them and cheaper for hospitals. But these jabs have to be done with the aid of ultrasound to ensure the needle goes into the right spot. Intelligent Ultrasound's latest gadget highlights where nerves and arteries are in real time so anaesthetists can be absolutely sure they are doing it right. Today, even some of the most experienced anaesthetists can be reluctant to administer nerve blocks because the process is different from their usual practice. Intelligent Ultrasound's kit is designed to help them feel more confident and encourage greater adoption of this type of anaesthesia. The equipment is already in use at a number of UK hospitals, including John Radcliffe in Oxford, Hull Royal Infirmary, Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire and University College London. Having received approval in the US, Gall has American clinics in sight too, either independently or with a GE-style backer. Other ultrasound tools are also on the cards for the coming years. There are several ways of finding out what is going on inside a patient's body, including X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomography (CT) scans. Ultrasounds, however, are faster than some, safer than others and cheaper than most. Intelligent Ultrasound is a minnow right now, forecast to deliver 2022 revenues of 10 million, rising to almost 18 million in 2024. The company is loss-making, as Gall has been reinvesting returns into the business, but it should move into profit over the next two years and grow at pace thereafter. Midas verdict: Intelligent Ultrasound is a small, Cardiff-based business whose technology has been snapped up by dozens of hospitals and US giant GE. The firm is still at an early stage, but prospects are bright. Buy now, at 7.25p, and watch it grow. Traded on: AIM Ticker: IUG Contact: intelligentultrasound.com or 029 2075 6534 The FTSE 100 has started the year on the front foot and investors are watching closely to see if it can hit a new record high. The UKs blue-chip index led the way among main global stock markets last year, keeping its head above water and delivering a respectable total return including dividends of 4.7 per cent. After a strong finish to 2022 and good start to 2023, it is now up 14 per cent on its October lows at 7,860, within a whisker of its all-time closing high at 7,877. So why has the FTSE 100 been performing so well and can it continue its run throughout this year? On this episode of the Investing Show, Simon Lambert and Richard Hunter take a look back at the scorecard for the Footsie and other major markets last year and look forward to what may happen this year. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock co-chair the sixth round of China-Germany strategic dialogue on diplomacy and security in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock co-chaired the sixth round of China-Germany strategic dialogue on diplomacy and security in Beijing on Friday. Qin said since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have always been committed to mutual respect, equality, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and pursuing mutual benefit, which has not only promoted bilateral cooperation, but also guided the development of China-Europe relations and contributed to world peace and stability. China-Germany relations have shown strong resilience and made substantial progress in the past three years, Qin said, adding that it fully demonstrates that different civilizations can coexist with each other and that dialogue, exchanges and cooperation are the mainstream and right path of China-Germany ties. Stressing that China and Germany are partners, not rivals, Qin said the two sides should develop their relations independently. China is committed to enhancing high-quality development and high-level opening up, which will provide a larger Chinese market to the world, bringing more development opportunities to all countries including Germany, Qin noted. He said China is willing to promote all-round exchanges and cooperation with Germany, calling on both sides to jointly prepare for China-Germany inter-governmental consultation and high-level people-to-people dialogue, and activate more than 70 dialogue mechanisms between the two countries. Qin said both China and Germany are major countries that have a bearing on the world, and relations between the two countries have long gone beyond the bilateral scope. To meet global challenges together, he calls on both countries to uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity and jointly defend multilateralism and the basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter. China and Germany have the responsibility and ability to be the guardians and propeller of globalization, Qin said, adding that both sides should oppose "decoupling economies or severing supply chains," and that Germany should provide a fair, open and non-discriminatory market environment for Chinese enterprises. Qin stressed that to resolve the Ukraine crisis, the only way is to promote peace talks. He expressed China's support for Europe in achieving strategic autonomy to achieve long-term peace and stability. Baerbock said she was impressed by China's high-speed railway. She added that Germany develops relations with China independently and looks forward to an early resumption of bilateral exchanges and dialogue in various fields. The German side attaches great importance to supply chain security and does not agree to "decoupling economies or severing supply chains," and looks forward to close cooperation with China on global issues, said Baerbock. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock meet the press after co-chairing the sixth round of China-Germany strategic dialogue on diplomacy and security in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Tony Danker, who was unceremoniously sacked last week as boss of the Confederation of British Industry lobby group amid a sex and drugs scandal, has lost his position as an adviser to the King's favourite business charity. Danker was given a seat on a six-person panel advising Business in the Community (BITC) in 2020. He forfeited his unpaid but highly prestigious role at the charity on Tuesday as an automatic consequence of his dramatic dismissal from his 376,000-a-year job as director general of the CBI. Out: Tony Danker and the blank space on the BITC website where his details were His Majesty has been a driving force behind BITC for four decades and is its Royal Founding Patron. BITC is dedicated to encouraging businesses to be socially responsible and help build a fairer and greener world. It has also played a leading role in campaigning for women at work, including the Opportunity Now drive for gender equality. Danker was dismissed without a pay-off after an independent investigation found his conduct, including sending a barrage of unwanted messages to a female colleague, 'fell short' of what was expected of him as the CBI's director general. All trace of the former CBI chief had been expunged from the BITC website this weekend. A blank space appeared alongside thumbnail portraits of his former colleagues on the advisory board, suggesting his details had been erased in a hurry. The King has been deeply involved with BITC, a cause very close to his heart, since its inception in the aftermath of the Toxteth and Brixton riots in 1981. His Majesty, who is a passionate believer in the potential for businesses to transform communities for the better, became its president in 1985. He has since undertaken around 600 personal engagements on BITC's behalf and views it as one of his most important projects. As yet there have been no discussions about who, if anyone, will replace Danker. It is unclear if his replacement as CBI boss, Rain Newton-Smith, will be invited to step in. Members of the advisory group act as a sounding board for the BITC chief executive, Mary Macleod, and provide guidance on some of the 'biggest overarching issues facing responsible businesses today'. The remaining advisers include advertising executive Karen Blackett, City grandee Sir Ian Cheshire, and former BT supremo Gavin Patterson, BITC's current chairman. Macleod said: 'Tony Danker, as director general of the CBI, was on BITC's advisory group. The CBI's position on this group is historic and is linked to the CBI as an organisation, not to any one individual. Therefore, when it was announced that Danker was no longer in the director general role, it was only right that he be removed from the group. 'There has not yet been a conversation with the CBI, but we wish the new director general all the best as she takes things forward, and will be happy to work with her to drive change.' The CBI has been at the centre of a storm over alleged sexual misconduct and drug abuse since a woman came forward with allegations about Danker's conduct to The Guardian. This prompted further allegations, not involving Danker and pre-dating his time as director general, including rape, attempted sexual assault, and cocaine-snorting at official events. Danker, 51, said he was 'shocked' at being sacked rather than invited to put his side of the story, and that many of the allegations against him were 'distorted.' CBI President Brian McBride has also apologised for the scandal. The torrent of emotion which marked the departure of Robert McNamara, a protege of John F Kennedy, from the World Bank in 1981, after 13 years at helm was like nothing seen at the Bretton Woods institutions before or since. When the incumbent President of the World Bank, David Malpass, began his goodbyes last week, ahead of his impending departure after four years, there was none of the McNamara era emotion. To the contrary, a steady, well intentioned president with a strong background in economic policy-making has been driven from office by tribal politics. On the march: Russia's war on Ukraine and a worsening US-China relationship augurs a second 'Cold War' But then, in the second decade of the 21st century, in Washington everything is political and the IMF, which overseas the global money supply, and its sister organisation the World Bank, which aims to reduce poverty, are no exception. As IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva warned this week, Russia's war on Ukraine and a worsening US-China relationship augurs a second 'Cold War'. As for Malpass, a moment's hesitation when he declined to comment on whether he believed in the scientific consensus on climate change opened the doors to his enemies. Former Democrat US Vice President Al Gore, a green activist, demanded the resignation of the stately Republican. The New York Times took up the cudgels and President Joe Biden's climate change ambassador and former Democrat presidential hopeful John Kerry joined the outcry. The person who really mattered, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, exerted her power as the Bank's biggest shareholder to insist Malpass change direction. The World Bank boss did the honourable thing and resigned with a year to spare. After the political assassination he is a relieved man. The orchestrated campaign was based on falsehoods. In his last full financial year as World Bank President, its main lending arm actually delivered $12.6 billion of climate finance, representing 38 per cent of all projects. Climate change objectives were written into 90 per cent of lending and 94 per cent of the credits and grants to very poorest countries mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Yellen also failed to recognise that the Bank's clients, as opposed to its rich shareholders, don't want more climate change lending. A confidential internal document drawn up by developing country executive directors, dated March 20 this year and seen by The Mail on Sunday, rejects the dominance of climate change objectives. It says that conflict and pandemics are having a huge impact on education and poverty and it chastises the advanced nations for demanding more green spending while failing to accept their 'own responsibility for climate change'. The partisan dispute in Washington over the running of the World Bank is raging in parallel with much deeper strife. The IMF, with reservations about political risk, has managed in recent months to pump money into the economies of nations in intensive care such as Ukraine and Sri Lanka. But it is an uphill task. Since the pandemic the IMF has provided $300 billion (240 billion) in new financing to 96 countries. But this was just a fraction of the $1 trillion of crisis facilities put in place at the time of the pandemic. A disaster is in sight as a result of the build-up of enormous debt and interest repayments among the poorest nations in East Africa and across the globe. The IMF and the World Bank have sufficient immediate funding resources but are in no position to relieve the pressure because of political rifts. A new 'Cold War' between the US and China has become a huge blockage in relieving the debt and poverty problems of sub-Saharan Africa. China may be speedier at building the roads than the World Bank and Western donors but its support comes at a steep price. The People's Republic refuses to engage in debt restructuring, regarding it as a peculiar tool of the Western democracies, which leaves the fate of hundreds of millions of people dangling in the wind. Pals: Robert McNamara and John Kennedy in 1960 A second geo-political twist emerged at the Group of Seven session of advanced countries, which includes the UK, here in Washington. The commitment to finding alternate supply chains for energy, semi-conductors and other sensitive goods has been accentuated by the war in Ukraine and China's threats against Taiwan. Russia and, increasingly, China are becoming geo-political pariahs. Georgieva fears a second Cold War and she personally knows the consequences as someone born behind the Iron Curtain in Bulgaria. There is only bitterness between Democrats and Republicans in Washington as the coup against Malpass and his swift replacement by Indian-born, former Mastercard chief executive Anjay Banga illustrate. But when it comes to common enemies China and Russia, America's political leaders are united in opprobrium. It is this geo-political fault line which is threatening to destroy the cohesion of the post-World War economic order. The pioneering work of the great British economist John Maynard Keynes, one of the creators of the IMF and World Bank, has never seemed more endangered. A leading investor has told Matt Moulding, the founder of troubled online retailer THG, to get his house in order as the company prepares to reveal yet more losses. Moulding who has made no secret of his disillusion with the London stock market after shares plunged almost 90 per cent following THG's 5.4 billion float in 2020 may be considering taking the company private, according to some City observers. THG, formerly known as The Hut Group, will present its latest results to investors this week amid continued concerns about strategy and how the Manchester-based health and beauty e-commerce group is run. Rant: THG's Matt Moulding regrets listing on the London stock market In a bid to placate investors Moulding agreed to give up his 'golden share', which gives him the power to veto any takeover deals. The entrepreneur, who remains THG's biggest shareholder, also brought in City veteran and former ITV boss Lord Allen as chairman to address governance issues. The major shareholder, who asked to remain anonymous, is urging him to 'start to rebuild confidence' by 'putting in a couple of results that beat targets', and to create 'some momentum before looking to release value'. The investor added that Moulding, 51, had been approached to de-list THG by funds 'looking at good assets that are undervalued', because it had 'stabilised' since Allen arrived. The shareholder was speaking just days before THG is due to post results which are expected to reveal the scale of the task that still lies ahead. Simon Bowler at investment bank Numis is forecasting that losses will have widened to 277 million in 2022, taking the total to more than 1 billion in the last five years. He pencilled in a further 650 million of losses in the next four years with no sign of THG breaking even. THG's recent warning of lower than expected earnings 'undermines confidence', he added. It is axeing 2,000 jobs after being hit with higher raw material costs. Moulding, who netted 830 million in the float, has made prolific use of social media to share comments on life and business, and to complain about the way investors have treated his company, whose brands include Cult Beauty, Lookfantastic and Myprotein. In a rambling post on LinkedIn, ostensibly about a trade show, he embarked on a digression about how 'as recent as 2010, THG had taken everything I had and there was simply nothing left'. He goes on to claim that he and his family were so broke that his wife Jodie's card was declined for groceries in Tesco. He also said he left a private equity firm trying to buy THG on the cheap 'at the altar' and later secured funding on much better terms. Moulding has previously said he wished he had not listed THG in London, and that the experience 'just sucked from start to finish'. He says he has rejected 'numerous' takeover approaches amid continued speculation that he wants to buy back the company he co-founded and has run since 2004. Activist investor Kelso snapped up a small stake in THG in January, saying it was 'hugely exciting but significantly undervalued'. Other shareholders include the Qatari sovereign wealth fund. THG's fortunes are also being closely monitored by Warrington council, its largest creditor. The Labour-controlled local authority has controversially lent companies controlled by Moulding more than 200 million, making it its biggest loan. THG also recently added 156 million to its debt pile in a deal with BNP Paribas, HSBC and NatWest. It has ambitious plans to handle up to 14 billion of e-commerce orders a year, partly by outsourcing its technology platform Ingenuity to pick and pack for third parties. In recent LinkedIn posts Moulding admitted his caffeine intake had risen to ten triple-shot flat whites a day since THG went public. He also described the 'often unbearable' stress of building the business, and has confessed to lying on cold floors in the starfish position in the early hours of the morning. THG declined to comment. The CBI is facing widespread calls to be dismantled after a sex and drugs scandal but, says one of its former presidents, those clamouring for its demise should not forget what he describes as its 'amazing achievements.' What might those be? Lord (Karan) Bilimoria the founder of Cobra beer, who was at the top of the UK's premier business organisation during Covid points to the role it played in saving firms across the country. It was, he says, partly thanks to the advocacy of the CBI, which pushed for so-called bounceback loans guaranteed by the Government, that many companies were able to keep going during the pandemic. Defender: Lord Bilimoria says the CBI saved thousands of businesses 'It literally saved thousands and thousands of businesses,' the crossbench peer declares. This was, he says, 'another example of government listening to and working with business'. 'When it works it's pretty effective, if government listens,' he says. 'I've always disliked this whole concept of the CBI being a lobbying organisation. We're here to represent business, stand up for business, work with government and challenge government.' Bilimoria, an urbane Indian-born entrepreneur, is a stout defender of the CBI's role in bringing the corporate world together as a force for good. He cites last year's Mail Force campaign, funded by generous readers of this newspaper, to ship hundreds of thousands of food parcels to Ukraine. The CBI used its convening power to ensure the parcels reached Ukrainian families. It also helped companies get to grips with the effect of sanctions against Russia and tried to make sure government understood the issues facing businesses. All that excellent work, however, was overshadowed by the scandal that led to former director- general Tony Danker being sacked last week after his conduct alleged to include bombarding a female member of staff with unwanted messages was deemed to have fallen short of expectations. 'It came completely about of the blue,' Bilimoria says about the Danker accusations, stressing that the CBI had vigorously 'championed best practice' on diversity. A further series of even more troubling allegations, including rape, subsequently emerged about staff at the CBI. These do not involve Danker and date back to before his time at the organisation. They prompted the suspension of three members of staff and a police investigation. Now the very existence of the CBI founded in 1965 is under scrutiny as never before. Critics who argue it is an obsolete talking shop have been emboldened by the claims, which also include allegations of staff snorting cocaine at official events. The Mail on Sunday spoke to Lord Bilimoria, 61, after the first claims about Danker emerged, but before the wider allegations spilled out. The latter prompted many CBI members including a number of FTSE 100 giants to consider quitting. Contacted about the more recent accusations, Bilimoria, who was on a parliamentary delegation to India, declined to comment further. For his part, the peer is an exemplar of the well-connected person smoothly using personal contacts in the corridors of power to get things done. He was ennobled in 2006, when he was created Baron Bilimoria of Chelsea and became the first Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords, an institution he clearly loves. 'It's a wonderful place and I think people underestimate how effective... and how special it is,' he says of the second chamber. 'Nothing comes close to it.' Despite the trappings of privilege, it has been an unorthodox path to prominence for the Cambridge law graduate and son of an Indian Army general. His education, he says, was 'tailor-made to go into something like investment banking', so when he decided to start a business initially importing polo sticks from India before starting Cobra beer it surprised his family. Bilimoria's late father, he said, reacted by saying: 'What are you doing with all this education? You're becoming an import-export wallah. Get a proper job.' But he 'became my greatest fan once it succeeded', he added. The road to success began with thousands of mailshots to the restaurants that were his target customers but he suffered a major hiccup in 2009 when the financial crisis saw Cobra collapse owing 72 million to hundreds of creditors. They were left out of pocket when the brand was rescued by US/Canadian brewery giant Molson Coors. Bilimoria has vowed to pay it back and now says the 'vast majority' of claims have been settled. He has known Rishi Sunak's father-in-law NR Narayana Murthy, the billionaire founder of IT services company Infosys, for two decades. Murthy, he says, asked him to meet Sunak and 'keep an eye' on him when he was a new MP. He describes the Prime Minister as a 'very decent, bright person', as well as a 'lucky general'. That, he says, 'doesn't stop me challenging him and saying 'I disagree with you' on certain matters'. Bilimoria makes sure to point out he also gets on well with Labour's front bench, though he is concerned about suggestions that if elected to power it could hike capital gains tax and may try to abolish his beloved House of Lords. Challenge: A bobsled takes on the Cresta Run He cites with pride the role the CBI played during the pandemic, including on the furlough scheme when the Government prevented mass job losses by subsidising wages for workers who had no work to go to. He did not always manage to gain the ear of Ministers, however. He says he pushed for the widespread use of lateral flow tests quicker and cheaper than the standard PCR tests at an early stage, but says Ministers and officials batted him off. 'They wouldn't listen they were rude to me.' The Government announced the roll-out of free tests in April 2021, paving the way for businesses and wider society to reopen. But the delay still rankles with Bilimoria. 'I was right all along,' he says. 'If they'd listened to me earlier they could have avoided lockdowns two and three just imagine the effect that would have had.' His term as president of the CBI ended last year but he remains on its board as vice-president. And he is still an outspoken advocate for business, using an appearance at the British Kebab Awards earlier this year to rail against the corporation tax hike from 19 per cent to 25 per cent. He says it threatens to diminish the attractiveness of Britain for investors already apparent as AstraZeneca builds a 320 million factory in Ireland instead of here, and chip designer Arm's 'painful' decision to list in New York rather than London. 'Businesses have suffered so much. The worst thing is to have a high tax burden because it hampers growth and it hampers the recovery,' he says. 'It's the wrong thing to do, particularly now.' The shame of it, Bilimoria argues, is that Britain's flourishing entrepreneurial culture could do even better 'if we had a more attractive tax regime'. Wherever its members stand on the CBI's current troubles, lower taxes is one thing on which they probably could all agree. Small businesses in Cornwall are nursing thousands of pounds in losses after the sudden collapse of Virgin Orbit. Sir Richard Branson's satellite launch company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US this month, extinguishing any lingering hope that it could become a mainstay on the Cornish coast. Virgin Orbit's plan for the first orbital space launch from British soil came to a crashing halt in January with the failure of its mission from Newquay. Burnt: Simon Dean says his Newquay-based firm, All-pac, is owed 1,300 by Virgin Orbit Court documents reveal creditors include many local businesses, such as catering firms and hotels. Cornwall council and the BBC are also named. Simon Dean, who runs All-pac Packaging Supplies in Newquay, is owed 1,300. 'I have been sending emails to people, but they are not being answered,' he said, adding that to chase the money he would have to go to Virgin Orbit's head office in Long Beach, California. 'We're not a big enough company to do that. I'd have to hire someone else.' There was huge excitement in the run-up to the launch as locals were promised new jobs and investment. Virgin Orbit's chief executive, Dan Hart, even told this newspaper that the firm could shift part of its manufacturing to England. Unsurprisingly, its collapse has left many deflated. 'I feel let down because you heard lots of people saying it would be good for the area and bring a lot of noise,' said Dean. 'You get a name like Virgin and you don't think they are going to be fly-by-nights. But they now owe thousands of pounds to lots of people and Richard Branson just moves on. ' South West Hire and Sales is another firm hung out to dry by Virgin Orbit. Depot manager Callum Kirk said its Newquay branch is owed around 3,000. His emails to the company have also gone unanswered. Virgin Orbit was contacted for comment. Hedge fund tycoon Crispin Odey has slashed his short position in Metro Bank, but is still no fan. The bank has been targeted by Odey for short-selling betting the share price will fall for years, but recent filings show he has halved his short position since December. Odey told The Mail on Sunday that Metro Bank now holds a relatively 'unimportant' position in his portfolio as its shares lack liquidity and the price is low. Cutting back: Crispin Odey said that Metro Bank now holds a relatively 'unimportant' position in his portfolio as its shares lack liquidity and the price is low His holding now amounts to about 2 per cent of the shares available and is worth almost 4 million, meaning he is still the bank's largest short-seller. Metro Bank has seen its share price plunge 97 per cent over the past five years. Its market value is now just 170 million. It has also posted losses totalling 627 million since 2020. Odey predicts that the bank could soon be taken over by a rival. Metro Bank recently drew up plans for an orderly wind-down if it were to fail, bringing it in line with Britain's big lenders. It is one of the most thinly capitalised of the 'challenger' and specialist banks, consultants EY recently found. Founded by US entrepreneur Vernon Hill in 2010, it became the first new high street bank in over a century, investing heavily in its branches. A Metro Bank spokesman said it is 'profitable, well-capitalised and highly-liquid, with a loan book that is performing well'. Shares of Commerzbank AG (OTCMKTS:CRZBY Get Rating) have been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $9.53. Commerzbank Price Performance OTCMKTS:CRZBY opened at $11.37 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $11.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.54. Commerzbank has a 1-year low of $5.70 and a 1-year high of $12.75. About Commerzbank (Get Rating) Commerzbank AG engages in the provision of commercial banking services. It operates through the following business segments: Private and Small-Businesses Customers, Corporate Clients, and Others & Consolidation. The Private and Small-Businesses Customers segment is comprised of the universal bank services for private and small-business customers, online securities transactions, and asset management. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Commerzbank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commerzbank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Earthstone Energy, Inc. (NYSE:ESTE Get Rating) have been assigned an average rating of Hold from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $23.80. A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on ESTE shares. Mizuho initiated coverage on Earthstone Energy in a research report on Monday, January 9th. They issued a neutral rating and a $19.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial upped their target price on Earthstone Energy from $23.00 to $30.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of Earthstone Energy in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Earthstone Energy in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Get Earthstone Energy alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Earthstone Energy In other Earthstone Energy news, CEO Robert John Anderson acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.45 per share, for a total transaction of $57,250.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 811,009 shares in the company, valued at $9,286,053.05. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 40.67% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Earthstone Energy Earthstone Energy Stock Performance Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Earthstone Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $790,000. Foundry Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Earthstone Energy by 49.2% in the 4th quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 17,626 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $251,000 after purchasing an additional 5,811 shares during the last quarter. Versor Investments LP lifted its holdings in shares of Earthstone Energy by 185.6% in the 3rd quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 41,980 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 27,280 shares during the last quarter. WA Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Earthstone Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $171,000. Finally, Redwood Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Earthstone Energy by 18.2% in the 3rd quarter. Redwood Investments LLC now owns 776,073 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $9,561,000 after purchasing an additional 119,734 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.77% of the companys stock. NYSE ESTE opened at $14.76 on Monday. Earthstone Energy has a fifty-two week low of $10.65 and a fifty-two week high of $22.25. The stock has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 2.07. The business has a fifty day moving average of $13.42 and a 200-day moving average of $14.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. Earthstone Energy (NYSE:ESTE Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 8th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.09. Earthstone Energy had a return on equity of 31.01% and a net margin of 26.69%. The company had revenue of $494.96 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $459.08 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.46 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 243.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Earthstone Energy will post 4.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Earthstone Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Earthstone Energy, Inc is a growth-oriented independent oil and gas company. The firm is engaged in the acquisition and development of oil and gas reserves through activities that include drilling and development of undeveloped leases, as well as asset and corporate acquisitions and mergers. It also focuses on the Midland Basin in West Texas, the Eagle Ford Trend in South Texas and the Delaware Basin in New Mexico. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Earthstone Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Earthstone Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ithaca Energy (LON:ITH Get Rating) had its price target trimmed by Jefferies Financial Group from GBX 245 ($3.03) to GBX 195 ($2.41) in a report published on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock. Separately, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Ithaca Energy from GBX 140 ($1.73) to GBX 160 ($1.98) and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Get Ithaca Energy alerts: Ithaca Energy Trading Up 2.0 % Ithaca Energy stock opened at GBX 160 ($1.98) on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of 1.62 billion and a P/E ratio of 195.12. The companys fifty day simple moving average is GBX 167.85. Ithaca Energy has a 52-week low of GBX 141 ($1.75) and a 52-week high of GBX 254.90 ($3.16). Ithaca Energy Announces Dividend Ithaca Energy Company Profile The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 23rd were paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 5.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 23rd. Ithaca Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 1,341.46%. (Get Rating) Ithaca Energy plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in the North Sea. The company own a portfolio of assets located in Northern and Central North Sea and Moray Firth areas. As of December 31, 2021, it had proved and probable reserves, and resources of 5.6 millions of barrels of oil equivalent. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ithaca Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ithaca Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 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 peers? We will compare Austin Gold to similar businesses based on the strength of its profitability, valuation, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and dividends. Profitability This table compares Austin Gold and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Austin Gold alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Austin Gold N/A -7.06% -6.94% Austin Gold Competitors -26.92% -3.77% -1.95% Insider & Institutional Ownership 1.3% of Austin Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 30.9% of shares of all Gold & silver ores companies are owned by institutional investors. 70.7% of Austin Gold shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 6.7% of shares of all Gold & silver ores companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Analyst Recommendations Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Austin Gold 0 0 1 0 3.00 Austin Gold Competitors 655 3095 3824 78 2.43 This is a breakdown of current ratings for Austin Gold and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Austin Gold currently has a consensus price target of $5.25, suggesting a potential upside of 341.18%. As a group, Gold & silver ores companies have a potential upside of 31.30%. Given Austin Golds stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Austin Gold is more favorable than its peers. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Austin Gold and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Austin Gold N/A -$1.07 million -17.00 Austin Gold Competitors $1.78 billion -$21.44 million -0.46 Austin Golds peers have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Austin Gold. Austin Gold 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. Austin Gold Company Profile (Get Rating) 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. Receive News & Ratings for Austin Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Austin Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. QUITO, April 14 (Xinhua) -- At least three bomb attacks hit the Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil between Thursday night and early Friday morning with no casualties reported, the National Police confirmed Friday. Although the attacks were "of minor explosive capacity, they generated chaos," said Police Director of Intelligence General Alain Luna. The three explosions occurred in Alborada, Pascuales, and downtown areas of the country's second-most populated city and its industrial center. The attacks came hours after the U.S. embassy in Ecuador issued a security alert for Guayaquil, stating that it had received information that criminals were possibly planning bombings around the city on Thursday night. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso called on the police to act firmly and use their weapons on Thursday, amid a wave of violence and crime facing the country, which he attributed to organized crime groups linked to drug trafficking. Earlier this month, the government authorized the possession and carrying of civilian weapons for personal defense, as well as the use of pepper spray to deal with the instability. First Resource Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FRSB Get Rating) is one of 167 public companies in the National commercial banks industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare First Resource Bancorp to similar businesses based on the strength of its earnings, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability and valuation. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings for First Resource Bancorp and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get First Resource Bancorp alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score First Resource Bancorp 0 0 0 0 N/A First Resource Bancorp Competitors 1032 6786 6456 268 2.41 As a group, National commercial banks companies have a potential upside of 32.42%. Given First Resource Bancorps competitors higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe First Resource Bancorp has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets First Resource Bancorp 25.81% N/A N/A First Resource Bancorp Competitors 24.58% 12.39% 1.15% Risk and Volatility This table compares First Resource Bancorp and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. First Resource Bancorp has a beta of 0.6, suggesting that its stock price is 40% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Resource Bancorps competitors have a beta of 0.79, suggesting that their average stock price is 21% less volatile than the S&P 500. Valuation and Earnings This table compares First Resource Bancorp and its competitors revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio First Resource Bancorp $21.79 million $5.63 million 6.72 First Resource Bancorp Competitors $7.68 billion $1.64 billion 8.66 First Resource Bancorps competitors have higher revenue and earnings than First Resource Bancorp. First Resource Bancorp 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. Insider & Institutional Ownership 51.9% of shares of all National commercial banks companies are held by institutional investors. 8.6% of shares of all National commercial banks companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Summary First Resource Bancorp competitors beat First Resource Bancorp on 9 of the 10 factors compared. First Resource Bancorp Company Profile (Get Rating) First Resource Bancorp, Inc. is a holding company that engages in the provision of community banking services through its subsidiary, First Resource Bank. Its subsidiary offers lending and depository services for businesses, professionals, and individuals in the Delaware Valley. The company is headquartered in Exton, PA. Receive News & Ratings for First Resource Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Resource Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. New York State Common Retirement Fund lessened its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Rating) by 38.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 684,432 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 432,165 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned about 0.17% of Ingersoll Rand worth $35,762,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IR. Putnam Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 207.6% in the 3rd quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 9,004,468 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $389,533,000 after buying an additional 6,077,376 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 7,055.2% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 4,486,250 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $194,075,000 after buying an additional 4,423,551 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 32,413,371 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,402,201,000 after buying an additional 1,286,810 shares in the last quarter. CCLA Investment Management acquired a new position in shares of Ingersoll Rand in the 3rd quarter valued at $55,658,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 44,054,298 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,218,134,000 after buying an additional 823,749 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.73% of the companys stock. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Ingersoll Rand In other Ingersoll Rand news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 25,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $1,500,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 102,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,171,360. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Ingersoll Rand Stock Performance Several research analysts have recently issued reports on IR shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, January 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ingersoll Rand in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Friday, January 20th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ingersoll Rand has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $58.80. Shares of IR opened at $55.70 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $56.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $53.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market capitalization of $22.56 billion, a PE ratio of 37.64 and a beta of 1.42. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 52-week low of $39.28 and a 52-week high of $60.39. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The industrial products company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.13. Ingersoll Rand had a net margin of 10.22% and a return on equity of 9.99%. The business had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.64 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Ingersoll Rand Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were issued a dividend of $0.02 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.14%. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.41%. Ingersoll Rand Company Profile (Get Rating) Ingersoll Rand, Inc provides a broad range of mission critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle and medical technologies, providing services and solutions to increase industrial productivity and efficiency. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Technologies and Services, Precision and Science Technologies, High Pressure Solutions, and Specialty Vehicle Technologies. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its holdings in M&T Bank Co. (NYSE:MTB Get Rating) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 247,926 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,189 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Funds holdings in M&T Bank were worth $35,964,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MTB. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of M&T Bank during the first quarter worth about $306,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of M&T Bank by 29.1% during the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,180 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $375,000 after buying an additional 491 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC grew its holdings in shares of M&T Bank by 37.7% during the first quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 27,430 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,649,000 after buying an additional 7,503 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC bought a new position in shares of M&T Bank during the first quarter worth about $626,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in shares of M&T Bank by 60.8% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 5,978 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,013,000 after buying an additional 2,260 shares in the last quarter. 84.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get M&T Bank alerts: M&T Bank Trading Up 0.0 % Shares of MTB opened at $116.59 on Friday. M&T Bank Co. has a 52-week low of $110.00 and a 52-week high of $193.42. The businesss fifty day moving average is $136.85 and its 200-day moving average is $152.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market cap of $19.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.12, a PEG ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.78. M&T Bank Increases Dividend M&T Bank ( NYSE:MTB Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 19th. The financial services provider reported $4.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.47 by $0.10. M&T Bank had a return on equity of 11.41% and a net margin of 23.15%. The company had revenue of $2.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.37 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that M&T Bank Co. will post 17.22 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This is an increase from M&T Banks previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.46%. M&T Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.14%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MTB shares. UBS Group cut M&T Bank from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on M&T Bank from $190.00 to $183.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 24th. StockNews.com upgraded M&T Bank from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, April 8th. Wolfe Research lowered M&T Bank from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, DA Davidson initiated coverage on M&T Bank in a research note on Wednesday, December 21st. They set a neutral rating and a $160.00 target price on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $169.58. About M&T Bank (Get Rating) M&T Bank Corp. operates as a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking, trust, wealth management and investment services. It operates through the following segments: Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Commercial Real Estate, Discretionary Portfolio, Residential Mortgage Banking, and Retail Banking. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MTB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for M&T Bank Co. (NYSE:MTB Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for M&T Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M&T Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. New York State Common Retirement Fund trimmed its holdings in HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ Get Rating) by 0.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,327,055 shares of the computer makers stock after selling 4,528 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned 0.14% of HP worth $35,658,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P lifted its position in HP by 89.9% in the first quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P now owns 873,243 shares of the computer makers stock worth $31,698,000 after purchasing an additional 413,491 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its position in HP by 46.6% in the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 305,877 shares of the computer makers stock worth $11,103,000 after purchasing an additional 97,178 shares during the period. Prudential PLC bought a new position in shares of HP during the first quarter valued at $892,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of HP by 6.8% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 17,651 shares of the computer makers stock valued at $641,000 after acquiring an additional 1,121 shares during the period. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of HP during the first quarter valued at $309,000. 79.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get HP alerts: HP Stock Down 0.3 % Shares of HPQ stock opened at $29.82 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $29.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.21. The firm has a market cap of $29.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.88, a PEG ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 1.00. HP Inc. has a 12 month low of $24.08 and a 12 month high of $40.79. Insider Activity HP ( NYSE:HPQ Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The computer maker reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $13.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.17 billion. HP had a negative return on equity of 141.20% and a net margin of 4.36%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that HP Inc. will post 3.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other news, CEO Enrique Lores sold 38,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.51, for a total transaction of $1,121,380.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 766,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,612,568.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Enrique Lores sold 38,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.51, for a total transaction of $1,121,380.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 766,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,612,568.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Marie Myers sold 7,380 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.87, for a total value of $220,440.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 22,648 shares of the companys stock, valued at $676,495.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 56,925 shares of company stock worth $1,678,337. 0.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes HPQ has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. TheStreet cut HP from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on HP from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. StockNews.com began coverage on HP in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their target price on HP from $30.00 to $29.00 in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their target price on HP from $27.00 to $26.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $29.19. About HP (Get Rating) HP Inc provides products, technologies, software, solutions, and services to individual consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses, and large enterprises, including customers in the government, health, and education sectors worldwide. It operates through Personal Systems and Printing segments. The Personal Systems segment offers commercial personal computers (PCs), consumer PCs, workstations, thin clients, commercial tablets and mobility devices, retail point-of-sale systems, displays and other related accessories, software, support, and services for the commercial and consumer markets. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for HP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG Get Rating) by 14.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 450,731 shares of the insurance providers stock after buying an additional 55,311 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned about 0.14% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $34,179,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of HIG. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 17,704 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,271,000 after buying an additional 1,185 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 9.1% during the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 3,952 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $284,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the period. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 1st quarter worth $674,000. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 88.6% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 11,238 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $807,000 after purchasing an additional 5,278 shares during the period. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. grew its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 235.4% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,070 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 751 shares during the period. 89.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get The Hartford Financial Services Group alerts: The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Down 3.9 % Shares of HIG stock opened at $68.04 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $21.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.48, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.85. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $60.17 and a 1-year high of $79.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $72.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $72.72. The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement The Hartford Financial Services Group ( NYSE:HIG Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 3rd. The insurance provider reported $2.31 EPS 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.74 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.02 earnings per share. The Hartford Financial Services Groups revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 8.19 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Investors of record on Monday, March 6th were issued a $0.425 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.50%. The Hartford Financial Services Groups payout ratio is 31.19%. Insider Activity at The Hartford Financial Services Group In related news, EVP Amy Stepnowski sold 336 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.59, for a total value of $26,070.24. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 3,844 shares in the company, valued at $298,255.96. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Amy Stepnowski sold 336 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.59, for a total value of $26,070.24. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 3,844 shares in the company, valued at $298,255.96. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 14,542 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.38, for a total transaction of $1,125,259.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 46,629 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,608,152.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 96,587 shares of company stock worth $7,524,178. Company insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on HIG shares. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $78.00 to $77.00 in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, March 31st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. They issued a market perform rating and a $77.00 price objective on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $86.50. The Hartford Financial Services Group Company Profile (Get Rating) 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HIG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for The Hartford Financial Services Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Hartford Financial Services Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Quaker Chemical Co. (NYSE:KWR Get Rating) Director Michael F. Barry sold 100 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.21, for a total value of $20,021.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 90,326 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $18,084,168.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Quaker Chemical Price Performance Shares of Quaker Chemical stock opened at $197.44 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $194.07 and a 200 day moving average of $179.96. Quaker Chemical Co. has a 12 month low of $129.06 and a 12 month high of $216.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 2.80 and a quick ratio of 2.00. Get Quaker Chemical alerts: Quaker Chemical (NYSE:KWR Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.17. Quaker Chemical had a positive return on equity of 7.97% and a negative net margin of 0.82%. The company had revenue of $484.81 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $460.01 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.29 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Quaker Chemical Co. will post 6.47 EPS for the current fiscal year. Quaker Chemical Announces Dividend Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quaker Chemical The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.435 per share. This represents a $1.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. Quaker Chemicals payout ratio is presently -195.51%. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in Quaker Chemical by 327.5% during the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 436 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 334 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its position in Quaker Chemical by 30.2% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 754 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $131,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Quaker Chemical by 63.2% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,123 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $162,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its position in Quaker Chemical by 10.9% during the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,213 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $181,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Everence Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Quaker Chemical during the third quarter valued at approximately $205,000. 80.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth KWR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Quaker Chemical from $206.00 to $203.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 27th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Quaker Chemical in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Quaker Chemical from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Quaker Chemical Company Profile (Get Rating) Quaker Houghton engages in the business of developing, producing, and marketing formulated chemical specialty products. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Global Specialty Businesses. Its products include can making lubricants, cleaners, coatings, cold rolling oils, corrosion preventives, die casting lubricants, dust suppressants, greases, ground control agents, hot rolling oils, hydraulic fluids, industrial lubricants, longwall fluids, metal forming fluids, metal removal fluids, pickle oils, surface treatments, temper fluids, and tin plating. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Quaker Chemical Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quaker Chemical and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Air France-KLM SA (OTCMKTS:AFLYY Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,500 shares, a decline of 47.3% from the March 15th total of 33,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 58,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In AFLYY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Societe Generale raised Air France-KLM from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Barclays assumed coverage on Air France-KLM in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. They issued an overweight rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Air France-KLM from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Air France-KLM from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. Finally, UBS Group raised Air France-KLM from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air France-KLM currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $1.98. Get Air France-KLM alerts: Air France-KLM Stock Performance OTCMKTS AFLYY opened at $1.67 on Friday. Air France-KLM has a one year low of $1.15 and a one year high of $4.68. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $1.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1.57. Air France-KLM Company Profile Air France-KLM SA provides passenger and cargo air transportation services. Its activities include cargo, aeronautics maintenance, and other air transport related activities, such as catering and charter services. The firm operates through the following segments: Network, Maintenance, Transavia, and Other. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Air France-KLM Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Air France-KLM and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Graypoint LLC acquired a new stake in shares of General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 2,524 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $212,000. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of GIS. Geneva Partners LLC lifted its holdings in General Mills by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Geneva Partners LLC now owns 6,579 shares of the companys stock worth $504,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in General Mills by 0.5% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. now owns 27,800 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,129,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the period. Archford Capital Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in General Mills by 1.6% in the third quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 8,212 shares of the companys stock valued at $629,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. West Coast Financial LLC lifted its holdings in General Mills by 3.5% in the third quarter. West Coast Financial LLC now owns 3,954 shares of the companys stock valued at $303,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. Finally, First Command Bank increased its position in General Mills by 16.4% in the third quarter. First Command Bank now owns 949 shares of the companys stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. 74.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get General Mills alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently issued reports on GIS shares. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on General Mills in a research report on Thursday. They set a buy rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on General Mills from $84.00 to $86.00 in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Mizuho raised their price target on General Mills from $75.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. StockNews.com raised General Mills from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on General Mills from $81.00 to $83.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $84.76. General Mills Price Performance NYSE:GIS opened at $86.56 on Friday. General Mills, Inc. has a 12 month low of $64.94 and a 12 month high of $88.34. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $81.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $81.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market cap of $50.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.27. General Mills (NYSE:GIS Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.06. General Mills had a return on equity of 24.51% and a net margin of 14.04%. The business had revenue of $5.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.84 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. General Mills Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.50%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. General Millss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.65%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Bethany C. Quam sold 21,734 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.86, for a total value of $1,866,081.24. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 47,560 shares in the company, valued at $4,083,501.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Bethany C. Quam sold 21,734 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.86, for a total value of $1,866,081.24. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 47,560 shares in the company, valued at $4,083,501.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathon Nudi sold 8,030 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.33, for a total value of $685,199.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 83,049 shares in the company, valued at $7,086,571.17. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.67% of the stock is owned by insiders. About General Mills (Get Rating) General Mills, Inc engages in the manufacture and marketing of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores. The firm operates through the following segments: North America Retail, Europe & Australia, Convenience Stores & Foodservice, Pet, and Asia & Latin America. The North America Retail segment includes grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, drug, dollar and discount chains and e-commerce grocery providers. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GIS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for General Mills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Mills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Keybank National Association OH reduced its position in Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI Get Rating) by 5.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 85,699 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 4,762 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OHs holdings in Crown Castle were worth $11,624,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cohen & Steers Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Crown Castle by 64.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 8,335,213 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,204,827,000 after buying an additional 3,258,264 shares in the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new position in shares of Crown Castle in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $81,419,000. M&G Investment Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Crown Castle by 36.4% in the 4th quarter. M&G Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,691,131 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $229,994,000 after buying an additional 451,665 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Crown Castle by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 33,676,811 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $4,867,983,000 after buying an additional 445,642 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Crown Castle by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,942,098 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $8,230,979,000 after buying an additional 355,184 shares in the last quarter. 90.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Crown Castle alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on CCI shares. Cowen raised their price target on Crown Castle from $149.00 to $152.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Raymond James raised their price target on Crown Castle from $153.00 to $154.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Crown Castle from $230.00 to $175.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 13th. Barclays raised their price target on Crown Castle from $152.00 to $153.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Crown Castle from $150.00 to $162.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Crown Castle presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $159.07. Crown Castle Stock Performance CCI stock opened at $129.27 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $133.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $136.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.81. The firm has a market cap of $56.06 billion, a PE ratio of 33.49 and a beta of 0.65. Crown Castle Inc. has a 1-year low of $121.71 and a 1-year high of $199.97. Crown Castle (NYSE:CCI Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.78 by ($0.83). Crown Castle had a return on equity of 21.58% and a net margin of 23.96%. The business had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.77 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Crown Castle Inc. will post 7.26 earnings per share for the current year. Crown Castle Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a $1.565 dividend. This represents a $6.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. Crown Castles dividend payout ratio is 162.18%. About Crown Castle (Get Rating) Crown Castle, Inc is a real estate investment trust company, which engages in the provision of access to wireless infrastructure via long-term contacts. It operates through the Towers and Fiber segments. The Towers segment offers access, including space or capacity towers dispersed throughout the United States. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CCI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Crown Castle Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crown Castle and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC cut its position in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Get Rating) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 134,062 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 536 shares during the quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLCs holdings in Pfizer were worth $6,869,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in PFE. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Karp Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. My Personal CFO LLC bought a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Delos Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 800 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.62% of the companys stock. Get Pfizer alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts recently commented on PFE shares. Atlantic Securities reduced their target price on shares of Pfizer from $50.00 to $46.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Pfizer from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Berenberg Bank set a $40.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. SVB Leerink reduced their target price on shares of Pfizer from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, UBS Group set a $45.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $49.80. Insider Activity at Pfizer Pfizer Trading Down 0.7 % In other news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc bought 1,811,594 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $2.76 per share, for a total transaction of $4,999,999.44. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now owns 5,952,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,428,245.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Shares of NYSE PFE opened at $41.19 on Friday. Pfizer Inc. has a 1 year low of $39.23 and a 1 year high of $54.93. The stock has a market cap of $232.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.64. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $41.41 and a 200 day moving average of $45.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.11. Pfizer had a net margin of 31.27% and a return on equity of 42.03%. The company had revenue of $24.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.40 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.08 EPS. Pfizers revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.3 EPS for the current fiscal year. Pfizer Company Profile (Get Rating) Pfizer Inc is a research-based global biopharmaceutical company. It engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of biopharmaceutical products worldwide. The firm works across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PFE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A Supreme Court judge ordered Brazils ex-president Jair Bolsonaro Friday to face questioning by police over his supporters invasion of the presidential palace, Congress, and high court on January 8. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled Bolsonaro had to appear before federal police within 10 days to answer to questions over accusations he incited the rioters, who called for the ouster of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in last years elections. I grant the request by the prosecutor generals office and determine the federal police must take Jair Messias Bolsonaros testimony within a maximum of 10 days, Moraes wrote in the ruling, obtained by AFP. Thousands of Bolsonaros far-right supporters stormed the halls of power in Brasilia on January 8, trashing offices, vandalizing artworks and calling for the military to intervene to oust veteran leftist Lula. The scenes drew widespread comparisons to the January 6, 2021 riots in Washington, when supporters of ex-president Donald Trump -- Bolsonaros political role model -- invaded the US Capitol building in a failed bid to overturn his election loss. The riots in Brasilia came one week after Lula, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, took office after narrowly beating Bolsonaro in a brutal, divisive election last October. Prosecutors called for Bolsonaro to be investigated over a video he posted online -- and later deleted -- two days after the attacks, in which he portrayed Lulas election as illegitimate. However, prosecutors said their probe of the ex-president would not be limited to the video, but a full investigation of all acts before and after January 8. Bolsonaro, who left for the US state of Florida in the final days of his term, returned to Brazil on March 30, vowing to oppose Lulas government. HAIKOU, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Global luxury carmakers attending the third China International Consumer Products Expo have set their sights on the world's largest new energy vehicle (NEV) market. Volkswagen brought its luxury brands, including Porsche, Bentley, and Lamborghini, to the expo held in Haikou, the capital of south China's Hainan Province, from Monday to Saturday. Porsche showed its purely electric car model Taycan 4s, and Bentley exhibited a plug-in hybrid. Meanwhile, Britain's Lotus showcased a fully electric SUV. China's NEV market has seen booming development over the past few years, luring more carmakers to vie for a piece of the market. China's NEV sales nearly doubled to 6.89 million units last year, accounting for over a quarter of the total automobile sales in the world's largest auto market, said Xu Xingfeng, an official with China's Ministry of Commerce, at the expo. Young customers particularly love the all-electric models, said Sheng Tantzscher, vice president and chief financial officer of Porsche China. Over 50 percent of Porsche's new vehicle sales worldwide are expected to be all-electric or plug-in hybrids by 2025, and that figure would reach more than 80 percent by 2030, she said. More and more Bentley customers are choosing to buy hybrid cars due to the green and low-carbon consumption trend, even as most are not worried about gasoline costs, said an exhibition staff worker with Bentley. Oliver Blume, chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, told Xinhua that the German automaker is pushing forward its electrification strategy and has made a good start. Blume said Volkswagen hopes to leverage its experience to produce more high-quality new energy vehicles and further achieve good sales in the Chinese market. Mirko Bordiga, managing director of Maserati China, said that Maserati has confidence in the Chinese NEV market and will soon launch new fully electric models in the forthcoming Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. By 2025, all Maserati models will have electric versions. By 2030, the entire Maserati range will be electricity-powered only, said Bordiga, adding that Hainan's planned ban on oil-fueled vehicles is a revolutionary response to the burgeoning trend toward electric vehicles. Hainan has announced a plan to phase out the sales of traditional oil-fueled vehicles throughout the province by 2030. Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ Get Rating) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 132,311 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 767 shares during the quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLCs holdings in Vanguard Real Estate ETF were worth $10,913,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VNQ. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 120.3% during the 1st quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. now owns 3,790 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $411,000 after acquiring an additional 2,070 shares in the last quarter. MAS Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 88,453 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $9,704,000 after acquiring an additional 1,333 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 17.9% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 4,268 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $463,000 after acquiring an additional 648 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 6.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 250,514 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $27,148,000 after acquiring an additional 16,158 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 20.0% during the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,500 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $163,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Get Vanguard Real Estate ETF alerts: Vanguard Real Estate ETF Stock Performance Vanguard Real Estate ETF stock opened at $81.19 on Friday. Vanguard Real Estate ETF has a fifty-two week low of $74.66 and a fifty-two week high of $113.41. The company has a market capitalization of $32.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.40 and a beta of 0.87. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $84.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $84.20. Vanguard Real Estate ETF Profile Vanguard REIT ETF (the Fund) is an open-end investment company. The Fund invests in stocks issued by real estate investment trusts (REITs), companies that purchase office buildings, hotels, and other real property. It tracks the return of the MSCI US RIT Index, a gauge of real estate stocks. The Vanguard Group, Inc provides investment advisory services to the Fund. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VNQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard Real Estate ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard Real Estate ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG Get Rating) by 74.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,025 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 439 shares during the period. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Conagra Brands were worth $40,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CAG. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 6.6% in the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 64,185 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,155,000 after purchasing an additional 3,975 shares in the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its holdings in Conagra Brands by 0.4% in the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 309,389 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,942,000 after acquiring an additional 1,186 shares during the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Conagra Brands by 3.7% in the first quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 22,548 shares of the companys stock valued at $758,000 after acquiring an additional 807 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its holdings in Conagra Brands by 19.8% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 27,151 shares of the companys stock valued at $911,000 after acquiring an additional 4,487 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in Conagra Brands by 509.0% in the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 366,225 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,294,000 after acquiring an additional 306,086 shares during the last quarter. 81.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Conagra Brands alerts: Conagra Brands Price Performance Shares of CAG opened at $36.97 on Friday. Conagra Brands, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $31.01 and a fifty-two week high of $41.30. The company has a market capitalization of $17.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.56. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.97. Conagra Brands Announces Dividend Conagra Brands ( NYSE:CAG Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 5th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.08 billion. Conagra Brands had a net margin of 6.59% and a return on equity of 15.34%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.58 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Conagra Brands, Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 28th will be given a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.57%. Conagra Brandss payout ratio is currently 79.04%. Insider Activity at Conagra Brands In other news, COO Thomas M. Mcgough sold 45,000 shares of Conagra Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.66, for a total transaction of $1,739,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 104,859 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,053,848.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.98% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms recently commented on CAG. UBS Group upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $38.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Bank of America increased their target price on Conagra Brands from $40.00 to $42.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on Conagra Brands from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $40.73. About Conagra Brands (Get Rating) Conagra Brands, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of processed and packaged foods. It operates through the following segments: Grocery and Snacks, Refrigerated and Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery and Snacks segment includes branded, shelf stable food products sold in various retail channels in the United States. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Conagra Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Conagra Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 5,124 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $212,000. Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Csenge Advisory Group increased its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 3.3% in the third quarter. Csenge Advisory Group now owns 21,920 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $882,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the period. Tevis Investment Management increased its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 19.4% in the third quarter. Tevis Investment Management now owns 2,641 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 430 shares during the period. Ulysses Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 25.0% in the third quarter. Ulysses Management LLC now owns 50,000 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,011,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the period. LVW Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 12.0% in the third quarter. LVW Advisors LLC now owns 7,958 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $320,000 after purchasing an additional 853 shares during the period. Finally, Hartline Investment Corp acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $355,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.24% of the companys stock. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Wells Fargo & Company Trading Down 0.1 % Wells Fargo & Company stock opened at $39.64 on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1 year low of $35.25 and a 1 year high of $49.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market cap of $149.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.12. The firms 50 day moving average price is $42.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $43.45. Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.05. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 15.91% and a return on equity of 9.28%. The firm had revenue of $20.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.88 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.66 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Shareholders 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 3.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is 38.22%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 34,698 shares of Wells Fargo & Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total transaction of $1,605,476.46. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $906,429.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group cut Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $49.00 to $46.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 24th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $58.00 to $47.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $48.00 to $52.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, Odeon Capital Group cut Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, March 13th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $49.91. Wells Fargo & Company Profile (Get Rating) 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC cut its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEARCA:EFA Get Rating) by 30.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,259 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 984 shares during the period. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $148,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 55.4% in the 3rd quarter. Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University now owns 8,785,451 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $492,073,000 after acquiring an additional 3,132,027 shares during the period. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 6,542.8% during the 3rd quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,804,140 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $735,000 after purchasing an additional 2,761,927 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 2,717.6% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,358,345 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $132,064,000 after purchasing an additional 2,274,645 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 361.6% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,214,925 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $124,058,000 after purchasing an additional 1,735,125 shares during the period. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 5,862.4% in the 4th quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,377 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $95,925,000 after buying an additional 1,436,867 shares in the last quarter. 80.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get iShares MSCI EAFE ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Stock Down 0.4 % Shares of EFA stock opened at $73.22 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.46. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF has a fifty-two week low of $54.61 and a fifty-two week high of $73.69. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Profile iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Funds investment objective is to seek investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, MSCI EAFE Index (the Index). The Index has been developed by MSCI Inc as an equity benchmark for its international stock performance. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Graypoint LLC decreased its holdings in Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C Get Rating) by 22.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,287 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,560 shares during the period. Graypoint LLCs holdings in Citigroup were worth $239,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in C. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Citigroup during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Arlington Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. EWG Elevate Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 96.6% in the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 814 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.90% of the companys stock. Get Citigroup alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades C has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TheStreet raised Citigroup from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Barclays reduced their target price on Citigroup from $61.00 to $59.00 in a report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on Citigroup from $87.00 to $75.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on Citigroup from $53.00 to $45.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Citigroup from $55.00 to $51.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Citigroup has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $54.47. Citigroup Stock Performance C stock opened at $49.56 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $48.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $47.09. Citigroup Inc. has a 1-year low of $40.01 and a 1-year high of $54.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. The firm has a market cap of $96.33 billion, a PE ratio of 7.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.57. Citigroup (NYSE:C Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 14th. The company reported $2.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.51. Citigroup had a return on equity of 8.14% and a net margin of 14.73%. The firm had revenue of $21.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.07 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.02 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Citigroup Inc. will post 5.92 earnings per share for the current year. Citigroup Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Investors of record on Monday, May 1st will be given a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.12%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 28th. Citigroups payout ratio is 29.14%. Insider Activity at Citigroup In related news, insider Michael Whitaker sold 12,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.63, for a total value of $645,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 239,429 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,361,719.27. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Citigroup news, insider Michael Whitaker sold 12,500 shares of Citigroup stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.63, for a total transaction of $645,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 239,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,361,719.27. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Titilope Cole sold 11,903 shares of Citigroup stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.10, for a total value of $608,243.30. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 65,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,360,540.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 27,353 shares of company stock valued at $1,403,390 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock. Citigroup Profile (Get Rating) Citigroup, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of financial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Global Consumer Banking, Institutional Clients Group, and Corporate and Other. The Global Consumer Banking segment provides traditional banking services to retail customers through retail banking, including commercial banking, and Citi-branded cards and Citi retail services. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding C? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Citigroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Citigroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. An Italian handicraftsman makes a cameo at the pavilion of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, on April 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Huimin) HAIKOU, April 15 (Xinhua) -- An Italian artisan has created an exquisite cameo out of a small piece of conch shell, using simple but versatile tools. His work has caught the curiosity of many visitors at the pavilion of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce. The ongoing third China International Consumer Products Expo held in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, has been filled with similar scenes. This has encouraged Italian exhibitors to further explore China's unmissable market, which is also an unrivaled magnet for global businesses. "Chinese consumption potential is extraordinary and there is no limit," said Marco Russo, CEO of Russo Cammei, a jewelry maker headquartered in Naples of Italy with a business partner in Shanghai. Russo is highly optimistic about the expo due to the intriguing Chinese market and the Hainan market. He expressed confidence that his company will have a more promising future in the Chinese market. "We want to expand our business in China." China's solid strides in building the free trade port made Hainan an important province for our company, said Russo. He added that this expo is a significant opportunity for the company to expand beyond Shanghai and explore new areas in the super large market. As the guest country of honor at this year's expo, Italy built a pavilion covering approximately 1,800 square meters and featured 147 participating brands -- both figures more than double that of last year's edition. At the pavilion of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Monini, an Italian olive oil producer, also enjoyed a high level of popularity and traffic. "Actually it's way better than expected because there is a very huge crowd and many interested potential customers," said Guglielmo Giacconi, export area manager of Monini, who attended the expo for the first time. "China is a market that is so big and full of opportunities that we want to find as many partners as possible to cover all the main channels in the market," said Giacconi. Guglielmo Giacconi (1st L), export area manager of Monini, an Italian olive oil producer, introduces products to a visitor at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, on April 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Huimin) In recent years, Chinese consumers' higher income levels and their interest in pursuing a higher quality of life have made the Chinese market more attractive to healthy food producers like Monini. He believes that healthy food has unlimited market potential in China as Chinese consumers become more concerned about their health. "I really cannot wait to join the expo next year." At the national pavilion of Italy, coffee giant Illy made its debut at the expo and welcomed a big crowd of visitors every day. "We participate in the expo because it's a very big platform," said Walter Lumino, managing director of Illycaffe Shanghai Co., Ltd. "We believe in China, and Hainan is a new opportunity." He said China has already opened the door to all kinds of brands and showed its willingness to cooperate, which he thought is very positive. Speaking to Xinhua, Lumino said that it's not only the main cities such as Shanghai or Beijing in China that are welcoming foreigners. Hainan is also a good and open platform for foreign companies, and its location in the south is very strategic. The taxation and the duty-free policies make it very attractive. Having lived in China for 17 years, Lumino has already seen China as his second home. "I would like China progresses well. I will also be proud if I can give a small contribution to China to develop more." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SCHOHARIE Attorneys for Nauman Hussain, the man accused of causing the 2018 limousine crash in Schoharie that killed 20 people, are seeking to delay the May 1 start of Hussains criminal trial in order to get their hands on a recently-completed internal FBI report on the bureaus dealings with Nauman Hussains father, a longtime undercover informant who also owed the limo company involved in the crash. Nauman Hussain, 33, has been free on bail since his April 2019 indictment on 20 counts each of criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter, felonies that carry significant prison sentences. The Oct. 6, 2018, limo crash in Schoharie is considered the worst highway transportation disaster in the U.S. in decades and one of the most high-profile limo crashes in state history. Whats made the story even more complicated is that Shahed Hussain, the legal owner of the 2001 stretch Ford Excursion involved in the crash and the father of Nauman Hussain, is a long-time FBI informant on anti-terrorism cases. Stories by the Times Union about the Hussains, who arrived in the U.S. from Pakistan more than three decades ago, revealed that Shahed Hussain would often use his FBI affiliation to bully people looking into his shady business practices, including code enforcement officers and people who claimed to have been defrauded by Shahed Hussain. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose district includes Schoharie County, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, got FBI Director Chris Wray to conduct an internal investigation into the ties, if any, between Shahed Hussain, the FBI and his uncertified limousine company. Last month, Stefanik said she was briefed by the FBI on its report into Shahed Hussain. Although Stefanik did not disclose any of the reports contents, she said that she had serious concerns with the FBIs undercover informant program. A Stefanik spokeswoman, Palmer Brigham, said Friday that she has not shared the report, which was explained to her in a classified briefing, with anyone else, although Stefanik is hoping to get the FBI to brief the families of the Schoharie crash. That is why the Congresswoman is pushing for a public, transparent briefing and a release of the review to the families first and then the public, Brigham said. Albany attorney Lee Kindlon, one of Nauman Hussains attorneys, filed a motion in the case on Thursday in Schoharie County Court seeking to delay the trial and force Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery to subpoena Stefanik or Wray for the FBI report on Shahed Hussain. Kindlon asserts in a Thursday filing that the FBI filing could provide helpful or exculpatory evidence that would help Nauman Hussains defense. It is believed that this investigation and the information contained therein is material to this case and it may contain potentially exculpatory information and its disclosure is mandated, Kindlon wrote. Kindlon wants state Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch to revoke or strike Mallerys certificate of readiness for trial and to delay the trial while Mallery is forced to subpoena Stefanik or Wray. Mallery told the Times Union on Friday evening that her office does not have federal subpoena power but that she was preparing an answer for Lynch in the case. A hearing on the motion will be held Monday in Schoharie, although Lynch previously said he would not delay the start of the trial for any reason, even when Kindlon asked for a delay on Monday since his co-counsel, New York City attorney Joseph Tacopina, is also representing former U.S. President Donald Trump in his criminal case in Manhattan. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DIGHTON, Mass. (AP) The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking highly classified documents had set his sights on joining the military from an early age. But more recently he had expressed disillusionment about having enlisted. Jack Teixeira, 21, was charged Friday in U.S. District Court in Boston with unauthorized removal and retention of classified and national defense information a breach that has caused an international uproar and exposed explicit U.S. assessments on the war in Ukraine and other closely held secrets. A magistrate judge ordered Teixeira held until a detention hearing next week. Teixeira grew up in Dighton, a rural community south of Boston that is dotted with single-family homes interspersed with small farms. His mother's home sits down a long driveway in heavy woods. A florist, she sometimes puts out a flower cart by the side of the road, selling bouquets on the honor system. Two of his classmates told The Boston Globe that Teixeira revered the military and showed an early interest in joining. He was especially focused on the history of war and weapons. From a young age, I remember he would have a book on, I believe, U.S. military aircrafts, armaments, like a real big textbook, John Powell told the Globe. Though Powell remembered Teixeira being bullied in middle school, he told the newspaper that the young man was an optimist and sweetheart, with an especially close relationship with his stepdad, an Air Force veteran. High school classmate Kailani Reis told the newspaper Teixeira was super quiet and gave off loner vibes," while another classmate, Sarah Arnold, told AP she remembered him as being quiet and keeping to himself. Teixeira enlisted in the Air National Guard in September 2019, according to military records. He graduated from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School the following year, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the school to close and go virtual. It was during the pandemic that Teixeira developed a close relationship with other members of a chat room on the social media platform Discord, where members of the group have said the leaks showed up. The chat app is used by video gamers and others to connect online. A member of the Discord chat group spoke to AP about the conversations, but declined to give his name, citing concerns for his personal safety. The group, called Thug Shaker Central, drew people who talked about their favorite types of guns and shared memes and jokes, some of them racist and anti-Semitic, the person told the AP. The group also included a running discussion about Russias invasion of Ukraine. For months, a member nicknamed the O.G. posted reams of classified material, said the Discord member who confirmed that O.G. was Teixeira. Teixeira liked to chat about guns, was an observant Christian and would often pray with group members, the fellow member said. In recent months, Teixeira had become disillusioned about the U.S. military and had begun to express regret (about) joining, the person said. He even said hed kick my ass if I thought about joining. Teixeira also worried the federal government had become too powerful, according to the Discord user. The chat group member said he wasnt sure why Teixeira enlisted, but believed he needed money for college. He added that O.G. was skilled at making memes. He was good at his craft. He was good with, you know, Photoshop, the group member told AP, adding that Teixeira was never a very, super serious guy, usually was all like laughs and giggles." Teixeira was recently promoted to Airman 1st Class and assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, where his job was listed as a cyber transport systems journeyman. Despite his relatively low rank, the technology position would have given Teixeira responsibility for maintaining computer networks with access to classified information. Teixeira began active duty in October 2021, serving full time at the base, which is located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Members of the Discord group described Teixeira as someone looking to show off, rather than being motivated by a desire to inform the public about U.S. military operations or to influence American policy. Without any evidence, some prominent people on the right have begun hailing Teixeira as someone who aimed to expose the Biden administration and prevent further U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine. On Twitter, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, using the wrong first name, posted that Teixeira was white, male, christian, and antiwar. That makes him an enemy to the Biden regime. The Discord member told AP he did not believe Teixeira leaked documents to undermine the U.S. government or for an ideological reason. If I had to give a gauge on it, it would be more or less just some nerds wanting to glance over some stuff and compare and contrast and kind of have a little joke about it, he said, adding that, At the end of the day, I mean were just trying to have a fun time." ___ Merchant reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jennifer McDermott in Dighton, Massachusetts, Ali Swenson in Seattle and Alan Suderman, Michael Bieseker and Richard Lardner in Washington contributed to this report. ALBANY During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid were shielded from losing access to their health coverage. That benefit ran out on April 1, when the state resumed annual Medicaid eligibility checks a practice paused for the last three years requiring more than 9 million residents to recertify that they meet the income requirements for state-subsidized health plans. State health officials say they are working closely with social service providers and insurance companies to educate the public on the requirements for Medicaid, Child Health Plus, the state's Essential Plan and help them transition to alternative coverage if needed. "The end of the public health emergency does not mean a downshift in public health," state Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri said in a statement. "It is our top priority to reinstate eligibility reviews in a way that retains coverage for as many enrollees as possible and limits coverage gaps, particularly for vulnerable populations dependent on services." Despite these efforts, more than a million New Yorkers could potentially be booted from public insurance plans, according to estimates from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. While the majority of New Yorkers will likely be assigned to other plans, the organization projects that the state's uninsured numbers could rise 20 percent. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), enacted by Congress in early 2020, required state Medicaid programs to keep people enrolled throughout the pandemic in exchange for increased federal funding. The federal policy drove Medicaid enrollment levels to historic highs. In New York, nearly 50 percent of residents are now enrolled in Medicaid plans and the state's health-related spending has skyrocketed, according to the state Department of Health (DOH). In December, Congress decoupled the automatic renewal policy from the public health emergency, requiring states to restart eligibility renewals this spring. Implementing the so-called "unwinding" of Medicaid over the next 14 months will be a significant undertaking for the DOH and insurance providers contracted with the state to provide Medicaid, which have seen their own memberships climb in the last three years. Fidelis Care, one of the largest providers of Medicaid in the state, acquired 500,000 of its Medicaid subscribers during the pandemic, about a third of the plan's statewide membership, according to Fidelis Care VP of Enrollment Megan Woodward. "We are anticipating a fair bit of movement," Woodward said. "People's lives have changed a lot in the last couple of years. Their income has changed and that means their eligibility for different offerings along the continuum will also likely have changed." Fidelis has been focusing its outreach on individuals whose primary language is not English and those with complex medical conditions. CDPHP, which currently provides Medicaid coverage to 120,000 Capital Region residents, gained 30,000 of its Medicaid enrollees during the pandemic. "We are working hard to ensure those members maintain coverage, partnering with the state Department of Health, to proactively reach out to those individuals who need to recertify through letters, emails, social media, community engagement efforts, and more," CDPHP spokeswoman Ali Skinner said in an email. During the pandemic, the automatic Medicaid re-enrollment policy created a hassle for some people seeking to end their Medicaid coverage. Terry Jones, of New Lebanon, said she spent a good part of last year trying to transition off Medicaid, which doesn't cover her medications and isn't accepted by her doctors. Jones, who drives a truck cross country three weeks out of the month, selected a $700-per-month Blue Cross Blue Shield silver plan on the NY State of Health website. Much to her frustration, Jones was repeatedly reverted back to Medicaid. "I'm an older woman," she said. "I need to worry about driving this 80,000 pound killing machine out here... you know if someone hits me, and I get hurt, I don't have no insurance to cover it." On April 1, she said her Blue Cross Blue Shield plan finally went into effect. According to the DOH, renewal notices will be sent on a rolling basis, with deadlines based on the enrollee's enrollment end dates, ranging from June 30, 2023, through May 31, 2024. The state has taken steps to protect some Medicaid enrollees from losing coverage, such as by using federal income data to automatically renew coverage for individuals over the age of 65 and those with disabilities. The state has also increased Medicaid income eligibility levels for children, the elderly and those with disabilities. New Yorks Essential Plan for low-income individuals will be available for those who no longer qualify for Medicaid and enhanced federal tax credits will make coverage more affordable for individuals transitioning to commercial plans available through the state's health insurance exchange. The national public health emergency officially ends on May 11. At that time, other pandemic-era edicts affecting health insurance companies will lapse, including one that requires insurance providers to cover COVID-19 tests. People gather near the site where a massive fire broke out at a popular clothing market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 15, 2023. The fire broke out here on Saturday morning. Ershad Hossain, senior duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua that 30 fire engines were fighting the fire in the city's major "New Super Market." (Xinhua) DHAKA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A massive fire broke out at a popular clothing market in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on Saturday morning. Ershad Hossain, senior duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua that 30 fire engines were fighting the fire in the city's major "New Super Market." The fire sent thick black smoke into the air, visible several kilometers away. The cause of the fire, which broke out around 6:00 a.m. local time, has not been ascertained, as the security officials have yet to comment on the incident. Firefighting units of the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force, along with the Border Guard Bangladesh and Rapid Action Battalion members, reached the spot to assist the fire service. Brigadier General Md Main Uddin, director general of the department of fire service and civil defense, told journalists on the spot that "the fire is under control" though it has not yet been completely doused. TV reports showed fires were still raging in some parts of the market. This is the second major fire incident at a market in Dhaka in the last two weeks. The devastating fire on April 4 at Dhaka's Bangabazar market gutted thousands of shops. People gather near the site where a massive fire broke out at a popular clothing market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 15, 2023. The fire broke out here on Saturday morning. Ershad Hossain, senior duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua that 30 fire engines were fighting the fire in the city's major "New Super Market." (Xinhua) A firefighter takes a break at the site where a massive fire broke out at a popular clothing market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 15, 2023. The fire broke out here on Saturday morning. Ershad Hossain, senior duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua that 30 fire engines were fighting the fire in the city's major "New Super Market." (Xinhua) People gather near the site where a massive fire broke out at a popular clothing market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 15, 2023. The fire broke out here on Saturday morning. Ershad Hossain, senior duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua that 30 fire engines were fighting the fire in the city's major "New Super Market." (Xinhua) People carry goods from the site where a massive fire broke out at a popular clothing market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 15, 2023. The fire broke out here on Saturday morning. Ershad Hossain, senior duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua that 30 fire engines were fighting the fire in the city's major "New Super Market." (Xinhua) A man cries near the site where a massive fire broke out at a popular clothing market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 15, 2023. The fire broke out here on Saturday morning. Ershad Hossain, senior duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua that 30 fire engines were fighting the fire in the city's major "New Super Market." (Xinhua) [April 14, 2023] The Bitcoin Fund's Redemption Options Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. This announcement and the information contained herein is restricted and is not for release, publication, or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly in, or into or from the United States or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. Further, this announcement is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation to buy, subscribe for or otherwise acquire any securities of The Bitcoin Fund or the 3iQ Bitcoin ETF in any jurisdiction in which any such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. TORONTO, April 14, 2023 /CNW/ -- 3iQ Corp. ("3iQ"), is reminding holders of units (the "Units") of The Bitcoin Fund (TSX: QBTC) (TSX: QBTC.U) (the "3iQ Fund") of the options available to them in connection with the upcoming annual redemption of Units. These options are (i) a voluntary option to convert all or part of their Units into units of the 3iQ Bitcoin ETF (the "3iQ ETF") (TSX: BTCQ) (TSX: BTCQ.U), (ii) an in-kind redemption for bitcoin, and (iii) redemption for cash at 100% of net asset value per Unit. The annual redemption date of the 3iQ Fund is June 16, 2023. Conversion Unitholders can elect to convert all or part of their Units into units of the 3iQ ETF. This conversion will be effected on a relative net asset value basis (NAV-for-NAV). Unitholders should be aware that the conversion portion of the transaction will constitute a disposition for tax purposes of Units of the 3iQ Fund by unitholders. In-kind Redemption Unitholders holding 20,000 Units or more who wish to redeem their Units and who have accounts with the sub-custodian of the 3iQ Fund, Gemini Trust Company, LLC, may, with the consent of 3iQ, redeem their Units for bitcoin. Bitcoin delivered pursuant to an in-kind redemption will be valued at the net asset value of the Units on the annual redemption date. Process Unitholders electing to exercise their redemption right must submit a redemption request, no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on May 31, 2023 (the "cut-off") to The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited ("CDS") through their investment dealer and, in the case of the conversion option, direct tht the redemption proceeds be applied to the purchase of units of the 3iQ ETF. Unitholders should note that their investment dealer may require additional time in order to be able to submit a redemption and purchase notice through CDS in time to meet the cut-off and should therefore contact their investment dealer well in advance of the cut-off time. Press Contact: Fred Pye - CEO E: [email protected] P: +1 (416) 639-2130 About 3iQ Corp Founded in 2012, 3iQ Corp. (3iQ) has more than C$780 million in assets under management. 3iQ was the first Canadian investment fund manager to offer a public bitcoin investment fund, The Bitcoin Fund (TSX: QBTC) (TSX: QBTC.U), and a public ether investment fund, The Ether Fund (TSX: QETH.UN) (TSX: QETH.U). More recently, 3iQ launched the 3iQ Bitcoin ETF (TSX: BTCQ) (TSX: BTCQ.U) and the 3iQ Ether ETF (TSX: ETHQ) (TSX: ETHQ.U). 3iQ offers investors convenient and familiar investment products to gain exposure to digital assets. For more information about 3iQ: Visit us at 3iQ.ca Follow us on Twitter @3iQ_corp or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/3iq-corp/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/3iQDigitalAssetManagement There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning units of an investment fund. Please read the prospectus of the 3iQ Bitcoin ETF and the annual information form of The Bitcoin Fund (together, the "Funds") before investing. Important information about the Funds is contained in the prospectus of the 3iQ Bitcoin ETF and the annual information form of The Bitcoin Fund. Copies of the prospectus and the annual information form may be obtained from 3iQ Corp. at 3iQ.ca or at www.sedar.com. You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of the Funds on a stock exchange or other alternative Canadian trading system (an "exchange"). If units of the Funds are purchased or sold on an exchange, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the Funds and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. IMPORTANT NOTICES THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OR ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE SAME WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. This announcement should not be distributed, forwarded, transmitted or otherwise disseminated in or into the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction of the United States. The Funds' securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or under the applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered, sold, resold, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly within, into or in the United Press Contact: States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or except in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with the securities laws of any relevant state or other jurisdiction of the United States. Neither this announcement, nor the fact that it has been disseminated, shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any future information that we distribute. SOURCE 3iQ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 15, 2023] Chiron Investigations Launches Swift Cryptocurrency Recovery Services for Victims of Online crimes DARTFORD, UNITED KINGDOM, April 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chiron Investigations, a trusted data security firm, has recently introduced new data security solutions to safeguard organizations against data breaches and unauthorized access. Additionally, the company is offering a reliable and efficient means for individuals and businesses affected by online security threats to recover their lost funds. With a surge in online threats causing substantial financial losses for individuals and businesses over the past few years, Chiron Investigations recognizes the need to combat such criminal activities and is committed to providing effective solutions. Chiron Investigations is exploring its expertise in data security to provide a solution on how to get their stolen crypto back enabling victims to recover their assets quickly and efficiently. The wide spread of online transactions has led to an alarming surge in cybercrime, posing a significant challenge for both individuals and businesses. Cybercriminals deploy various tactics, including identity theft, to ensnare their victims, making it arduous for affected parties to protect themselves and recover their lost funds. Addressing this critical issue, Chiron Investigations has developed an innovative solution that fuses advanced data analytics with a team of seasoned investigators to detect transactions and restore pilfered funds. Designed to be fast, efficient, and dependable, the solution provides reassurance to individuals and businesses who have been targeted by cyber security threats, includig helping those impacted by crypto trading platform crimes. Chiron Investigations' CEO emphasized the detrimental impact that online security risks can have on individuals and businesses, stating, "At Chiron Investigations, we recognize the urgency of providing a dependable and efficient means for victims of online risks to recover their lost funds." Their solution, powered by advanced data analytics and skilled investigators, is designed to identify transaction trails and swiftly restore pilfered funds. Chiron Investigations also offers new comprehensive data security solutions aimed at protecting organizations from data breaches and unauthorized access. The company's unwavering commitment to innovation, quality, and customer service is evident in its focus on leveraging technology to assist clients in achieving their business objectives. Moreover, their latest online recovery solution for businesses and individuals impacted by online security threats is fast, efficient, and effective. Chiron Investigations is dedicated to helping clients regain their assets following online security breaches by providing a dependable and reliable way to recover stolen funds. With their proficiency in data security and innovative solutions, Chiron Investigations is a trusted partner for businesses and individuals alike. , including crypto recovery services to help get stolen bitcoin back, For more information about Chiron Investigations and their online recovery solutions to help get stolen bitcoin back, visit website at www.chiron-investigations.com. About Chiron Investigations: Chiron Investigations is a leading provider of investigation services that help businesses recover from the effects of online crime. The company offers customized solutions to suit each client's unique needs, including custom analysis of cases, detailed investigations into transactions, closer interaction with stakeholders to assess the methods used by perpetrators, drawing a trail of events to establish root cause analysis, and protection from future occurrences through the deployment of robust security systems. Chiron Investigations' team of experts has years of experience in investigating and preventing online crime and works closely with law enforcement agencies and financial institutions to bring perpetrators to justice. Julie Spencer Chiron Investigations Crypto Recovery Solutions Admin at chiron-investigations.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 15, 2023] Big Win for DEI: ComEd Invests $963 Million with Diversity-Certified Suppliers in 2022 ComEd, a utility company serving Chicago and northern Illinois, has invested $963 million in 2022 with diversity-certified suppliers, which represents 43% of its total supply chain spend for the year. This brings ComEd's total spend with diverse suppliers since 2012 to $7.4 billion. The company also spent $651 million of its total diverse spend in 2022 with Illinois-based suppliers. ComEd's CEO, Gil Quiniones, said that the company plans to increase its diverse spend to 45% of its total supply chain spend by 2028. Quiniones also stated that ComEd believes investing in businesses owned by people of color, women, and veterans is essential to creating an equitable clean energy transition. The company's commitment to increase its spend with diversity-certified suppliers aligns with the performance targets adopted by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) in September 2022. ComEd's multi-year grid and rate plans, which were filed with the ICC in January, aim to strengthen the region's infrastructure and economy and increase access to the benefits of clean energy and decarbonization. ComEd's 2022 report submitted to the ICC details the company's partnerships with 650 diversity-certified suppliers, including 159 new partnerships. These suppliers support various departments and workstreams across ComEd, such as construction, engineering, and materials. They also play important roles in ComEd programs to help customers reduce their energy use and costs. Carla Walker-Miller, CEO of Walker-Miller Energy Services, one of ComEd's diverse-owned business partners, said the company is proud of its partnership with ComEd and its efforts to increase the number of local and diverse-owned businesses that provide energy-efficiency services to ComEd customers. Energy efficiency is essential to fighting climate change and facilitating decarbonization, she added. ComEd's report also profiles several diverse-owned business partners, including Intren LLC. The Illinois-based contractor supports many ComEd initiatives, including the interconnection of community solar projects, which are expected to double in northern Illinois to more than 150 by the end of this year. The spend of Illinois utility companies with diversity-certified suppliers contributed $11.8 billion to the Illinois GDP from 2017-2020, with $4 billion in purchases from Illinois-based diverse businesses, according to the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council (IUBDC). The IUBDC was formed in 2015 to help utilities establish and share best practices for diverse supplier participation and development. Its members include Ameren Illinois, Aqua, ComEd, Illinois American Water, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas, and Peoples Gas. In conclusion, ComEd's investment in diversity-certified suppliers underscores its commitment to advancing equity in the communities it serves. Through its partnerships with local and diverse-owned businesses, ComEd is helping to create business opportunities and support the growth of a diverse and inclusive clean energy sector. Harvard Business Review surveyed 1,800 professionals and showed companies with more diverse management are more innovative and perform better than their peers. Similar research has shown a direct link between increased diversity and similar levels of creativity and ease in hiring talent. Yet, with all this research to support diversity, there are countless counter studies which provide stark statistical evidence that not many tech firms are actually walking the walk. It's a similar portrait for women in STEM fields - particularly at the management and executive levels. The tech industry is now center-stage for increasing workplace diversity. This is the reason TMCnet presents the TMCnet Workplace Excellence Award for Tech Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, celebrating the drive towards a more multicultural, multi-gender, inclusive work environment in the tech field. Is your company worthy of recognition in this area? Learn more and apply now. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Tragically, the echo of shooting on the East side kicks-off this Spring weekend. Here's the first report . . . Homicide 35th & Prospect This evening just before 9:30pm. Officers were dispatched to 35th and Prospect on a reported sound of gun shots. Once on scene officers confirmed a shooting had occurred. Officers found an adult male in the parking lot at the gas station suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers began life saving measures at which time EMS transported the victim to an area hospital where he died from his injuries. Officers identified two adult females suffering from apparent gun shot wounds on scene. One female was treated and released on scene and the other transported to an area hospital with non life threatening injuries. An additional adult female shooting victim with non life threatening injuries arrived at an area hospital. A child under the age of 5 also was shot and arrived at an area hospital with non life threatening injuries. Contributing factors to the shooting are unknown at this time. Detectives and Crime Scene personnel are on scene and canvassing the area for potential witnesses and evidence. If anyone saw anything in this area or has any information they are asked to contact the Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline that result in an arrest. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. ############# Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Police: 1 dead, 2 hurt in triple-shooting in Kansas City One person is dead following a triple-shooting in Kansas City. The shooting happened at 8:21 p.m. on Friday evening at 35th Street and Prospect Avenue. The conditions of the two other victims are unknown at this point. A wide crime scene has been established at a gas station where it happened. 1 dead, 2 injured in shooting Friday night at Kansas City gas station KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri police detectives are investigating a shooting Friday night that has left one person dead and two others injured. The shooting was reported just before 8:30 p.m. at a gas station near E. 35th Street and Prospect Avenue. It is unknown at this time what led to the shooting. Kansas City police investigate deadly shooting at BP gas station KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police in Kansas City, Missouri, are investigating a deadly shooting at a BP gas station on Friday night. The shooting unfolded at around 8:25 p.m. at the convenience store located near Prospect Avenue and east 35th Street. Police initially said one victim suffered life-threatening injuries, and a second suffered injuries that were considered non-life-threatening. Developing . . . It's only April and already we're halfway to the century mark. This is important . . . KANSAS CITY 2023 HOMICIDE STATS HIT RECORD PACE AHEAD OF DEADLIEST YEAR IN LOCAL HISTORY RIGHT NOW!!! We're running at more than 15% ahead of 2020 - The worst year for KCMO homicides on record. This is a big deal but something that hasn't garnered a lot of mention during election season. Accordingly . . . Here's the first report on the latest local murder this weekend . . . Homicide Westport & Broadway This morning just after 1:30 am. Officers were dispatched to Westport and Broadway on a reported sound of gun shots. While enroute the call was upgraded to a shooting. Westport security found an adult male laying in the street suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers began life saving measures at which time EMS declared the victim deceased. Contributing factors to the shooting are unknown at this time. There is no suspect information or anyone in custody at this time. Detectives and Crime Scene personnel are on scene and canvassing the area for potential witnesses and evidence. If anyone saw anything in this area or has any information they are asked to contact the Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline that result in an arrest. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. ################## Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Man dead after homicide Saturday morning in Westport KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department responded to a fatal shooting in Kansas City's Westport neighborhood early Saturday morning. Just after 1:30 a.m., police responded to the report of gunshots in the area of Broadway Boulevard and Westport Road. Westport security located an adult male injured from apparent gunfire lying in the street. One shot dead in Westport westport april 15 homicide One person is dead after an early morning shooting in the Westport area of Kansas City, Mo. Officers say they got calls about shots heard in the area of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Westport security then found the victim lying in the street. Man dead in overnight deadly shooting in Westport Posted: Updated: KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is investigating a deadly shooting that occurred early Saturday morning that left one dead. Officers responded Westport and Broadway around 1:30 a.m. on a shooting call. Westport security found an adult male lying in the street suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Developing . . . An interfaith moment of prayer for peace at a special time on the spiritual calendar is held at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 14, 2023. The world body on Friday held the interfaith moment of prayer for peace at a special time on the spiritual calendar, when Christians are celebrating Easter, Jews are marking Passover, Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan, and Sikhs are celebrating Vaisakhi. (Xinhua/Xie E) UNITED NATIONS, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The world body on Friday held an interfaith moment of prayer for peace at a special time on the spiritual calendar, when Christians are celebrating Easter, Jews are marking Passover, Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan, and Sikhs are celebrating Vaisakhi. In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said peace is needed today more than ever. "War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes. Climate chaos is all around. And even peaceful countries are gripped by gapping inequalities and political polarization," he noted. "At a time of terrible divisions, we are here today in common cause. We gather at a unique moment, on the last Friday of Ramadan, as Christians celebrate Easter, Jews mark the end of Passover, and Sikhs enjoy the festival of Vaisakhi. Even the calendar is sending a message of unity -- to unite for people, unite for our planet, and unite for peace," said Guterres. "Today, at this blessed moment of renewal across faiths, let us lift our hearts and voices for peace -- our guiding star and our most precious goal. Let us hold firm to the common faith that unites the human family. Let us come together as communities and countries. Let us pray for peace," he said. Guterres' remarks were followed by prayers for peace from faith leaders of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism. The event was held in front of The Knotted Gun sculpture at the Visitors' Plaza, probably the best-known symbol of peace on UN premises. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Front) speaks at an interfaith moment of prayer for peace at a special time on the spiritual calendar at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 14, 2023. The world body on Friday held the interfaith moment of prayer for peace at a special time on the spiritual calendar, when Christians are celebrating Easter, Jews are marking Passover, Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan, and Sikhs are celebrating Vaisakhi. (Xinhua/Xie E) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Front) speaks at an interfaith moment of prayer for peace at a special time on the spiritual calendar at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 14, 2023. The world body on Friday held the interfaith moment of prayer for peace at a special time on the spiritual calendar, when Christians are celebrating Easter, Jews are marking Passover, Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan, and Sikhs are celebrating Vaisakhi. (Xinhua/Xie E) On the record quote from a local leader of dusty relics that isn't as easily accessible as mobile phone data or as funny as Parker Posey in the 1995 classic Party Girl. Check-it . . . Though some Republican lawmakers have suggested that the senates version of the budget would likely restore the funding, librarians across the state have expressed frustration and anger over the proposed cuts. Cindy Hohl, Director of Policy Analysis for the Kansas City Public Library, said it would be inappropriate for the state to eliminate library funding. Working with the ACLU shouldnt be an opportunity for elected officials to retaliate against a public institution, Hohl said. We cant defund a public safety net such as a library. This week, Hohl was also named as the next president of the American Library Association. Her two-year term will start in July of 2024. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Missouri budget could strip libraries of state funding KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Libraries across Missouri could lose state funding under a current budget proposal. This week, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a state spending plan that would eliminate $4.5 million in funding from the state. The move appeared to be a reaction to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of the Missouri Library Association. The American Library Association has elected its first president from Kansas City On Wednesday, Cindy Hohl became the first person from a Kansas City-area public library to be elected president of the American Library Association . "I am very excited. This is a great opportunity for Kansas City and for our library to be seen as the leaders, not only in librarianship, but in the information field," said Hohl on KCUR's Up To Date Thursday. Developing . . . Wiithout the right people or the proper investments, plans for transformed tourism will not get off the ground UNWTO celebrated the Future of Environmental Sustainable Tourism in Albania (FESTA), setting the foundations for unprecedented high-level collaboration among Tourism Ministers in the region (Tirana, 3-5 April). Advancing UNWTO's work on promoting collaboration across borders, Secretary-General Pololikashvili hosted the first-ever meeting of Ministers of Tourism from South East Europe. Here, Ministers from eight countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) explored opportunities for greater cooperation on projects in the region. Participants agreed on plans to hold annual meetings of Ministers and State Secretaries to deliver better regional collaboration for tourism in the region. Governance and cooperation Organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment of the Republic of Albania in partnership with UNWTO, the three-day forum brought together public and private sector leaders to focus on the challenges and opportunities of sustainable travel. Opening the Forum, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili underscored the great progress that tourism has made in becoming more sustainable while stressing that much more needs to be done: "We must first focus on two priorities, namely people and investments because, without the right people or the proper investments, our plans for a transformed tourism will not get off the ground." Further emphasizing this policy priority, UNWTO's leadership joined the Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj, and Albania's Minister for Tourism Mirela Kumbaro to lead high-level discussions focused on more and better-targeted investments in tourism. Expanding on the importance of strong and clear governance for advancing plans for greater sustainability across the tourism sector, Tourism and the European Green Deal Within the framework of FESTA, Secretary-General Pololikashvili met with Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans to discuss tourism's role in advancing the European Green Deal, which he leads. UNWTO is spearheading tourism's shift to greater sustainability, including through the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative. 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: Marmelad Humber College has joined forces with four other Ontario colleges to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to improve local access to programs for military-connected learners. Andrew Palamarchuk is a reporter with Metroland Media Toronto and toronto.com. He has been covering the crime beat since 2002 and has a passion for giving a voice to those affected by tragedy and looking at societal issues that may have contributed to it. Brampton Real Estate Board proposes merge with Toronto Regional Real Estate Board: Members to vote in May This integration would result in all 2,500 BREBmMembers becoming primary members of TRREB A Pakistani postdoctoral researcher living in China's Lanzhou has expressed gratitude for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying he had landed academic opportunities in China because of the BRI. Kamran Malik is a postdoctoral researcher at Lanzhou University. He applied for the Belt and Road scholarship at Lanzhou University in 2015, and completed his Ph.D. in microbiology in 2020. Now, with his postdoctoral studies to be completed, Malik is seeking employment in Lanzhou, and he wishes to contribute his effort in strengthening the cooperation between his country and China. Produced by Xinhua Global Service TOKYO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday was evacuated unscathed after an object that appeared to be a smoke bomb was thrown near him during his visit to western Japan's Wakayama City for a stump speech, local media reported. The suspect, who appeared to have thrown the pipe-like bomb at a port in Wakayama where Kishida was visiting, has been arrested, national broadcaster NHK reported, citing police sources. NHK footage shows crowds of people running away as smoke filled the area where a loud explosion was heard, and police officers pressing the suspect to the ground. The object, resembling a flare with smoke, was thrown at Kishida at around 11:30 a.m. local time while he was preparing to deliver an outdoor speech supporting the by-election of the House of Representatives, according to Kyodo News and other media outlet. Local media reports said he immediately took cover and left the scene after the incident, adding there were no injuries or damage. Kishida, currently at the Wakayama Prefecture main police headquarters, canceled his public speech in the area, Kyodo News reported. The incident occurred as Japan is hosting Group of Seven (G7) ministerial meetings in northern Sapporo and the city of Karuizawa in Nagano ahead of the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima next month. Russia will continue to commit brutal war crimes until its invasion of Ukraine is stopped. Thats according to Canadas Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Reports of a video appearing to show the decapitation of a Ukrainian prisoner of war by Russian forces, are deeply disturbing. It is clear that war crimes & crimes against humanity will continue as long as Russia continues its illegal invasion," Joly wrote on Twitter. She emphasized that "the Russian regime must be held to account." "Canada will always stand for justice and support the full investigation of war crimes. Canada stands with Ukraine," minister stated. As reported earlier, two videos showing the gruesome execution of Ukrainian soldiers are circulating on social media. The Security Service of Ukraine has launched a pre-trial inquiry into the beheadings. Law enforcement are taking measures to identify persons complicit in the atrocities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine appealed to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court with a demand to urgently address the issue in the context of the investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine by the Russian forces. In recent weeks, Russia has significantly increased cyber threat activity targeting Ukraine's partners. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand announced this in Ottawa. "Since Russia's unjustified and illegal invasion of Ukraine began over one year ago, and especially in recent weeks, we have seen a noticeable rise in cyber threat activity by Russian-aligned actors targeting Ukraine's partners," Anand said. She noted that this trend is observed all over the world and "Canada is no exception." "These activities are a direct response to our steadfast support to the people and Government of Ukraine - and they will not deter Canada's support for Ukraine," the minister said. According to her, this malicious cyber activity "is frequently directed at critical infrastructure networks and technology used to run vital sectors." "Threat actors have also used strategically-timed Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDoS) against government and business websites," Anand said. During the visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to Canada this week, Russian hackers managed to disable the official website of the Canadian prime minister for several hours. Technical problems were also recorded on the website of the Canadian Senate. Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Ahead of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein group) meeting, the team of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine visited four countries in 10 days to conduct negotiations on the supply of weapons to Ukraine. "Ahead of the Ramstein group meeting, which will be a milestone because this format of the anti-Kremlin coalition turns one year old, we had a very intensive period in terms of international contacts. In 10 days, our team visited Athens, Nicosia, Madrid, and Bucharest. We had fruitful meetings with my colleagues Minister of Defense of Greece Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, Minister of Defense of Cyprus Michalis Georgallas, Minister of Defense of Spain Margarita Robles, Minister of Defense of Romania Angel Tilvar and their teams," Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov posted on Facebook. The purpose of the meetings is weapons and other forms of support that strengthen the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the minister noted. Reznikov emphasized that during the visits, the Ministry of Defense team meets with leaders of government agencies, manufacturers, and the media to gain as wide a circle of support as possible. "Our priorities are known: protecting the sky, creating an armored fist, ensuring ammunition," he added. According to the defense minister, the team is working on different tracks. Ukraine is interested in both Soviet-style platforms and, especially, missiles and rounds, because these weapons immediately end up on the battlefield, as well as Western-made systems that provide qualitative advantages. "We attract help, agree on production, work out training programs for our soldiers. Such visits and meetings at the political level are very useful because they not only help to maintain a high overall pace but also contribute to the quick resolution of many practical issues which would take weeks in remote mode," Reznikov emphasized. According to him, time is crucial to Ukraine because it means the saved lives of Ukrainian defenders and the protection of cities. As reported, the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will be held at the U.S. Air Force Base "Ramstein" (Germany) on April 21. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov discussed the participation of the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation in the modernization of defense procurement in Ukraine with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana. As Reznikov posted on Facebook, at the Black Sea Security Conference of the International Crimea Platform in Bucharest, he "met with a great friend of Ukraine NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana who once did a brilliant job to ensure Romania's joining the Alliance." According to the defense minister, he and Geoana discussed current projects, in particular the systematic participation of the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation in the modernization of defense procurement in Ukraine. "We are preparing a number of very specific initiatives for the Vilnius NATO Summit," Reznikov added. As reported, the team of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine visited four countries in 10 days ahead of the Ramstein group meeting to conduct negotiations on weapons supply to Ukraine. Ukraine will repel Russian aggression and emerge victorious from the war. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this to journalists, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. Trudeau said he had no doubt and was completely sure that Ukraine would win. He noted that Canada would continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression by providing military, economic, humanitarian, trade and commercial support to the country. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was on a one-day visit to Canada on Tuesday, April 11. During the visit, Canada announced the expansion of sanctions against Russia, the provision of a new military aid package to Ukraine, as well as the expansion of the free trade agreement and the conclusion of a youth mobility agreement that will facilitate travel and employment for young people from both countries. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that the United States should stop "encouraging war" in Ukraine. That's according to AFP, Ukrinform reports. "The United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace. The European Union needs to start talking about peace," he told reporters in Beijing. In that way, the international community will be able to "convince" Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky that "peace is in the interest of the whole world", he said. The Brazilian president earlier proposed that Ukraine give up Crimea in exchange for peace. A worker prepares a set of herbs required for bathwater at a Tibetan medicinal bath center in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 14, 2023. The 1,300-year-old Tibetan medicinal bath, officially called the Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2018. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) by Cao Bin LHASA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- If I had to choose only one activity that I've always wanted to experience in Tibet, it would be a Tibetan medicinal bath. And fortune smiled on me recently as I had the opportunity to visit a bath center in the downtown area of Lhasa, the regional capital, with a friend over a weekend. The experience was so incredible that I felt compelled to share it with you. The 1,300-year-old Tibetan medicinal bath, officially called the Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2018. The term "Sowa Rigpa" in Tibetan literally means "the knowledge of recuperation," while "Lum" refers to traditional knowledge and practices of bathing in natural hot springs, herbal water, or steam to restore the balance between the mind and body, and to promote wellness while treating various ailments. The Tibetan medicinal bath is among China's world-class intangible heritages in the field of traditional medicine, along with acupuncture and moxibustion. The bathing center I visited has incorporated modern adaptations to traditional routines, revitalizing the ancient medicinal treatment and creating a sought-after experience for many young people. In one word I would call this experience simply heavenly. This was probably the first time in my life that I entered a bath with such awe. Upon entering the hall of the bath center, I noticed rows of oxygen tanks placed against a wall. I was told that hypoxia could occur during the bath. As a result, the center took all necessary precautions to ensure that customers could indulge in a relaxing experience. As we waited on the sofa in the lounge area, we were greeted by the pleasant aroma of medicine-scented mists wafting from the ceiling. The healing had already begun before we even entered the bath! The wait is perhaps never dull when there's free food on the table. A buffet of drinks and fruits was served at the lounge, but I was particularly captivated by the stunning Tibetan decorations such as the colorful woodcarving ceilings, corridor lights designed as prayer wheels, and mandala-themed Thangkas. As I looked around the center, I noticed approximately a dozen customers, most of whom were young Tibetans and tourists. It seemed that the younger generation was drawn to the experience out of curiosity, whereas older locals prefer the bath as a common medical treatment in local hospitals. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau boasts abundant geothermal resources, and for thousands of years, Tibetans have recognized the therapeutic properties of hot springs against various diseases. According to Yanga, a professor at the region's Tibetan Medicine Hospital, at present such hospitals offer three kinds of Tibetan medicinal baths, namely, water bath, steam bath and compress bath. Residents in the region can also adopt the ancient medicinal bath as part of their daily healthcare routine under the guidance of Tibetan practitioners (known as Manpa in Tibet). After about 10 minutes, I was introduced to a doctor who checked my pulse and consulted with me about my health condition before prescribing a tailored set of herbs required for my bathwater. Thereafter, I was escorted into a tranquil private room equipped with a shower cubicle, a wooden bathtub, and a comfortable massage bed. The scent of Tibetan incense permeated the air, creating a calming aura. After approximately five minutes in the bath, I began to sweat, and within 10 minutes, beads of sweat formed all over my forehead and face. After 20 minutes or so, I stepped out of the bathtub and was wrapped in towels as I continued to sweat. In the midst of this unique experience, I recalled what a Tibetan friend once told me. It is not easy to sweat in the plateau climate, and it suddenly dawned on me the importance of the Tibetan medicinal bath in helping locals to sweat and detoxify their bodies. Due to the high altitude and cold climate throughout most of Tibet, farmers and herders in the region often suffer from rheumatic diseases. Medicinal bath, in this unique environment, has been found to have curative effects on numerous illnesses, including rheumatic diseases, neurogenic diseases, arthritis, skin diseases, and gynecological disorders. The folk custom of Lum medicinal bath has also evolved into a bathing festival called Karma Dulpa Festival, usually held in the seventh or eighth month of the Tibetan calendar. Years ago, I was once invited to take part in the traditional bathing festival. The week-long event featured various elements of the local traditional culture, such as medicinal practices, Thangka painting, carving and epic poetry chanting. Unfortunately, at the time, I failed to partake in the essential aspect of the festival -- the medicinal bath. Looking back, I do regret missing out on such a significant experience. As I was lost in these thoughts and recollections, my "detoxification" process came to an end, and my body gradually began to cool down. The session was both relaxing and consuming, leaving me feeling completely rejuvenated. Some fruits, Tibetan noodles, and white fungus broth were waiting for me outside the massage room, allowing me to indulge in a well-deserved refreshment. The herbs and minerals used in my bath date back 2,500 years. Traditional Tibetan medicine has absorbed the influences of traditional Chinese, Indian and Arab medicine and is mainly practiced in Tibet and the Himalayan region. Currently, Tibet has basically established a Tibetan medicine service system that covers the entire region. The experience of Tibetan medicinal bathing is not just about taking a bath; it also encompasses a rich and well-preserved cultural and ritual experience. A worker prepares oxygen tanks at a Tibetan medicinal bath center in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 14, 2023. The 1,300-year-old Tibetan medicinal bath, officially called the Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2018. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) A worker prepares a room for customers at a Tibetan medicinal bath center in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 14, 2023. The 1,300-year-old Tibetan medicinal bath, officially called the Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2018. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) During a visit to Vietnam, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh. Among other things, the parties discussed Russian armed aggression in Ukraine. The relevant statement was made by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a press conference, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. We did talk about Ukraine and about the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Vietnam has a long history and relationship with Russia. We understand that and recognize that. At the same time, Ive heard clearly from our Vietnamese interlocutors and Ive heard them state publicly their commitment and the importance that they attach to the basic principles that are also under threat by Russias aggression, Blinken said. In his words, the Government of Vietnam strongly stands for Ukraines sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. The principles at the heart of the UN Charter territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence. Vietnam stands strongly for those. Theyve made that clear. Theyve said so publicly and they repeated that in conversation with us today, Blinken noted. A reminder that Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated earlier that Poland had embarked on a diplomatic offensive to increase the global awareness about developments in Central and Eastern Europe and the nature of Russias barbaric aggression against Ukraine. | By Alex Likowski It will hit you the moment you walk through the doors of the Nathan Patz Law Center at the corner of Baltimore and Paca streets that something exciting is happening at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. And the source of much of that energy is certainly the self-described chief cheerleader, Dean Renee McDonald Hutchins, JD. Last April, Hutchins returned to Maryland Carey Law to address faculty as a candidate to replace then-Dean Donald Tobin, JD. It was a happy and energetic homecoming for the former faculty member of 14 years and co-director of the Maryland Carey Law Clinical Law Program. In 2019, Hutchins left to head the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) David A. Clarke School of Law. Employing her Maryland Carey Law experience, Hutchins boosted the ranking of UDCs clinical law program from 15 to 5 in a short time. But as much as she enjoyed her work there, Hutchins told University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, coming home to UMB was an easy decision. I have loved this institution for a very, very, very, very, very long time, Hutchins told Jarrell during the April 13, 2023, edition of the online program Virtual Face to Face. And I have felt deeply connected to my colleagues here on the faculty, to the staff, to the students here since the early 2000s. And so, for me, there was nothing hard about coming back to this place. It was hard for me to leave UDC. But there was nothing hard about returning here. During their conversation, Hutchins described her goals for the school, changes in legal education, significant developments in the law, the story of how the math major at Spelman College made a last-minute decision to take the LSAT and launch a successful career in the law, her familys history with the struggle for civil rights in the South, and her passion for the Constitutions Fourth Amendment and teaching criminal procedure. I could go on and on for days about the Fourth Amendment, about criminal procedure. Generally, I find that it is a place where students coming into law school can suddenly see the connections between what can feel like a very sterile and, and unrelatable body of rules in a way that actually connects up to their real life, Hutchins explained. What I used to tell my students all the time is once you see the connections between the law and your life, you will never be able to unsee them. And, suddenly, you will see the law everywhere all the time. Watch the entire discussion, including questions from the audience, by accessing the link at the top of the page. BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping this week conducted a four-day inspection trip to south China's Guangdong Province, long considered a pacemaker of the country's reform and opening up that began in the late 1970s. This time, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, set a new target for the province -- to be a trailblazer on the Chinese path to modernization. The trip took him to the cities of Zhanjiang, Maoming and Guangzhou, where he visited companies that manufacture screens and new energy cars, a port, and a lychee-growing village, among other sites. The trip followed the launch of a Party-wide campaign to conduct in-depth research and study, asking Party cadres, in particular, to go out of their offices to better understand the situations on the ground -- the prominent problems and how to solve them. As the Party's top official, Xi has set an example of conducting such fact-finding research. And his inspection in Guangdong revolves around the topic of pursuing Chinese modernization. He chose the western part of Guangdong as the focus of his research. This part of the province is less developed than the Pearl River Delta, known for the high concentration of manufacturers and hi-tech companies. During the trip, Xi said that Guangdong's development not only depends on the Pearl River Delta, but also on the joint development of northern, eastern, and western Guangdong. "Chinese modernization is aimed at promoting common prosperity and addressing the unbalanced development among regions," Xi said. In China, unbalanced development typically manifests itself in the disparity between urban and rural areas. To Xi, the root cause of unbalanced development between western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta largely resides in industries. In order to learn about rural industries, Xi visited a lychee orchard in a village in Maoming, checking local efforts to develop the lychee industry into a successful one that has brought both jobs and income to locals. Talking with technicians on the spot, Xi learned that by growing lychees and selling them and related products, a family could earn an average annual income of 100,000 yuan (about 14,600 U.S. dollars) in a good year. Hailing the broad prospects of the local lychee industry, Xi emphasized efforts to remain committed to pursuing common prosperity and increase assistance and support for places that are lagging behind financially. Chinese modernization is essentially different from Western modernization, he said, adding that China will not tread the path of Western modernization -- with features including polarization and plunder -- as such a path leads nowhere. Xi also learned about the challenges the lychee industry faces, in particular fresh-keeping techniques, and urged local authorities to solve the problems. Adopting the problem-oriented approach is an essential requirement of the campaign to conduct in-depth research and study, and it was practiced by Xi in his inspection trip to Guangdong. With the water shortage in western Guangdong in mind, Xi visited Dashuiqiao Reservoir in Xuwen County in Zhanjiang, a junction station for water diversion, where he learned about the progress of the reservoir construction and the water quality. Xi said that a sound allocation of water resources will help address unbalanced development among regions, and coordinated development is necessary for achieving common prosperity. Xi has always stressed the need to ensure security in the pursuit of development and attached great importance to food security. In his previous inspection tours, he often went to farmlands to check the local farming industry. But this time, he came to a mariculture base on Donghai Island in Zhanjiang, where he called for efforts to utilize both land and sea resources to guarantee food security. "The general secretary pays great attention to the mariculture and fisheries industry, and is also very familiar with these fields," said Mai Kangsen, dean of the Fisheries College at the Ocean University of China. "This shows that the general secretary cares a lot about ensuring food supply for over 1.4 billion people in the country," Mai said. Sci-tech development is another concern of Xi, who has said on many occasions that high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology are the keys to Chinese modernization. The final leg of his trip is Guangdong's capital city, Guangzhou, one of the country's sci-tech hubs. In an inspection of GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., Xi visited the exhibition hall, assembly workshop, and workshop for producing batteries, and learned about the enterprise's progress made in achieving breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields and what it has been doing in developing higher-end, smarter and greener manufacturing. At the GAC R&D Center, Xi took an attentive look at the labs for intelligent networking and model design. "Breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields made by companies are of great concern to the general secretary," said Zeng Qinghong, chairman of GAC Group. China is a big country and must attach importance to the real economy and take the path of self-reliance. Core technologies in key fields should be based on independent research and development, Xi said. "Self-reliance in no way means seeking development with our doors closed to the rest of the world. International cooperation is also welcome," Xi said, adding that China's reform and opening up policy will remain unchanged over the long term. Looking to the future of China's development, Xi is fully confident. "With clear goals, plans and strategies, Chinese modernization will surely be achieved. We will advance the modernization drive with solid steps," he said. 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 Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday held a virtual meeting with Jin Liqun, President Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Apr, 2023 ):Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday held a virtual meeting with Jin Liqun, President Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB). The meeting was part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Spring meetings 2023, a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance said. Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr. Aisha Ghous Pasha, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Special Secretary Finance attended the meeting virtually from Islamabad. Whereas Ambassador of Pakistan to the USA Masood Ahmad Khan, Governor State Bank of Pakistan Jamil Ahmad, Secretary Finance and Secretary Economic Affairs Division attended the meeting in person in Washington. The Finance Minister shared the current economic outlook of the country and apprised him of the economic policies and reforms of the government for sustainable economic development. The Finance Minister thanked the President AIIB for his generous support in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the flood-affected areas in Pakistan. The President AIIB lauded the relationship between Pakistan and the AIIB and appreciated the economic policies and reforms of the present government for social uplift of the masses. He highlighted the role of AIIB in infrastructure development projects and investment and extended AIIB's complete support and cooperation to Pakistan.The Finance Minister thanked the President AIIB for his continuous support to Pakistan for the sustainable economic development of the country. (@Abdulla99267510) The ambassador reiterates Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's pledge to increase Saudi Arabian investments in Pakistan's energy and IT sectors to 10 billion dollars within the next few years. ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-April 15th, 2023) Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki has reiterated the Kingdom's commitment to building long-term, sustainable investment transactions between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. He gave the assurance during a meeting with Special Assistant to Prime Minister Muhammad Jawad Sohrab Malik in Islamabad. The ambassador reiterated Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's pledge to increase Saudi Arabian investments in Pakistan's energy and IT sectors to 10 billion Dollars within the next few years. During the meeting, Jawad expressed his gratitude for Saudi Arabia's unwavering support to Pakistan and thanked the ambassador for confirming that the deposit of the 2 billion dollars pledged by the Kingdom would take place within the next seven working days in the SBP account. Both parties showed a commitment to strengthening the bilateral ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Highlighting the diverse business landscape in Pakistan, the SAPM expressed that Pakistan has a lot to offer in both the goods and services sectors and can immensely gain from exports to the Gulf. He commended the Kingdom's commitment to providing enhanced employment opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in its future development ventures. The Saudi envoy expressed a keen interest on behalf of the Saudi government to recruit more manpower from Pakistan during the current and next year for various sectors of the kingdom. He stated that the Saudi labor market is continuing to expand, mainly due to the launch of several mega projects under the Saudi Vision 2030. During the meeting, both dignitaries engaged in fruitful discussions on further strengthening of bilateral business relations, recruitment of more workforce from Pakistan, and enhancing FDI in potential sectors of the economy. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2023) At least 25 people were killed and 183 others were injured during clashes between the Sudanese national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Reuters reported, citing the Sudanese Doctors' Union. The report says the union could not determine whether all the casualties were civilians. On Saturday, director of a hospital in Sudan's most populous city of Omdurman told Sputnik that the fighting between the RSF and the national army left six civilians killed. Clashes between the Sudanese regular army and the RSF broke out on Saturday in the capital of Khartoum and elsewhere in the country. Government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. The RSF claimed control of the presidential palace in Khartoum and the airports in Khartoum and Merowe. The national army denied the Presidential Palace's takeover and said it was bombing RSF bases near Khartoum. (@FahadShabbir) CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2023) Egypt is following with deep concern the escalation unfolding in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and calls on all sides to exercise restraint, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. "The Arab Republic of Egypt is following with great concern the situation in Sudan following the ongoing clashes there and calls on all Sudanese parties to show maximum restraint," the ministry said in a statement. Cairo has reached out to both parties in Sudan to urge them to cease fire without preconditions, Al-Arabiya broadcaster reported, citing sources. Earlier on Saturday, a Sputnik correspondent reported that clashes had broken out between the RSF and the Sudanese army in Khartoum. The army said that the Sudanese fighter jets were conducting an operation to stop the irresponsible actions of the "mutinous" RSF. The RSF have claimed control of the presidential palace in Khartoum, the capital's international airport, as well as the Merowe air base in the north of the country. On Thursday, the Sudanese army issued a rare statement saying that the RSF's deployment in Khartoum and several cities was illegal and had taken place without coordination with the armed forces. According to media reports, the army's statement was prompted by the sudden deployment of RSF units near the airport in the northern city of Merowe. Al-Arabiya reported, citing sources, that the Sudanese army had also deployed units in Merowe "in case of a lack of security." The broadcaster said the Sudanese army had given the RSF a certain amount of time to vacate the city. For its part, the paramilitary command said its presence in Merowe was part of its tasks and duties. The Forces of Freedom and Change, the Sudanese opposition coalition, said on April 6 that the signing of a final political agreement that would establish a transitional civilian authority in Sudan had been postponed again due to a lack of consensus among the military parties. Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and commander-in-chief of the Sudanese military, and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, his deputy and commander of the RSF, could not agree on the process of integrating the RSF into the regular army. In October 2021, the Sudanese army under Burhan overthrew the government in a military coup, declaring a state of emergency and establishing a transitional sovereign council under his leadership. Subsequent protests forced Burhan to sign a pact that called for the reinstatement of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, the release of all political prisoners, the holding of elections in July 2023, and the transfer of power to an elected civilian government. The political crisis continued, however, and Hamdok stepped down on January 2, 2022. BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), with an increased scale and rising global influence compared to the previous versions, has underscored China's commitment to expanding high-standard opening up as the global economy is struggling to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19 and other uncertainties. On the theme of "Share Open Opportunities, Co-create a Better Life," the expo covers an area of 120,000 square meters, up 20 percent from last year, with more than 3,300 brands from 65 countries and regions showcased, helping overseas brands tap into the huge Chinese market while providing more exposure for domestic products. The event epitomizes China's endeavor to promote high-standard opening up, as the country has pledged to leverage the strengths of its enormous market, attract global resources and production factors, and amplify the interplay between domestic and international markets and resources. Thanks to China's efforts to develop the Hainan Free Trade Port with a portfolio of favorable policies, including zero tariffs and easing market and foreign investment access, dozens of multinational corporate participants in the previous Hainan expos have become investors in the island. Earlier this year, U.S. beauty titan Estee Lauder inaugurated its China travel retail headquarters in Hainan. The company, with high confidence in the Chinese market and a keen awareness of the importance of Hainan's offshore duty-free market, is looking forward to establishing higher quality cooperation in duty-free shopping, medical care and talent training, and to introducing new and quality products to more consumers, said Fabrizio Freda, CEO of Estee Lauder. Furthermore, the fair is helping foster an open mindset and promote mutual understanding through dialogue and exchange among global brands. This is of special significance at a time when some countries are turning inward and resorting to protectionism amid economic headwinds. The expo presents "an amazing opportunity" to "illustrate and tell the story of the amazing beauty of our brands," said Stefania Lazzaroni, general manager of the Italian foundation of luxury brands Altagamma that led 75 high-end brands such as fashion house Gucci and luxury vehicle manufacturer Lamborghini to Hainan. It is an excellent occasion for Altagamma and its members to strengthen ties with Chinese investors, and showcase their brand image and culture, she told Xinhua. The expo booths teeming with exhibitors and eager buyers are not simply signs of accelerated economic recovery and growth, but also a testament to the magnet of China's vast market boasting a population of over 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of more than 400 million. This stable demand from the world's largest consumer base serves as a crucial pillar for the global economy. Between January and February, China's retail sales of consumer goods climbed 3.5 percent year on year, official data showed. Other key indicators also suggested a broad recovery of the economy, including value-added industrial output in the first two months expanding 2.4 percent year on year, and the manufacturing purchasing managers' index jumping to 52.6 in January -- the highest since 2012. The robust rebound is poised to reinvigorate world economic growth. Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have projected that China's economy will grow over 5 percent in 2023. In addition, a recent Goldman Sachs report estimated that the full recovery of China's domestic demand could raise global GDP by around 1 percent through the end of 2023. In the view of World Bank Group President David Malpass, China's economic rebound is an "additive" needed for a year like 2023 when global growth is expected to be weak, and that reflects the "explicit efforts to have a faster opening process for China and to have the supply chains begin to come back together as they feed into global supplies." China's commitment to further opening up as well as to the sound development of globalization is the clear message the rest of the world gets from the expo, which lights up a beacon of hope for those who believe in the power of free trade, win-win cooperation and multilateralism, thereby injecting fresh momentum and confidence into the recovery and prosperity of the global economy. Enditem (Zhou Xiaotian, Guo Wendi and Peng Zhuo in Rome, Yang Shilong and Pan Lijun in Washington also contributed to this story.) (@ChaudhryMAli88) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2023) Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced in a Fox news interview that he will not be seeking the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2024. "I have made a decision," Pompeo said on Friday. "We (Pompeo and his wife) have prayerfully come to the conclusion we are not going to join the race in 2024. While we care deeply about America and the issues that I've been talking about for the past year and half and, frankly, for decades. .. this isn't our moment. This isn't the time for us to seek elected office." The former CIA director plans to support whoever secures the Republican nomination, and that Donald Trump, who was president during Pompeo's tenures at the CIA and the State Department, did not factor into his decision. Trump has led most Republican Primary polls, followed by former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. (@FahadShabbir) Armed clashes between Sudan's national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have left six civilians killed in the country's most populous city of Omdurman, the local hospital told Sputnik KHARTOUM (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2023) Armed clashes between Sudan's national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have left six civilians killed in the country's most populous city of Omdurman, the local hospital told Sputnik. Omdurman is located on the western bank of the River Nile directly opposite from Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Sudan's doctors union said the clashes between the army and the RSF killed two people in Khartoum's airport and another one in the city of El Obeid. "We have admitted six civilians killed in the shooting between the army and the RSF in several parts of Omdurman," director of the Omdurman morgue, Jamal Youssef, said. On Thursday, the RSF reportedly carried out sudden redeployment of its forces near the airport in the northern city of Merowe. The Sudanese army issued a statement saying the redeployment was illegal and not coordinated with the command. Clashes broke out earlier on Friday. The RSF claimed control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum and the airports in Khartoum and Merowe. The national army denied the presidential palace's takeover and said it was bombing RSF bases near Khartoum. International organizations and various countries, including Russia, have called on the Sudanese adversaries to cease fire and start dialogue. Two large airlines, EgyptAir and Saudia, have temporarily suspended flights to Sudan, citing insecurity. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2023) Russia has not yet granted consular access to Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, who was recently detained in Russia on espionage charges, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday. Earlier this week, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the issue of consular access to Gershkovich was being considered and would be resolved in due time. Russia's deliberations on granting consular access are guided by domestic legislation on the matter, taking into account the relevant provisions of the consular convention, as well as existing practice in this area, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov specified, adding that Moscow will not tolerate any US attempts to bulldoze the issue. "We continue to seek consular access (to Gershkovich) that has not yet been granted," Blinken said at a press conference in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi, stressing that Washington needs to see consular access "now. " The US continues to demand immediate release of the correspondent, Blinken added. On March 30, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Gershkovich had been detained in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage for the US. The journalist had collected classified information regarding the activities of one of the firms of Russia's military-industrial complex, the FSB said. The Lefortovo District Court of Moscow ruled that the reporter be put in pre-trial detention until May 29. The Wall Street Journal has denied the allegations and demanded Gershkovich's immediate release. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who paid a state visit to China. Xi said China will work with Brazil to create a new future for their relations in the new era, deliver greater benefits to the two peoples, and play an important and positive role for peace, stability and prosperity in their regions and around the world. Lula said he is honored and proud to head a large delegation on his fourth visit to China. This is his first visit outside the Americas since being elected President last year. This choice reflects Brazil's affection for China and commitment to Brazil-China relations. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Show more Show less Cambodians have greeted the death earlier this month (September 2) of Khmer Rouge commandant Kaing Guek Eav commonly known as comrade Duch as one more milestone for the country as it continues to move on from its tragic past. As head of a notorious prison, Duch presided over the killing of as many as 16,000 people during the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s. Luke Hunt reports from Choeung Ek, Cambodia. SIEM REAP/PHNOM PENH Change or no change? asked the announcer at the first national congress of the Candlelight Party in early February on the outskirts of Siem Reap city in northwest Cambodia. Change! Change! Change! chanted some 7,000 activists and supporters of the party, which represents to most potent challenge the long ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, in the upcoming national election in July. The call-and-response echoed the raucous rallies of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which garnered immense popularity and success in the 2013 national elections and the 2017 commune elections before it was dismantled by the countrys courts, sending many of its leaders into exile. But some of its leaders stuck around, despite the continuing crackdown on dissent in Cambodia, and the Candlelight Party is the most prominent among a handful of rekindled opposition groups led by familiar faces. While the party has borrowed the symbol of the movement started by longtime opposition leader Sam Rainsy a white candle with an orange flame he is not officially involved due to his legal baggage, and few expect the party to come anywhere close to the 55 National Assembly seats secured by the opposition CNRP a decade ago. Yet Hun Sen and his ruling party have proven extremely sensitive to any potential threats as the prime minister of 40 years prepares to transfer power to his eldest son, and the Candlelight Party could secure its place as the main opposition with a few seats in parliament, in which the CPP currently holds all 125 seats. But the party is aiming for nothing less than victory, Teav Vannol, its president and a former CNRP senator, told the congress, pointing to its success in the 2022 commune elections, when it won 18% of commune councilor posts and 22% of the vote shortly after forming. We hope to achieve victory. The Candlelight Party will gain support from voters in 25 provinces. We will win, Vannol told VOA Khmer after the congress. Political success is a double-edged sword for the party. The more popular it becomes, the more likely it is to be targeted under new laws that make it easier for the courts to outlaw parties tied to convicted criminals. In January, Candlelight Party Vice President Thach Setha, a longtime opposition figure and leader of the minority Khmer Krom community, was jailed over old allegations of writing fraudulent checks. This dynamic has left the party walking a tightrope between casting itself as a democratic alternative to the long-ruling CPP without making full-throated attacks on the party, and seeking to gain a foothold through elections that Sam Rainsy and others say will not be free or fair. Its not a recipe for success, said Ou Virak, founder of the Future Forum think tank in Phnom Penh, and the brother of the leader of a rival opposition party. There is no leadership within the Candlelight Party, nor do they have a solid vision or platform to run them, he said. Among the partys biggest liabilities is its historic association with Sam Rainsy, who at 74 years old remains the face of Cambodias democratic opposition. In October, Hun Sen threatened to dissolve the party if it maintained any connection with Sam Rainsy forcing the partys leaders to deny any ongoing connection. The ruling party understands that by doing that, the Candlelight Party will be weakened, in terms of popularity, but also in terms of garnering support, as well as financial support from abroad, which is actually a very crucial part of any political party: Its financing, said Ou Virak. Grassroots Silent Support Sorn Phearum cheered as the partys leaders spoke in Siem Reap, while cradling her 18-month-old son on her lap. I have 100% confidence, said the 37-year-old member of the partys womens movement in Pursat province. Sorn Phearum told VOA Khmer that people like her, who have experienced unfair treatment from local authorities, are driven by the partys commitment to social justice and equitable opportunity. People in my community hope to see more jobs, justice, and truth, despite facing constant intimidation and discrimination because we support an [opposition] party, said Sorn Phearum. Korng Det, a vice-president of the Candlelight Partys operation unit in Prey Veng provinces Pea Reang district, said the partys drive for victory is growing strong at the local level. An opposition supporter since 1995, he said he is undeterred by the ruling partys increasing harassments towards his group, and that committed to helping his party win in July. I am not afraid, even of death. Weve lost trust and confidence and hope in [the government]. We only have the Candlelight Party, which gives us hope to strive, Korng Det told VOA Khmer. The harassment of Candlelight leaders and activists extends well beyond Thach Setha, who was jailed in March and denied bail for allegedly signing on a bad check in 2019. A week before that, three of the partys members were sentenced to two years in prison on forgery charges linked to the creation of another political party in 2021. In February, Son Chhay, another of the partys five vice presidents, was found guilty of defaming Hun Sens ruling CPP and the National Election Committee (NEC) for alleging fraud in the commune elections last year, and ordered to pay roughly $1 million in compensation. Yet the party has pressed ahead with its work, with leaders traveling abroad to fundraise, meeting with grassroots activists and organizing a public event calling for justice for the victims of the 1997 grenade attacks on an opposition rally in Phnom Penh. We will participate in the elections, unless the situations are worsened by the election day where we cant voice any concerns or complaints, said Son Chhay, adding that the party wanted to begin a new political era, where politicians dont see each other as enemies. Ly Kimheang, a Candlelight commune council in Kampong Cham province, said she has been working every weekend since the party congress, meeting with other activists and party members at the district level to implement plans to help the party prepare for the July election. There are these silent voters who will come out and vote for us. If you ask them publicly, they wont say so. Why? Because they are afraid of intimidation by local authorities. They asked me not to show up at their house but said that they will vote [for the party], she said. An Opposition Divided The Candlelight Party isnt alone in seeking out a lane as a viable but not too threatening opposition to Hun Sens government. Kem Sokha, a longtime opposition figure who was Sam Rainsys deputy president in the 2013 election, was convicted of treason and sentenced to 27 years of house arrest in a case blasted by western governments and rights groups. Some of his allies within the now-defunct CNRP have started their own party, the Cambodia Reform Party, which has borrowed the rising sun logo from its predecessor party. It is taking a cautious approach to the upcoming elections. Were watching everything carefully and strategically. Nothing is set in stone in our politics. We are not saying we wont participate in this July elections, nor are we saying we dont look for an opportunity to merge with other parties, said Pol Ham, its president. The merger of several opposition parties in the final months before the election could build momentum and help counter the ruling partys aggressive tactics in consolidating power, said long-time political observer Ok Serei Sopheak. After a harsh sentencing of Kem Sokha, while Sam Rainy remains in self-exile, I think the non-aligned government political parties have no other choices than to work together, either as one party or as strategic partners in dividing support for each political party at certain polling stations, he told VOA Khmer. But there are few signs of unity within the fragmented opposition. Remember, Kem Sokha did not endorse the Candlelight Party, in fact, he came out critically of the Candlelight Party, said Ou Virak. He added that Kem Sokhas efforts to hold onto the Cambodia National Rescue Party indicate that theres actually very clear division among the opposition. Its a dynamic that the ruling party is surely well aware of, said Sebastian Strangio, the author of Hun Sens Cambodia. We have to ask why Candlelight Party has been able to register and run in the upcoming election. I mean this is not something that CPP had to do. It was a choice that the party made very likely with strategic goal in mind, he said. It has the added benefit of showing western countries, who strongly condemned Kem Sokhas verdict and have called for a free and fair election, a more democratic, legitimate electoral process that will result in a lessening of western pressure against the Cambodian government, Strangio added. But I think the primary reason is to offer the Cambodian public a sense of a bit more choice. No media source currently available The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Twenty-one-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira appeared in court to face charges of unauthorized retention and transmission online of national defense information and unauthorized removal of classified documents. VOAs Laurel Bowman has more. A man in Chile is infected with a bird flu that has concerning mutations, but the threat to people from the virus remains low, U.S. health officials said Friday. Past animal studies suggest these mutations could cause the virus to be more harmful or spread more easily, health officials said. But they also said there is no evidence that the mutations would make it easier for it to take root in a person's upper lungs a development that would raise concerns about it spreading among people. The mutations do not change public health officials' assessment of the overall risk to people from the H5N1 virus, which "continues to be low," said Vivien Dugan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The mutations, which have appeared only in the one hospitalized patient, may have occurred after the man got sick, CDC officials said. There's no evidence that the mutated virus spread to other people, mixed with other flu viruses, or developed the ability to fight off current medicines or evade vaccines, agency officials said. Such genetic changes have been seen in past bird flu infections. "Nevertheless, it's important to continue to look carefully at every instance of human infection," Dugan said. "We need to remain vigilant for changes that would make these viruses more dangerous to people." Threat first identified in 1997 This type of flu, called Type A H5N1, was first identified as a threat to people during a 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong, when visitors to live poultry markets caught it. Sporadic outbreaks have followed, and more than 450 people have died in the past two decades from bird flu infections, according to the World Health Organization. Most infected people got it directly from birds. As bird flu hits other species, however, scientists fear the virus could evolve to spread more easily among people. And it has been spreading widely to birds and animals in scores of countries. Millions of chickens dead In the U.S., it has recently been detected in wild birds in every state, as well as in commercial poultry operations and backyard flocks. Since the beginning of last year, tens of millions of chickens have died of the virus or been killed to stop outbreaks from spreading, one of the reasons cited for soaring U.S. egg prices. The new lab analysis looked at the virus found in the lungs of a 53-year-old man living in Chile's Antofagasta region. It may be that he became infected through contact with sick or dead birds or infected sea lions, according to a WHO summary of the case. The man was healthy and had not traveled recently. On March 13, he started getting a cough, sore throat and hoarseness, the WHO said. His symptoms worsened and eventually he was sent to an intensive care unit and treated with antiviral medicines and antibiotics. He is still hospitalized and being monitored, CDC officials said. Genetic sequencing this week revealed the two concerning mutations. Chilean and American health officials have been working together on the investigation. Andrew Pekosz, a flu researcher at Johns Hopkins University, said he hasn't seen the preliminary analysis of the Chilean patient's infection. "When these viruses get into humans, there's a likelihood that they start to adapt to grow better in us," and this is a sign that is happening, he said. There are three or four kinds of mutations that would need to be seen in a H5N1 virus "before that would really raise the alarm signal that something is happening of concern," he added. Beijing Saturday protested U.S. sanctions against additional Chinese companies over their alleged attempts to evade U.S. export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains. The U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday put five firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong on its "entity list," barring them from trading with any U.S. firms without gaining a nearly unobtainable special license. Washington has been tightening enforcement of sanctions against foreign firms it sees as aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine, forcing them to choose between trading with Moscow or with the U.S. A total of 28 entities from countries ranging from Malta to Turkey to Singapore were added to the list. A statement from China's Commerce Ministry said the U.S. action "has no basis in international law and is not authorized by the United Nations Security Council." "It is a typical unilateral sanction and a form of 'long-arm jurisdiction' which seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and affects the security and stability of the global supply chain. China firmly opposes this," the statement said. "The U.S. should immediately correct its wrongdoing and stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," it added. The latest sanctions were leveled against Allparts Trading Co., Ltd.; Avtex Semiconductor Limited; ETC Electronics Ltd.; Maxtronic International Co., Ltd.; and STK Electronics Co., Ltd., registered in Hong Kong. The list identifies entities essentially businesses that the U.S. suspects "have been involved, are involved, or pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States," the department said. Entities named were designated as "military end users" for "attempting to evade export controls and acquiring or attempting to acquire U.S.-origin items in support of Russia's military and/or defense industrial base," it said. The Chinese protest was like one issued in February after the U.S. announced sanctions against the Chinese company Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd., also known as Spacety China. The department said the company supplied Russia's Wagner Group private army affiliates with satellite imagery of Ukraine that support Wagner's military operations there. A Luxembourg-based subsidiary of Spacety China was also targeted. At that time, China's Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of "outright bullying and double standards" for sanctioning its companies while intensifying efforts to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons. China has maintained it is neutral in the conflict, while backing Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for the invasion of its neighbor. China has refused to criticize Russia's actions, blasted Western economic sanctions on Moscow, maintained trade ties and affirmed a "no limits" relationship between the countries just weeks before last year's invasion. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow last month and China announced Friday that Defense Minister General Li Shangfu would visit Russia this coming week for meetings with counterpart Sergei Shoigu and other military officials. However, Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Friday, China won't sell weapons to either side in the war, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide outright military assistance to Russia. "Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude," Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. "China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict, and manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations." Christian worshippers thronged the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Saturday to celebrate the ceremony of the Holy Fire," an ancient ritual that sparked tensions this year with the Israeli police. In the annual ceremony that has been observed for over a millennium, a flame taken from Jesus' tomb is used to light the candles of fervent believers in Greek Orthodox communities near and far. The devout believe the origin of the flame is a miracle and is shrouded in mystery. On Saturday, after hours of frantic anticipation, a priest reached inside the dim tomb and ignited his candle. Each neighbor passed the light to another and, little by little, the darkened church was irradiated by tiny patches of light, which eventually illuminated the whole building. Bells rang out. Christ is risen! the multilingual worshippers shouted. He is risen indeed! Many trying to get to the church built on the site where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected were thrilled to mark the rite of the Orthodox Easter week in Jerusalem. But for the second consecutive year, Israels strict limits on event capacity dimmed some of the exuberance. It is sad for me that I cannot get to the church, where my heart, my faith, wants me to be, said 44-year-old Jelena Novakovic from Montenegro, who, like thousands of others, was trapped behind metal barricades that sealed off alleys leading to the Christian Quarter in Jerusalem's walled Old City. In some cases, pushing and shoving escalated into violence. Footage showed Israeli police dragging and beating several worshippers, thrusting a Coptic Priest against the stone wall and tackling one woman to the ground. At least one older man was whisked, bleeding, into an ambulance. Israel has capped the ritual to just 1,800 people. The Israeli police say they must be strict because theyre responsible for maintaining public safety. In 1834, a stampede at the event claimed hundreds of lives. Two years ago, a crush at a packed Jewish holy site in the countrys north killed 45 people. Authorities say theyre determined to prevent a repeat of the tragedy. But Jerusalem's minority Christians mired in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and caught between Jews and Muslims fear Israel is using the extra security measures to alter their status in the Old City, providing access to Jews while limiting the number of Christian worshippers. The Greek Orthodox patriarchate has lambasted the restrictions as a hindrance of religious freedom and called on all worshippers to flood the church despite Israeli warnings. As early as 8 a.m., Israeli police were turning back most worshippers from the gates of the Old City including tourists who flew from Europe and Palestinian Christians who traveled from across the occupied West Bank directing them to an overflow area with a livestream. Angry pilgrims and clergy jostled to get through while police struggled to hold them back, allowing only a trickle of ticketed visitors and local residents inside. Over 2,000 police officers swarmed the stone ramparts. Ana Dumitrel, a Romanian pilgrim surrounded by police outside the Old City, said she came to pay tribute to her late mother, whose experience witnessing the holy fire in 1987 long inspired her. I wanted to tell my family, my children, that I was here as my mom was," she said, straining over the crowds to assess whether she had a chance. After the ceremony, Palestinian Christians carried the fire through the streets and lit the tapers of the worshippers waiting outside. Chartered planes will ferry the flickering lanterns to Russia, Greece and beyond with great fanfare. The dispute over the church capacity comes as Christians in the Holy Land including the head of the Roman Catholic church in the region as well as local Palestinians and Armenians say that Israels most right-wing government in history has empowered Jewish extremists who have escalated their vandalism of religious property and harassment of clergy. Israel says it's committed to ensuring freedom of worship for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Friction over the Orthodox Easter ritual has been fueled in part by a rare convergence of holidays in Jerusalems bustling Old City. A few hundred meters away from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Muslims fasting for the 24th day of the holy month of Ramadan were gathering for midday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Earlier this week, tens of thousands of Jews flocked to the Western Wall during the Passover holiday. Tensions surged last week, when an Israeli police raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Jerusalem's most sensitive site, ignited Muslim outrage around the world. The mosque is the third holiest site of Islam. It stands on a hilltop that is the holiest site for Jews, who revere it as the Temple Mount. Israel captured the Old City, along with the rest of the city's eastern half, in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it in a move not internationally recognized. Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state. In its limestone passageways Saturday, Christians pushed back by police were trying to cope with their disappointment. Cristina Maria, a 35-year-old who traveled from Romania to see the light kindled from the holy fire, said there was some consolation in the thought that the flame was symbolic, anyway. It's the light of Christ, she said, standing between an ice cream parlor and a dumpster in the Old City. We can see it from here, there, anywhere. A trio of health care bills enshrining access in Colorado to abortion and gender-affirming procedures and medications became law Friday as the Democrat-led state tries to make itself a safe haven for its neighbors, whose Republican leaders are restricting care. The main goal of the legislation signed by Democratic Governor Jared Polis is to ensure people in surrounding states and beyond can go to Colorado to have an abortion, begin puberty blockers or receive gender-affirming surgery without fear of prosecution. Bordering states of Wyoming and Oklahoma have passed abortion bans and Utah has severely restricted transgender care for minors. Many states with abortion or transgender care bans are also criminalizing traveling to states for the purpose of accessing legal health care. The contradicting laws are setting the stage for interstate disputes comparable to the patchwork of same-sex marriage laws that existed until 2015, or the 19th-century legal conflict over whether fugitive enslaved people in free states remained the property of slaveholders when they escaped. The governor's office was packed with lawmakers, advocates and health care providers, many of them women, for a ceremony with a celebratory feel that resembled a rally at times with loud applause and call-and-response chants. "We see you and in Colorado, we've got your back," Democratic state Senator Julie Gonzalez said during the ceremony. With the new laws, Colorado joins Illinois as a progressive place offering reproductive rights to residents of conservative states. Illinois abortion clinics now serve people living in a 2,900-kilometer (1,800-mile) stretch of 11 Southern states that have largely banned abortion. Florida, temporarily a haven for abortion seekers in those states, outlawed abortions after six weeks. The bill, signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday in a closed-door ceremony, doesn't go into effect right away. California and New York are considering similar bills, with the U.S. Supreme Court having knocked down Roe. v. Wade, putting abortion laws in the hands of state legislatures. Colorado's southern neighbor, New Mexico, is also controlled by Democrats and passed a similar abortion protection bill earlier this year. It legally shields those who seek abortions or gender-affirming care, and those who provide the treatments, from interstate investigations. Ashley Blinkhorn, a graduate student and activist who testified in favor of the Colorado bills during legislative hearings, said they would help people across the country, including possibly her recently married friends in their 30s and her queer friends in her former homes of Texas and Florida. "It's a real comfort to know that Colorado ... will provide health care to them if they visit or if they move here," she said. Visits to Colorado's abortion clinics have increased by about a third since the Supreme Court ruling, and wait times for an appointment have increased from one or two days up to three weeks, according to state lawmakers. They also expect an increase in wait times for gender-affirming care. Colorado House Minority Leader Mike Lynch said he feared the legislation would make Colorado an abortion destination that will attract "the vulnerable, the indigent and frightened minors from all over the country" and said the package of laws does not protect choice. "They deny a new mother the choice to consider alternative options other than to end her pregnancy," Lynch, a Republican from Wellington, said in a statement. Karen Middleton, president of Cobalt Advocates, a Denver-based organization that pushes for abortion access, said most of the women traveling to Colorado since the Supreme Court ruling have come from Texas and Wyoming. The organization spent $220,000 to help women get access to abortion in Colorado last year, most of them from other states, up from $6,000 in 2021, she said. Polis added the first layer of abortion protection a year ago, signing an executive order that bars state agencies from cooperating with out-of-state investigations regarding reproductive health care. One of the bills he signed Friday codifies that order into law. Like the New Mexico law, it blocks court summonses, subpoenas and search warrants from states that decide to prosecute someone for having an abortion. Colorado's abortion law extends the protections to transgender patients dodging restrictions in their own states. Gender-affirming health care has been available for decades, but some states have recently barred minors from accessing it, even with parental consent. Hospitals in some of those states say gender-affirming surgeries are rarely recommended for minors anyway. Puberty blockers are more common. Conservative states are pushing back. Idaho passed a bill that outlaws providing a minor with abortion pills and helping them leave the state to terminate a pregnancy without their parents' consent. The Colorado law comes as medication abortions are in limbo across the U.S. and mail-order prescriptions of a crucial abortion drug are virtually banned pending the outcome of a federal court case. Also on Friday, Polis signed a measure that outlaws "deceptive practices" by anti-abortion centers, which are known to market themselves as abortion clinics but don't actually offer the procedure. Instead, they attempt to persuade patients to not terminate their pregnancies. The bill also prohibits sites from offering what's called an abortion pill reversal an unproven practice to reverse a medical abortion. A third bill signed Friday requires large employers to offer coverage for the total cost of an abortion, with an exception for those who object on religious grounds. It exempts public employees because Colorado's constitution forbids the use of public funds for abortions. French President Emmanuel Macron signed his unpopular pension reform into law on Saturday, prompting accusations from unions and the left that he was showing contempt for those behind a three-month protest movement. The text became law after it was published before dawn in France's official journal. The publication came just hours after the approval on Friday by the Constitutional Council of the essence of the legislation, including the headline change of raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. The standoff with unions and the left has become the biggest challenge of the second term of Macron, who will address France on the crisis on Monday evening, the Elysee presidential palace said. Trade unions called for mass Labor Day protests on May 1, and sometimes-violent demonstrations erupted in several cities including Paris overnight after the court verdict was announced. Socialist leader Olivier Faure said Macron's swift signing of the law showed disdain toward the protest movement while hard-left MP Francois Ruffin called it a "democratic holdup." 'Like thieves' "A law enacted in the middle of the night, like thieves," tweeted French Communist Party chief Fabien Roussel. "Everyone on the street May 1." "Macron tried to intimidate all of France in the middle of the night," tweeted hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, calling Macron a "thief of life" who showed an "absurd display of arrogance." The CGT union leader Sophie Binet called the move "totally shameful." Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne vowed Saturday the government would press ahead with more reforms. "We are determined to accelerate" the pace of reforms, she told the national council of Macron's Renaissance party. "We want to build a France of full employment ... to guarantee equal opportunity," she said. The western city of Rennes was again the scene of clashes Saturday afternoon as police used tear gas on projectile-throwing protesters, AFP correspondents said. A bank was damaged while protesters also stormed the lobby of a luxury hotel. One policeman was injured and eight people arrested. The nine-member Constitutional Council ruled in favor of key provisions of the pension reform, including raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 and extending the years of work required for a full pension, saying the legislation was in accordance with French law. Six minor proposals were rejected, including forcing large companies to publish how many people older than 55 they employ, and the creation of a special contract for older workers. The appearance of the text in France's Official Journal, the gazette of record, means it has now been enacted into law. Many outraged at Macron But the constitutional court's decision could prove a hollow victory for Macron, as analysts say it has come at a major personal cost. The president's approval ratings are near their lowest levels ever, and many voters have been outraged by his decision to ram the pensions law through parliament without a vote, using a legal but controversial mechanism denounced by opponents as anti-democratic. Polls consistently show that two out of three French people are against working more two years. Macron has called the change necessary to avoid annual pension deficits forecast to hit $14.8 billion by 2030, according to government figures. France lags behind most of its European neighbors, many of which have hiked the retirement age to 65 or above. Government spokesman Olivier Veran said Macron's address Monday evening would be in the spirit of "pacification." But the left-wing Liberation daily headlined: "Not defeated: opponents of the reform are not going to disarm." Binet and other union bosses have called for a "popular and historic tidal wave" of people on the streets to oppose the reforms on May 1. Unions rejected an offer by Macron for talks on Tuesday, saying they would only meet after May 1. In a second decision on Friday, the constitutional court rejected a bid from opposition lawmakers to force a referendum on an alternative pension law that would have kept the retirement age at 62. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was safely evacuated Saturday after a man appeared to throw an explosive device in his direction at a campaign event. The incident happened at a small fishing port in Wakayama, in western Japan, where Kishida was scheduled to give a speech in support of a ruling party candidate for upcoming elections. Video from the scene showed a man throwing what appeared to be a small metal pipe or canister, which landed near Kishida. Security agents quickly knocked the object away and rushed Kishida away. According to videos posted on social media, the explosion did not occur until at least 30 seconds after it was thrown, possibly allowing people to evacuate the immediate area. No injuries have been reported. Video also showed several police tackling a young man in a black hoodie. Japanese media reported Ryuji Kimora, a 24-year-old man from Hyogo Prefecture, was arrested at the scene. Police said they are still investigating a motive. According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, police found a second, similar explosive device at the scene. It is not clear what type of explosive was used. Kishida, who was evacuated by car, continued his planned political activities later Saturday, vowing the incident would not derail the April 23 by-elections for Japans lower house of parliament. Together with you all, we have to carry on with the election, Kishida said at a speech at another location in Wakayama, according to the Kyodo news agency. The incident was especially unnerving since it came just eight months after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated by a man with a homemade gun during a public political event. Political violence has been extremely rare in Japan in recent decades. But the Abe assassination prompted calls for tighter security at political events, where politicians frequently interact with citizens in a highly personal manner. Japan has had almost a year to improve security since the Abe assassination and will host world leaders at a G-7 summit next month, said Jeffrey J. Hall, a Japanese politics specialist at the Kanda University of International Studies. Questions will be asked about whether enough was done to prevent this man from throwing an explosive device at the prime minister, he added. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno vowed the government will take necessary steps to ensure security at the G-7 and called for the National Police Agency to ensure the protection of high-profile figures. A French court on Friday convicted 11 alleged members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on charges of terror financing. The defendants, all Kurds from Turkey who speak little or no French, were accused of being part of a network that seeks a so-called revolutionary tax, or "kampanya," from the Kurdish diaspora. Deemed a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey, the PKK has been waging a decades-long armed struggle against Ankara for greater autonomy for the Kurdish minority in the country's southeast. Organized cells are believed to be active among France's up to 150,000 Kurdish residents, as well as among the 100,000 in the Netherlands and the million-strong community in Germany. The Paris court found that "significant amounts" of funds had been obtained through threats that included "exclusion from the community." Four of the defendants were already detained, and two failed to appear before the court. The defendants denied belonging to the PKK, saying it had no presence in France. The sentences ranged from suspended three-year prison terms to five years behind bars with one year suspended. But the court did not ban the defendants from French territory, as is common in terrorism cases, since most of them have refugee status in France. The investigation began in 2020, when two Kurdish women, aged 18 and 19, were reported missing in southeastern France. It soon appeared that they had left for PKK training camps elsewhere in Europe. The inquiry revealed a network based on a Kurdish association in the southern city of Marseille, which prosecutors say was collecting a form of community tax that funds the PKK. Testimony and phone tapping revealed harassment and extortion of diaspora members, investigators said, as the "tax collectors" set arbitrary contributions for individuals based on their estimated income. Investigators believe about $2.2 million (2 million euros) is collected in southeastern France each year. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has discussed an opportunity of increasing oil and petroleum products supplies to Uzbekistan and prospects of participating in construction of new nuclear power facilities with Energy Minister of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, the Russian Cabinets press service said. "In particular, an opportunity of increasing oil and oil products supplies to Uzbekistan and prospects of participation of Rosatom Company in construction of new nuclear power installations were highlighted at the meeting," the press service said. The parties discussed cooperation in gas, oil and electric power sectors, including renewable energy sources and hydropower projects, and nuclear power facilities construction at the meeting in Moscow. DUBLIN, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Irish government has been pushing for neutrality to be dismantled since the Ukraine conflict and U.S. President Joe Biden's visit has assisted this aim, said an Irish parliamentarian on Friday. Paul Murphy, a member of the lower house of the Irish parliament, said this at a program of the Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE, defending his party's decision to boycott Biden's Thursday speech in the Irish parliament. As a member of the People Before Profit (PBP) party, which has five seats in the lower house of the parliament, Murphy said he found the whole visit of the U.S. president "utterly nauseating" as not a single critical question has been raised to Biden during his speech in the parliament. "It's a parliament, not a soapbox for the most powerful person in the world to come make a speech, it's ridiculous," he said, adding that PBP was not allowed to ask any questions or speak when Biden addressed the parliament. Ireland should not facilitate the "U.S. imperialism" around the world through Shannon Airport, an airport in the west of Ireland where the U.S. military reportedly has a presence, Murphy added. While speaking of the Ukraine issue in the Irish parliament, Biden said, "Ireland pursues an independent course in foreign policy, but it is not neutral between liberty and tyranny and it never will be." Following Biden's speech, Murphy said on Twitter that the U.S. political purpose was not talking about "a battle between democracy and autocracy" but about "a new cold war and ensuring Ireland is in the Western camp." "A camp which supports the majority of dictatorships in the world," tweeted Murphy. Murphy's view was echoed by many other netizens. One person named James O'Toole tweeted that "If you're too dumb to notice I'll spell it out for you: Biden wants Ireland in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and our kids will die for corporate Empires." Biden started an official visit to Ireland on Wednesday and is due to return to the United States on Friday night. Germany will switch off its last three nuclear reactors Saturday, exiting atomic power even as it seeks to wean itself off fossil fuels and manage an energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. While many Western countries are upping their investments in atomic energy to reduce their emissions, Germany is bringing an early end to its nuclear age. Europe's largest economy has been looking to leave behind nuclear power since 2002, but the phase-out was accelerated by former chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The exit decision was popular in a country with a powerful anti-nuclear movement, stoked by lingering fears of Cold War conflict and atomic disasters such as Chernobyl in Ukraine. "The risks of nuclear power are ultimately unmanageable," said Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, who this week made a pilgrimage to the ill-fated Japanese plant ahead of a G-7 meeting in the country. But the challenge caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which put an end to cheap gas imports, and the need to quickly cut emissions has upped calls in Germany to delay the withdrawal from nuclear power. The environmental activism organization Greenpeace, at the heart of the anti-nuclear movement, organized a celebratory fete at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to mark the occasion. "Finally, nuclear energy belongs to history! Let's make this April 15 a day to remember," the organization said. In contrast, conservative daily FAZ headlined its Saturday edition "Thanks, nuclear energy," as it listed benefits it said nuclear had brought the country over the years. A mistake Initially planned for the end of 2022, Germany's nuclear exit had already been pushed back once. As Russian gas supplies dwindled last year, officials in Berlin were left scrambling to find a way to keep the lights on, with a short extension agreed until mid-April. Germany, the largest emitter in the European Union, also powered up some of its mothballed coal-fueled plants to cover the potential gap left by gas. The challenging energy situation had increased calls domestically for the exit from nuclear to be delayed. Germany had to "expand the supply of energy and not restrict it any further" in light of potential shortages and high prices, the president of the German chambers of commerce Peter Adrian told the Rheinische Post daily. The conservative leader of Bavaria Markus Soeder meanwhile told the Focus Online website that he wanted the plants to stay online and three more to be kept "in reserve." Outside observers have been similarly irked by Germany's insistence on exiting nuclear while ramping up its coal usage, with climate activist Greta Thunberg in October slamming the move as "a mistake." Sooner or later At the Isar 2 complex in Bavaria, technicians will progressively shut down the reactor from 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) Saturday, severing it from the grid for good. By the end of the day, operators at the other two facilities, in northern Emsland and southwestern Neckarwestheim, will have taken their facilities offline as well. The three final plants provided just 6% of Germany's energy last year, compared with 30.8% from all nuclear plants in 1997. "Sooner or later" the reactors will start being dismantled, Economy Minister Robert Habeck told the Funke group ahead of the scheduled decommissioning, brushing aside the idea of an extension. The government has the energy situation "under control," Habeck assured, having filled gas stores and built new infrastructure for the import of liquefied natural gas to bridge the gap left by Russian supplies. Instead, the minister from the Green party, which was founded on opposition to nuclear power, is focused on getting Germany to produce 80% of its energy from renewables by 2030. To this end, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for the installation of "four to five wind turbines a day" over the next few years a tall order given that just 551 were installed last year. But the current rate of progress on renewables could well be too slow for Germany to meet its climate protection goals. Despite planning to exit nuclear, Germany has not "pushed ahead enough with the expansion of renewables in the last 10 years," Simon Mueller from the Agora Energiewende think tank told AFP. To build enough onshore wind capacity, according to Mueller, Germany now must "pull out all the stops." Republican lawmakers argued Monday that New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the prosecutor who brought felony charges against former President Donald Trump, has neglected to address a wave of violent crime in the city. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan said Monday, Justice is supposed to be blind, regardless of race, religion or creed. However, here in Manhattan, [the] scales of justice are weighed down by politics. For the district attorney, justice isn't blind. It's about looking for opportunities to advance a political agenda. A radical political agenda. Jordan chaired the special hearing at the Javits Federal Building in Manhattan to hear testimony from witnesses affected by violent crime in the city. The House committee holds no authority over Bragg, a state prosecutor who was elected to his position in 2021. However, the committee did hold a field hearing in lower Manhattan, blocks from Braggs office, to draw public attention to the issue. The hearing comes days after a New York grand jury indicted Trump on 34 felony charges brought forward by Bragg. Republicans allege the charges that Trump participated in a criminal conspiracy falsifying business records to cover up a potential sex scandal during the 2016 presidential campaign are a politically motivated attempt to obstruct his 2024 presidential bid. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the accusations. In a tweeted statement last week, Braggs office said that during his first year in office, New York City had one of the lowest murder rates of major cities in the United States (5.2) nearly three times lower than Columbus, Ohio (15.4). It went on to suggest that Jordan should address public safety in his home state of Ohio instead of using taxpayer dollars to travel hundreds of miles out of his way. Bragg is suing Jordan in federal court, saying Jordan orchestrated a brazen and unconstitutional attack in a transparent campaign to intimidate and attack the district attorneys office. If successful, the suit would prevent Jordan and other House Judiciary Republicans from enforcing a subpoena seeking testimony from Mark F. Pomerantz, a former special assistant district attorney who resigned last year in protest over Braggs decision not to prosecute Trump at that time. Representative Jerry Nadler, a manager at the first impeachment of Trump, said Republicans were using the issue of violent crime to protect the former president as he faces criminal charges in New York. Using this committee to undermine that process as it unfolds is cynical, unethical given the violence unleashed on the Capitol by the former president just plain dangerous. Now we all agree for the victims of violent crime here in Manhattan and everywhere, that it is shameful that the Republicans on this committee would use the pretext of violent crime as an excuse, Nadler said Monday. Mondays hearing focused on Republican claims Bragg has failed to prosecute violent crimes or in some cases wrongfully prosecuted victims of violent crime. The claims are part of a larger Republican argument that violent crime has increased across the United States in cities run by Democrats. In 2021, the House Republican Conference tweeted an image of rising homicide rates in seven cities with the phrase, Welcome to Bidens America, referring to President Joe Biden. That argument continued to be a major campaign theme for Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections. According to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the number of murders in 70 major U.S. cities went down 4.3 percent in the first nine month of 2022 compared with the same time frame in 2021. Homicides, however, increased 6.2 percent from 2020 when Trump was president to 2021 when Biden took office. The associations most recent figures show varying numbers for other violent crimes, including an 11 percent increase in robberies between 2022 and 2021 as well as a 3.4 percent decline in rapes and a 1.3 percent increase in aggravated assaults. In New York City specifically, there was a 22 percent increase overall in major crime from 2021 to 2022, despite a decline in murders and shootings. Violent crime increased in the area along with all major U.S. cities during the COVID-19 pandemic but the city is also statistically safer than it was during a spike in crime during the 1970s and 80s. Advocates like Jennifer Harrison, founder of Victims Rights NY, who testified Monday, argue Bragg has failed to fulfill his duties, putting residents and visitors to New York City at risk. In a letter asking New York Governor Kathy Hochul to replace Bragg with a new district attorney, Harrison and others listed several examples of Bragg failing to prosecute offenders or charging them with lower-level crimes. Included in that list is the case of business owner Jose Alba, who was initially charged with second-degree murder for killing a man who attacked him in his convenience store. Alba was arrested and spent almost a week in prison before being released. The Manhattan district attorneys office dropped the charges after a public outcry and a further investigation into the incident. Alba who is suing the city for wrongful imprisonment also testified. The trip by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to Beijing has made clear he is counting on China to help reinvigorate the South American nation's ailing industrial sector particularly by picking up the slack of exiting U.S. companies. After Lula met Friday with China's President Xi Jinping, Brazilian finance minister Fernando Haddad told reporters the nations are planning a "leap forward" in their relationship. "President Lula wants a policy of reindustrialization. This visit starts a new challenge for Brazil: bringing direct investments from China," Haddad said. He added that Brazil wants strong bonds with the U.S. but noted with regret that recently "some American companies made the decision to leave Brazil." Industrial policy is near and dear to Lula, a former steelworker who became a union leader. Decades later, he launched his bid for a third presidential term on the gritty outskirts of Sao Paulo outside a car factory. That area and the country is churning out ever-fewer manufactured goods. Brazil's national statistics institute said in July 2022 that Brazil had lost 1 million industrial jobs over the prior decade, a decline of 11.6%. The institute said in 2021 that the country's industrial sector represented 18.9% of Brazil's GDP, down from 38% three decades earlier. Over the years, Brazil became a massive exporter of raw materials. China overtook the U.S. as Brazil's biggest export market in 2009, and each year buys tens of billions of dollars of soybeans, beef, iron ore, poultry, pulp, sugar cane, cotton and crude oil. The Asian giant and the Latin American powerhouse had a somewhat frosty relationship over the last four years when far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro held the presidency in Brasilia. Even some of Bolsonaro's supporters in the agribusiness sector were critical of outbursts that antagonized China. On Thursday, Lula met with the CEO of Chinese manufacturer BYD, which produces electric busses and is in talks to start operations at a factory in the Brazilian state of Bahia, Lula's office said. The previous owner, Ford Motor Co., announced in 2021 that it was shuttering the plant, along with two others in Brazil. Brazil is already the biggest recipient of Chinese investment in Latin America, according to Chinese state media. And Lula doesn't just want more investment; he is also seeking partnerships that challenge the hegemony of Western-dominated economic institutions and geopolitics, including diplomacy over the war in Ukraine. Lula's visit included the swearing in Thursday of former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff as head of the Chinese-backed New Development Bank, which is funding infrastructure projects in Brazil and elsewhere in the developing world. The bank portrays itself as an alternative to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, which often impose loan conditions that developing nations criticize as punitive. At the swearing-in ceremony, Lula took swipes at both the IMF and the dominance of the U.S. dollar in international trade, hailing an agreement between Brazil and China to use the Chinese yuan in their bilateral commerce Lula and Xi oversaw the signing of agreements in 15 areas, ranging from agriculture to aeronautics, which underscored the improvement in relations since Lula took over in January. "As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share extensive common interests," Xi said, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The trip was Lula's third visit to China, but the first with Xi sitting as president. On Friday, the two leaders met for three hours far longer than had been scheduled. In February, Lula traveled to Washington, where he and U.S. President Joe Biden stressed the importance of defending democracy and preserving the Amazon rainforest. The trip didn't, however, produce the hoped-for financial pledge for Brazil's Amazon Fund. The Lula-Xi talks touched on the conflict in Ukraine, with the leaders agreeing on the need for a negotiated settlement, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. A key piece of Lula's outreach abroad is his proposal that Brazil and other developing countries, including China, mediate peace. However, his suggestion that Ukraine cede Crimea has irked Kyiv and its closest backers, namely the U.S. and Europe. The construction of barbed-wired fence along Finlands long border with Russia - primarily meant to curb illegal migration - has broken ground near the southeastern town of Imatra less than two weeks after the Nordic country joined NATO as the 31st member of the military alliance. The Finnish Border Guard on Friday showcased the building of the initial three kilometer (1.8 mile) stretch of the fence to be erected in Pelkola near a crossing point off Imatra, a quiet lakeside town of some 25,000 people. Finlands 1,340-kilometer (832 miles) border with Russia is the longest of any European Union member. Construction of the border fence is an initiative by the border guard that was approved by Prime Minister Sanna Marin's government amid wide political support last year. The main purpose of the three-meter (10-foot) high steel fence with a barbed-wire extension on top is to prevent illegal immigration from Russia and give reaction time to authorities, Finnish border officials say. In 2015-2016, Moscow attempted to influence Finland by organizing large numbers of asylum-seekers to northern Finnish crossing points in the Arctic Lapland region. Russian authorities were seen deliberately ushering thousands of asylum-seekers mostly from Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle East nations - to those border crossing points. The move was seen as a show of muscle by Moscow. The issue was settled when Finnish President Sauli Niinisto held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The flow of migrants stopped shortly thereafter. This is a scenario that Finland a nation 5.5 million people that officially became a NATO member on April 4 wants to prevent from repeating itself. Border officials are quick to acknowledge, however, that it was Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year - the main reason for Finlands quick push to join NATO after decades of military nonalignment - that prompted construction of the border fence. Border barrier fence was no kind of political topic before the war [in Ukraine]. And actually, it wasn't a kind of plan of the Finnish border guard, Brig. Gen. Jari Tolppanen, head of the technical division at the Finnish Border Guard, told The Associated Press. All changed after the attack [of Russia against Ukraine]. The pilot section of the fence is scheduled to be completed by this summer, while the barrier will eventually be extended to a maximum of 200 kilometers (124 miles). It will cover areas - in bits and pieces of separate length - mainly in southeastern Finland near the main border crossing points with Russia, but it will also have sections up in the Arctic north in Lapland. In this new situation, we must have much more credible and much more independent border control, Tolppanen said. We need to strengthen our resources. And the fence is necessary in order to manage, for example, large-scale illegal immigration. Imatra is located a mere seven kilometers off the Russian industrial town of Svetogorsk in the Karelia region and is a few hours drive away from Russias second city of St. Petersburg. The town has a long history in dealing with Russians - tourists, day-trippers and permanent residents alike. Here in Imatra, were not so afraid about Russians because the border has always been there and it has never been open like between European countries, said Antero Lattu, vice chairman of Imatra City Council. He stressed that locals arent afraid of Russians but we're happy because of that fence." Erkki Jouhki, who works as a town planner, agreed but also stressed Finland's military capabilities. NATO membership gives Finland a strong back but we have a very strong army. its very well [armed] ... its a very modern army here because of Russia. The border fence project is estimated to cost a total of $422 million and is scheduled to be completed by 2026. Finlands long eastern frontier runs mainly through thick forests. In some places the Finnish-Russian border is marked only by wooden posts with low fences meant to stop stray cattle. Scores of prisoners of war, including Saudis, were freed Saturday as part of a cross-border exchange between a Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The flights connecting Saudi Arabia and Houthi-held territory in Yemen were part of a multiday transfer involving nearly 900 detainees that comes amid peace talks which have raised hopes for an end to Yemen's eight-year-old war. The first flight of the day took off from the southern Saudi city of Abha before 9 a.m. (0600 GMT), headed for Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa with 120 Houthi rebel prisoners, ICRC public affairs and media adviser Jessica Moussan said. It was followed by a flight from Sanaa carrying 20 former detainees, among them 16 Saudis and three Sudanese. Sudan is part of the Saudi-led coalition and has provided ground troops for the fighting. In addition, 100 Houthis were due to be flown on three flights to Sanaa from Mokha on the Red Sea coast, a town held by Yemen's coalition-backed government. An AFP journalist in Abha said at least three buses brought the prisoners onto the tarmac at Abha airport, which has previously come under attack from Houthi drones and missiles. Wheelchairs were positioned near the buses to take some of the prisoners to the plane. On Friday, 318 prisoners were transported on four flights between government-controlled Aden and Sanaa, reuniting with their families ahead of next week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The total number of prisoners of war on both sides is unknown. The ongoing exchange is a confidence-building measure coinciding with an intense diplomatic push to end Yemen's war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead from the fighting as well as knock-on effects like food insecurity and lack of access to health care. Path to peace? Analysts say that eight years after mobilizing a coalition to crush the Houthis, the Saudis have come to terms with the fact that this goal will not be met and are looking to wind down their military engagement. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was a 29-year-old defense minister when the war began, has since become the kingdom's de facto ruler and is keen to focus on his sweeping "Vision 2030" domestic reform agenda. The Saudi exit strategy appears to have taken new impetus from a landmark rapprochement deal announced with Iran last month. The China-brokered agreement calls for the Middle East heavyweights to fully restore diplomatic ties following a seven-year rupture and has the potential to remake regional ties. Saudi Arabia is also pushing for the reintegration into the Arab League of Iran ally Syria, more than a decade after its suspension over President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests. On Friday, the kingdom, which once openly championed Assad's ouster, hosted top diplomats from eight other Arab countries in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for talks on Syria, then issued a statement highlighting the "importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis." In Yemen, active combat has reduced over the past year following the U.N.-brokered truce that officially lapsed in October but has largely held. A week ago, a Saudi delegation traveled to Sanaa, held by the Houthis since 2014, for talks aimed at reviving the truce and laying the groundwork for a more durable cease-fire. The delegation, led by Ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber, left Sanaa late Thursday without a finalized truce but with plans for more talks, according to Houthi and Yemeni government sources. Even if Saudi Arabia manages to negotiate a way out of the war, fighting could flare up again among the different Yemeni factions. "Saudi Arabia has been struggling to draw down its military involvement in Yemen and... seeks a long-term sustainable peace that will allow it to focus on its economic priorities," Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House, told AFP. "Yet despite its intention, it will be the longtime broker, investor and conflict guarantor of Yemen." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned two days of fighting between Sudans military and a paramilitary force that has killed dozens of people, including three U.N. workers for the World Food Program. Guterres "strongly condemns the deaths and injuries of civilians, including the death of three staff members of the World Food Program in North Darfur, with a further two seriously injured," the U.N. chief's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement, adding: "Those responsible should be brought to justice without delay." The statement said, United Nations and other humanitarian premises have also been hit by projectiles and looted in several locations in Darfur. The pro-democracy Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors reported at least 56 civilians had been killed, as well as tens of deaths among security forces, according to Agence France-Presse. The three U.N. workers raised the death toll to 59. The group said more than 600 people, including combatants, had been wounded since the fighting erupted on Saturday. Guterres reiterated a call for an immediate cease-fire between the warring groups, the U.N. statement said. On Saturday, fighting erupted between army units loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan's transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of the council, Reuters reported. The U.N. had announced a three-hour cease-fire late Sunday afternoon between the two groups, yet residents told media that heavy explosions and continued gunfire, as well as airstrikes pounding RSF targets, could be heard Sunday night. Earlier Sunday, heavy gunfire could be heard downtown around Sudans military headquarters and the presidential palace. Both the military and the RSF have claimed control of these strategic locations. The World Food Program says it has suspended operations in the country after three WFP employees were killed in the violence that erupted on Saturday. The head of the Sudanese journalists syndicate, Abdulmuniem Abu Idris, told VOA via a messaging application that about 12 journalists, including four females, have been stranded in the Sudanese Kuwaiti business center since Saturday morning. Abu Idris had earlier appealed to the warring parties to create a safe corridor for them to go to their families. I am calling on the two parties to create a safe passage for all the civilians inside the conflict areas, especially the journalists who have been stuck since yesterday, he said. The Sudanese-Kuwaiti business center is located east of the presidential palace along the River Nile. It is a working office space for many media outlets. Abu Idris says described the area as a serious confrontation zone between the military and the RSF. He says those journalists and other civilians would be in need of basic items to survive. They dont have food; they are not in a safe area because they are inside the area of the exchange fires. And we are calling on the Red Crescent to intervene and rescue the civilians and those journalists, he said. Reports say recent tensions between the army and the RSF stem from disagreements with how the RSF should be integrated in the army and who should oversee that process. Its part of an effort to restore the country to civilian rule and end a political crisis sparked by a military coup in October 2021. The African Unions Peace and Security Council held an extraordinary meeting Sunday in Nairobi to discuss the situation in Sudan. Participants appealed to the Sudanese military RSF leaders to de-escalate confrontation and restore stability. Arab League countries also condemned the fighting in Sudan, calling for calm. Egypt and South Sudan announced in a joint statement their intention to mediate between Sudans warring parties. Some information for this article came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Fierce clashes between Sudans military and the countrys powerful paramilitary force erupted Saturday in the capital and elsewhere in the African nation, raising fears of a wider conflict in the chaos-stricken nation. In Khartoum, the sound of heavy firing could be heard in several areas, including the city center and the neighborhood of Bahri. In a series of statements, the Rapid Support Forces militia accused the army of attacking its forces at one of its bases in south Khartoum. They claimed they seized the city's airport and completely controlled Khartoums Republican Palace, the seat of the countrys presidency. The group also said it seized an airport and air base in the northern city of Marawi, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) northwest of Khartoum. The Associated Press was unable to verify those claims. The Sudanese army said fighting broke out after RSF troops tried to attack its forces in the southern part of the capital. Later, the military declared the RSF a rebel force, describing the paramilitarys statements as lies. The clashes came as tensions between the military and the RSF have escalated in recent months, forcing a delay in the signing of an internationally backed deal with political parties to revive the countrys democratic transition. Commercial aircraft trying to land at Khartoum International Airport began turning around to head back to their originating airport. Flights from Saudi Arabia turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed Saturday. Tensions between the army and the paramilitary stem from a disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, should be integrated into the military and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudans unsigned transition agreement. However, the army-RSF rivalry dates to the rule of autocratic former president Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019. Under al-Bashir, the paramilitary force grew out of former militias known as Janjaweed that carried out a brutal crackdown in Sudans Darfur region during the decades of conflict there. In a rare, televised speech Thursday, a top army general warned of potential clashes with paramilitary forces, accusing it of deploying forces in Khartoum and other areas of Sudan without the armys consent. The RSF defended the presence of its forces in an earlier statement. The RSF recently deployed troops near the northern Sudanese town of Merowe. Also, videos that circulated on social media Thursday showed what appeared to be RSF-armed vehicles being transported into Khartoum, farther to the south. According to a statement issued by the Sudan Doctors Committee a part of the countrys pro-democracy movement clashes have led to varying injuries. The casualty toll from the fighting remained unclear. The U.S. Ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, wrote online that he was currently sheltering in place with the Embassy team, as Sudanese throughout Khartoum and elsewhere are doing. Escalation of tensions within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous, Godfrey wrote. I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting. In Saturday's statement, the RSF said it was contacted by three former rebel leaders who hold government positions in an apparent bid to de-escalate the conflict. In a joint statement, civilian signatories to Decembers framework agreement also called for an immediate de-escalation. We call on the leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to stop hostilities immediately, it said. Sudan has been marred in turmoil since October 2021, when a coup overthrew a Western-back government, dashing Sudanese aspirations for democratic rule after three decades of autocracy and repression under Islamist ruler Omar al-Bashir. A U.S. citizen who says he was tortured in Syrian custody has filed a lawsuit against President Bashar al-Assad's government in Washington, seeking accountability at a time that Damascus is reconciling in the region. Obada Mzaik, who was born in Ohio and also holds Syrian citizenship, said he was hoping to see family when he was detained on arrival at the Damascus airport in January 2012, nearly a year into the brutal civil war. In a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Washington, Mzaik said he was taken to a basement cell that held around 10 other people, including a 13-year-old boy who said he had been tortured for more than 80 days. Mzaik, who had been a student in Syria when protests broke out against Assad, was "brutally and systematically beaten, whipped and threatened with electrocution," the lawsuit said. "He was held in inhumane detention conditions and forced to witness other detainees being tortured, including one of his relatives," it said. Mzaik alleged that interrogators from the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Directorate "inflicted severe physical and mental pain" as they sought information on his friends, contacts and interactions with the U.S. government and to "punish him for perceived anti-regime activities." He was released within a month after his family paid bribes through an intermediary, the lawsuit said. He was then treated by doctors for more than a month before he went to Jordan and then the United States, it said. Mzaik is seeking unspecified payment as damages from the Syrian government under a U.S. law that says that foreign governments designated as state sponsors of terrorism are exempt from immunity. The lawsuit was filed in January but unsealed this week. The court documents showed that the Czech Embassy in Damascus, which represents U.S. interests in the country, formally informed the government of the lawsuit. While it remains highly unlikely that Assad would pay any damages awarded in a court case, the United States has previously seized and allocated Iranian funds as damages, drawing legal challenges from Tehran's clerical state. The lawsuit comes as Arab nations meet in Saudi Arabia on reconciling with Assad, widely seen as having won the civil war. The United States has insisted that it will never normalize ties or fund reconstruction through Assad without accountability for abuses in the war that has killed half a million people and displaced half of the country's prewar population. Ukraine secured promises of $5 billion in additional funding to support its fight against Russia in meetings in Washington this week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told reporters Friday. Shmyhal met with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, as well as top U.S. officials, on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank. He said Ukraine received new pledges of additional support from Switzerland, Denmark and other countries during the meetings, as well as an agreement from U.S. aircraft maker Boeing to relieve Ukrainian companies of $200 million in previous commitments. Kyiv is expected to receive more support during an upcoming conference in London, he added. "The international partners have reassured us of their long-term support," Shmyhal said, describing his meetings in Washington, and referring to total financing of $115 billion over the next four years that was leveraged by the IMF's approval last month of a $15.6 billion loan. Ukraine needs about $14 billion in funding this year to close a budget gap, Shmyhal said, noting that the United States would provide $2.3 billion to plug the hole, while the European Union would provide $1.10 billion. In addition to Switzerland and Denmark, he said Spain, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland and the Netherlands also promised more aid. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who paid a surprise visit to Kyiv in February and met with Shmyhal again on Thursday, repeatedly urged finance ministers and central banks to maintain support for Ukraine, the Treasury Department said. Yellen on Thursday said she told Shmyhal the United States had provided significant economic support to Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022 and would deliver more in coming months, on top of security and humanitarian aid. Shmyhal said Ukrainian officials met with several U.S. Cabinet secretaries in addition to Yellen, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, with a big focus on laying the groundwork for Ukraine's recovery and attracting foreign investment. He said the discussions also touched on Ukraine's insistence that the United States and other allies confiscate Russian assets to help cover the cost of rebuilding Ukraine, a sum put at $411 billion by the World Bank in a recent estimate. He urged the Group of Seven advanced economies to reaffirm their support for Ukraine and discuss the confiscation issue during an upcoming leaders summit in Japan, which is leading the G-7 this year. The Netherlands and Switzerland also pledged support for the International Finance Corp.'s $2 billion Economic Resilience Action program that is designed to ramp up support for Ukraines private sector and boost economic resilience amid the war. The IFC program aims to leverage these donor funds using private sector investments, which will be needed to help cover the staggering cost of Ukraine's recovery. "A strong private sector is essential to help Ukraine's economy recover and support reconstruction efforts," said Makhtar Diop, the IFC's managing director. "Ukraine's economy remains on life support, and we will continue working with other development partners to provide the guarantees and grants the private sector needs." The World Bank also announced $200 million in grant financing for Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with $300 million in additional funding envisaged to come from partners through grants and other contributions. KHARTOUM, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The armed conflict between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues into the night on Saturday in the capital Khartoum, sparking concerns for a wider conflict in the country. The initial gunfire near an RSF base south of Khartoum in the morning quickly spread to other areas in the capital, including the Sudanese Army General Command and Khartoum International Airport. Fighting continued into the night as residents said they still heard the sounds of gunfire and explosions in different parts of Khartoum, including around the military's headquarters and other bases. The latest conflict capped the days of escalating tensions between the two main military forces in Sudan, which has been grappling with a political crisis since October 2021. The two sides traded accusations of initiating the conflict. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Army, accused the RSF of attacking sovereign headquarters in Khartoum, including his own residence in the Army General Command. In a telephone interview with the Qatari Al-Jazeera TV channel, Al-Burhan stated that "the Rapid Support Forces are the ones who attacked our headquarters," adding he was taken by surprise when the RSF attacked his house at 9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT). In response, RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo told Al-Jazeera that the army is the one who started the attack. The RSF also announced that it had taken control of the presidential palace, a strategic guesthouse within the army's headquarters, and the Khartoum International Airport in the capital. The RSF also claimed to have seized control of Merowe and El-Obeid airports, as well as other strategic sites in the states, according to a statement released earlier on Saturday. However, the Sudanese army denied that the RSF had taken control of any sovereign sites, stating that "all sites are under the control of the armed forces. The Rapid Support Forces use psychological warfare based on misinformation." Videos posted on social media showed the Sudanese army targeting the headquarters of the RSF in Khartoum with warplanes, but Dagalo denied that the headquarters of his forces had been destroyed by the Sudanese army. Meanwhile, Sudan's Civil Aviation Authority announced the suspension of flights at Khartoum International Airport after clashes broke out inside the airport, damaging two planes, one belonging to Saudi Airlines and the other to the United Nations. While no official statistics were released on the number of casualties or injuries during the violent clashes, the Sudan Doctors' Committee stated that at least three civilians were killed, adding there was a significant number of casualties that had not yet been counted. Media reports indicated that at least 12 people were killed during the conflict. The committee called on the Sudanese army and the RSF to cease fire and provide safe passages for transporting the injured to hospitals. Various countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Libya and Iran have issued statements urging Sudan's conflicting parties to exercise restraint, prioritize dialogue, and protect civilians. The Egyptian Armed Forces have also called for the safety of their forces training in Sudan. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit has called for an immediate halt to the armed clashes, expressing shock and condemnation, and stressing the responsibility of the warring parties to protect the security and safety of Sudanese civilians. The tension between the two military forces has escalated since Wednesday in the Merowe region in northern Sudan, after the RSF moved military vehicles to a location near the military air base there, a move that the army considered illegal. Deep differences have emerged between the Sudanese army and the RSF, particularly regarding the latter's integration into the army as stipulated in a framework agreement signed between military and civilian leaders on Dec. 5, 2022. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Hanoi on his first visit to Vietnam since becoming the top U.S. diplomat and he met Saturday with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh as they discussed strengthening ties between the two nations. Blinkens visit to Vietnam is part of the Biden administrations campaign to counter Chinas increasing influence in the region. He met with other top officials that included Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as they talked about upgrading diplomatic and security connections. "For President [Joe] Biden, for Washington, this is one of the most dynamic and one of the most important relationships weve had," Blinken said at a news conference after a full slate of engagements in Hanoi. "It has had a remarkable trajectory over the last couple of decades. Our conviction is that it can and will grow even stronger," said Blinken. It is not clear when an upgrade of formal ties could happen, although Blinken expressed hope it could happen "in the weeks and months ahead." Blinken noted to reporters that security is the top priority and he pointed out Washington is finalizing the shipment of a third naval cutter to support Vietnam's coast guard. Washington and U.S. defense firms have emphasized they would like to bolster their military supplies to Vietnam, which currently is mostly limited to coast guard ships and training aircraft, as the country aims to diversify from its main supplier, Russia. Military deals with the U.S. face myriad challenges, though, because Washington's lawmakers could block arms sales over human rights issues. Additionally, analysts point out that U.S. weapons are expensive, they risk triggering Chinese reactions, and they might be difficult to integrate with Vietnam's legacy weapons. The U.S. is building a $1.2 billion embassy compound in Hanoi, a move intended to show a U.S. commitment to improving ties with the Southeast Asian trading partner. Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at the Vietnam Studies Program of the ISEAS research organization in Singapore, said it is an extremely important trip by Blinken to Hanoi. It will be a very strong boost for an upgrade to a higher bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Washington. I don't think they will announce the strategic partnership when Blinken is in Hanoi, Nguyen said. But I think his visit might be a formation for potential Bidens visit to Hanoi or the General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs visit to Washington, and probably, that moment the bilateral relation might be upgraded. Vietnam has a delicate balance to maintain, however, and does not want to antagonize its powerful neighbor, China, while building up a relationship with the U.S. Blinkens visit to Vietnam comes just two weeks after the 50th anniversary of former U.S. President Richard Nixons administrations withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Vietnam, marking the end of the Vietnam War. VOAs Mandarin Service contributed to this report, and some information was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters. New developments: Eleven people were killed and 21 were injured in Russian airstrikes Friday in the Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, Reuters reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin has enacted a law making it easier to mobilize Russians into the military, even as one of his allies says its time to end military operations in Ukraine. Americas top diplomat says Russia is not granting U.S. officials access to reporter Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at a news conference in Hanoi, that we need consular access now. Bakhmut, the main target of Russias offensive in the east and the scene of months of grinding warfare, is experiencing some of its bloodiest fighting, Ukraine's military said on Saturday. "Bloody battles unprecedented in recent decades are taking place in the middle of the city's urban area," Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command, said of the eastern Ukrainian city that was once home to 70,000 people. "Our soldiers are doing everything in bloody and fierce battles to grind down (the enemy's) combat capability and break its morale. Every day, in every corner of this city, they are successfully doing so," he told the 1+1 television channel. His comments came as the Russia Defense Ministry said Saturday that the Wagner mercenary group now controlled two more areas on the northern and southern outskirts of the city. Reuters could not independently confirm the report. Wagners reported gains Saturday came one day after the groups founder said Russia has should end its special military operation against its neighbor. Russia has achieved the results it wanted and has eradicated most of active male population of Ukraine and intimidated the rest, Yevgeny Prigozhin posted Friday on Telegram, omitting any of Ukraines victories over Russia. This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing. Click to reveal This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing - Click to reveal Emergency workers and volunteers pull a child from an apartment building damaged by a Russian military strike during Russia's attack on Ukraine in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, April 14, 2023. Death toll rising in Sloviansk The death toll from a Russian airstrike Friday rose to at least 11 people, with 21 wounded in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, northwest of Bakhmut. In his nightly video address Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the rescue operation continues in Sloviansk and Donbas after Friday's Russian missile strike. It is reported that under the rubble of buildings, there are still bodies of the dead, unfortunately, he said. Among them, he said, is a 2-year-old boy. Fifty residential buildings, of which more than 30 are apartment buildings, were damaged or destroyed, he said. None of those who are guilty of this aggression can be forgiven and forgotten, he added. This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing. Click to reveal This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing - Click to reveal An injured man talks on a mobile phone after he was rescued by emergency workers from a partially destroyed residential building following a shelling in Sloviansk, on April 14, 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Calls to release reporter Russia has not allowed access of U.S. officials to reporter Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal since he was detained last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday. We continue to call for his immediate release, Blinken told reporters during a news conference in Hanoi. We need consular access now, The Washington Post reports. According to The Wall Street Journal, Russia could consider a prisoner exchange for the jailed reporter once a Russian court reaches a verdict on espionage charges against him, a senior Russian official said. Poland curbs imports Poland's government said Saturday it would temporarily stop grain and other food imports from Ukraine to stem the rising anger of Polish farmers, who say they cannot compete with the lower-priced Ukrainian grain on the market. Ruling party leader Jarosaw Kaczynski said at a party convention in eastern Poland that while Poland supports Ukraine, it is forced to act to protect its farmers who are facing a moment of crisis. Today, the government has decided on a regulation that prohibits the importation of grain, but also dozens of other types of food, to Poland, Kaczynski said. The government announced its import ban on agricultural products such as sugar, eggs, meat, dairy and vegetables would last until June 30. Farmers in neighboring countries also have complained they are losing money because of Ukrainian grain flooding into their countries, causing prices to fall. Orthodox Easter Russian President Vladimir Putin attended Easter services Saturday in Moscows Christ the Savior Cathedral. The Russian leader crossed himself several times during the midnight service, known as the Divine Liturgy. When Patriarch Kirill announced, "Christ has risen," Putin, along with other members of the congregation, replied, "Truly he is risen." Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who has been accused of leaking a trove of highly classified documents online, faces two criminal charges: unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information, and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents. The first charge falls under the so-called Espionage Act, a statute that the Justice Department has relied on to prosecute leaks of classified information. What is the Espionage Act? The Espionage Act prohibits obtaining or disclosing information related to national defense if the material could be used against the United States or to the advantage of foreign nations. Why was it created? Congress first passed the act in 1917, two months after the United States entered World War I. President Woodrow Wilson pushed for the law to be enacted to stop the spread of national security information during wartime. What were the sedition amendments? In 1918, Congress approved a set of amendments to the Espionage Act that criminalized speech disloyal to the U.S. government, the Constitution, the military or the U.S. flag. Those amendments were repealed in 1921 on the grounds that they violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to free speech. Is the law meant to fight spies? The Espionage Act was initially used to combat spying; however, in modern iterations, the act has been used to prosecute the leaks of classified information. The law makes it illegal to disclose defense information that could harm the United States, and prosecutors have successfully used it in recent years to send leakers to prison. What does the law say about classified information? The Espionage Act was enacted decades before the executive branch established the current system of classifying national security secrets in 1951. In modern times, the law is often used to prosecute the disclosure of classified documents, but it can also be used in the case of a disclosure of any national defense documents that could harm the United States. Who has been prosecuted under the Espionage Act? Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted under the act in 1951 for sharing atomic intelligence secrets with the Soviet Union, and both were later executed. CIA officer Aldrich Ames was sentenced to life in prison for revealing the identities of American informants to the Soviet Union in 1994, while Chelsea Manning spent seven years in prison for disclosing documents to WikiLeaks. Who faces possible charges under the act? Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden faces charges under the Espionage Act for leaking classified documents but has yet to face trial because he fled to Russia, where he remains. In August, the U.S. Department of Justice said it was investigating former President Donald Trump for possible violations of the Espionage Act and other crimes after classified documents were found at his home. Trump has not been charged with a crime as part of that investigation. U.S. authorities have charged Jack Teixeira, 21, with leaking a trove of highly classified documents online, including information about Russias war in Ukraine. Here is what we know about the suspect. What was his job? Teixeira served with the Air National Guard in the northeastern U.S. state of Massachusetts, where he worked as an information technology specialist. His unit the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts National Guard was responsible for providing intelligence support to many units of the military. Teixeira was a Cyber Transport Systems Journeyman for the unit, an IT specialist who worked on military communications networks, including their cabling and hubs. Was he on active duty? While the National Guard is primarily made up of reserve troops who can be called to assist with domestic emergencies, some members of the Guard can be classified as full time or active duty. Teixeira was under Title 10 authority of the Air National Guard, according to Reuters, a designation that means he was on active duty and was essentially a full-time member of the unit. What about his family? Teixeira came from a military family. His stepfather spent more than three decades in the military, including in the same military unit as Teixeira, according to U.S. media reports. His mother has worked for nonprofit organizations that support veterans. Where is he alleged to have posted classified information? U.S. media have reported that Teixeira allegedly shared classified documents with a group of young men who chatted regularly on Discord, a social media platform popular with gamers. The Washington Post reported that Teixeira first wrote down the classified information to share with the group, but when some members were not taking the documents seriously, he began taking photos of the material and posting them. What did the group talk about? According to members of the chat group who spoke to reporters, the group called itself Thug Shaker Central. The chatroom was a space where members could discuss guns and ammunition as well as share internet memes and jokes. They said Teixeira, who went by the nickname the O.G. in the chats, was an observant Christian as well as a libertarian. What was his motivation? Government investigators have yet to say what Teixeiras motivation was for allegedly sharing the classified material. Members of the chat group who spoke to reporters described Teixeiras motive as trying to impress the group, rather than a wish to undermine the government or for ideological reasons. How did he get access to classified information? A court affidavit released Friday said that Teixeira had possessed a top secret security clearance since 2021. The Associated Press cited a defense official who said Teixeira would have needed such a clearance to access the military communications networks that he worked on. What charges is he facing? The guard member faces two criminal charges: unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information, and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents. The first charge falls under the Espionage Act, a statute that the Justice Department has relied on to prosecute leaks of classified information. What possible sentence is he facing? If convicted of the charges, Teixeria faces up to 15 years in prison. His sentence would depend in part on how many counts he was convicted on and whether they were to be served consecutively or concurrently. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Ukrainian soldiers evacuate parts of Bakhmut as fighting there intensifies. Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a bill to make it easier to mobilize Russians into the military. China has promised not to sell weapons to either Ukraine or Russia, The Associated Press reports. Russian forces have brought large amounts of provisions and water to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and may barricade a skeleton staff inside, says Kyiv's state atomic agency, Energoatom. At least eight people were killed and 21 were wounded Friday in a Russian airstrike in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, northwest of Bakhmut. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told national television that seven missiles had been fired on the city. According to Ukrainian national police, S-300 missiles struck 10 apartment buildings and other sites. The top two floors of a five-story building collapsed after the strike. Rescue teams were looking for survivors. A child was pulled alive from the rubble but died on the way to a hospital, Daria Zarivna, a senior official in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, said. Kyrylenko also said people were believed to be trapped under the debris. "Not a single hour of this week before Orthodox Easter passed without murders and terror," Zelenskyy tweeted Friday. "This is an evil state, and it will lose. To win is our duty to humanity as such. And we will win!" he said. Later, in his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said that "for every Russian attack on our cities and villages, on our positions, for every killing of Ukrainians, the occupier must suffer the most tangible losses." Russian conscription law The latest strikes come as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill Friday allowing authorities to issue electronic conscription notices. The law has raised concern that Russia is planning another mobilization drive. Previously, Russian law required an in-person delivery of conscription notices, which led some Russians to avoid the draft by staying away from their homes. Under the new law, the conscription notices are considered valid as soon as they are sent electronically. The law also prohibits those who are conscripted from leaving the country and allows authorities to suspend the drivers licenses of conscripts who fail to report for duty. In September, Putin announced the mobilization of about 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine. The Associated Press reports the order is estimated to have prompted an exodus of hundreds of thousands of Russian men. Bakhmut withdrawal In the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, fighting continues to intensify. According to Reuters, analysts said Friday that Ukrainian forces there were trying to push back against a coordinated three-pronged attack by the Kremlin's forces and against Russian attempts to intercept supplies to Ukrainian soldiers. In its Friday intelligence update, the British Ministry of Defense wrote that Ukrainian troops had been forced to withdraw from parts of Bakhmut after a renewed Russian assault on the ravaged city. According to the update, "Russia has re-energized its assault on the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut as forces of the Russian MoD [Ministry of Defense] and Wagner Group have improved co-operation." Ukrainian officials say Russia has been drawing down troops from other areas on the front for a major push on Bakhmut, which Moscow has been trying to capture for nine months to regain the momentum of the all-out invasion it launched more than a year ago. "The enemy is using its most professional units there and resorting to a significant amount of artillery and aviation," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Every day, the enemy carries out in Bakhmut from 40 to 50 storming operations and 500 shelling episodes," she said. The British intelligence update said Ukraine still held western districts of the town but had been subjected to intense Russian artillery fire the previous two days. "Ukrainian forces face significant resupply issues but have made orderly withdrawals from the positions they have been forced to concede," it said. China weapons In other key developments, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Friday his country would not sell weapons to Russia or Ukraine. His pledge was a response to Western concerns that Beijing could assist Russia militarily. China has asserted its neutrality in the conflict, while Western nations have imposed sanctions against Moscow. Qin added that China would also regulate the export of items with dual civilian and military use. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces say they are discovering a growing number of Chinese components in Russian weaponry used in Ukraine. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, senior adviser to Zelenskyy, told Reuters via a video call that in "the weapons recovered from the battlefield, we continue to find different electronics." Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Russian forces have brought large amounts of provisions and water supplies to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), which they captured in southeastern Ukraine after invading last year, Kyiv's state atomic agency, Energoatom, said Friday. The agency said this activity might indicate Russia was preparing to hold employees inside because of a dire shortage of qualified staff at Europe's largest nuclear plant and in anticipation of Ukraine's anticipated counteroffensive. "Given the intense shortage of nuclear specialists needed to operate the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and fearing a Ukrainian offensive, the [Russians] are preparing for the long-term holding of ZNPP employees as hostages," Energoatom said. "The invaders have already brought a lot of provisions and water to the station," the agency added in a statement. "The occupiers will probably not allow the station staff to leave after one of the regular work shifts, forcibly blocking them at the ZNPP," it said. There was no immediate comment from Russia. Zelenskyy soldier beheading In a tweet Friday, Zelenskyy thanked British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for condemning the "inhumane execution" of a Ukrainian soldier. "Together we must stop the aggressor & put an end to terror," he said. Ukrainian officials on Wednesday opened an investigation into a video on social media purportedly showing one of Kyiv's soldiers being beheaded. News agencies could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video. Zelenskyy said that the video showed the "execution of a Ukrainian captive" and that "everyone must react. Do not expect that it will be forgotten that time will pass." Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Jack Teixeira, the Air National Guard member suspected of leaking a trove of classified U.S. government documents made his first court appearance Friday to face federal espionage charges. Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested Thursday by the FBI in Dighton, Massachusetts, officials said. Appearing before a federal magistrate judge in Boston, Teixeira did not enter a plea, and was ordered detained pending a hearing next Wednesday. SEE ALSO: The guardsman faces two criminal charges: unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information, and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents. The first charge falls under the so-called Espionage Act, a statute that the U.S. Justice Department has relied on to prosecute leaks of classified information. If convicted of the charges, Teixeria faces up to 15 years in prison. Brendan Kelley, an attorney for Teixeira, did not respond to a request for comment. A criminal complaint unsealed on Friday details how the documents posted by Teixeira on the online messaging platform Discord spread around the internet. Teixeira served as the administrator of a small group on Discord, and his goal was "to discuss geopolitical affairs and current and historical wars," the complaint says, quoting another member interviewed by the FBI. Initially, Teixeira posted photographs of notes he took from the classified documents. But he grew concerned that "he may be discovered making the transcriptions of text in the workplace, so he began taking the documents to his residence and photographing them," according to the complaint. One of the documents, the complaint says, described "the status of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including troop movements." According to the complaint, the material had the highest level of classification "top secret/sensitive compartmented information," or TS/SCI. SEE ALSO: Other documents contained highly sensitive information about how the U.S. spies on allies and adversaries, according to several news outlets that have viewed them. A Discord user interviewed by the FBI told agents that in February he reposted a document on the internet one day after Teixeira shared it with the Discord group. That appears to have triggered a cascade of other posts across the internet, allowing news organizations and investigators to trace the leak to Teixeira. Teixeira, who reportedly comes from a military family, enlisted in the Air National Guard in 2019 and has been stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts since May 2021, according to the complaint. Though a junior enlisted man, he held top secret security clearance and was granted "sensitive compartmented access" to other highly classified programs, according to the complaint. According to the Clearance Jobs website, as many as 1.3 million Americans have a top secret security clearance, a figure that critics say is shockingly too high. Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking at an unrelated press conference on Friday, was asked whether he was concerned the government was not properly monitoring the security clearance holders. Garland referred the questioner to an earlier statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In his statement issued on Thursday, Austin said he had ordered "a review of our intelligence access, accountability and control procedures within the Department (of Defense) to inform our efforts to prevent this kind of incident from happening again." Teixeira's arrest on Thursday came as digital investigations conducted by The New York Times and The Washington Post identified him as the prime suspect in the case. In a statement Thursday, the FBI said it had "aggressively pursued investigative leads" into the leak since late last week. Teixeira's arrest "exemplifies our continued commitment to identifying, pursuing and holding accountable those who betray our country's trust and put our national security at risk," the FBI said. The Washington Post described Teixeira as a "young, charismatic gun enthusiast" and "the elder leader" of the group of roughly two dozen gamers on Discord. He used the username "OG." A user interviewed by The Washington Post said that while OG was not "hostile to the U.S. government," he "ranted" about the government and described the U.S. law enforcement and intelligence community as "a sinister force that sought to suppress its citizens and keep them in the dark." As news outlets reported on the leaked documents last week, Teixeira used his government computer to search classified intelligence for the word "leak," an apparent attempt to get a clue into the government's efforts to identify the leaker, according to the complaint. The leak alarmed U.S. officials, spawning a frenetic search for the culprit that ended with Teixeira's arrest. In a statement, President Joe Biden praised law enforcement for quickly responding to the leak. "While we are still determining the validity of those documents, I have directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information, and our national security team is closely coordinating with our partners and allies," Biden said. The leader of the Democratic Union of Zimbabwe, Robert Chapman, says Zimbabweans need food and other basic necesities as corruption has hit hard the government the 2023. He spoke to VOA;s Evans Zininga before Al Jazeera released its last edition of a four-part documentary series MOGADISHU, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) on Saturday killed at least nine al-Shabab militants and injured more after conducting an operation near Janale town in southern Somalia, officials said. The Chief of Defense Forces Odowaa Yusuf Rage told the Somali national news agency that their forces took swift action against the militants who ambushed a convoy of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) some 90 km south of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. "Our forces killed at least nine terrorist militants who carried out an ambush attack on ATMIS convoy along the road between Bufow location and Janale district. Intelligence reports helped the army to defeat the militants," Odowaa said. He did not comment on if there were casualties of SNA soldiers during the operation. The latest onslaught on al-Shabab extremists comes a week after the Somali government and local forces launched the second phase of the offensive operation against the group in the Hiraan and Galgudud regions in central Somalia, respectively. Photo: Getty Images for The Red Sea Int Looks like the king of gangster movies might find himself in a courtroom drama. Guy Ritchie is reportedly being sued by a former collaborator for breach of contract over his 2020 film The Gentlemen, according to Variety. Writer and actor Mickey De Hara filed the lawsuit last month in London High Court. De Hara claims that he was hired by Ritchie to write a screenplay for the sequel to 2008s RocknRolla. The pair had previously worked together on 2000s Snatch, and De Hara received an associate-producer credit on RocknRolla. The sequel screenplay, which De Hara delivered to Ritchie in 2018, was based on De Haras personal life experiences and centered on a main character who runs a marijuana business. Ritchie ultimately passed on the script, telling De Hara that the time of the gangster movie was over. However, Ritchie went on to write and direct The Gentlemen, which was released in 2020 and featured a main character named Mickey (played by Matthew McConaughey) who runs a marijuana business. In his lawsuit, De Hara claims that The Gentlemen features copies of both his characters and unique aspects of the plot. He specifically points to one scene involving Colin Farrell as a direct copy of a scene from his screenplay. Per the lawsuit, De Hara texted Ritchie attempting to get credit on the film before its digital release, to which Ritchie replied, Ill try, but what I can do is get you a credit on something in the future. Ritchie claims in the texts that he and his team attempted to contact De Hara prior to the films release, which De Hara denies. De Hara is seeking $250,000 in damages, including a share of the films profits, as well as credit for his original work that has been used in The Gentlemen without his consent. Ritchie has not yet commented on the situation. MCHINJI, Malawi, April 14 (Xinhua) -- At least five bodies of the 17 people that went missing had been recovered by Thursday evening after the boat they were traveling in capsized in the border district of Mchinji in central Malawi, authorities confirmed to the local media. The boat was transporting 22 people, including 3 children, to the other side of the Lusa River, where they wanted to attend a funeral Wednesday afternoon. Five people got immediately rescued by the locals while 17 others sank together with the boat, which survivors claim was overloaded more than twice its carrying capacity. The rescue team of the Marine Department of the Malawi Defense Force was deployed Thursday to conduct a search and rescue operation but as of the fall of evening, only five bodies were recovered from downstream. The search for the remaining missing people resumed Friday morning, according to police in the district. The Lusa River is one of the biggest and widest in the district, and crossing over it in most places is done by locally made boats. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share MIAMI Authorities in Venezuela have brought corruption charges against a businessman who is a fugitive in a separate U.S. money laundering case targeting a top ally of the countrys president, Nicolas Maduro. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Alvaro Pulido, wearing an orange jumpsuit and handcuffed, was among a group of seven Venezuelan officials and businessmen escorted by a masked security agent on their way to an initial judicial hearing in Caracas in images shared Friday by Venezuelas government. The men were taken into custody as part of a sprawling investigation into corruption in the state-run oil company PDVSA focused on the payment of massive bribes in exchange for lucrative contracts to move tankers of Venezuelan crude sanctioned by the U.S. Pulido stands out among the more than 50 alleged schemers already arrested because of his relationship to Alex Saab. Advertisement The two Colombians were long-time business partners who made a fortune selling food and other items to Venezuelas socialist government over the past decade. The two were criminally charged together in 2019 by federal prosecutors in Miami for allegedly siphoning off $350 million from state contracts to build low income housing. Saab was arrested on a U.S. warrant a year later while en route to Iran. Pulidos arrest in Venezuela, which had been rumored for weeks but not confirmed until now, has no direct relationship to the U.S. criminal case. But it nonetheless could complicate Saabs argument that he is a Venezuelan diplomat entitled to immunity from prosecution in the U.S., said John Feeley, a former U.S. Ambassador to Panama with decades of experience working in Latin America. That issue is set to be Advertisement With Pulidos arrest, Saabs defense begins to crumble, Feeley said. He will now have a hard time insisting on diplomatic status when his business partner is facing corruption charges in Caracas. A federal district judge in Miami has already ruled that Saab is unable to shield himself from criminal charges and must stand trial. His lawyers have appealed the decision and argue that documents and letters he was purportedly carrying at the time of his arrest during a refueling stop in Cape Verde prove he was conducting official business on behalf of Maduros government. A group pushing for Saabs immediate release issued a statement in Caracas expressing total support for the latest crackdown and distancing the diplomat from Pulido. It was not immediately possible to locate an attorney for Pulido. Advertisement But Joe Schuster, an attorney for Saab, said the Venezuelan investigation into Pulido had absolutely nothing to do with his client. It is also our understanding that the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela continues to fully support Special Envoy Saab, the Miami-based attorney said, referring to Saabs purported diplomatic status as an intermediary in trade deals between Iran and Venezuela. Corruption has long plagued Venezuela. The OPEC nation was the fourth-most corrupt in the world in the latest rankings by Transparency International. Opportunities for graft have proliferated as a result of U.S. sanctions, which has scared away more established oil companies and opened the door for murky middlemen who purchase the crude at a steep discount and transport their valuable cargo on so-called ghost tankers that hide their locations from satellite tracking systems. ___ Associated Press writer Jorge Rueda in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report. ___ Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share WASHINGTON A Massachusetts Air National Guard member was arrested Thursday in connection with the disclosure of highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war and other top national security issues, an alarming breach that has raised fresh questions about Americas ability to safeguard its most sensitive secrets. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The guardsman, an IT specialist identified as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was taken into custody without incident after FBI officers converged on his Massachusetts home. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he is to be charged with removing or transmitting classified national defense information, a crime under the Espionage Act. Garland did not reveal a possible motive, but accounts of those in the online private chat group where the documents were disclosed have depicted Teixeira as motivated more by bravado than ideology. Advertisement While Thursdays arrest was a pivotal moment in an investigation into the highest-profile intelligence leak in years, the military and Justice Department were still scrutinizing how sensitive government secrets shared in a chat room ended up circulating around the world. The emergence of Teixeira as a primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how such a profound breach, one that the Pentagon termed a very serious risk to national security, could have been caused by such a young, low-ranking service member. We entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very early age. Think about a young combat platoon sergeant, and the responsibility and trust that we put into those individuals to lead troops into combat, said Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman. Teixeira was a cyber transport systems specialist, essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks, including their cabling and hubs. In that role Teixeira would have had a higher level of security clearance because he would have also been tasked with responsibility for ensuring protection for the networks, a defense official told The Associated Press, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Advertisement Hours after the arrest, Rep. Mike Turner, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, issued a statement pledging to examine why this happened, why it went unnoticed for weeks, and how to prevent future leaks. Teixeira, who was wearing a T-shirt and shorts at the time heavily armed tactical agents took him into custody, is due to have his initial court appearance in Massachusetts on Friday. He could also face charges in a military court. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, and a phone message left at a number believed to belong to his mother was not returned. Garland said the investigation is ongoing, but did not say if other suspects were being pursued. The Biden administration has scrambled to contain the potential diplomatic and military fallout from the leaks since they were first reported last week, moving to assure allies and assess the scope of damage. Pentagon officials have expressed alarm about the breach. President Joe Biden downplayed the lasting impact of the revelations, telling reporters in Ireland earlier Thursday that theres nothing contemporaneous that Im aware of that is of great consequence. Advertisement The classified documents which have not been individually authenticated by U.S. officials range from briefing slides mapping out Ukrainian military positions to assessments of international support for Ukraine and other sensitive topics, including under what circumstances Russian President Vladimir Putin might use nuclear weapons. Theres no clear answer on how many documents were leaked. The Associated Press has viewed approximately 50 documents; some estimates put the total number in the hundreds. The leak is believed to have started on a site called Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games and where Teixeira is believed to have posted for years about guns, games and his favorite memes and, according to some chatting with him, closely guarded U.S. secrets. Advertisement The investigative website Bellingcat and The New York Times first publicly identified Teixeira, minutes before federal officials confirmed he was a subject of interest in the investigation. They reported tracking profiles on other more obscure sites linked to Teixeira. In previous Associated Press stories, the leaker was identified as the O.G. by a member of the online chat group. The person declined to give his name to the AP, citing concerns for his personal safety. The chat group, called Thug Shaker Central, drew roughly two dozen enthusiasts who talked about their favorite types of guns and also shared memes and jokes, some of them racist. The group also held a running discussion on wars that included talk of Russias invasion of Ukraine. In that discussion, the O.G. would for months post material that he said was classified originally typing it out with his own notations, then a few months ago switching to posting images of folded-up papers because he felt his writings werent being taken seriously, the person said. Advertisement Discord has said it was cooperating with law enforcement. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a statement issued after the arrest, said the Pentagon would conduct a review of its intelligence access, accountability and control procedures to prevent such a leak from happening again. There are only a few ways the classified information that was leaked could have been accessed. Typically in classified briefings with slides like those that were placed on Discord, the information is shared electronically. That can be done either through secure computer terminals where users gain access based on their credentials or through tablets that are distributed for briefings and collected later. If the slides need to be printed out instead, they can only be sent to secured printers that are able to handle classified documents and that keep a digital record of everyone who has requested a printout. Advertisement For those with a security clearance, their handling of classified material is based largely on training and trust that they will safeguard the information. When you join the military, depending on your position, you may require a security clearance, Ryder said. And if you are working in the intelligence community, and you require a security clearance, youre going to go through the proper vetting. Ryder said each service member who obtains a clearance signs a non-disclosure agreement and is trained on the militarys strict guidelines for handling classified material. The leaks were a deliberate criminal act, a violation of those guidelines. ____ Associated Press writers Michelle R. Smith in Dighton, Massachusetts, Nomaan Merchant, Zeke Miller and Tara Copp in Washington, Alanna Durkin Richer in Boston and Colleen Long and Darlene Superville in Dublin contributed to this report. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share BEIJING The trip by Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to Beijing has made clear he is counting on China to help reinvigorate the South American nations ailing industrial sector particularly by picking up the slack of exiting U.S. companies. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight After Lula met Friday with Chinas President Xi Jinping, Brazilian finance minister Fernando Haddad told reporters the nations are planning a leap forward in their relationship. President Lula wants a policy of reindustrialization. This visit starts a new challenge for Brazil: bringing direct investments from China, Haddad said. He added that Brazil wants strong bonds with the U.S. as well, but noted with regret that recently some American companies made the decision to leave Brazil. Industrial policy is near and dear to Lula, a former steelworker who became a union leader. Decades later, he launched his bid for a third presidential term on the gritty outskirts of Sao Paulo outside a car factory. That area and the country is churning out ever-fewer manufactured goods. Advertisement Brazils national statistics institute said in July 2022 that Brazil had lost 1 million industrial jobs over the prior decade, a decline of 11.6%. The institute said in 2021 that the countrys industrial sector represented 18.9% of Brazils GDP, down from 38% three decades earlier. Speaking to journalists before leaving China, Lula said Saturday morning that Brazils relationship with the Asian giant is going beyond that phase of commodity exports. He added he visited the headquarters of Chinese telecommunications company Huawei because he needs to promote a digital revolution in his South American nation. Over the years, Brazil became a big exporter of raw materials, and China has consumed them voraciously. China overtook the U.S. as Brazils biggest export market in 2009, and each year buys tens of billions of dollars of soybeans, beef, iron ore, poultry, pulp, sugar cane, cotton and crude oil. Advertisement The Asian giant and the Latin American powerhouse had a somewhat frosty relationship over the last four years when far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro held the presidency in Brasilia. Even some of Bolsonaros supporters in the agribusiness sector were critical of outbursts that antagonized China. On Thursday, Lula meet with the CEO of Chinese manufacturer BYD, which produces electric busses and is in talks to start operations at a factory the Brazilian state of Bahia, Lulas office said. The previous owner, Ford Motor Co., announced in 2021 that it was shuttering the plant, along with two others in Brazil. Brazil is already the biggest recipient of Chinese investment in Latin America, according to Chinese state media. And Lula doesnt just want more investment; he is also seeking partnerships that challenge the hegemony of Western-dominated economic institutions and geopolitics, including diplomacy over the war in Ukraine. Advertisement Lulas visit included the swearing in Thursday of former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff as head of the Chinese-backed New Development Bank, which is funding infrastructure projects in Brazil and elsewhere in the developing world. The bank portrays itself as an alternative to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, which often impose loan conditions that developing nations criticize as punitive. At the swearing-in ceremony, Lula took swipes at both the IMF and the dominance of the U.S. dollar in international trade, hailing an agreement between Brazil and China to use the Chinese yuan in their bilateral commerce Lula and Xi oversaw the signing of agreements in 15 areas, ranging from agriculture to aeronautics, which underscored the improvement in relations since Lula took over in January. Advertisement As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share extensive common interests, Xi said, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. China ... sees the relationship as a high priority on its diplomatic agenda, he said. Charles Tang, who chairs the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce, told The Associated Press that he expects several new deals for Chinese infrastructure investments after the trip. China tends to put money into that, as it did in Africa. China is filled with reserves for investment and it can take the current risks in Brazil, Tang said by phone. The trip was Lulas third visit to China, but the first with Xi sitting as president. On Friday, the two leaders met for three hours far longer than had been scheduled. The duration of the meeting speaks for itself, Brazils Ambassador Marcos Galvao said afterward at a late-night press conference. Advertisement Xi had greeted Lula with full military honors, including a 21-gun salute, at the Great Hall of the People adjacent to Tiananmen Square in the heart of the Chinese capital. The two leaders walked to the sound of Brazilian song Novo Tempo or New Time in English. The Brazilian leader is seeking to rebuild ties with China following a turbulent relationship under Bolsonaro, who showed little interest in foreign travel. On Friday, a son of the former president, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, criticized Lula for cozying up to China. The only thing missing is to wage a direct war on the United States ... Lula is walking a dangerous path alongside dictatorships and enemies of democracy, like Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, the younger Bolsonaro said on social media. In February, Lula traveled to Washington, where he and U.S. President Joe Biden stressed the importance of defending democracy and preserving the Amazon rainforest. The trip didnt, however, produce the hoped-for financial pledge for Brazils Amazon Fund. Advertisement The Lula-Xi talks touched on the conflict in Ukraine, with the leaders agreeing on the need for a negotiated settlement, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. A key piece of Lulas outreach abroad is his proposal that Brazil and other developing countries, including China, mediate peace. However, his suggestion that Ukraine cede Crimea has irked Kyiv and its closest backers, namely the U.S. and Europe. Lula said Saturday morning that China and the U.S. have an important role in the discussion on Ukraine, but added, It is necessary that the U.S. stops stimulating the war and talk about peace. One of roughly 50 leaked classified documents on the platform Discord that have been viewed by the AP said that, as of late February, Russias foreign affairs ministry supported Lulas plan to establish a club of supposedly impartial mediators, as it would reject the Wests aggressor-victim paradigm. The item cited electronic surveillance as the source. Advertisement China has also sought to play a role in ending the conflict, though in a manner highly supportive of Moscow. It has refused to condemn the invasion, criticized economic sanctions on Russia and accused the U.S. and NATO of provoking the conflict. Lulas trip to China marks a significant contrast with the low-key visit to Washington and provides leverage against Europe, said Oliver Stuenkel, a political scientist from the Getulio Vargas Foundation university and think tank. This approach with China might actually make Europeans keener to make an agreement with Brazil, so they dont lose even more market share to China in South America, Stuenkel said. ____ Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. AP reporter Frank Bajak contributed from Boston, and senior producer Wayne Zhang contributed from Beijing. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share KHARTOUM, Sudan Sudans military and a powerful paramilitary force battled fiercely in the capital and other areas, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict. A doctors syndicate said Sunday the death toll rose to 56, with at least 595 people wounded. The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the military and its partner-turned-rival, the Rapid Support Forces group. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup. Chaotic scenes unfolded in the capital of Khartoum, where fighters firing from truck-mounted machine guns battled in densely populated neighborhoods. Fire and explosions are everywhere, said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. We havent seen such battles in Khartoum before, said resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa. Advertisement By the end of the day, the military issued a statement ruling out out negotiations with the RSF, instead calling for the dismantling of what it called a rebellious militia. The head of the paramilitary group, in turn, branded the armed forces chief a criminal. The tough language signaled that the conflict between the former allies, who jointly orchestrated the 2021 coup, was likely to continue. Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure appeared to be mounting. Top diplomats, including the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.N. secretary-general, the EU foreign policy chief, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission urged the sides to stop fighting. Arab states with stakes in Sudan Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also called for a cease-fire and for both parties to return to negotiations. Advertisement U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he consulted with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. We agreed it was essential for the parties to immediately end hostilities without pre-condition, he said in a statement early Sunday. The fighting comes after months of escalating tensions between the commander of Sudans miltitary, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. It also followed years of political unrest since the 2021 coup. The recent tensions stem from disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Dagalo, should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudans unsigned transition agreement with political groups. The fighting erupted early Saturday. The two sides traded blame over who started and also made rival claims over who controlled strategic installations around the capital. Advertisement By early Sunday, at least 56 people had been killed across Sudan and at least 595 wounded. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate said at least six of the deaths were reported in the capital Khartoum and its sister city Omdurman and another eight near Nyala, the capital city of the South Darfur province in the southwest. The syndicate said the casualty toll was likely higher, with many believed to be still uncounted in western Darfur region and the northern town of Merowe. The military said in a statement late Saturday that its troops had seized all RSF bases in Omdurman, while residents reported heavy airstrikes on paramilitary positions in and around the capital that continued into the night. After nightfall, sounds of gunfire and explosions were still heard in several parts of Khartoum, they said. One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport. There was no formal announcement that the airport was closed, but major airlines suspended their flights. Advertisement Saudi Arabias national airline said one of its aircraft was involved in what it called an accident. Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a Boeing 737 for SkyUp, a Kyiv, Ukraine-based airline. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The doctors group said two civilians were killed at the airport. Burhan, the armed forces chief, told the Qatar-based satellite news network Al Jazeera, that the day began with RSF troops harassing the military south of Khartoum, triggering the clashes. He said RSF fighters entered Khartoum airport and set fire to some planes. He said all strategic facilities including the militarys headquarters and the Republican palace, the seat of Sudans presidency, are under his forces control. He threatened to deploy more troops to Khartoum. Advertisement Dagalo accused Burhan of starting the battle by surrounding RSF troops. This criminal, he forced this battle upon us, he said. Dagalo told Al Jazeera that he believed the fighting would be over in the next few days. The RSF alleged that its forces controlled strategic locations in Khartoum and the northern city of Merowe some 350 kilometers (215 miles) northwest of the capital. The military dismissed the claims as lies. The clashes also took place in other areas across the country including the Northern province, the conflict-ravaged Darfur region, and the strategic coastal city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, a military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. Pro-democracy activists have blamed Burhan and Dagalo for abuses against protesters across the county over the past four years, including the deadly break-up of a protest camp outside the militarys headquarters in Khartoum in June 2019 that killed over 120 protesters. Many groups have repeatedly called for holding them accountable. The RSF has long been accused of atrocities linked to the Darfur conflict. Advertisement Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, warned of a possible regional conflict if the fighting escalates. Shooting must stop immediately, he said in a video appeal to both sides posted on his Twitter account. Cameron Hudson, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank and a former U.S. diplomat, said the fighting could become wider and prolonged, calling on the United States to form a coalition of regional countries to pressure the leaders of the military and RSF to de-escalate. Volker Perthes, the U.N. envoy for Sudan, and the Saudi ambassador in Sudan, Ali Bin Hassan Jaffar, were in contact with Dagalo and Burhan to try to end the violence, said a U.N. official who asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Chad announced that it is closing its land borders with Sudan. ___ Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share ROME The Vatican pushed back hard Friday at slanderous insinuations against St. John Paul II that were aired following the reopening of an investigation into the 1983 disappearance of the teenage daughter of a Vatican employee. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight The kerfuffle erupted after Emanuela Orlandis brother, Pietro, spent eight hours meeting Tuesday with Vatican prosecutors, who earlier this year reopened the dormant investigation into Emanuelas disappearance. The Vatican probe has coincided with the recent decision by Italys parliament to open a parliamentary commission of inquest into the case, giving the Orlandi family hope that the truth might finally emerge. Emanuela Orlandi, 15, vanished June 22, 1983, after leaving her familys Vatican City apartment to go to a music lesson in Rome. Her father was a lay employee of the Holy See. Advertisement Her disappearance has been one of the Vaticans enduring mysteries, and over the years has been linked to everything from the plot to kill John Paul, a financial scandal involving the Vatican bank and Romes criminal underworld. The recent four-part Netflix documentary Vatican Girl explored those scenarios and also provided new testimony from a friend who said Emanuela had told her a week before she disappeared that a high-ranking Vatican cleric had made sexual advances toward her. Pietro Orlandi has long insisted the Vatican knows more than it has said and has welcomed the reopening of the probe and promises by Vatican prosecutors that they have been given carte blanche to investigate without reservations to find the truth. During his Tuesday interrogation, Pietro Orlandi provided Vatican prosecutors with an audiotape from a purported Roman mobster insinuating that John Paul would go out looking for underage girls to molest. He played part of the recording during an appearance after his testimony on Italys La7 network. Advertisement The Vaticans editorial director, Andrea Tornielli, blasted the recording and Orlandis airing of it on national television as slanderous and noted that the insinuation was accompanied by no evidence, clues, testimonies or corroboration. It is sacrosanct that there be a 360-degree investigation to seek the truth about Emanuelas disappearance, Tornielli wrote in the Vatican newspaper LOsservatore Romano. But no one deserves to be vilified in this way, without even a shred of a clue, on the basis of the rumors of some unknown figure in the criminal underworld or some sleazy anonymous comment produced on live TV. John Pauls longtime secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, also criticized the insinuations against John Paul as unreal, false and laughable if they werent tragic and even criminal. He said he understood the pain of the Orlandi family and hoped for the truth to finally come out, but defended John Paul and denied he ever tried to cover up the Orlandi case. Pietro Orlandis lawyer, Laura Sgro, insisted her client wasnt accusing anyone and blamed a manipulation of his comments for fueling the dispute. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share TEL AVIV, Israel Israeli demonstrations against the governments plan to overhaul the judiciary continued on Saturday, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus decision to pause the contentious proposals. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Tens of thousands of people participated in the main protest held in the central city of Tel Aviv, while smaller demonstrations took place across the country. Protest organizers, who have held these weekly protests for over three months, aim to maintain momentum and increase pressure on Netanyahu and his government until the proposed changes are scrapped. Bending to the mass protests, Netanyahu paused the overhaul plans in March, saying he wanted to avoid civil war. The plan would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his allies in Israels most hard-line government the final say in appointing the nations judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the courts ability to review laws. Opponents say it will destroy a system of checks and balances by concentrating power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies in parliament. They also say that Netanyahu has a conflict of interest at a time when he is on trial. GiftOutline Gift Article CAIRO/RIYADH, April 15 (Xinhua) -- EgyptAir and Saudia announced Saturday the suspension of their flights with Sudan due to aviation safety concerns. The Egyptian flag carrier said flights to and from the Khartoum International Airport would be grounded for 72 hours due to concerns over the security situation in the neighboring country, EgyptAir said in a statement. The Saudi flagship airline meanwhile said all its flights to and from Sudan were suspended until further notice, Al Arabiya TV reported. The decision was made after announcing that one of Saudia's aircraft had an accident at the Khartoum airport, according to the report. Heavy gunfire was heard in Khartoum earlier in the day as clashes erupted between the Sudanese army and its paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF claimed in a statement that they have seized strategic sites in the capital city, including the airport. 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 Australias universities are blighted by insecure work and wage theft. The sector has already repaid thousands of current and former staff about $100 million. It is expected that figure will balloon in the coming years. Central to this sprawling wages scandal is the amount of time casual and sessional staff are given to mark essays, meet students and prepare courses. With marking, casual academics are typically paid a piece rate that is often set at about 4000 words an hour. There is growing evidence that these types of rates dramatically understate how long the work actually takes to do the job properly. More than half of all workers in Victorian universities are employed as casuals or on fixed contracts, making them fearful of speaking out. Here are the stories of some of these university workers. ANASTASIA KANJERE When she was pregnant, casual academic Dr Anastasia Kanjere worked up until 39 weeks and six days, a nerve wracking experience for both her and her students. She returned to work soon after the birth of her daughter. Advertisement I was returning to some form of work when she was two weeks old, that is due to having an incredibly supportive partner, Kanjere said. Anastasia Kanjere had eight separate contracts at the one time. Credit:Paul Jeffers That didnt come from my incredibly work-oriented brain. That came from having a paper that had to get written. At that stage, I was still hoping to get an academic career. I was back to full-time work (when my daughter was) four months old. Kanjere, currently at La Trobe Universitys School of Humanities and Social Sciences, felt she had little choice but to return to work so soon after the birth of her daughter. She has now worked for 12 years without job security. Loading At one stage Kanjere was juggling eight separate casual or short-term contracts including for teaching, for marking and as a research assistant. All at the same time. Honestly, theres no capacity to plan ahead. When I get offered work I just say yes and work out how I can make it work after. On Kanjeres calculations, shes been underpaid $52,000 over six years as the number of hours allocated to mark essays was so inadequate. That comes from a salary that works out at about $50,000 a year. Advertisement A former convenor of a network of casual workers at La Trobe, Kanjere now wants to leave academia. She says the issues are far deeper than just one university theyre sector wide. Im retraining to leave the industry. I will be one of many dedicated and passionate teachers that have left the sector for the same reason. TONY WILLIAMS Monash Universitys Tony Williams loves teaching history. While doing a masters, he decided against doing a PhD as he did not see the benefits and teaching was what he wanted to do most. I get a great deal of satisfaction in the work that I do at Monash, he says of the teaching roles he has held since 2014. But the weight of years of precarious work with little or no job security has taken its toll. Monash academic Tony Williams loves teaching. Credit:Simon Schluter To supplement teaching history Williams works in a supermarket. With the two jobs during the semester, I work like a dog seven days a week, he says. During that period the money Im making is good, Im not struggling to get by. But there is lean time between semesters and the lack of permanency makes other life decisions hard. He cant imagine buying a house as hed be unable to service a loan just on a supermarket income. Advertisement It kind of feels like youre treading water ... I realised recently Id been doing this (teaching) for 10 years and if I had an ongoing job, Id be getting long service leave, he says. Loading It gave me pause to reflect on how depressing it is to have to reapply for my job every six months. Im 38 this year, and it feels like Ive kind of done nothing with my life. He says he has more than enough work to be employed permanently at the university. The last three years Ive been working the equivalent of full-time hours and more than full-time hours in semester. Theres definitely teaching work. If they chose to give me a full-time job they wouldnt have problems. Williams says he had been underpaid while at Monash and is part of a Federal Court case against the university. Monash, through a spokesman, said it had taken significant steps to improve its payment systems and was strongly committed to ensuring all staff are paid correctly. Advertisement The disrespect, Williams says, extends to small things with casuals often having their email addresses disconnected at the end of a semester, even though they have worked at the university for years. They dont even tell you if you have a job next semester, and they only tell you if youre needed. They essentially ghost you. PAN KARANIKOLAS Someone is getting short-changed. Its going to be either you or the student, says Pan Karanikolas of working as a casual academic. Karanikolas, currently at La Trobe University in the department of social inquiry, has worked on short-term casual contracts since 2016 across several universities as a tutor, research assistant and developing courses. Pan Karanikolas has worked at several universities as a casual academic and was not paid for the hours they worked. Credit:Paul Jeffers They have never had a longer teaching engagement than a semester with contracts that specify how many hours particular parts of the job should take. Advertisement Weve all had the occasional loud singer next to us at a gig but what about someone singing so loudly the show actually has to be brought to a close? Melody Thornton, formerly of the Pussycat Dolls, was drowned out by over-exuberant audience members while she was singing Whitney Houstons I Will Always Love You in a performance of The Bodyguard musical in Britain last week. So vocal and persistent were the two women involved that police were called to remove them from the theatre and the show ended 10 minutes early. Melody Thornton performs on stage. Credit: Kate Green/Getty Images Such extreme behaviour doesnt seem to have made its way to Australia yet but as we return to theatres post lockdowns, has audience behaviour changed? Actor Tony Briggs says theres a mutual understanding and a mutual respect between an audience and an actor on stage. Its a suspension of disbelief that you have to go in with. You want to be taken away, you go into the theatre to escape. Sometimes people escape with one drink too many. They bring it all into the theatre. Id like to say that is an anomaly. A 21-year-old man has been charged with the murder of paramedic Steven Tougher, who was just an hour or two away from clocking off when he was stabbed at a McDonalds in Sydneys south-west on Friday morning. The 29-year-old had dreamt of being an ambulance officer since he was five. He was the first paramedic to die after an alleged violent assault during a shift for NSW Ambulance a vocation devoted to saving the lives of others. The young father whose family have given permission to identify him had been on the job for only about a year when he and his partner pulled into the fast-food restaurant car park on Queen Street in Campbelltown. They had worked through the night shift and had just finished a case at the local hospital, and were literally just grabbing some sustenance as any person would expect that they would do and going about their job, a shaken NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said on Friday afternoon. The April 15 Edition Middle-aged. Middle-class. Underemployed. The white-collar club no one wants to join | Academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert and comedian Sami Shah on impending parenthood | Podcaster Hugh van Cuylenburg on rejection and resilience | The case for arranged marriage | An unusual solution to insomnia | The son of Vietnamese refugees returns to the home country The nations navy chief has urged Australians to ignore hand-wringing doubters of the AUKUS pact, arguing a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines is necessary to fortify Australia against a potential attack on vital undersea cables. In his first interview since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the details of the submarine plan last month, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond forcefully rejected claims the vessels could draw Australia into a war over Taiwan or that technological advances will render them obsolete before they arrive. Navy chief Mark Hammond spent much of his career as a submariner. Credit: Martin Ollman Rather than focus on the submarine programs possible pitfalls or imposing price tag between $268 billion and $368 billion over three decades, according to the government Hammond implored Australians to see it as a nation-building endeavour on par with the original creation of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric scheme. Given Australia is a three-ocean trading nation, he said it was vital to remember that we derive our economic wellbeing, and therefore our economic prosperity and national security from the maritime domain. At the time, I was called a racist, a bigot, a redneck and a xenophobe, Joyce says. Now Im just called correct. The Foreign Investment laws continued to be tightened during the pandemic to prevent predatory purchases. The Chinese government listed Australias foreign investment restrictions as number one on its list of 14 grievances. After sacking Joyce over the phone, Abbott cooled and recanted. Joyce had driven about 100 kilometres further down the highway when the call came. I was sacked at Manilla and I had my job back by the time I got to Bingara, he recounts. And by the time he got to the cabinet room he had decisively won the argument. I lost initially and I won eventually. Former prime minister Tony Abbott and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce after Question Time in 2018. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Third is the Voice. The Nationals went early and hard in opposing it. The party announced a No to the proposed Indigenous Voice to parliament in November, even before the final form of words for the constitutional referendum was known. The party tasked a small group, with Jacinta Price most prominent among its members, to study the idea. It reported back to the party room a couple of times. The outcome was never in doubt: There was near unanimity at the first pass, says Bridget McKenzie, leader of the Nationals in the Senate. Our members have a very different lived experience, with most representing electorates which are among those with the largest proportions of Indigenous voters. And we are natural constitutional conservatives. In more visceral political terms, Barnaby Joyce made this point in internal Coalition discussions: If you want to go to pure, base politics, if this Voice gets up, the only person who benefits is Anthony Albanese, not the kid on the street in Kununurra. Hes used this argument, among others, in persuading senior Liberals to say no. Did the Nats lead the Liberal party on this decision? I would like to say we took the lead, says McKenzie. We were clear about our reasons, and the tone has been respectful. So we were able to show not only the Liberals but others that our position is thoughtful, not radical. I think that gave the Liberals comfort. A member of the Liberals leadership group says that while the Liberals were not led by the Nationals, they were influenced: The Nats certainly heightened things among our party membership. The early, firm decision of the junior coalition partner created a momentum that the Liberals could see and feel. It helped coalesce the Coalition on the issue. The Nationals decision was not unanimous. One MP, Andrew Gee, resigned from the party over it, and now sits on the crossbench. In this, he was foreshadowing the walkout by the Liberals Julian Leeser. He quit the shadow cabinet to sit on the Liberal backbench, where he will campaign for the Yes case. And within the Nationals, there were some concerned that the party leader, David Littleproud, was too hesitant. Says McKenzie, diplomatically and tellingly, I wouldnt say David was hesitant once the decision was made. Loading McKenzie says shes proud of the influence the Nationals have had on landmark choices over the past decade. The Nationals dont pretend to lead the Coalition. But, she says: On the big issues where theres direct impact in our communities, we will not back down. Or, as Joyce puts it: I think theres a case that when we are emphatic, and really believe in what we are doing, that we will win. Youve got to run a public campaign, you have to do the hard politicians work of changing peoples position, you cant just walk in and say, Ive got a great idea and youve gotta do it because were the National Party. Like a man riding a donkey, the Liberals seem to be leading most of the time. Until the donkey makes up its mind to go another way and will not yield. Stubborn as an ass. Are the Nationals justified in this triumphalism? Judith Brett, emeritus professor in politics at La Trobe University and an academic expert on the Liberal Party and its founder, Robert Menzies, thinks so: In the last decade, they can feel that they have won. The downside of that is that they have weakened the Liberals. Theyve weakened their coalition partner and now they are on the opposition benches. The Nationals have held their seats, so they are not defensive in the way the Libs are. So they have self confidence and theyve always played politics very hard. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the annual Garma festival in East Arnhem. Credit: Getty What about the remaining moderates of the Liberal party? The Liberal leader in the Senate and leading moderate, Simon Birmingham, argued internally that the shadow cabinet should not be bound to a party position on the Voice but be allowed a free vote, as the Liberals allowed for the republic referendum and the same-sex marriage plebiscite. And he looked uneasy this week in explaining that he will not follow Julian Leeser to the backbench: I have an important role to play, continuing to work as the shadow foreign minister, he told Sky on Friday. And it is important that people do fight for Liberal values to uphold the electoral prospects of our party as a broad church in the future as well defended and defined by John Howard over many years. The problem with this position, as former deputy Liberal leader Fred Chaney puts it, is that the small l Liberals havent stood up, the much-vaunted broad church hasnt been at all broad in its behaviour. The conservatives in the party have won on every major decision, making it ever harder for the moderates to hold their seats. Loading Chaney acknowledges Julian Leesers principled decision to quit the frontbench but says that otherwise the moderates never went out on a limb for anything thats why they lost all those seats to the teals. That included his niece Kate Chaney, a teal who won the traditional West Australian Liberal seat of Curtin last year. So was it wise of the Liberals to join the Nationals and decide formally to oppose the Voice? And to bind the shadow ministry to vote no, putting even more pressure on the remaining moderates? The Liberals deputy leader, Sussan Ley, on her so-called blitz this week visiting 16 electorates, said: The road back to government is through every single one of the states we lost, including the teal seats. But by choosing to vote no, the Liberals have just put the teal seats further out of their reach. Its a blitz in which the Libs strafe the voters they need to get back. Australians flying to Vietnam now have another low-cost option with the launch of Vietjets second Australian route, operating between Sydney and Ho Chi Minh City, with fares starting from $200. Flight VJ85 touched down at Sydney Airport on Thursday, marking Vietjet as the fourth carrier to fly the Sydney-Ho Chi Minh City route. The route, departing three times weekly on Vietjets A330-300 fleet, joins an existing Vietjet Melbourne service, with a third Brisbane route planned for June. Vietjets inaugural Sydney service touched down at Sydney Airport on Thursday. Its the second Vietnamese airline to launch operations from Australia since borders reopened, following Bamboo Airways arrival in April 2022. DAR ES SALAAM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A Tanzanian government official told parliament Friday that the budget for free education for primary and secondary schools will be increased in the 2023/2024 financial year. The Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government, Angellah Kairuki, said the government will increase the budget for free education to 399.64 billion Tanzanian shillings (about 170 million U.S. dollars) in the 2023/2024 financial year from 346.46 billion shillings that were approved in the 2022/2023 financial year. The increase will be 15.34 percent, Kairuki told the House in the national capital of Dodoma when she tabled her ministry's budget estimates for the 2023/2024 financial year that begins on July 1, 2023, and ends on June 30, 2024. She said 157.79 billion shillings will be allocated for primary schools and 241.85 billion shillings for secondary schools. The implementation of the free education policy will go in tandem with the improvements of schools' environment to facilitate smooth teaching and learning. More pertinently, those who know the duchess have left little doubt that for her, returning to the UK for major events would be something of a backward step. Having been through the trauma of Megxit (the couples departure from their working royal roles), the British chapter of her life is behind her, and in front of her all pathways are in the US. Prince Harry has been criticised for revealing details of how the royal family operates behind closed doors. Credit: AP Friends are also swift to suggest that portrayals of Meghan as a publicity obsessive person who uses the royal family as a tool to raise her profile have been proved demonstrably wrong by her decision to stay away from one of the most-watched global television events of the year. They would struggle to deny, however, that the couple delighted in keeping the hated British media guessing over their coronation plans for months, even though the decision was taken as long ago as January. The real intrigue over the duchesss silence is to be found in what she is planning next. Talk of her writing a book as part of Harrys multi-volume deal with Penguin Random House is wide of the mark, the London Telegraph has been told (to the immense relief of the royal household, no doubt), and instead Meghan has been plotting her next move in the worlds of television, podcasting and blogging. Loading In the same way that Harrys grandfather Prince Philip never quite got over having to abandon an upwardly mobile Royal Navy career when his wife Elizabeth became Queen, Meghan grieves for The Tig, the lifestyle blog she set up during her acting career, which she turned into a really successful business, in her own words. Having quit royal life Meghans blogging ambitions are no longer constrained, and last month a patent application to revive the website was given preliminary approval by US authorities, meaning she will be free to reboot the blog at the start of June. If the Duchess proceeds with the plan, Tig 2.0 will feature articles, interviews and photographs in the fields of food, cooking, recipes, travel, fashion, style, lifestyle, the arts, culture, design, conscious living, and health and wellness. It would also provide commentary on the field of personal relationships, suggesting Meghan might see herself as an agony aunt to the rich and famous. Broken-down relationships in her own and her husbands families have certainly given her plenty of relevant experience. While their broadcast endeavours come under their Archewell brand, The Tig is owned by Frim Fram, Meghans Delaware-based company run by her business manager Andrew Meyer in Los Angeles. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, left, and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, attend the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Awards Gala in New York in December. Credit: Invision/AP Plenty is going on at Archewell too. Despite the tens of millions Harry has been paid by his publisher and by Netflix, the couple needs to keep on earning huge amounts of money to fund their lifestyle, not least of which is their multimillion-pound annual security bill. Having bathed in self-pity to fill six hours of airtime for their Harry & Meghan docuseries, the couple is moving away from reality TV to dip their toes in fiction. Loading Archewell is understood to be looking to hire writers to develop ideas for romantic comedies and other feel-good programs, which has led to staff changes within the organisation, including the coming departure of internal content head Ben Browning. News is awaited on whether Meghan will host a second series of her Spotify podcast, Archetypes. Rumours also persist that her long-term ambitions lie in politics. As for the regrouping element of her recent low profile, both she and Harry have been somewhat stung by the backlash in the US to their behaviour over the past year. The merciless satirical comedy South Park dedicated an entire episode to the Worldwide Privacy Tour carried out by the Prince and Princess of Canada who crisscross the planet plugging the princes memoir while demanding privacy. Harrys decision to row back from his wifes allegations of royal racism originally made in the couples infamous Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021 by failing to repeat them in his book have also left Meghan exposed. One lesson she does appear to have learnt from her limited time as a full-blown member of the royal family is that time is a great healer; when the public turns against you, avoid further trouble and wait for the memories to fade. That, surely, is part of the reason for her absence from the coronation. The good news for her fans is that she will emerge from hibernation in just a months time. On May 16 she will attend the Women of Vision Awards in New York, where she will be presented with an award by the journalist Gloria Steinem honouring her as a feminist, champion of human rights and gender equity, and global role model. It also describes her as one of the most powerful and influential women in the world. Like US President Joe Biden, who is also skipping the coronation, she may feel that masters of the universe are entitled to find better things to do with their time. London: Emmanuel Macrons plan to raise Frances retirement age is now reality. After clearing its final hurdle when the nations highest constitutional authority endorsed most of the proposed law on Friday, the president wasted no time in enacting it. Based on the official French gazette, the Journel Officiel, the law was promulgated in the early hours of Saturday, delivering a much-needed political win for the embattled president after months of protests, newspaper Le Monde and Agence France-Presse reported. Security measures were put in place throughout central Paris on Friday ahead of the highly anticipated verdict at the Constitutional Council building at Palais Royal, while unions and student groups held protests across the city, in Toulouse, Lyon and elsewhere. The nine-member council, made up mainly of former politicians and senior civil servants, ruled that most of the proposed law which increases the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 to secure a state pension was valid under the constitution and enacted legally. Macron had 15 days to enact the bill. Madrid: A Spanish woman who spent a record-breaking 500 days in a cave deep underground has said she did not want to come out. Beatriz Flamini, 50, an extreme athlete, undertook the trial in an attempt to better understand the human mind and circadian rhythms. I need a shower, she said on reaching the entrance to the cave and seeing daylight for the first time since November 20, 2021 before the outbreak of the Ukraine war and the death of Queen Elizabeth II. A 50-year-old extreme athlete has emerged from a 500-day challenge living 70 metres deep in a cave outside Granada, Spain. Credit: Dokumalia Flamini, who was 48 when she entered the cave, said the time flew by and she had no real notion of it. She was setting the new world record for underground isolation. She almost doubled the 269 days endured by Italian Christine Lanzoni in an underground laboratory, according to Andalusias Caving Federation. I didnt want to come out, Flamini said at a press conference held barely two hours after she emerged. by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, many Egyptians go out with family or friends in the evening for a good time after fasting from dawn to sunset. A show featuring Egyptian folk dance Tanoura is surely among their destinations. On Wednesday night, an open-air Tanoura dance staged in historic downtown Cairo carried local and foreign audiences away, as dancers' spinning off their skirt-like colorful outfits turned the stage into a spectacular of ever-changing kaleidoscopes. The show started with a Sufi music performance with minstrel chanting, then a solo Tanoura dancer joined the stage and kept whirling for almost 20 minutes nonstop. "The performance is breathtaking and the atmosphere is very joyful. It is my first time to attend this show but surely will not be the last," said Marwa Siam, one of the audience. "It makes it a special Ramadan night for me. And it is also great to preserve such a kind of elegant traditional art," she told Xinhua. Egpyt's Tanoura dance carries the meaning of the Sufi tradition of whirling meditation when a dervish spins his body in repetitive circles. The word Tanoura, which means skirt in Arabic, refers to the detachable colorful skirt-like piece worn by the dancer. "It is a Sufi, spiritual dance and a kind of art that comes from the heart," said Mostafa Moftah, who performed the solo dance. "A Tanoura dancer must be filled with purity and love to be able to perform well and touch the audience," said the artist. As the most impressive part of the show, three men danced to the traditional Upper Egyptian music for a long while, spinning around with arms in the air, making fascinating circles of mixed colors. The show was held at an arts center located inside historic five-century-old Wikalat Al-Ghuri, a caravansary complex built by Mamluk Sultan Qansuh Al-Ghuri, and under deem but changing stage lighting, which added magnificence to the show. "The dervish dance is unbelievable. It is amazing how the artist dances and whirls for 50 minutes or an hour without getting dizzy," said Desiree Boyneburg, an Austrian tourist, adding the vibe was "really festive and lively." "What impressed me the most was the choreography of the dancers. And the music was really, wow, very nice," Jens Aerts, a Belgian tourist, told Xinhua. The show was performed by the Al-Tannoura Egyptian Heritage Dance Troupe operating under the Cultural Development Fund (CDF) of the Ministry of Culture, which also runs the arts center. Hany Aboul-Hassan, head of the CDF, who attended the show, said that the cultural fund is concerned with reviving Egyptian heritage, through both restoring historic buildings and presenting traditional folk art. "The idea behind the CDF's restoration of historic buildings, like Al-Ghuri's Complex, is not only to rescue the building but also to turn it into a popular and frequently visited arts center," Aboul-Hassan added. "Ramadan for the Ministry of Culture and the CDF is a month full of various cultural and artistic activities, including Tanoura dance, whose body language and colors captivate people of all nationalities," he told Xinhua. NEW DELHI, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday that he would present himself before India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which has summoned him in the liquor policy case. "I have received summon from the CBI. I will certainly honor it," Kejriwal told a press conference, saying that he would go to the premier investigating agency on Sunday. Kejriwal, also leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said investigating agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI "lied" on oath and affidavit, and presented "false" evidence in court about the alleged scam. "They are saying a bribe of 1 billion rupees was taken. But they have not found a single rupee. Then they said it was used in Goa elections, they did raids and did not find anything," he said. "Where is the proof of this? All our payments were made with cheques. Show me a single rupee of the 1 billion rupees you claim we got." The CBI has filed a case and is investigating the Delhi Excise Policy launched in November 2021, under which liquor shop licenses were handed over to private players. Kejriwal said the same liquor policy was implemented in Punjab by the AAP and there the revenue increased by 50 percent. "The same policy, which they call corrupt, was introduced in Punjab and has resulted in a 50-percent increase in revenue. It was a game-changing and transparent policy," he said. Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, two AAP senior leaders, are presently in jail. Sisodia was arrested in February this year on corruption charges in the liquor policy case, and Jain was arrested in May 2022 over money laundering. Hail and heavy rain have pounded parts of the Lehigh Valley. The storms led to flooding in parts of the Lehigh Valley and has led to some road closures. In Upper Saucon Township, the area of Route 309 and West Hopewell Road was closed this afternoon. On Saturday afternoon, Interstate 78 near the Lehigh-Northampton County border was at standstill because of flooding issues. In Lower Saucon Township, part of Route 378 was closed for a period of time from debris that flooded onto the road. Hail fell in various areas of the Lehigh Valley -- from Salisbury Township to Wind Gap. The NWS reports the Warning is until 5:30 p.m. Saturday. On Saturday afternoon, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area, the NWS confirms between 2 and 2.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the warned area. A 69 News viewer shard photos of hail in Salisbury Township on Saturday afternoon. A flash flood warning for Lehigh County continues until 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Stay with 69 News for updates. HORSHAM, Pa. - Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead faced arraignment in Montgomery County court Friday night. She's the 50-year-old mother from Horsham Township accused of killing her son, then fleeing to the Jersey shore, where she was arrested. That arrest landed her in Cape May County court, where she waived an extradition hearing before being returned back to Montgomery County, where the boy died. The judge made sure she understood what waiving that hearing meant. "Have you understood that, ma'am?" the judge asked. "Yes," DiRienzo-Whitehead said. "Do you wish to waive your rights and be returned to Pennsylvania?" the judge asked. DiRienzo-Whitehead said she did. According to police, DiRienzo Whitehead said her 11-year old son Matthew had been upset and crying about the family's financial troubles before heading up to bed. DiRienzo-Whitehead told police she didn't want him growing up with those worries, so she allegedly grabbed a belt and strangled him while he slept in the family's master bedroom. 11-year-old Matthew was found dead Tuesday morning. His mom and family car were nowhere to be found. Police were able to track down the SUV after it was ditched in the ocean in Cape May, New Jersey. DiRienzo-Whitehead was located in Wildwood Crest. She was later taken into custody for questioning. She is charged with first- and third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime. She is being held without bond. WAKAYAMA, Japan (AP) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unharmed Saturday after someone threw an explosive device in his direction while he was campaigning at a fishing port in western Japan, officials said. Police wrestled a suspect to the ground as screaming bystanders scrambled to get away and smoke filled the air. One police officer was slightly hurt and Kishida continued campaigning Saturday, but the chaotic scene was reminiscent of the assassination nine months ago of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which also came on a campaign tour and continues to reverberate in Japanese politics. Kishida was visiting Saikazaki port in Wakayama prefecture to support his ruling partys candidate in a local election, and the explosion occurred just before he was to begin his speech. A young man believed to be a suspect was arrested Saturday at the scene after he allegedly threw the suspicious object, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. Matsuno refused to comment on the suspects motive and background, saying police are still investigating. TV footage shows Kishida standing with his back to the crowd. His security detail suddenly points to the ground near him, and the prime minister whips around, looking alarmed. The camera quickly turns to the crowd just as several people, including uniformed and plainclothes police officers, converge on a young man wearing a white surgical mask and holding what appears to be another device, a long silver tube. As they collapse on top of the man, working to remove the tube from his hands, a large explosion is heard near where Kishida had been standing. The crowd scatters in panic as police roughly drag the man away. It wasnt immediately clear what the explosive device was or how many the suspect had, but some reports said it was a smoke or pipe bomb, possibly with a delayed fuse. No injuries among the crowd were reported in the incident, which came on the eve of a major international forum in Japan. Kishida was not hurt and continued his campaign speeches later Saturday, Matsuno said. One police officer was slighlty injured. The investigation at the scene continued late into the night. Japanese media reports said the suspect refused to talk to police until his lawyer arrived. Kishida did not mention the explosion and returned to the Tokyo region in the evening after campaigning in Chiba for another candidate. Elections are the core of democracy, and we should never tolerate threats or obstruction by violence, Matsuno said. He said he instructed national police to ensure their utmost effort for the protection of dignitaries who are visiting Japan in the period leading up to the Group of Seven summit in May. Abe's assassination, which shocked a nation that prides itself on public safety and extremely tight gun controls, came as he delivered a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. Amid a national outcry, police have tightened their protective measures following a subsequent investigation that found holes in Abes security. Security has been also ramped up in Japan as senior diplomats from some of the worlds most powerful democracies arrive for Sunday's G-7 foreign minister meetings. Kishida will host a May 19-21 G-7 leaders' summit in his hometown of Hiroshima. One witness Saturday told NHK television that she was standing in the crowd when she saw something come flying from behind. After a sudden loud noise, she fled with her children. Another witness said people were screaming and that he saw someone being apprehended right before the explosion occurred. Saturdays attack comes ahead of nationwide local elections, including several by-elections for vacated parliamentary seats, with voting scheduled for April 23. In Abes assassination, the former prime minister was shot with a homemade gun during a campaign speech. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, has been charged with murder and several other crimes, including violating the gun control law. He told investigators that he killed Abe, one of Japans most influential and divisive politicians, because of the former prime ministers apparent links to a religious group that he hated. In statements and in social media postings attributed to him, Yamagami said he developed a grudge because his mother had made massive donations to the Unification Church that bankrupted his family and ruined his life. Abe's assassination led to the resignation of top local and national police chiefs and a tightening of security guidelines for political leaders and other prominent people. Kishida's government was hoping to focus world attention this weekend on the hot spring resort town of Karuizawa, where senior diplomats will gather Sunday for the so-called Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting. The foreign ministers from Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and the European Union are expected to focus on worries over Russia's war in Ukraine, China's increasingly belligerent rise and North Korea's provocative string of weapons' tests. Klug reported from Karuizawa, Japan. KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, April 15 (Xinhua) -- One child was killed and another injured as a mine left over from the past wars went off in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, provincial government spokesman Hajji Zaid said Saturday. The incident took place in Mianshin district Friday evening when some children who were playing on a ground found a metallic object and began playing with it. The device exploded, killing one on the spot and badly injuring another, the official said. Similar incident claimed the life of a child and injured another in Kot district of the eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday. Another blast of an explosive device killed two children in the central Wardak province in early April. Afghanistan is reportedly one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world with dozens of people mostly children being killed and maimed every month by the blast of unexploded devices left over from the past four decades of wars. Mark Jensen, the Pleasant Prairie man found guilty for the second time of poisoning and suffocating his wife to death in 1998, will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jensen, 63, who has been incarcerated since July 2007, was sentenced by Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Anthony Milisauskas Friday morning. It came during emotional proceedings where Jensen read a statement about his need for parole and family members of the the victim addressed the court calling for the maximum possible sentence. Jensen could have been sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 20 years or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Fridays sentence ensures he will never see the outside of a prison. A jury of six men and six women found Jensen guilty of first-degree intentional homicide on Feb. 1 in the high-profile retrial of the former stock broker. After nearly four weeks the jury found him guilty of poisoning his then-wife Julie Jensen with odorless ethylene glycol, more commonly known as antifreeze. Prosecutors said he then suffocated her to death by turning her face down in their bed and then sat on top of her. She died in early December 1998 inside the couples Carol Beach home. The prosecution successfully argued Mark Jensen killed the mother of his two young sons in order to make it easier for him to be with a woman he was having an affair with and later married. They also argued he killed Julie Jensen out of deep anger and an intense obsession over a previous sexual affair she had with a co-worker in their home years before, along with other marital issues. Mark Jensen was first convicted in 2008 of the killing and Kenosha County Judge Bruce Schroeder sentenced him to life in prison without parole. However, a Kenosha County judge vacated Jensens conviction in April 2021 after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled he deserved a new trial. The court found voicemails and a letter Julie Jensen wrote incriminating her husband in the event something should happen to her could not be used by the prosecution as it was in the first trial. In early 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court helped pave the way for the new trial when it declined to hear an appeal of the Wisconsin Supreme Courts ruling. The so-called letter from the grave in which Julie Jensen, 40, wrote that if anything happens to me that her husband would be my first suspect, was not allowed into evidence during the lengthy second trial. The high-profile case sparked headlines across the nation. Mark Jensen speaks Mark Jensen, who wore a navy prison jumpsuit and was handcuffed, spoke during his sentencing hearing while wearing headphones to hear the proceedings. His parents were seated behind him in the gallery. Mark Jensen read a letter he wrote to the court asking for parole. He became emotional while reading his letter and teared up. I have always sought to be a productive member of the community, Mark Jensen said. I have always tried to make a difference and do everything I could the right way. Throughout this case I have worked to maintain good relationships with the family of my boys and they have supported me throughout. If released on parole I have the support of the family with any need (I might have) including a place to live and transportation to help me get back on my feet. My parents are 87 and 85 and they need my help. I want to be there to help them. Mark Jensen said sons David and Douglas Jensen lost both parents and have been through an incredible over the past 25 years. Please grant parole eligibility, Mark Jensen said. The defense team included public defenders Bridget Krause, Jeremy Perri and Mackenzie Renner. Krause asked the court to allow Mark Jensen to be eligible for parole at 20 years meaning he would have been 68 when released. He loves his boys and he wants to be there for them, Krause said. Mark Jensen is a father of three men including two sons he had with Julie Jensen. Krause also said Mark Jensen is no threat to the public. The time he has served has been significant, Krause said. The defense declined to comment after the sentencing. Prosecution sickened Special prosecutor Robert Jambois returned to help prosecute the case against Mark Jensen during the trial but was absent Friday prosecuting a case where he now works in Portage County. Deputy district attorney Carli McNeill served as co-counsel. McNeil asked for life in prison without parole in part because Mark Jensen tormented his wife for years. Julie Jensen was one of the people in the world that he was supposed to care for the most, McNeil said. Not only did he poison her, he watched her die. McNeil said she was sickened that Mark Jensen asked for parole because he has shown no remorse for his actions in the 25 years since his wifes untimely death. He should not breathe the free air outside of a prison cell, McNeil said. Mark and Julie Jensens son Douglas Jensen wrote a letter to the court on behalf of the prosecution and said his mother was erased from his life. Three of Julie Jensens brothers were in court Friday. Their parents are deceased. Her oldest brother Lawrence Griffin addressed the court first asking Milisauskus to sentence Mark Jensen to life in prison without parole for his cruel and inhuman actions. Lawrence Griffin called his sisters Dec. 3, 1998 murder calculated. It put a shocking end to the kind and gentle person that Julie embodied, Lawrence Griffin said, adding that she had devoted her life to her sons. The impact that Julies loss has had upon her friends, her neighbors and community has been that of a permanent void, Lawrence Griffin said. Julie no longer lives to celebrate family events and lifetime occasions. Julie Jensens brother Paul Griffin asked for no mercy for Mark Jensen because he showed no mercy to his sister. He treated her poorly by taking advantage of her kind, giving nature, Paul Griffin said. Mark Jensen is a coward. Judge imposes sentence Milisauskas said there is no higher felony in the state of Wisconsin than first-degree intentional homicide. I watched the trial and I think the evidence was overwhelming that Mr. Jensen is guilty, and the jury came back with a pretty fast verdict, Milisauskas said. All the evidence was there (of) Mr. Jensen plotting this murder. Milisauskas said Mark Jensen put his wife through torture instead of walking away from the troubled marriage. He was jealous, he was vengeful, he manipulated people, he was a control person over Julie, committed a cruel act and it happened for a long period of time, Milisauskas said. Milisauskas said Julie Jensen suffered for a long time and the evidence showed that through the trial. She did not have a good life for a period of time that she was married to Mr. Jensen, Milisauskas said. The harassment, the antifreeze poisoning, the lack of calling a doctor when she was dying, it was a painful death and it was all caused by Mr. Jensen. Milisauskas closed with hes not getting any parole eligibility. Its too serious of a crime, Milisauskas said. No parole. Life imprisonment. Prosecution expects appeal McNeill and public service special prosecutor Beverly Jambois addressed the media in the courts basement after the sentencing hearing. Both said they are happy the lengthy and expensive trial is finally over. It gives the family a degree of closure to know that hes not getting out, McNeill said. For them having to do this all again could not be more painful but to have the outcome where they hopefully have certainty that he wont be released is a great relief. The trial cost Kenosha County tens of thousands of dollars. When questioned about whether Mark Jensen would appeal McNeill said he may. The thing about a criminal trial is there always is going to be an opportunity to appeal, McNeill said. There is no rule or law against appealing and I fully expect him to appeal. Ukrainian troops finish training on Caesar artillery systems in Denmark 15 April, 02:54 AM Caesar's SAU (Photo:Photo:via Wikipedia) Ukrainian military service members have finished their training on French-made CAESAR self-propelled artillery systems in Denmark, and the guns will be shipped to Ukraine in coming weeks, Danish Defense Ministry said in a press release on April 14. The Danish government decided to transfer all of its 19 CAESAR guns to Ukraine back in January. In addition, Denmark pledged to train Ukrainian crews to operate these modern howitzers. Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen visited the proving grounds and observed the last group of Ukrainian troops finish their training program. Video of day This is a large and very significant donation, which is in great demand by Ukraine, said Poulsen. There is no doubt that it is needed and with the end of the training and education course, the Ukrainians can put it to use on the battlefield, where it will make a clear difference. The ministry also noted that in total, Denmark has provided Ukraine with EUR 830 million ($921 million) in security assistance. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Anglo American plc (OTCMKTS:AAUKF Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 38,700 shares, a drop of 90.3% from the March 15th total of 400,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 35.2 days. Anglo American Price Performance Shares of AAUKF stock traded up $0.90 on Friday, hitting $34.00. 5,083 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,072. Anglo American has a one year low of $28.34 and a one year high of $55.39. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $35.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $36.40. Get Anglo American alerts: Anglo American Company Profile (Get Rating) Read More Anglo American Plc is a mining company, which engages in the exploration and mining of precious base metals and ferrous metals. The company operates through the following segments: De Beers, Copper, Platinum Group Metals, Iron Ore, Coal, Nickel and Manganese, and Corporate and Other. The company was founded by Ernest Oppenheimer in 1917 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Anglo American Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anglo American and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BetterLife Pharma Inc. (OTCMKTS:BETRF Get Rating) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,900 shares, a decrease of 90.1% from the March 15th total of 49,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 53,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. BetterLife Pharma Stock Down 4.7 % Shares of BETRF traded down $0.00 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $0.06. The company had a trading volume of 40,500 shares, compared to its average volume of 42,087. BetterLife Pharma has a 12 month low of $0.03 and a 12 month high of $0.19. The firm has a market cap of $5.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.56 and a beta of 1.49. The business has a fifty day moving average of $0.08 and a 200-day moving average of $0.11. Get BetterLife Pharma alerts: BetterLife Pharma Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Stories BetterLife Pharma Inc, a biotechnology company, engages in the development and commercialization of compounds for the treatment of neurological disorders in Canada and internationally. It is involved in refining and developing drug candidates from a set of complementary interferon-based technologies that have the potential to engage the immune system to fight virus infections. Receive News & Ratings for BetterLife Pharma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BetterLife Pharma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX Get Rating) major shareholder Holdings L.P. Blackstone III sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.58, for a total value of $1,223,200.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 9,740,228 shares in the company, valued at $297,856,172.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a companys shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC. Holdings L.P. Blackstone III also recently made the following trade(s): Get Blackstone alerts: On Monday, April 10th, Holdings L.P. Blackstone III sold 34,000 shares of Blackstone stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.15, for a total value of $1,025,100.00. On Friday, March 31st, Holdings L.P. Blackstone III acquired 10,869,566 shares of Blackstone stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $1.38 per share, with a total value of $15,000,001.08. On Wednesday, March 29th, Holdings L.P. Blackstone III bought 27,082 shares of Blackstone stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of $47.11 per share, with a total value of $1,275,833.02. On Monday, March 27th, Holdings L.P. Blackstone III purchased 53,413 shares of Blackstone stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of $45.73 per share, with a total value of $2,442,576.49. On Friday, March 10th, Holdings L.P. Blackstone III sold 99,889,464 shares of Blackstone stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.00, for a total transaction of $1,198,673,568.00. On Thursday, January 26th, Holdings L.P. Blackstone III sold 205,500 shares of Blackstone stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.00, for a total value of $6,781,500.00. Blackstone Stock Up 1.2 % Shares of BX traded up $1.01 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $85.32. 2,861,744 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,020,418. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. The firms 50 day moving average is $88.23 and its 200-day moving average is $86.78. The company has a market cap of $60.27 billion, a PE ratio of 35.57, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.50. Blackstone Inc. has a 52 week low of $71.72 and a 52 week high of $126.80. Blackstone Increases Dividend Blackstone ( NYSE:BX Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The asset manager reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.12. Blackstone had a return on equity of 19.43% and a net margin of 20.52%. The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.71 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Blackstone Inc. will post 4.56 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 13th. Investors of record on Monday, February 6th were paid a $0.91 dividend. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.27%. This is a positive change from Blackstones previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 3rd. Blackstones dividend payout ratio is presently 153.59%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In BX has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Blackstone from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $104.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Blackstone in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Blackstone from $85.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Oppenheimer upgraded Blackstone from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Blackstone from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $103.75. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Blackstone Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BX. Mach 1 Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Blackstone in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Blackstone in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. HWG Holdings LP bought a new stake in Blackstone during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Blackstone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Blackstone during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 62.39% of the companys stock. Blackstone Company Profile (Get Rating) Blackstone, Inc engages in the provision of investment and fund management services. It operates through the following segments: Real Estate, Private Equity, Credit and Insurance, and Hedge Fund Solutions. The Real Estate segment includes management of opportunistic real estate funds, Core+ real estate funds, high-yield real estate debt funds, and liquid real estate debt funds. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Blackstone Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blackstone and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHQ Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 7,940 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $349,000. Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF during the 1st quarter worth $150,000. Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 5.3% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 44,610 shares of the companys stock worth $2,226,000 after buying an additional 2,226 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $271,000 after buying an additional 610 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 23.7% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 3,463 shares of the companys stock valued at $173,000 after purchasing an additional 663 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF by 44.5% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,505 shares of the companys stock valued at $432,000 after buying an additional 2,618 shares during the last quarter. Get Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF alerts: Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Stock Down 0.2 % Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF stock traded down $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $47.79. The stock had a trading volume of 404,275 shares, compared to its average volume of 810,743. 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 company has a market cap of $4.58 billion, a PE ratio of 16.07 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50-day moving average of $46.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.77. Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Profile 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oppenheimer restated their outperform rating on shares of Acuity Brands (NYSE:AYI Get Rating) in a report published on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. Oppenheimer currently has a $210.00 price target on the electronics makers stock. Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on AYI. UBS Group reduced their price target on Acuity Brands from $180.00 to $170.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Acuity Brands in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Acuity Brands from $193.00 to $180.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Acuity Brands from $192.00 to $175.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Acuity Brands from $201.00 to $173.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Acuity Brands presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $191.88. Get Acuity Brands alerts: Acuity Brands Stock Performance Shares of Acuity Brands stock opened at $157.75 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.34, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.58. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $183.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $178.91. Acuity Brands has a 12 month low of $142.71 and a 12 month high of $202.90. Acuity Brands Announces Dividend Acuity Brands ( NYSE:AYI Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 4th. The electronics maker reported $2.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.28 by $0.51. Acuity Brands had a return on equity of 22.20% and a net margin of 9.22%. The firm had revenue of $943.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $959.99 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that Acuity Brands will post 12.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 14th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.33%. Acuity Brandss dividend payout ratio is currently 4.56%. Insider Buying and Selling at Acuity Brands In related news, Director Laura Oshaughnessy acquired 632 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $158.05 per share, with a total value of $99,887.60. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,111 shares in the company, valued at $333,643.55. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in Acuity Brands by 87.3% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 148 shares of the electronics makers stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI purchased a new stake in shares of Acuity Brands in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Acuity Brands by 60.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 165 shares of the electronics makers stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Ellevest Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Acuity Brands by 52.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 197 shares of the electronics makers stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Acuity Brands in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. 93.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Acuity Brands (Get Rating) Acuity Brands, Inc operates as an industrial technology company, which engages in the provision of lighting and building management solutions and services. It operates through the Acuity Brands Lighting and Lighting Controls and Intelligent Spaces Group segments. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Acuity Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Acuity Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Advantage Energy Ltd. (TSE:AAV Get Rating) (NYSE:AAV)s stock price crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$9.40 and traded as low as C$7.65. Advantage Energy shares last traded at C$7.73, with a volume of 564,197 shares traded. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on AAV shares. Scotiabank restated an outperform rating and set a C$14.50 target price on shares of Advantage Energy in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Raymond James lowered shares of Advantage Energy from a strong-buy rating to an outperform rating and dropped their target price for the stock from C$14.00 to C$12.00 in a research report on Monday, January 16th. Stifel Nicolaus set a C$14.25 target price on shares of Advantage Energy and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Stifel Firstegy restated a buy rating on shares of Advantage Energy in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Advantage Energy from C$12.00 to C$11.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$13.61. Get Advantage Energy alerts: Advantage Energy Trading Up 0.6 % The company has a market cap of C$1.29 billion, a PE ratio of 4.50, a P/E/G ratio of -3.58 and a beta of 1.87. The stocks 50 day moving average is C$8.05 and its 200-day moving average is C$9.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.52. About Advantage Energy Advantage Energy Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, acquires, exploits, develops, and produces crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the Province of Alberta, Canada. The company focuses on the development and production of oil and natural gas resource that includes 228 net sections covering an area of 145,920 net acres of Doig/Montney rights in Glacier, Valhalla, Progress, and Pipestone/Wembley. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Advantage Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Advantage Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (CVE:LIT Get Rating) were down 5.7% on Friday . The company traded as low as C$0.25 and last traded at C$0.25. Approximately 265,181 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 170% from the average daily volume of 98,227 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.27. Argentina Lithium & Energy Stock Down 5.7 % The businesss fifty day simple moving average is C$0.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$0.30. The company has a market cap of C$32.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.17 and a beta of 1.49. About Argentina Lithium & Energy (Get Rating) Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp., a junior mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of natural resource properties in Argentina. The company holds 100% interest in the Incahuasi lithium project covering an area of approximately 13,372 hectares of granted mineral rights properties located in the Catamarca Province, Argentina. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Argentina Lithium & Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Argentina Lithium & Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd increased its stake in shares of Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) by 45.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,147,609 shares of the energy companys stock after acquiring an additional 360,100 shares during the period. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd owned about 0.18% of Devon Energy worth $66,699,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Devon Energy by 2.2% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,173,489 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $4,640,442,000 after buying an additional 1,637,042 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in Devon Energy by 7.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 42,814,521 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $2,574,437,000 after buying an additional 2,902,180 shares during the period. Boston Partners raised its stake in Devon Energy by 7.7% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 11,158,526 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $672,993,000 after buying an additional 797,813 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake 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, Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in Devon Energy by 1.4% in the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,371,571 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $435,881,000 after buying an additional 99,059 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.08% of the companys stock. Get Devon Energy alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Devon Energy In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the firms stock in a transaction 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 other news, CEO Richard E. Muncrief purchased 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $53.28 per share, for a total transaction of $532,800.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 1,973,977 shares of the companys stock, valued at $105,173,494.56. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total value of $393,193.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 262,498 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,377,015.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Devon Energy Price Performance Several analysts have issued reports on DVN shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Devon Energy in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Devon Energy from $70.00 to $59.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Mizuho reiterated a buy rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of Devon Energy in a research note on Tuesday. Raymond James lowered their target price on Devon Energy from $80.00 to $67.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Devon Energy from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $71.89. Shares of DVN stock traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $55.70. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,969,343 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,558,111. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $53.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.86. The company has a market capitalization of $36.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.11, a PEG ratio of 0.16 and a beta of 2.33. Devon Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $44.03 and a fifty-two week high of $79.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The energy company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.75 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $4.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.29 billion. Devon Energy had a net margin of 31.38% and a return on equity of 52.20%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.39 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.52 earnings per share for the current year. Devon Energy Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a None dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 9.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This is an increase from Devon Energys previous None dividend of $0.49. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.77%. Devon Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Devon Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties. It develops and operates Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, Heavy Oil, Barnett Shale, STACK, and Rockies Oil. The company was founded by J. Larry Nichols and John W. Nichols in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DVN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd cut its holdings in Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD Get Rating) by 6.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 58,912 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after selling 3,933 shares during the period. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd owned about 0.26% of Mettler-Toledo International worth $86,122,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MTD. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 8.0% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 176 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $242,000 after buying an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 19.7% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 176 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 48.9% in the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 834 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,172,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 16,305 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $21,817,000 after purchasing an additional 662 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC acquired a new position in Mettler-Toledo International in the 1st quarter valued at about $626,000. 91.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Mettler-Toledo International alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages recently weighed in on MTD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Mettler-Toledo International from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and boosted their target price for the company from $1,100.00 to $1,350.00 in a research note on Monday, December 19th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,350.00 to $1,525.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,650.00 to $1,675.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. TheStreet raised shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,284.00 to $1,513.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Five 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 company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $1,450.71. Mettler-Toledo International Trading Down 0.3 % MTD traded down $4.76 on Friday, reaching $1,576.95. 64,833 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 73,979. The companys 50 day moving average is $1,496.52 and its 200-day moving average is $1,420.64. The company has a market cap of $34.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.00, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.17. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,065.55 and a twelve month high of $1,609.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 76.98, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.20. Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 10th. The medical instruments supplier reported $12.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $11.63 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. Mettler-Toledo International had a net margin of 22.26% and a return on equity of 10,609.85%. The companys revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $10.53 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Mettler-Toledo International Inc. will post 44 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In other Mettler-Toledo International news, Director Wah-Hui Chu sold 300 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,450.00, for a total value of $435,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 4,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,220,500. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Olivier A. Filliol sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,433.61, for a total transaction of $14,336,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 71 shares in the company, valued at approximately $101,786.31. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Wah-Hui Chu sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,450.00, for a total value of $435,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 4,290 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,220,500. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 18,022 shares of company stock valued at $26,391,416. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Mettler-Toledo International Profile (Get Rating) Mettler-Toledo International, Inc engages in the provision of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MTD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Mettler-Toledo International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mettler-Toledo International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd trimmed its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Rating) by 21.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,654,303 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 712,358 shares during the quarter. Abbott Laboratories makes up approximately 1.9% of AustralianSuper Pty Ltds portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. AustralianSuper Pty Ltds holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $290,859,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JDM Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Johnson Midwest Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 28.7% during the 3rd quarter. Johnson Midwest Financial LLC now owns 560 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arcus Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 72.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of Abbott Laboratories stock traded up $0.35 during trading on Friday, hitting $103.96. 5,043,723 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,392,449. The firm has a market cap of $180.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Abbott Laboratories has a 52-week low of $93.25 and a 52-week high of $124.35. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $102.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $104.45. Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $10.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.69 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 26.09% and a net margin of 15.88%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.32 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.96%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.17%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Mizuho increased their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Barclays raised their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $121.88. Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories In other Abbott Laboratories news, SVP Julie L. Tyler sold 260 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.24, for a total value of $26,842.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 40,896 shares in the company, valued at $4,222,103.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 679 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total value of $68,375.30. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,091,998.90. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Julie L. Tyler sold 260 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.24, for a total value of $26,842.40. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 40,896 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,222,103.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 1,971 shares of company stock worth $199,140 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. About Abbott Laboratories (Get Rating) Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad and diversified line of health care products. It operates through the following business segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment refers to the international sales of a line of branded generic pharmaceutical products. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. An Israeli experiment, aiming to create a three-dimensional (3D) map of planet Jupiter's atmosphere, was launched aboard a European spacecraft that lifted off on Friday, the Israel Space Agency (ISA) said. The mapping data will make it possible to understand the structure and composition of the solar system's oldest and largest planet, Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS), which leads the experiment, said in a separate statement. The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana atop an Ariane 5 launcher. It is planned to embark on a 900 million kilometer journey to Jupiter and look, among other things, for life signs in the flowing oceans beneath the icy surface of its moons. The Israeli experiment will use an ultra-stable oscillator, an atomic clock developed by the Israeli space-tech company AccuBeat with the funding of the ISA under Israel's Innovation, Science, and Technology Ministry. WIS stated that the 2-kg device is the most accurate space oscillator in the world, noting that even if it worked for 100,000 years, its oscillations would be regular to within a second. The atomic clock onboard incorporates an Italian-developed system, enabling the spacecraft to perform experiments and contribute to its communications with Earth. The instrument will enable WIS researchers to track subtle changes in a radio beam they will send from the spacecraft through Jupiter's atmosphere. In this way, every orbit of Jupiter will provide a temperature profile at a specific point, enabling the team to create the 3D atmosphere map throughout the whole mission. Description Learn something new and join us on our Walking History Tours: WAR OF 1812 WITH RICHARD WINES, April 15, 1:00 3:00 pm Hallockville historian Richard Wines, author of Defense of the Eagle about the War of 1812 battle that took place in the northwest corner of Hallock State Park, will lead a Walk and Talk about the engagement. The program will start in the parks visitor center with an illustrated talk about the engagement in which local militia held off three British warships for three days. Weather permitting, we will drive to the upper parking lot and walk about a quarter mile to a clifftop location overlooking the battle site. ARCHITECTURE AT HALLOCKVILLE WITH ZACH STUDENROTH, May 6, 10:00 am 12:00 pm Hallockvilles architecture spans the period from 1765 1938. The tour will take a moment to step back in history and consider what rural families experienced in building their homes, barns, and other structures. The Hallock Homestead and its outbuildings brought living and working on a traditional farm to life; The workrooms, laundry rooms, outhouse, and smoking shed were all a part of that experience. Today, our administrative offices reside in an 1838 home and the newest farmhouse is the Cichanowicz House which dates from the early 1900s. The Naugles Barn was built in 1938. Walking along Sound Avenue gives us a chance to see the variety of buildings and appreciate the authenticity of the Hallockville Museum Farm. THE POLISH IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE WITH PAUL HOFFMAN, June 3, 10:00 am 12:00 pm The program will begin with an illustrated talk and discussion in the Hudson-Sydlowski House about the Polish families that landed in the Hallockville neighborhood in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Hudson-Sydlowski House was home to a Polish immigrant family from the 1920s through the 1970s. The walk approximately one-third of a mile round trip will visit museum buildings that tell the stories of the Polish immigrant Trubisz, Naugles, and Cichanowicz families. We will welcome any stories or photos related to the Polish immigrant experience on the East End that participants bring to share. GARDENS AT HALLOCKVILLE WITH CHRISTINE KILLORIN, June 24, 10:00 am 12:00 pm Spend the morning with master gardener Christine Killorin and learn how you can turn your yard into a haven for bees, butterflies, and birds. These pollinators play a critical role in our ecosystem, but their numbers are in steep decline due to loss of habitat. Learn how to replace non-native plants, or a section of your lawn, with native plants that will provide pollinators food and shelter. Tour gardens at Hallockville illustrate two approaches a woodland garden, and a full sun border. You will take home a native plant that will get you started! Bank of The West lessened its stake in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA Get Rating) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 5,764 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 274 shares during the period. Bank of The Wests holdings in Mastercard were worth $2,004,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings 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. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Mastercard by 0.4% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 33,865,057 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $9,629,190,000 after buying an additional 138,753 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC increased its holdings in Mastercard by 1.6% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 7,874,093 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $2,238,920,000 after buying an additional 121,731 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Mastercard by 1.7% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,337,588 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $1,550,168,000 after purchasing an additional 71,113 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its holdings in Mastercard by 3.8% in the third quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,540,192 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $1,006,618,000 after purchasing an additional 128,200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.51% of the companys stock. Get Mastercard alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Mastercard In other Mastercard news, insider Hai Ling sold 8,220 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.31, for a total value of $2,928,868.20. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 26,496 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,440,789.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 172,548 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.62, for a total value of $63,086,999.76. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,908,187 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $36,894,051,330.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Hai Ling sold 8,220 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.31, for a total transaction of $2,928,868.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 26,496 shares in the company, valued at $9,440,789.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 649,189 shares of company stock valued at $240,317,705. Insiders own 0.29% of the companys stock. Mastercard Price Performance Mastercard stock opened at $372.43 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $355.02 billion, a PE ratio of 36.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.11. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52-week low of $276.87 and a 52-week high of $390.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The companys 50 day moving average is $359.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $346.02. Mastercard (NYSE:MA Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The credit services provider reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $5.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.79 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.65% and a return on equity of 158.38%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.35 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.14 EPS for the current fiscal year. Mastercard Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 7th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. Mastercards dividend payout ratio is presently 22.31%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have issued reports on MA shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Mastercard from $437.00 to $438.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Raymond James lifted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $406.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $375.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $395.00 to $452.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $380.00 to $405.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twenty-one have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price 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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Mastercard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mastercard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bankinter, S.A. (OTCMKTS:BKNIY Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,200 shares, an increase of 340.0% from the March 15th total of 500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Bankinter from an outperform rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Friday, March 31st. Get Bankinter alerts: Bankinter Stock Performance Shares of BKNIY stock remained flat at $6.08 during trading hours on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.39. Bankinter has a 12 month low of $4.60 and a 12 month high of $7.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.02. Bankinter Increases Dividend About Bankinter The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 29th were paid a $0.0772 dividend. This is an increase from Bankinters previous dividend of $0.07. This represents a yield of 4.33%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 28th. (Get Rating) Bankinter SA engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Banking, Corporate and SME Banking, Consumer Finance, Insurance Services and Other Business. The company was founded in June 1965 and is headquartered in Mardrid, Spain. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bankinter Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bankinter and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Haleon (LON:HLN Get Rating) had its price objective raised by Barclays from GBX 364 ($4.51) to GBX 383 ($4.74) in a report issued on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Haleon from GBX 370 ($4.58) to GBX 360 ($4.46) in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Haleon from GBX 335 ($4.15) to GBX 330 ($4.09) and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 6th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Haleon from GBX 358 ($4.43) to GBX 344 ($4.26) in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Credit Suisse Group restated an outperform rating and set a GBX 376 ($4.66) target price on shares of Haleon in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an underweight rating and set a GBX 250 ($3.10) target price on shares of Haleon in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 324.82 ($4.02). Get Haleon alerts: Haleon Stock Performance Shares of HLN opened at GBX 344.70 ($4.27) on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 328.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 308.13. Haleon has a 52-week low of GBX 241.17 ($2.99) and a 52-week high of GBX 350.60 ($4.34). The company has a market capitalization of 31.82 billion and a PE ratio of 3,133.64. Haleon Announces Dividend Haleon Company Profile The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 16th will be given a GBX 2.40 ($0.03) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 16th. This represents a yield of 0.74%. Haleons dividend payout ratio is presently 4,545.45%. (Get Rating) Haleon plc engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various consumer healthcare products in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. The company provides therapeutic oral health, pain relief, respiratory health, digestive health, and other products, as well as vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Haleon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Haleon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Barclays PLC (LON:BARC Get Rating) has earned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 238.56 ($2.95). Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Barclays in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Shore Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of Barclays in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. UBS Group set a GBX 238 ($2.95) price target on Barclays in a research note on Monday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Barclays from GBX 240 ($2.97) to GBX 200 ($2.48) and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on Barclays from GBX 260 ($3.22) to GBX 270 ($3.34) and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 20th. Get Barclays alerts: Barclays Stock Performance BARC opened at GBX 157.88 ($1.96) on Monday. The firm has a market cap of 24.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 526.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.09 and a beta of 1.37. Barclays has a 52-week low of GBX 128.12 ($1.59) and a 52-week high of GBX 198.86 ($2.46). The businesss fifty day moving average is GBX 160.60 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 160.07. Barclays Increases Dividend Insider Activity The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 23rd were issued a GBX 5 ($0.06) dividend. This is an increase from Barclayss previous dividend of $2.25. This represents a yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 23rd. Barclayss payout ratio is presently 2,333.33%. In other news, insider Dawn Fitzpatrick acquired 5,613 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 174 ($2.15) per share, for a total transaction of 9,766.62 ($12,094.89). Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock. Barclays Company Profile (Get Rating) Barclays PLC, through its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International divisions. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Barclays Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barclays and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bridgetown Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:BTWNU Get Rating)s stock price was down 0.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $10.05 and last traded at $10.06. Approximately 300 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 89% from the average daily volume of 2,686 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.07. Bridgetown Stock Performance The stock has a 50-day moving average of $10.10 and a 200-day moving average of $9.99. Get Bridgetown alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bridgetown A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of BTWNU. Clear Street LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bridgetown by 381.9% in the 3rd quarter. Clear Street LLC now owns 9,185 shares of the companys stock valued at $92,000 after acquiring an additional 7,279 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Bridgetown during the 4th quarter worth $114,000. Finally, Susquehanna International Group LLP bought a new position in Bridgetown during the 4th quarter worth $144,000. About Bridgetown Bridgetown Holdings Limited 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 in the technology, financial services, or media sectors. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Bridgetown Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bridgetown and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Heliogen (NYSE:HLGN Get Rating) and Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM Get Rating) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and valuation. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Heliogen and Pampa Energias top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Heliogen alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Heliogen $13.75 million 4.90 -$142.00 million ($0.75) -0.46 Pampa Energia $1.83 billion 1.14 $456.00 million $8.27 4.54 Pampa Energia has higher revenue and earnings than Heliogen. Heliogen is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pampa Energia, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Heliogen -1,032.65% -91.20% -62.91% Pampa Energia 24.93% 20.65% 9.84% Volatility & Risk This table compares Heliogen and Pampa Energias net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Heliogen has a beta of 2.12, indicating that its share price is 112% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pampa Energia has a beta of 0.78, indicating that its share price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500. Institutional and Insider Ownership 39.8% of Heliogen shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 12.1% of Pampa Energia shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.7% of Heliogen shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 55.5% of Pampa Energia shares are owned 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. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Heliogen and Pampa Energia, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Heliogen 0 1 0 0 2.00 Pampa Energia 0 2 0 0 2.00 Heliogen currently has a consensus price target of $2.00, suggesting a potential upside of 481.40%. Pampa Energia has a consensus price target of $23.00, suggesting a potential downside of 38.76%. Given Heliogens higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Heliogen is more favorable than Pampa Energia. Summary Pampa Energia beats Heliogen on 7 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Heliogen (Get Rating) Heliogen, Inc., a renewable energy technology company, develops an A.I.-enabled, concentrated solar power plant. It offers HelioHeat for the production of heat for use in industrial processes; HelioPower, a solution for power generation; and HelioFuel, a solution for hydrogen fuel production. The company was formerly known as Edison Microgrids, Inc. and changed its name to Heliogen, Inc. in November 2019. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in Pasadena, California. About Pampa Energia (Get Rating) Pampa Energia SA engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Electricity Generation, Distribution of Energy, Oil and Gas, Petrochemicals, and Holding and Others. The Electricity Generation segment includes electricity generation activities through the operation of hydro and thermal power plants as well as wind farms. The Distribution of Energy segment consists of direct interest in Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte SA. The Oil and Gas segment develops upstream, midstream, and downstream activities that produce barrels of oil. The Petrochemicals segment comprises styrenics operations and catalytic reformer plant operations conducted in Argentine plants. The Holding and Others segment covers financial investment transactions, holding activities, concession over the high voltage electricity transmission, and over gas transportation. The company was founded on February 21, 1945 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Receive News & Ratings for Heliogen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Heliogen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DORCHESTER WEALTH MANAGEMENT Co lessened its stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A) by 78.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 8,909 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 32,705 shares during the period. DORCHESTER WEALTH MANAGEMENT Cos holdings in Brookfield Asset Management were worth $255,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 38,228 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,161,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 537,451 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,404,000 after purchasing an additional 20,309 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management during the 1st quarter valued at $22,369,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Brookfield Asset Management in the 1st quarter worth $340,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Brookfield Asset Management by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 44,050,716 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,491,950,000 after acquiring an additional 1,220,298 shares during the last quarter. Get Brookfield Asset Management alerts: Brookfield Asset Management Stock Performance NYSE:BAM opened at $33.49 on Friday. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. has a 52 week low of $26.76 and a 52 week high of $36.50. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $32.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $35.69. Brookfield Asset Management Increases Dividend Brookfield Asset Management ( NYSE:BAM Get Rating ) (TSE:BAM.A) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $958.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.81 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. will post 1.39 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 28th were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.82%. This is a boost from Brookfield Asset Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Multi-Strategy Mast Brookfield sold 24,744 shares of Brookfield Asset Management stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.96, for a total value of $295,938.24. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 21,104,923 shares in the company, valued at approximately $252,414,879.08. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 11.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In BAM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Brookfield Asset Management from $35.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. StockNews.com started coverage on Brookfield Asset Management in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, CIBC started coverage on Brookfield Asset Management in a research report on Friday, December 16th. They set an outperform rating and a $37.00 price target on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $47.06. Brookfield Asset Management Profile (Get Rating) Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. provides alternative asset management services. Its renewable power and transition business includes the ownership, operation, and development of hydroelectric, wind, solar, and energy transition power generating assets. The company's infrastructure business engages in the ownership, operation, and development of utilities, transport, midstream, data and sustainable resource assets. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A). Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Asset Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Asset Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fifth Third Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (NYSEARCA:IQLT Get Rating) by 13.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 20,419 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,418 shares during the period. Fifth Third Securities Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF were worth $661,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. now owns 1,120 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF by 82.6% in the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 1,536 shares of the companys stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 695 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF by 62.5% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,966 shares of the companys stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 756 shares during the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $86,000. Get iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF Stock Performance Shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF stock opened at $36.15 on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $34.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $32.79. iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF has a 52-week low of $27.02 and a 52-week high of $36.44. The firm has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a PE ratio of 13.88 and a beta of 0.87. iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF Profile The iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (IQLT) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the World ex USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap stocks in developed countries, outside of the US. The index is selected and weighted for exposure to fundamental quality metrics. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IQLT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (NYSEARCA:IQLT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK Get Rating) have received an average recommendation of Buy from the twelve analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $27.73. Several brokerages have recently weighed in on GPK. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Graphic Packaging from $27.00 to $26.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Graphic Packaging from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 21st. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Graphic Packaging from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Graphic Packaging from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Get Graphic Packaging alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Graphic Packaging In other Graphic Packaging news, EVP Joseph P. Yost sold 60,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.99, for a total transaction of $1,439,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 209,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,019,907.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.93% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Graphic Packaging Stock Down 0.4 % Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 0.7% during the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 83,782 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,654,000 after buying an additional 557 shares in the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 16.4% in the second quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 215,550 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $4,419,000 after purchasing an additional 30,405 shares in the last quarter. Blueshift Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Graphic Packaging in the third quarter worth approximately $235,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its position in Graphic Packaging by 145.7% during the third quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 121,462 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,398,000 after purchasing an additional 72,030 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Republic Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Graphic Packaging by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 35,909 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $709,000 after buying an additional 1,180 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.47% of the companys stock. NYSE:GPK opened at $24.76 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.42. The stocks fifty day moving average is $24.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.82. Graphic Packaging has a 52 week low of $19.08 and a 52 week high of $25.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.98. Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 7th. The industrial products company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.32 billion. Graphic Packaging had a return on equity of 36.32% and a net margin of 5.53%. The companys revenue was up 20.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.31 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Graphic Packaging will post 2.75 EPS for the current year. Graphic Packaging Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.62%. Graphic Packagings payout ratio is currently 23.81%. About Graphic Packaging (Get Rating) Graphic Packaging Holding Co engages in the provision of paper-based packaging solutions for a variety of products to food, beverage and other consumer products companies. It operates through the following business segments: Paperboard Mills, Americas Paperboard Packaging, Europe Paperboard Packaging, and Corporate and Other. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Graphic Packaging Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Graphic Packaging and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Greatland Gold plc (LON:GGP Get Rating) traded up 0.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as GBX 8.27 ($0.10) and last traded at GBX 8.05 ($0.10). Approximately 13,176,314 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 9% from the average daily volume of 14,502,746 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 8 ($0.10). Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 19 ($0.24) price objective on shares of Greatland Gold in a report on Monday, February 6th. Get Greatland Gold alerts: Greatland Gold Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 69.53, a quick ratio of 2.36 and a current ratio of 13.68. The stock has a market cap of 415.74 million, a P/E ratio of -39.50 and a beta of 0.61. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 7.72 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 7.87. Greatland Gold Company Profile Greatland Gold plc engages in the exploration and development of precious and base metals in the United Kingdom and Australia. It explores for gold, copper, cobalt, and nickel deposits. The company's flagship asset is the Havieron deposit in the Paterson region of Western Australia. Greatland Gold plc was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Greatland Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greatland Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. kali9 / Getty Images Youve saved up some money and youre ready to start a home remodeling project. Whether the updates are to prepare your home for the market or simply for your own pleasure, you want to be smart about this investment. Read: 10 US Cities With Plenty of Jobs and Cheap Housing Similar: How To Build a Financial Plan From Zero As a savvy homeowner, you know all home upgrades dont offer an equal return, so you want to choose a project that will raise your property value. Heres a look at expensive remodeling mistakes you dont want to make, along with budget-friendly alternatives truly worth your money. Niche Updates Your home is a reflection of you, so you might be tempted to spring for a custom renovation that reflects your interests. However, Isabelle Emond, a real estate broker and the owner of RE/MAX Ocean Surf and Sun, based in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, recommended against excessive improvements specifically tailored to your preferences. Converting an extra room into a knitting room, converting the garage into a game room or installing wine cellars may make it difficult to find purchasers, because not everyone will share your interests, she said. You should avoid these luxury rooms because most buyers would prefer to have the extra space as a blank slate, rather than [have to] modify it to suit their tastes, if they decide to purchase your property. For reference, the average cost to build a wine cellar is $40,000, while converting a garage to a living space costs an estimated $14,850, according to HomeAdvisor. Instead: If you have the funds and youre committed to a major project, consider converting your basement to a living area. This is more universally appealing because many buyers want to use the garage for its intended purpose. Transforming your basement into a living area costs approximately $57,500 and you can expect to recoup 86% of the costs, according to the 2022 Remodeling Impact Report, released by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Association of Realtors. Story continues If your budget isnt quite that large, but you still want to take on a big project, consider adding a new roof. This will cost an average of $12,000 and youll likely recoup 100% of the costs, according to the Remodeling Impact Report. Take Our Poll: Do You Think Bankruptcy Is an Acceptable Way To Escape Student Loan Debt? High-End Kitchen Remodel A kitchen is the heart of the home, so you might think no dollar value is too high to invest in it, but Emond said that isnt the case. Avoid redesigning the kitchen with the most recent smart equipment with overly sophisticated features that a buyer would not appreciate, she said. Over-renovating to the point where you cant recoup your initial investment is a bad choice. While innovative appliances might be fun for you in the short term, Emond said its best to focus on upgrades that appeal to the masses. Instead of rebuilding a kitchen to be extremely smart, refinish the cabinets, change the backsplash and repaint the walls, because these features are easier and less expensive to change for the buyer. Youll also save a lot of money by opting against a high-end kitchen remodel, as the average cost for this type of project is $158,015 with 52.5% of costs recouped according to the 2022 Remodeling magazine Cost vs. Value report. Instead: Toning your kitchen remodel down to a mid-range price point offers serious savings. If youre looking for a total overhaul, a major mid-range kitchen remodel costs an average of $80,809 with a 56.1% return on investment while a minor kitchen remodel costs approximately $28,279, with 71.2% of costs recouped, according to Remodeling Magazine. Waterfall Countertops Speaking of kitchen improvements, if youre thinking about hopping on the popular waterfall countertop trend, Martha McNamara, head of design and product curation at Vevano Home, a firm that provides virtual interior design services and specializes in major home renovations, advised against it. Although they are a beautiful statement piece, it often doubles your countertop price, she said. Expect to spend $30 to $60 per linear foot of stone slabs for a waterfall countertop and up to $75 to $125-plus per square foot for installation, according to HomeAdvisor. Caesarstone material alone typically costs around $2,500 on average. Note that the costs are comparable to what youd pay with a conventional countertop, fabrication and resealing needed up to twice per year with granite that really bring the price up. Instead: If youre having second thoughts about that waterfall countertop, McNamara suggested finished cabinet panels that extend the depth of the overhang as a great alternative. She said this option is also more versatile and can work with more traditional styles, whereas the waterfall countertop is hard to pair with anything but a modern look. Overall, expect to spend an average of $3,102 for countertop installation including both materials and labor according to HomeAdvisor. Home Gyms At the beginning of the pandemic, home gyms were all the rage, but Ben Fisher, a luxury real estate agent with The Fisher Group in Salt Lake City, Utah, said this trend has gone out of style. If you really want to do some serious workout in your home, you can just buy a treadmill for running and a few other materials like a dumbbell, skipping rope and others, he said. The average cost of building a home gym is $2,000, according to HomeAdvisor. Thankfully, theres no shortage of better renovation options for your money. Instead: Its not the most exciting update, but an insulation upgrade costs approximately $2,500 and youll recoup about 100% of the costs, according to the Remodeling Impact Report. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Expensive Home-Remodeling Mistakes To Avoid Horizonte Minerals Plc (OTCMKTS:HZMMF Get Rating) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 300 shares, a decline of 66.7% from the March 15th total of 900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days. Horizonte Minerals Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS HZMMF remained flat at $1.80 during midday trading on Friday. 4,050 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,074. Horizonte Minerals has a fifty-two week low of $0.94 and a fifty-two week high of $3.12. The companys 50-day moving average is $1.76 and its 200-day moving average is $1.52. Get Horizonte Minerals alerts: About Horizonte Minerals (Get Rating) See Also Horizonte Minerals Plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of mineral projects in Brazil. The company primarily explores for nickel deposits, as well as cobalt deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Araguaia ferronickel project and Serra do Tapa nickel project located in the State of Para; and the Vermelho Nickel-Cobalt project in the eastern part of the Carajas mining district. Receive News & Ratings for Horizonte Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Horizonte Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV reduced its stake in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Get Rating) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,730 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 640 shares during the period. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADVs holdings in Southern were worth $1,266,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Southern by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 94,652,372 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $6,436,360,000 after buying an additional 1,391,612 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Southern by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,360,768 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $5,192,533,000 after purchasing an additional 723,336 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Southern by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 65,068,549 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $4,424,661,000 after purchasing an additional 1,313,036 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Southern by 6.2% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 63,002,360 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $4,284,352,000 after purchasing an additional 3,653,841 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 0.8% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,795,619 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $598,104,000 after acquiring an additional 66,208 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.78% of the companys stock. Get Southern alerts: Southern Stock Down 0.7 % Shares of NYSE:SO opened at $71.94 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. The Southern Company has a 52-week low of $58.85 and a 52-week high of $80.57. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $67.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.57. The company has a market capitalization of $78.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.93, a P/E/G ratio of 5.00 and a beta of 0.51. Southern Dividend Announcement Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The utilities provider reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $7.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.83 billion. Southern had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 11.73%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.36 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Southern Company will post 3.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were issued a $0.68 dividend. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.93%. Insider Activity In other Southern news, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of Southern stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $85,381.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,512 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,832,299.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $85,381.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,512 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,832,299.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total value of $359,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 146,284 shares in the company, valued at $10,516,356.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 7,134 shares of company stock valued at $502,179 in the last 90 days. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Southern from $68.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Friday, December 16th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on Southern from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $72.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 12th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Southern from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Southern from $79.00 to $78.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $71.64. About Southern (Get Rating) The Southern Co is a holding company, which engages in the generation and sale of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Traditional Electric Operating Companies, Southern Power and Southern Company Gas. The Traditional Electric Operating Companies segment refers to vertically integrated utilities that own generation, transmission and distribution facilities, and supplies electric services in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Intellipharmaceutics International Inc. (OTCMKTS:IPCIF Get Rating) (TSE:I) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,500 shares, a growth of 462.5% from the March 15th total of 800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 13,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days. Intellipharmaceutics International Price Performance OTCMKTS IPCIF remained flat at $0.06 during trading hours on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $0.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of $0.07. Intellipharmaceutics International has a one year low of $0.05 and a one year high of $0.16. Get Intellipharmaceutics International alerts: Intellipharmaceutics International Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Stories Intellipharmaceutics International Inc, a pharmaceutical company, researches, develops, and manufactures novel and generic controlled-release and targeted-release oral solid dosage drugs in the United States. It develops various drug delivery systems, product candidates, and a pipeline of products based on its patented Hypermatrix technology in various therapeutic areas, including neurology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal tract, diabetes, and pain. Receive News & Ratings for Intellipharmaceutics International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Intellipharmaceutics International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC decreased its holdings in iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU Get Rating) by 5.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 71,573 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 4,085 shares during the quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLCs holdings in iShares Gold Trust were worth $2,476,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in iShares Gold Trust in the third quarter valued at about $264,003,000. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 93.3% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 4,573,365 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $150,602,000 after buying an additional 2,207,676 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 24.1% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,397,408 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $272,323,000 after buying an additional 1,436,094 shares in the last quarter. GM Advisory Group Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 107.9% in the first quarter. GM Advisory Group Inc. now owns 2,486,906 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $91,593,000 after buying an additional 1,290,420 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 309.8% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 1,229,400 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $38,759,000 after buying an additional 929,400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.40% of the companys stock. Get iShares Gold Trust alerts: iShares Gold Trust Stock Performance Shares of IAU stock opened at $38.01 on Friday. iShares Gold Trust has a fifty-two week low of $30.69 and a fifty-two week high of $38.84. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.54. About iShares Gold Trust iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trusts custodian on behalf of the Trust. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IAU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Gold Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Gold Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund (NYSE:BTO Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 139,200 shares, an increase of 283.5% from the March 15th total of 36,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 68,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.0 days. John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund Stock Down 0.5 % John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund stock traded down $0.14 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $29.01. 67,928 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 68,467. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $32.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $33.68. John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund has a 1-year low of $26.11 and a 1-year high of $40.50. Get John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund alerts: John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 10th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.96%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund About John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,314,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund by 85.3% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,195 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund by 93.3% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,295 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 625 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new position in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at about $93,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund by 2,288.7% during the 3rd quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 3,392 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 3,250 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 19.53% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund is a closed-end diversified management investment fund. Its objective is to provide a high level of total return consisting of long-term capital appreciation and current income. The company was founded on August 23, 1994 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. See Also Receive News & Ratings for John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lenovo Group Limited (OTCMKTS:LNVGY Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,100 shares, a decline of 97.8% from the March 15th total of 94,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 98,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Lenovo Group Stock Down 0.9 % LNVGY traded down $0.20 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $21.08. 18,493 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 50,908. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.90. The companys fifty day moving average price is $19.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.97. The company has a market cap of $12.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.18 and a beta of 0.99. Lenovo Group has a one year low of $13.51 and a one year high of $22.20. Get Lenovo Group alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Lenovo Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. About Lenovo Group Lenovo Group Limited, an investment holding company, develops, manufactures, and markets technology products and services. It operates through Intelligent Devices Group, Infrastructure Solutions Group, and Solutions and Services Group segments. The company offers commercial and consumer personal computers, as well as servers and workstations; and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smartphones. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Lenovo Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lenovo Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mizuho reiterated their buy rating on shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas (NYSE:MGY Get Rating) in a research note published on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $29.00 target price on the stock. A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on MGY. Truist Financial increased their price target on Magnolia Oil & Gas from $29.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on Magnolia Oil & Gas from $37.00 to $35.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on Magnolia Oil & Gas from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Roth Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $30.33. Get Magnolia Oil & Gas alerts: Magnolia Oil & Gas Trading Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE MGY opened at $23.29 on Tuesday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $21.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.17. Magnolia Oil & Gas has a 52-week low of $18.01 and a 52-week high of $30.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.94 and a beta of 2.15. The company has a quick ratio of 2.50, a current ratio of 2.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Magnolia Oil & Gas Increases Dividend Magnolia Oil & Gas ( NYSE:MGY Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $349.04 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $351.53 million. Magnolia Oil & Gas had a return on equity of 59.22% and a net margin of 52.75%. On average, analysts anticipate that Magnolia Oil & Gas will post 2.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $0.115 per share. This is a positive change from Magnolia Oil & Gass previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 9th. Magnolia Oil & Gass dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.77%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Magnolia Oil & Gas A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MGY. CI Investments Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas by 60.6% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,635 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas during the 3rd quarter valued at $56,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas during the 4th quarter valued at $71,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas by 65.1% in the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 3,648 shares of the companys stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,439 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.60% of the companys stock. About Magnolia Oil & Gas (Get Rating) Magnolia Oil & Gas Corp. engages in the acquisition, development, exploration, and production of oil and natural gas properties. It operates assets located in the Eagle Ford Shale and Austin Chalk formations in South Texas. The company was founded on February 14, 2017 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Magnolia Oil & Gas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magnolia Oil & Gas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Monarch Ambassador Income ETF (BATS:MAMB Get Rating)s share price traded down 0% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $22.50 and last traded at $22.51. 10,041 shares were traded during mid-day trading, The stock had previously closed at $22.52. Monarch Ambassador Income ETF Price Performance The firms fifty day moving average price is $22.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.80. About Monarch Ambassador Income ETF (Get Rating) The Monarch Ambassador Income ETF (MAMB) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Kingsview Ambassador Income index. The fund tracks an index that consists of mainly global fixed income ETFs, plus an alternative sleeve. Constituents are selected and weighted based on the economic cycle. MAMB was launched on Mar 23, 2021 and is managed by Monarch. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Monarch Ambassador Income ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Monarch Ambassador Income ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CapWealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI Get Rating) by 32.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 6,050 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after buying an additional 1,475 shares during the quarter. CapWealth Advisors LLCs holdings in National Health Investors were worth $316,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in NHI. Financial Advantage Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of National Health Investors during the third quarter worth about $56,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in National Health Investors by 152.8% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,130 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 683 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in National Health Investors in the third quarter valued at about $90,000. Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in National Health Investors in the second quarter valued at about $116,000. Finally, First Republic Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in National Health Investors in the first quarter valued at about $204,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.44% of the companys stock. Get National Health Investors alerts: National Health Investors Price Performance Shares of NHI stock traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $50.21. 221,042 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 260,627. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $53.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $54.43. National Health Investors, Inc. has a 1-year low of $48.04 and a 1-year high of $67.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 12.71 and a quick ratio of 12.71. The firm has a market cap of $2.18 billion, a PE ratio of 34.16 and a beta of 0.91. National Health Investors Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.17%. National Health Investorss payout ratio is 244.90%. A number of equities research analysts recently commented on NHI shares. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on shares of National Health Investors from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of National Health Investors in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $59.25. National Health Investors Company Profile (Get Rating) National Health Investors, Inc engages in the sale-leaseback, joint-venture, mortgage, and mezzanine financing of senior housing and medical investments. It operates through the Real Estate Investments and Senior Housing Operating Portfolio (SHOP) segments. The Real Estate Investments segment includes real estate investments and lease, mortgage, and other notes receivables in independent living facilities. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NHI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for National Health Investors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Health Investors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nomad Foods (NYSE:NOMD Get Rating) had its target price upped by Barclays from $18.00 to $21.00 in a report issued on Friday morning, The Fly reports. Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on NOMD. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Nomad Foods from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 24th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Nomad Foods from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Nomad Foods from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $21.00 target price for the company in a research report on Sunday, February 26th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Nomad Foods in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Two investment 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, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $22.00. Get Nomad Foods alerts: Nomad Foods Stock Down 1.4 % NOMD opened at $18.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.45 and a beta of 0.74. The firms fifty day moving average price is $18.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.85. Nomad Foods has a fifty-two week low of $12.50 and a fifty-two week high of $21.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.70. Institutional Trading of Nomad Foods Nomad Foods ( NYSE:NOMD Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.03). Nomad Foods had a return on equity of 11.77% and a net margin of 8.49%. The company had revenue of $766.03 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $788.13 million. On average, analysts anticipate that Nomad Foods will post 1.62 EPS for the current year. A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chartwell Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Nomad Foods in the first quarter valued at $8,073,000. American Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Nomad Foods during the 4th quarter worth about $191,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Nomad Foods by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 11,842,891 shares of the companys stock worth $204,171,000 after buying an additional 476,977 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming lifted its stake in shares of Nomad Foods by 18.0% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 9,221 shares of the companys stock worth $159,000 after buying an additional 1,404 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Systematic Financial Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Nomad Foods by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 1,081,371 shares of the companys stock worth $18,643,000 after buying an additional 211,812 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.54% of the companys stock. Nomad Foods Company Profile (Get Rating) Nomad Foods Ltd. operates as a holding company, which manufactures and sells frozen foods for human consumption. The firm offers its products under the brands LUTOSA, la Cocinera, Birds Eye, Iglo, and Findus. The company was founded by Noam Gottesman and Sir Martin E. Franklin on April 1, 2014 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Nomad Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nomad Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Image Source / Getty Images/Vetta For many people, retiring in Florida sounds like the dream. It allows them to escape the cold and snow they put up with for decades in the Northeast or perhaps other parts of the country. Instead of the biting cold and gray skies, you get nonstop sunshine and warm weather. Sounds like a great deal, right? Find: 6 Types of Retirement Income That Arent Taxable See: 3 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Retirement Perhaps. But there are also some potentially serious downsides of retiring in Florida. Of course, there are the snakes and gators and endless traffic, but there are also financial concerns. If you dream of retiring in Florida, here are some reasons you may want to reconsider. Homes Can Be Expensive Many states have watched their housing prices balloon over the past few years, thanks in part to a shortfall in new construction that dates back to the Great Recession. However, none have seen their housing prices skyrocket the way Florida has. For example, housing prices increased by 22.7% from the year before as of the third quarter of 2022, according to Statista. The median home price in Orlando is $345,000, Redfin reports. So if you intend to retire in Florida, youll need to be financially prepared from the get-go. Healthcare Can Be Costly Florida has numerous excellent medical facilities where patients can receive top-quality care. As great as that is, though, healthcare can be costly in the Sunshine State. Thats especially problematic for retirees, who are more likely to need expensive medical care. While Medicare does cover most medical expenses for retirees over 65, there may still be out-of-pocket costs. These include deductibles, premiums and co-pays. There are also costs like long-term care, dental care and vision care that are typically not covered. Plus, Floridas aging population could further push prices upward for everyone. Take Our Poll: Do You Think the US Should Raise the Medicare Tax on High Earners To Help Save the Program? Retirement Communities May Be Expensive In addition to healthcare costs, there is also the cost of retirement communities, which is something many retirees eventually need. On the plus side, retirement communities offer many seniors a comfortable and welcoming lifestyle. Story continues However, these communities can be expensive in Florida. The real cost might vary significantly depending on things like where the community is located and the fees it charges. But some retirement communities charge significant fees for maintenance, security and other services. If you see yourself living in one of these communities, investigate the rates in Florida. You Might Get Hit by a Hurricane Florida is known for being at risk for hurricanes, which can cause severe damage to property and be costly to repair. The risk can be significant depending on where you live in Florida. Plus, the risk of hurricane damage may increase due to climate change. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th, putting you at risk for a large portion of the year. This is one reason the average homeowners insurance premium is $1,981 in Florida, making it the 10th most expensive state in the country for homeowners insurance. You May Need Flood Insurance In much of the country, flood insurance isnt something people think about as a necessity. But its often required in flood-prone areas, which includes much of Florida. Homes with government-backed mortgages in high-flood-risk areas are required to have flood insurance. It isnt federally required if you have a mortgage from a private lender, but they may still require it. The average cost of flood insurance in Florida is a little over $600. However, premiums may vary significantly depending on where you live and your propertys risk assessment. Property Taxes Can Be High The average property tax rate is 0.89% in Florida, which puts it right in the middle in terms of property tax rates. However, even Floridas relatively modest property tax rate can still result in significant property tax thanks to the states rapidly rising home costs. For example, 0.89% paid on Floridas median $345,000 home would equate to $3,070.50 in property taxes per year. Plus, property tax rates may vary depending on where you live within the state. Property tax rates may vary by city, county and school district. This means you could end up paying even more in property taxes if you move to Florida. Dont Forget Sales Tax One thing that sometimes draws people to Florida is its lack of income tax. On the one hand, this could be seen as a good thing for retirees, many of whom live on a fixed income. But dont forget state and local sales tax, which is 7.02% in Florida. That can significantly impact retirees when they purchase goods and services. One positive is that certain goods, such as groceries and prescription drugs, are exempt from sales tax in Florida. However, some jurisdictions might still add a tax on these items. The bottom line is that if you are flocking to Florida to escape income taxes, its sales taxes can quickly sour your plan. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Reasons You Dont Want To Retire in Florida Patten & Patten Inc. TN lessened its position in shares of GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF Get Rating) by 12.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 118,955 shares of the companys stock after selling 16,910 shares during the quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TNs holdings in GrafTech International were worth $566,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of GrafTech International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in GrafTech International in the 1st quarter valued at $60,000. CWM LLC acquired a new stake in GrafTech International in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in GrafTech International by 855.9% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,116 shares of the companys stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 7,267 shares in the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in GrafTech International in the 1st quarter valued at $98,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.74% of the companys stock. Get GrafTech International alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Citigroup boosted their price target on GrafTech International from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. GrafTech International Price Performance GrafTech International stock opened at $5.06 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $5.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.09. GrafTech International Ltd. has a 52 week low of $4.07 and a 52 week high of $10.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.76, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 3.43. The firm has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 1.36. GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.22 by ($0.05). GrafTech International had a net margin of 29.89% and a return on equity of 161.67%. The company had revenue of $247.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $221.00 million. GrafTech Internationals revenue was down 31.9% compared to the same quarter last year. GrafTech International Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were given a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.79%. GrafTech Internationals payout ratio is 2.72%. GrafTech International Company Profile (Get Rating) GrafTech International Ltd. engages in the manufacture of graphite electrode products essential to the production of electric arc furnace steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The firm also produces a needle coke product which is a raw material in producing graphite electrodes. Its customers include steel producers and other ferrous and non-ferrous metal producers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, which sell its products into the automotive, construction, appliance, machinery, equipment, and transportation industries. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for GrafTech International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GrafTech International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE:PKI Get Rating) have been given an average recommendation of Hold by the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $166.30. A number of brokerages have issued reports on PKI. TheStreet upgraded PerkinElmer from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Barclays cut their price target on PerkinElmer from $145.00 to $140.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. StockNews.com began coverage on PerkinElmer in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $160.00 price target on shares of PerkinElmer in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on PerkinElmer from $185.00 to $182.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Get PerkinElmer alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other PerkinElmer news, insider Daniel R. Tereau sold 10,741 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.72, for a total value of $1,328,876.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 11,611 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,436,512.92. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other PerkinElmer news, insider Daniel R. Tereau sold 10,741 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.72, for a total value of $1,328,876.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 11,611 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,436,512.92. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Maxwell Krakowiak sold 322 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $41,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 7,202 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $936,260. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 15,349 shares of company stock worth $1,953,042 in the last quarter. 0.52% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of PerkinElmer PerkinElmer Trading Up 0.1 % Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PKI. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of PerkinElmer by 243,398.1% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,877,835 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,665,510,000 after acquiring an additional 11,872,957 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of PerkinElmer in the 4th quarter valued at about $191,111,000. Select Equity Group L.P. raised its holdings in shares of PerkinElmer by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 9,777,698 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,371,029,000 after acquiring an additional 1,020,617 shares in the last quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PerkinElmer in the 4th quarter valued at about $85,717,000. Finally, Pendal Group Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of PerkinElmer in the 3rd quarter valued at about $69,329,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.22% of the companys stock. NYSE PKI opened at $137.11 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.94, a PEG ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $129.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $132.98. PerkinElmer has a 12 month low of $113.46 and a 12 month high of $170.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. PerkinElmer (NYSE:PKI Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 14th. The medical research company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $741.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. PerkinElmer had a return on equity of 13.94% and a net margin of 14.69%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.56 EPS. On average, analysts predict that PerkinElmer will post 5.06 EPS for the current fiscal year. PerkinElmer Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 21st will be paid a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 20th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. PerkinElmers dividend payout ratio is currently 6.11%. About PerkinElmer (Get Rating) PerkinElmer, Inc engages in the provision of products, services, and solutions for diagnostics, food, environmental, life sciences, and applied markets. It operates through the following segments: Discovery & Analytical Solutions and Diagnostics. The Discovery & Analytical Solutions segment consists of technologies that help life sciences researchers better understand diseases and develop treatments. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for PerkinElmer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PerkinElmer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM Get Rating) have been given an average recommendation of Moderate Buy by the sixteen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $62.21. Several equities research analysts have issued reports on PHM shares. Bank of America raised shares of PulteGroup from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the stock from $46.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $56.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $65.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $46.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Get PulteGroup alerts: PulteGroup Price Performance PulteGroup stock opened at $60.14 on Monday. PulteGroup has a 12-month low of $35.03 and a 12-month high of $60.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.42, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.33. The firms 50-day moving average is $56.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.62. PulteGroup Dividend Announcement PulteGroup ( NYSE:PHM Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The construction company reported $3.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.75. PulteGroup had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 31.85%. The company had revenue of $5.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.51 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that PulteGroup will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Investors of record on Monday, March 20th were issued a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 17th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. PulteGroups dividend payout ratio is presently 5.77%. Insider Activity at PulteGroup In related news, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,998 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.83, for a total value of $861,172.34. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 82,339 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,432,308.37. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other PulteGroup news, VP Brien P. Omeara sold 4,924 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $295,440.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 17,308 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,038,480. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,998 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.83, for a total transaction of $861,172.34. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 82,339 shares in the company, valued at $4,432,308.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 50,739 shares of company stock valued at $2,845,149 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.83% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of PulteGroup A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 122.5% during the first quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,211 shares of the construction companys stock worth $595,000 after purchasing an additional 5,621 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 11.2% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 88,103 shares of the construction companys stock worth $5,135,000 after purchasing an additional 8,906 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 15.9% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 606,988 shares of the construction companys stock worth $35,375,000 after purchasing an additional 83,257 shares during the period. Jupiter Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PulteGroup during the first quarter worth about $332,000. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its position in shares of PulteGroup by 55.4% during the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 252,393 shares of the construction companys stock worth $14,709,000 after acquiring an additional 89,934 shares during the last quarter. 88.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. PulteGroup Company Profile (Get Rating) PulteGroup, Inc engages in the homebuilding business. The firm is also involved in mortgage banking and title and insurance brokerage operations. It operates through the Homebuilding and Financial services business segments. The Homebuilding segment includes operations from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for PulteGroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PulteGroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 5,863 shares of the mining companys stock, valued at approximately $417,000. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of RIO. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 9,499 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $676,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Boston Partners lifted its position in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 9,137 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $503,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. lifted its position in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. now owns 2,741 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $151,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the period. Front Row Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 18.8% during the 3rd quarter. Front Row Advisors LLC now owns 1,258 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the period. Finally, Sargent Bickham Lagudis LLC lifted its position in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 33.5% during the 4th quarter. Sargent Bickham Lagudis LLC now owns 797 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. 10.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Rio Tinto Group alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,310 ($65.76) to GBX 5,380 ($66.63) in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group from a sell rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Barclays upgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group from a buy rating to a conviction-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Rio Tinto Group presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $5,790.00. Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend Shares of NYSE RIO traded down $1.32 during trading on Friday, hitting $68.58. The stock had a trading volume of 2,617,657 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,454,293. Rio Tinto Group has a 12 month low of $50.92 and a 12 month high of $83.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.64. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $69.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $67.45. The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $2.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 9th. This represents a yield of 9.8%. Rio Tinto Group Company Profile (Get Rating) Rio Tinto Plc engages in the exploration, mining, and processing of mineral resources. It operates through the following business segments: Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper and Diamonds, Energy and Minerals, and Other Operations. The Iron Ore segment supplies global seaborne iron ore trade. The Aluminium segment produces bauxite, alumina and primary aluminum. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Rio Tinto Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rio Tinto Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dundee Precious Metals (TSE:DPM Get Rating) had its target price upped by Scotiabank from C$12.00 to C$13.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Dundee Precious Metals from C$11.00 to C$11.50 in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. National Bankshares lifted their price objective on Dundee Precious Metals from C$11.50 to C$12.50 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. CIBC lowered Dundee Precious Metals from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from C$9.00 to C$10.00 in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Dundee Precious Metals from C$10.50 to C$11.00 in a report on Monday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$11.33. Get Dundee Precious Metals alerts: Dundee Precious Metals Stock Down 2.1 % DPM stock opened at C$10.37 on Wednesday. Dundee Precious Metals has a 1-year low of C$5.41 and a 1-year high of C$10.74. The business has a fifty day moving average price of C$9.20 and a 200-day moving average price of C$7.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47, a current ratio of 6.31 and a quick ratio of 6.61. The stock has a market capitalization of C$1.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.04 and a beta of 1.18. Dundee Precious Metals Increases Dividend Insider Buying and Selling at Dundee Precious Metals The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Monday, April 17th will be issued a $0.053 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.21 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.04%. This is a positive change from Dundee Precious Metalss previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. Dundee Precious Metalss payout ratio is presently 84.62%. In other Dundee Precious Metals news, Director Nikolay Hristov sold 22,733 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of C$8.80, for a total transaction of C$200,050.40. In other Dundee Precious Metals news, Director Nikolay Hristov sold 22,733 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of C$8.80, for a total transaction of C$200,050.40. Also, Senior Officer David Rae sold 26,930 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$9.11, for a total value of C$245,332.30. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 52,163 shares of company stock valued at $470,008. Company insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock. About Dundee Precious Metals (Get Rating) Dundee Precious Metals Inc, a gold mining company, engages in the acquisition of mineral properties, exploration, development, mining, and processing of precious metals. Its principal operating assets include the Chelopech operation, which produces a gold-copper concentrate containing gold, copper, and silver and a pyrite concentrate containing gold located to the east of Sofia, Bulgaria; the Ada Tepe operation that produces a gold concentrate containing gold and silver located in southern Bulgaria, near the town of Krumovgrad; and the Tsumeb smelter, a complex copper concentrate processing facility located in Namibia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Dundee Precious Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dundee Precious Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shiseido Company, Limited (OTCMKTS:SSDOY Get Rating) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,600 shares, a drop of 49.0% from the March 15th total of 14,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 46,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Shiseido Trading Up 0.4 % Shares of OTCMKTS:SSDOY traded up $0.21 during trading on Friday, reaching $50.14. The stock had a trading volume of 21,393 shares, compared to its average volume of 20,095. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $46.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.11. Shiseido has a one year low of $32.70 and a one year high of $52.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Get Shiseido alerts: Shiseido (OTCMKTS:SSDOY Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 10th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.09. Shiseido had a net margin of 3.18% and a return on equity of 5.39%. The company had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Shiseido will post 0.66 EPS for the current year. Analysts Set New Price Targets About Shiseido Separately, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Shiseido from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. (Get Rating) Shiseido Co, Ltd. engages in the production and sale of cosmetics for men and women. It operates through the following segments: Japan, China, Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe, Travel Retail, Professional, and Others. The Japan, China, Asia Pacific, Americas, and Europe segments sell cosmetics, fragrance, and personal care products with core brands such as Shiseido, cle de peau BEAUTE, ELIXIR, MAQUILLAGE, AUPRES, urara, TSUBAKI, Za, and narciso rodriguez in each corresponding region. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Shiseido Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shiseido and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL Get Rating) by 2.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 142,850 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 3,860 shares during the quarter. PPL comprises about 1.0% of Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd.s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd.s holdings in PPL were worth $4,174,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MinichMacGregor Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in PPL in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in PPL in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. CI Investments Inc. raised its holdings in PPL by 989.9% in the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 970 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 881 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC raised its holdings in PPL by 56.3% in the 3rd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 1,238 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 446 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in PPL by 70.6% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,344 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 556 shares in the last quarter. 70.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get PPL alerts: Insider Activity at PPL In related news, insider John R. Crockett III sold 5,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.00, for a total transaction of $154,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 9,161 shares in the company, valued at approximately $256,508. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. PPL Trading Down 0.7 % Shares of NYSE PPL traded down $0.19 during trading on Friday, reaching $28.57. The company had a trading volume of 3,860,003 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,594,429. The companys fifty day moving average price is $27.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $27.95. PPL Co. has a 12 month low of $23.47 and a 12 month high of $31.74. The stock has a market cap of $21.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.74 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. PPL (NYSE:PPL Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 17th. The utilities provider reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.28. PPL had a return on equity of 7.50% and a net margin of 9.57%. The company had revenue of $2.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.22 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 54.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that PPL Co. will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current year. PPL Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.24 per share. This is a positive change from PPLs previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.36%. PPLs dividend payout ratio is presently 93.20%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have recently commented on PPL shares. Barclays started coverage on PPL in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. They set an equal weight rating for the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on PPL from $31.00 to $29.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. StockNews.com started coverage on PPL in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. TheStreet cut PPL from a b rating to a c+ rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on PPL from $32.00 to $28.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $30.63. PPL Company Profile (Get Rating) PPL Corp. engages in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the two reportable segments: Kentucky Regulated & Pennsylvania Regulated. The Kentucky Regulated segment consists of LKEs regulated electricity generation, transmission and distribution operations of Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company as well as regulated distribution and sale of natural gas of Louisville Gas and Electric Company. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for PPL Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PPL and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd. reduced its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC Get Rating) by 9.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 17,770 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,850 shares during the period. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd.s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $2,941,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MMC. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,528,811 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $6,498,416,000 after acquiring an additional 227,036 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.7% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 41,313,574 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,167,702,000 after buying an additional 693,039 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2.6% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,398,796 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $408,804,000 after buying an additional 61,820 shares in the last quarter. Jensen Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. Jensen Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,217,285 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $331,018,000 after acquiring an additional 179,485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bahl & Gaynor Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 2,212,335 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $330,280,000 after purchasing an additional 218,187 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.30% of the companys stock. Get Marsh & McLennan Companies alerts: Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Up 0.5 % NYSE:MMC traded up $0.78 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $173.18. The company had a trading volume of 1,500,003 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,592,957. The company has a 50-day moving average of $164.71 and a 200 day moving average of $165.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The company has a market cap of $85.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.93. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $143.33 and a 1 year high of $183.14. Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend Marsh & McLennan Companies ( NYSE:MMC Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The financial services provider reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The company had revenue of $5.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.36 earnings per share. Marsh & McLennan Companiess quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 7.5 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 5th will be paid a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 4th. Marsh & McLennan Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.20%. Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 3,140 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.22, for a total value of $518,790.80. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,458,880.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, Director Oscar Fanjul sold 2,900 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.70, for a total transaction of $503,730.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 75,447 shares in the company, valued at $13,105,143.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 3,140 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.22, for a total transaction of $518,790.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 20,935 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,458,880.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. MKM Partners increased their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Raymond James increased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $180.64. Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile (Get Rating) Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MMC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Marsh & McLennan Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Marsh & McLennan Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Crane (NYSE:CR Get Rating) in a research note published on Tuesday. The firm issued a buy rating on the conglomerates stock. A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on CR. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of Crane in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. They set a buy rating and a $90.00 price target for the company. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Crane from $120.00 to $82.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised shares of Crane from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their target price for the company from $116.00 to $129.00 in a report on Monday, December 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a 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 $105.50. Get Crane alerts: Crane Stock Performance Shares of CR stock opened at $80.04 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.18. Crane has a 1 year low of $69.00 and a 1 year high of $83.00. The stocks 50-day moving average is $109.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.83. The firm has a market cap of $4.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.60, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.49. Crane Announces Dividend Crane ( NYSE:CR Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Monday, January 23rd. The conglomerate reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $824.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $819.89 million. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. Cranes revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.25 EPS. Analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were issued a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. Cranes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.90%. Insider Activity at Crane In other Crane news, SVP Kurt F. Gallo sold 8,263 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.03, for a total transaction of $983,544.89. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 289 shares in the company, valued at $34,399.67. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, VP Edward S. Switter sold 49,409 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.88, for a total transaction of $5,923,150.92. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 25,174 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,017,859.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kurt F. Gallo sold 8,263 shares of Crane stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.03, for a total transaction of $983,544.89. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 289 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,399.67. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.40% of the stock is owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Crane A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Crane by 8.0% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 14,853 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $1,608,000 after acquiring an additional 1,104 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Crane by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 10,432 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,129,000 after acquiring an additional 299 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 82.1% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 4,102 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $445,000 after buying an additional 1,849 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in Crane by 4.7% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 7,856 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $851,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in Crane by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 12,777 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,408,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. 70.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Crane Company Profile (Get Rating) Crane Holdings Co engages in the management of a subsidiary, which manufacture aerospace equipment, electronics systems, and flow control systems. The company was founded on December 2, 2021 and is headquartered in Stamford, CT. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Crane Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crane and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Taseko Mines Limited (NYSEAMERICAN:TGB Get Rating) (TSE:TKO) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 392,200 shares, a decline of 50.2% from the March 15th total of 787,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,280,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Taseko Mines Trading Down 0.6 % Shares of NYSEAMERICAN:TGB traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1.75. 1,208,086 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,306,681. The company has a market cap of $501.36 million, a PE ratio of -58.33 and a beta of 1.97. The company has a current ratio of 2.28, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. Taseko Mines has a 52 week low of $0.89 and a 52 week high of $2.36. Get Taseko Mines alerts: Taseko Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:TGB Get Rating) (TSE:TKO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The mining company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Taseko Mines had a positive return on equity of 2.21% and a negative net margin of 2.85%. The company had revenue of $74.12 million during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Taseko Mines will post -0.02 EPS for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Credit Suisse AG lifted its holdings in Taseko Mines by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 1,334,070 shares of the mining companys stock worth $2,641,000 after purchasing an additional 6,368 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC raised its holdings in shares of Taseko Mines by 41.6% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 22,743 shares of the mining companys stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 6,677 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Taseko Mines by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 510,545 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $750,000 after acquiring an additional 7,249 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Taseko Mines by 14.9% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 77,196 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $176,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Taseko Mines by 57.1% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 28,761 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 10,450 shares during the last quarter. 19.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. A number of research firms have issued reports on TGB. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Taseko Mines from C$3.30 to C$3.40 in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. National Bank Financial boosted their price target on Taseko Mines from C$2.50 to C$2.75 in a research note on Monday, February 27th. TD Securities boosted their price objective on Taseko Mines from C$2.50 to C$2.75 in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Taseko Mines from C$2.50 to C$2.75 in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Taseko Mines Company Profile (Get Rating) Taseko Mines Ltd. operates as a mining company engaged in the acquisition, development, and operation of mineral deposits. It holds interest in the Gibraltar, Florence Copper, Aley Niobium, Yellowhead, New Prosperity, and Harmony projects. The company was founded on April 15, 1966 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Taseko Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taseko Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AtnoYdur / Getty Images/iStockphoto Tax season is coming to a close soon, and folks across the country may be scrambling for ways to save on their tax bills. About half of taxpayers prepared and filed their taxes on their own in 2022, according to efile.com. Going the DIY route is perfectly acceptable, provided you follow all of the rules and fine print, but it can be easy to miss some ways to reduce your tax bill intel that only tax pros know. Read More: 8 IRS Secrets To Know for the 2023 Tax Filing Season Learn: 3 Signs Youre Serious About Raising Your Credit Score GOBankingRates reached out to tax pros to gather this intel to help consumers save on their tax bills. These are their top secrets for tax savings. Take Advantage of Tax Credits There are a lot of tax credits out there, and it is essential to get all the money you are owed, said Levon L. Galstyan, CPA, Oak View Law Group. Most of the time, credits are better than deductions because they can lower the amount of tax you owe. For instance, say you have a taxable income of $50,000 and tax deductions of $10,000, Galstyan said. Because of these deductions, your taxable income goes down to $40,000. In your tax bracket, the 12% tax rate would have been applied to that $10,000 of taxable income. Because of your deductions, your tax bill would go down by $1,200. Since tax credits reduce the amount of tax you owe dollar for dollar, having $10,000 in tax credits would save you $10,000 instead of $1,200 in taxes. These are the most common tax credits available: If youre an undergraduate, eagle-eye the American Opportunity Education Credit. Generally speaking, the American Opportunity Education Credit is the best route for saving on income taxes via undergraduate education expenses, said Andrew Griffith, associate professor of accounting at the LaPenta School of Business at Iona University. Unfortunately, it has a four-calendar-year limit. Story continues To take advantage of this credit, a bachelors degree needs to be completed within those four calendar years. Some of that first years benefit is potentially lost because the school year starts with the fall semester. Enrolling and paying for classes starting in January and taking summer classes increases the odds that a taxpayer will receive the maximum benefit from this tax credit. Take Our Poll: What Do You Plan To Use Your Tax Refund For? Save for Retirement Another way to cut down on your tax bill that also behooves you in the long run? Saving for retirement. Putting money into an IRA can be a fantastic way to reduce your tax bill, Galstyan said. Traditional and Roth IRAs are the two most common types of IRA. The biggest distinction is when your contributions are taxed. The most common choice is a companys 401(k) plan since many employers match what their employees put into their 401(k) plans. Experts say you should put in the maximum amount allowed each year ($20,500 for 2022 or $27,000 for taxpayers 50 and older) or at least the most your employer will match. Remember that self-employed people also can take advantage of saving for retirement via SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or solo 401(k)s. The annual contribution limits for these plans are greater than the annual contribution limits for a traditional or Roth IRA, Griffith said. Some careful planning could result in significant retirement savings each year. Put Money Into an HSA Setting money into a Health Savings Account (HSA) before you pay taxes is another way to lower your taxable income. You can make HSA contributions until the tax deadline and use the deductions for the current tax year, Galstyan said. Deduct Your Health Insurance (If Youre Self-Employed) If youre self-employed, you can get a tax break for the health insurance you pay for yourself, your husband or wife and your dependents, Galstyan said. This implies that your medical or long-term care insurance premiums can lower your taxable income by the same amount. You can also get this deduction if you are a partner or a 2% shareholder in an S Corporation, but there are some rules. Harvest Investment Losses Did you know you can lower your tax bill by reporting losses on capital investments? Its called loss harvesting. Loss harvesting is a pivotal way to end the year, Galstyan said. When you sell your investments and realize a loss, this is what happens. You can use these losses to pay for capital gains taxes dollar for dollar, lowering your overall tax bill. Lets break it down further. When you incur more losses than profits, you can utilize up to $3,000 of your excess losses to offset your regular income, Galstyan said. The rest of the losses, above $3,000 each year, can be carried forward to the following year. One caveat: The wash sale rule. The IRS prohibits buying the same or a substantially similar investment within 30 days of the realized loss. Set Up an Account for Your Children To Save for College Taxpayers can use up to $10,000 per student per year from a 529 plan to pay for qualified education costs. Your 529 plan contributions are not tax-deductible at the federal level but may be tax-deductible at the state level, Galstyan explained. Under the 529 program, you can also use a prepaid college tuition plan for an in-state public school that meets specific requirements. This lets you lock in the current tuition rate for your child, no matter how old they are. Itemize Your Taxes Even if you are not self-employed, itemizing your taxes still could benefit you. A comprehensive list of medical expenses that the IRS considers deductible includes ambulance rides, the price of a breast pump, programs to help people quit smoking and mileage to and from doctor appointments, Galstyan said. To reflect higher [gas] prices, they increased the reimbursement rate for distance traveled in the second half of 2022. You may deduct any cash or material donations made online. If you have many of these costs, itemizing your deductions rather than using the standard deduction may be more financially advantageous. Keep in mind that state returns can be subject to different regulations than federal ones. For instance, in New Jersey, you can write off your out-of-pocket medical expenses whenever the total of your annual out-of-pocket expenses exceeds 2% of your adjusted gross income, Galstyan said. However, on a federal return, this deduction isnt available until your out-of-pocket expenses exceed 7.5% of your AGI. In other words, even if you cant deduct medical expenses from your federal taxes, you can do so on your state return. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Secrets From Tax Preparers To Reduce Your Bill Trust Co. of Virginia VA lowered its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Get Rating) by 3.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 22,506 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 739 shares during the quarter. Trust Co. of Virginia VAs holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $3,924,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 8.9% during the third quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 14,581,100 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,404,715,000 after acquiring an additional 1,192,100 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 12,616.2% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 7,756,010 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,279,086,000 after acquiring an additional 7,695,017 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 1.8% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 6,640,764 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,095,195,000 after acquiring an additional 119,602 shares in the last quarter. Personal Capital Advisors Corp boosted its stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 4.3% during the third quarter. Personal Capital Advisors Corp now owns 6,267,638 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,033,659,000 after acquiring an additional 260,184 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 1.0% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,019,321 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $825,046,000 after acquiring an additional 39,661 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares Russell 2000 ETF alerts: iShares Russell 2000 ETF Trading Down 0.9 % NYSEARCA:IWM traded down $1.66 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $176.51. 29,600,374 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 34,811,224. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a one year low of $162.50 and a one year high of $204.80. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $182.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $180.27. 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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB Get Rating) Equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group dropped their Q1 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of U.S. Bancorp in a report released on Tuesday, April 11th. Jefferies Financial Group analyst K. Usdin now expects that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $1.07 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.15. The consensus estimate for U.S. Bancorps current full-year earnings is $4.81 per share. Jefferies Financial Group also issued estimates for U.S. Bancorps Q2 2023 earnings at $1.03 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $0.98 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $4.10 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $1.24 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $1.15 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $1.09 EPS and Q4 2024 earnings at $1.02 EPS. Get U.S. Bancorp alerts: U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The financial services provider reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.61 billion. U.S. Bancorp had a return on equity of 16.13% and a net margin of 21.26%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.07 EPS. U.S. Bancorp Stock Performance A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on USB. DA Davidson assumed coverage on U.S. Bancorp in a research note on Tuesday, December 20th. They issued a neutral rating and a $47.00 target price for the company. Barclays cut their price target on U.S. Bancorp from $68.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer cut their price target on U.S. Bancorp from $77.00 to $64.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Robert W. Baird raised U.S. Bancorp from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $52.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on U.S. Bancorp from $52.50 to $45.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, U.S. Bancorp has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $51.74. Shares of USB stock opened at $34.97 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The business has a fifty day moving average of $41.48 and a 200 day moving average of $43.07. U.S. Bancorp has a 1 year low of $32.72 and a 1 year high of $53.88. U.S. Bancorp Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.49%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. U.S. Bancorps payout ratio is 51.75%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On U.S. Bancorp Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of USB. BCK Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in U.S. Bancorp in the 1st quarter worth about $2,514,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in U.S. Bancorp by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 9,397 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $499,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its stake in U.S. Bancorp by 20.8% in the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 21,314 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,176,000 after purchasing an additional 3,663 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC purchased a new position in U.S. Bancorp in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,731,000. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. lifted its stake in U.S. Bancorp by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 86,048 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,573,000 after purchasing an additional 4,827 shares in the last quarter. 71.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About U.S. Bancorp (Get Rating) U.S. Bancorp operates as a bank holding company, which offers financial services including lending and depository services, cash management, foreign exchange and trust and investment management. The firm also offers mortgage, refinance, auto, boat and RV loans, credit lines, credit card services, merchant, bank, checking and savings accounts, debit cards, online and mobile banking, ATM processing, mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage and leasing services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for U.S. Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for U.S. Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (TSE:WPRT Get Rating) fell 1.8% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$1.07 and last traded at C$1.10. 132,889 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 25% from the average session volume of 106,361 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.12. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Westport Fuel Systems from C$2.50 to C$1.50 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Get Westport Fuel Systems alerts: Westport Fuel Systems Stock Down 1.8 % The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.47. The company has a market capitalization of C$188.89 million, a P/E ratio of -4.58, a PEG ratio of -0.12 and a beta of 2.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of C$1.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$1.26. Insider Activity Westport Fuel Systems Company Profile In other news, Senior Officer David Mitchelhill Johnson bought 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$0.85 per share, for a total transaction of C$42,500.00. 11.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders. (Get Rating) Westport Fuel Systems Inc engages in the engineering, manufacturing, and supplying alternative fuel systems and components for use in transportation applications worldwide. The company operates through Original Equipment Manufacturer and Independent Aftermarket segments. It offers alternative fuel systems and components, which include a range of alternative fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen; and independent aftermarket, light and heavy-duty original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and delayed OEMs, electronics, hydrogen, and fuel storage activities. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Westport Fuel Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Westport Fuel Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. [Xinhua/Ding Haitao] BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Xi said China will work with Brazil to create a new future for their relations in the new era, deliver greater benefits to the two peoples, and play an important and positive role for peace, stability and prosperity in their regions and around the world. Lula said he is honored and proud to head a large delegation on his fourth visit to China. This is his first visit outside the Americas since being elected President last year. This choice reflects Brazil's affection for China and commitment to Brazil-China relations. Set Course for Bilateral Ties Xi extended a warm welcome to Lula for his state visit to China. He pointed out that China and Brazil are the two biggest developing countries and emerging markets in the Eastern and Western hemispheres. As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share extensive common interests. The overarching, strategic and global influence of the China-Brazil relations continues to grow. China always views and develops relations with Brazil from a strategic and long-term perspective, and sees the relationship as a high priority on its diplomatic agenda, Xi said. Xi noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership between China and Brazil, and the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year. "China is now promoting high-quality development and high-standard opening-up, and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. This will unlock new opportunities for Brazil and countries around the world," Xi said. Xi called on the two sides to maintain regular strategic communication and increase experience sharing on national governance. The two sides need to be steadfast in seeing each other as important development opportunities, in supporting each other's development paths which fit national realities, and in supporting stronger solidarity and collaboration among developing countries. The two sides need to deepen cooperation, steadily advance the major cooperation projects, and further unleash cooperation potential in agriculture, energy, infrastructure, space, aviation, innovation, etc, Xi said, adding that the two sides need to explore ways for stronger cooperation on green economy, digital economy, clean energy, etc. "China welcomes more high-quality products from Brazil into its market. China will actively explore greater synergy between its Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's reindustrialization strategy," the Chinese president said, adding that both sides need to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year to carry out more people-to-people exchanges, and cultivate stronger public support for Sino-Brazilian friendship. "China is an indispensable force in global politics, economy and trade, science and technology, and plays a vital role in promoting world peace and development. Brazil is committed to building closer relations with China from the strategic perspective of shaping a just and equitable international order," Lula said, adding that Brazil's legislature and society share this strong desire for building strong, multifaceted relations with China. Noting his delightful visit to Huawei where he met Chinese business representatives, Lula expressed deep admiration for China's 5G progress and his hope to expand Brazil-China cooperation in relevant fields. He welcomed Chinese investment in support of Brazil's digital transformation and low-carbon development. Lula expressed the belief that deeper and greater cooperation with China will contribute to Brazil's reindustrialization, help address poverty and other issues and deliver benefits to the people. Brazil stands ready to develop closer exchanges and cooperation with China in education and culture to enhance mutual understanding between their people. After their talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of various bilateral cooperation documents on trade and investment, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, information and communications, poverty reduction, quarantine, space and other areas. The two sides released a Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and the Federative Republic of Brazil on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Partnership Beyond Bilateral Level Xi pledged China's firm support for Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to cement the sound momentum of peace, stability, independence, solidarity and development, advance regional integration and play a greater role in international affairs. China will work with Brazil to ensure the continued success of the China-CELAC Forum, take cooperation between China and LAC countries to a new level, and achieve common development. China will also work with Brazil to strengthen cooperation with the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Facing global changes of a magnitude unseen in a century, China and Brazil are resolved to stand on the right side of history, practice true multilateralism, advocate the common values of humanity, work for a more just and equitable international governance system, truly safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international justice and equity, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. China will step up strategic coordination with Brazil on global issues of mutual interest in the UN, BRICS, the G20 and other multilateral institutions, and enhance coordination on climate response, according to Xi. Lula said Brazil and China share common views and interests on many important international issues. The two sides both uphold multilateralism and international equity and justice. Brazil stands ready to work with China to strengthen strategic coordination in the G20, BRICS and other multilateral institutions, enhance coordination and cooperation in international finance, climate response and environmental protection, and contribute to developing countries' effort to shake off unfair rules and realize fairer and more balanced development. Lula expressed his full confidence that Brazil-China relations will embrace a brighter future. The two presidents also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Both sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation is the only feasible way for settling it and that all efforts that are conducive to its peaceful resolution should be encouraged and supported. They appealed to more countries to play a constructive role for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents agreed to stay in communication on the issue. Prior to the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Lula at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People. As Lula arrived, a guard of honor lined up in salutation. The two presidents stepped onto a stand, after which a military band played the national anthems of China and Brazil as 21-gun salute was fired in Tiananmen Square. Lula reviewed the guard of honor of the People's Liberation Army and watched the march-past in Xi's company. Madame Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi, and Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva, wife of Lula, were also at the welcoming ceremony. Xi and Madame Peng hosted a welcoming banquet for Lula and his wife at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People in the evening. Wang Yi and Qin Gang participated in the events. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. [Xinhua/Liu Weibing] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. [Xinhua/Liu Weibing] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen] Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva before the talks between Xi and Lula in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan] Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva lays a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan] (Source: Xinhua) There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. 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 AbraSilver Resource (CVE:ABRA) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'. View our latest analysis for AbraSilver Resource How Long Is AbraSilver Resource's 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. As at December 2022, AbraSilver Resource had cash of CA$16m and no debt. Importantly, its cash burn was CA$26m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of around 7 months as of December 2022. Importantly, the one analyst we see covering the stock thinks that AbraSilver Resource will reach cashflow breakeven in 4 years. That means unless the company reduces its cash burn quickly, it may well look to raise more cash. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. How Is AbraSilver Resource's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Because AbraSilver Resource 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. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by a very significant 72%. While this spending increase is no doubt intended to drive growth, if the trend continues the company's cash runway will shrink very quickly. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company. Story continues How Easily Can AbraSilver Resource Raise Cash? Since its cash burn is moving in the wrong direction, AbraSilver Resource shareholders may wish to think ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Since it has a market capitalisation of CA$225m, AbraSilver Resource's CA$26m in cash burn equates to about 12% of its market value. Given that situation, it's fair to say the company wouldn't have much trouble raising more cash for growth, but shareholders would be somewhat diluted. Is AbraSilver Resource's Cash Burn A Worry? Even though its cash runway makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought AbraSilver Resource's cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. One real positive is that at least one analyst is forecasting that the company will reach breakeven. Summing up, we think the AbraSilver Resource's cash burn is a risk, based on the factors we mentioned in this article. On another note, AbraSilver Resource has 4 warning signs (and 3 which are concerning) we think you should know about. 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. 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 GUANGZHOU, April 14 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that Guangdong Province is the pacemaker and experimental zone of China's reform and opening up, and plays an instrumental role in Chinese modernization. He made the remarks during a recent inspection trip to the province. Xi said that with the goals of building China into a great socialist country and achieving national rejuvenation in mind, Guangdong must focus on high-quality development as the primary task and forging a new development pattern as the strategic mission to take the lead in promoting reform in all respects and higher-level opening up, achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, modernizing the industrial system, and advancing coordinated urban-rural and regional development, and be a trailblazer on the Chinese path to modernization. From April 10 to 13, Xi made an inspection tour to places including Zhanjiang, Maoming and Guangzhou where he visited enterprises, a port, a village among other sites. Xi was accompanied by Huang Kunming, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, and Wang Weizhong, governor of the province. On the morning of April 10, Xi first visited a mariculture base, a national level key mariculture project in south China, on Donghai Island in Zhanjiang City. After being briefed about the development of marine fisheries in Guangdong, Xi went on to see the fine fish breeds and asked research staff and breeders about breeding technology, the growth of fry and their market prices. He pointed out that China is a large country with a population of over 1.4 billion. To make sure the people have enough to eat and guarantee food security, we should adopt an all-encompassing approach to food production, utilizing both land and sea resources. Let the sea become blue granaries with fish and other marine products growing in aquafarms, he said. The breeding industry is the foundation of the development of modern agriculture and aquaculture. Concrete efforts must be made to promote its development. It is imperative to vigorously develop deep-sea aquaculture equipment and smart fisheries, and boost the transformation of marine fisheries into an information-based, intelligent and modern industry, he said. The Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve is the largest and densest natural reserve of its kind in China. Xi inspected the mangrove area on the Jinniu Island in Huguang Township, Mazhang District, in the eastern part of the reserve, and learned about the growth of mangroves and the surrounding ecological environment. He stressed that the mangroves are a "national treasure" and we should protect them as we do our own eyes. Strengthening marine ecological environment is an important part of overall ecological conservation. We should continue to pursue green development, make unremitting efforts from generation to generation to build a beautiful China, and make China's contribution to protecting the global village. On the afternoon of April 10, Xi inspected Xuwen Port in Xuwen County of Zhanjiang City. This port is the "No.1 project" to connect Guangdong and its neighboring province Hainan. At the port terminal, Xi observed the overall view of the port and was briefed on Guangdong's efforts to improve connectivity of transport infrastructure and coordinate the work for the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port. Then he came to the berth wharf to see the ship docking and passenger transfer, among others. When passengers on board saw Xi, they all extended greetings to him. He waved to them and wished them a safe journey. Xi pointed out that the Qiongzhou Strait serves as a strategic channel for the national economic strategy in the South China Sea, and also a key gateway for the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port. We should do a good job in utilizing this "golden waterway" as the best channel for passenger and cargo transport, so as to build Xuwen Port into a modern comprehensive land-sea transport hub linking the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Hainan Free Trade Port. After leaving Xuwen Port, Xi visited Dashuiqiao Reservoir in Xuwen County. The reservoir is a junction station for water diversion under the Beibu Gulf Rim Water Resources Allocation Project in Guangdong Province. Xi asked about the project's construction, management, operation and follow-up planning. The staff showed water samples and monitoring equipment and briefed Xi about local efforts in strengthening ecological conservation in the surrounding areas. Xi pointed out that China faces the challenges of insufficient and unbalanced water resources. To promote Chinese modernization, the availability of water resources as an important factor must be taken into consideration for urban development, land use, population growth and industrial development. Efforts should be made to develop water-saving industries. Guangdong Province must do a good job in optimizing the allocation of water resources, speed up with all-out efforts the construction of water resources allocation projects, promote endeavors in addressing the unbalanced development between regions and bring benefits to the people at an early date. On April 11, Xi inspected Baiqiao Village in Genzi Township, Gaozhou of Maoming City. With plantations covering an area of 6,800 mu (around 453 hectares), the village specializes in producing lychees. Xi came to a lychee orchard to learn about local efforts to develop distinctive planting and cultural tourism industries. He cordially talked with technicians on the spot. Later, Xi visited a longan and lychee cooperative where he was briefed about the cooperative's operation and efforts in advancing rural revitalization. Xi noted that the region is known for lychees and has a history and culture of lychee planting with distinctive characteristics, notable advantages and a large market. It is necessary to further improve technologies in planting, fresh-keeping, and processing, so as to further advance the development of the distinctive lychee industry as well as distinctive cultural tourism. When Xi was leaving, the villagers hailed aloud "Hello, General Secretary" and "Thank you, General Secretary." Xi said cordially to them, "This is my first visit to western Guangdong, and I am very pleased to see that the villagers are living a prosperous life through the development of lychee and other distinctive planting industries." He said we must advance rural revitalization across the board and address unbalanced development between urban and rural areas to advance Chinese modernization. We must remain committed to pursuing common prosperity, increase assistance and support for those who are lagging behind financially, foster social etiquette and civility among rural residents, and strengthen efforts to improve the rural living environment and protect the ecology, so that life for rural residents will get better one year after another, he added. Xi made an inspection tour in Guangzhou on April 12. In the afternoon, he started his inspection by visiting the Guangzhou manufacturing base of LG Display. Leading officials of Guangdong briefed Xi on what the province has done over the past years to boost the interplay between domestic and international markets and resources and to raise the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation as well as the achievements made in this regard. Xi watched a display of the products and the process of manufacturing and assembly, and lauded the achievements made by the enterprise. Xi stressed that, amid the sluggish global economic growth, China will see its market have more competitive advantages if it speeds up fostering a new development pattern and improving its business environment. He said he hoped that foreign investors will seize the opportunities and come to China, especially Guangdong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and tap the potential of the Chinese market to secure new success in their development. Xi then made an inspection tour to GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. He visited its exhibition hall, assembly workshop, and workshop for producing batteries, and learned about the enterprise's progress made in achieving breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields and what it has been doing in developing higher-end, smarter and greener manufacturing. At the automotive engineering institute of Guangzhou Automobile Group, Xi took an attentive look at the labs for intelligent networking and model design, and talked with scientific researchers, entrepreneurs, employees and representatives of foreign companies. Xi noted that China's reform and opening-up policy will remain unchanged over the long term and the country will never close its door to the world. We are willing to work in the same direction with all countries that are willing to cooperate with us for win-win results to promote the common prosperity and development of the world economy. Xi stressed that China is a big country and must attach importance to the real economy and take the path of self-reliance. Core technologies in key areas should be based on independent research and development, and international cooperation is also welcome. Efforts should be made to strengthen education and personnel training to consolidate the foundation of sci-tech self-reliance and strength. On the morning of April 13, Xi listened to the work reports of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the provincial government and affirmed the achievements Guangdong has made in various aspects. Xi pointed out that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has an important strategic position in the new development pattern of the country. Guangdong should earnestly implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, regard the development of the Greater Bay Area as a great opportunity for Guangdong to further its reform and opening up, and give top priority to it, with the Pearl River Delta as the main position, and pool the whole province's efforts to do a good job in fulfilling this major task, so as to make the Greater Bay Area a strategic node for the new development pattern, a demonstration area for high-quality development and a pioneering area for the Chinese path to modernization. Xi emphasized that high-level sci-tech self-reliance and strength is the key to the development of Chinese modernization. We should further implement the innovation-driven development strategy, strengthen the development of regional innovation system, further boost the independent innovation capability, and strive to make greater progress in achieving breakthroughs in core technologies in key areas. We should strengthen support for small and medium-sized enterprises in innovation, and cultivate more innovative enterprises with independent intellectual property rights and core competitiveness. It is very important to strengthen the principal role of enterprises in innovation, promote deeper integration of the innovation, industry, capital and talent chains, constantly promote the industrial application of scientific and technological achievements, and build an industrial science and technology innovation center with global influence. It is imperative to build the Greater Bay Area into a hub of talent to create an agglomeration effect of bringing together talent for innovation in high-end science and technology. Xi pointed out that Chinese modernization should not follow the path that leads to the real economy being sidelined. Instead, efforts must be accelerated to develop a modern industrial system supported by the real economy. Guangdong Province must continue to develop manufacturing as its pillar industry and attach more importance to developing the real economy and accelerating industrial transformation and upgrading, so that its industrial foundation can be advanced and its industrial chain modernized. Guangdong must develop strategic emerging industries, and build a modern industrial system with stronger international competitiveness. Xi emphasized that common prosperity is the essence of Chinese modernization, and coordinated regional development is a prerequisite for achieving it. Guangdong should make efforts to address unbalanced development between regions and accelerate the development of transport and other infrastructure for regional connectivity to promote the orderly transfer of industries from the Pearl River Delta to eastern, western and northern Guangdong. It is necessary to strengthen the overall planning of land and sea, and the complementary role between mountain-based economy and sea-based one, strengthen the overall layout of ports, industries and cities, enhance marine ecological protection so as to comprehensively build a strong maritime province. It is important to actively promote new urbanization with a focus on the development of county seats, accelerate the development of a modern rural industrial system, develop new rural collective economies, deeply implement rural development so as to promote common prosperity. Continuous efforts should be made to dynamically monitor any sign of rural residents relapsing into poverty, and regular assistance must be provided in this regard. Xi pointed out that the theoretical study program is a major task for Party building this year. Party organizations at all levels must resolutely implement the plans of the CPC Central Committee, educate and guide Party members and officials to make efforts and achieve concrete results in forging inner strength, gaining wisdom, improving Party conduct and motivating actions through the study program. To forge the Party's soul through the study program is to deepen, internalize and apply the study and implementation of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, in order to strengthen our beliefs, reinforce the marrow of our faith, keep the roots of our convictions healthy and strong, and absorb the mental nutrients we need to maintain the right line in our thinking. First, we need to stay firm on our ideals and convictions to strengthen political identification with the Party's values and orientation and have a correct outlook on the world, life and values. Second, we need to consolidate our loyalty to the Party, consciously uphold the Party's overall leadership, and the CPC Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We should constantly improve our capacity for political judgment, thinking, and implementation, stay in line with the CPC Central Committee in terms of political stance, political orientation, political principles and political path, and materialize our loyalty to the Party in the implementation of decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee. Third, we should stand firmly with the people, raise our consciousness of the Party's fundamental principles, and stick to the Party's founding mission. We must practice the Party's "mass line," and whether the people are satisfied should be the criterion for assessing whether the study program is successful. Efforts must be made to solve problems of the greatest, most immediate, and most practical concern to the people. Concrete, meticulous and effective actions must be taken to improve the people's livelihood, warm their hearts and respond to their aspirations, so that the people will benefit more from the achievements of modernization in a fair manner. Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tours. Li Ganjie, He Lifeng, and other leading officials of relevant central Party and government departments were also in Xi's company on the inspection tours. Leading officials of the seventh central steering group on the theoretical study program attended the briefings. (Source: Xinhua) For all the knocks hes taken from and over his interest in crypto markets, Skybridge CEO Anthony Scaramucci says he hasnt lost any enthusiasm for Bitcoin. Im not a cold figure in this space. Im not an evangelist. Im not one of these religious figures thats going to chant Bitcoin uber alles no matter what is going on in life, he told Decrypt during a recent interview for the gm podcast. So I want to frame it from that perspective, and then tell you that Im more bullish now than Ive ever been. Hes up against some strong headwinds. By the time Sam Bankman-Frieds crypto exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy in November, hed become professionally and personally close to Scaramucci. They partnered to host the Crypto Bahamas conference last April. In September, FTX acquired a 30% stake in SkyBridge for $40 million. And when Bankman-Frieds empire went bust, Scaramucci said on CNBC that he was working to buy the equity back. Now, hes got his sights set on Bitcoins next boom cycle and hoping that regulators can get out of their own way. The way he sees it, Bitcoin really started accumulating interest from a wider audience from late 2021 through the end of 2022. Prior to that, there was sort of a microbrewery known as Bitcoin. And people liked the beer that was coming out of the microbrewery, Scaramucci said. And then all of a sudden it had this Budweiser Light distribution explosion where everyone in the world and their mother was talking about Bitcoin. But he wouldnt go so far as calling himself a Bitcoin maximalist. They have no willingness to compromise, Scaramucci said. They have guns and ready-made food in their basement and they hate the government. He had harsh words for regulators, tooespecially Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler. None of the stuff that he does makes any sense to me, Scaramucci said. He's got the SEC in complete disarray. He also posited that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has been acting like shes Washington's shadow president for financial services. Story continues Scaramucci Recalls 'Betrayal' by SBF: 'I Considered Him a Friend' So he takes some solace in the fact that, at least according to him, Bitcoin should be categorized as a commodity and not regulated by the SEC. I think it feels like money to me and feels like a commodity, he said. I think that these things that earn, or you have these staking positions where foundations give you more of something, I think anything that has an earning mechanism to it probably is a security. The last word Scaramucci said: We need this, you know guys. Hong Kong is open for business for crypto. They're not stupid. They go, Ah, the U.S. is gonna blow this. That's fine, we're gonna switch our position. The UK: They screwed up with Brexit. They all know it, but they're open for business for crypto. You know, our supposedly socialist neighbors to the north have two or three cash Bitcoin ETFs. We've got Gary Gensler and Elizabeth Warren. Rescue planthis is the name of the latest project to break up Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof (GKK), the last major German department store group. On March 27, the creditors meeting in Essen approved a rescue plan that envisages the closure of 47 of the 129 stores still open nationwide by the end of January 2024. Many Galeria department stores will even be shuttered by the end of June 2023. Karstadt store in Berlin-Steglitz [Photo: WSWS] Some 4,000 jobs in the stores and about 300 at the Essen headquarters will be eliminated, according to the plan presented by current CEO Miguel Mullenbach together with insolvency administrator Arndt Geiwitz. Shortly before Easter the first notices of termination were sent to staff, many of whom had worked in one or more GKK branches all their lives. Hundreds more jobs are threatened at companies and distribution centres that depend on GKK. These include the large Fiege goods distribution centre (formerly Karstadt, then DHL) in Unna, east of Dortmund, which currently employs around 1,400 people. It is expecting a 40 percent drop in orders and will probably dispense with a large part of its workforce. Those keeping their jobs at Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, because their store will continue to operate, will have to reckon with wage cuts and an even heavier workload than before. GKK employees have already been forgoing wage increases to the benefit of the corporation for years. Their salaries are an average of 5,500 per year below the standard wage agreement for the industry. Protests against the cutbacks are growing, and in recent days there have been strikes in department stores and rallies in city centres. On Saturday, workers went on strike in just over a dozen stores in Hesse, Baden-Wurttemberg and Hamburg, and on Wednesday and Thursday, sales assistants again stopped working in more than 20 stores in Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate. It hurts to lose your job after 38 years, said a striking window dresser in Nuremberg. Self-made cardboard signs read, Thanks for Nix, or simply, Rage. The service sector union Verdi had called for the strikes but is not fighting the closures at all. As the official goal of the warning strikes, Verdi names the negotiations that have been ongoing since February about a new collective wage agreementfor those employees who can stay. The official Verdi statements say that the union is demanding the recognition of the regional area collective agreements of the retail sector as well as insolvency protection for paid time accrued and other staff payment claims. This means nothing other than that Verdi has already accepted the insolvency itself with all the closures and is now helping to push it through. The statement by Verdi board member Steffi Nutzenberger that we will continue to fight for the branches threatened with closure does not change this. Verdi does not represent the interests of the workers, but those of capital. The union has embraced multi-billionaire Rene Benkolike all his predecessors at the top of the corporationas owner, and is working closely with his real estate holding company Signa. Verdi has foisted several so-called restructuring collective agreements on sales staff, which employees have paid for with the loss of thousands of jobs and ever new wage cuts, while the union functionaries were rewarded with lucrative supervisory board posts. Just how much these agreements are worth was vividly demonstrated by the last restructuring collective agreement of April 2020, which contained a sales location guarantee and the exclusion of compulsory redundancies until 2024, and which at that time had already been bought with the closure of 40 stores and the destruction of 4,000 full-time jobs. In October 2022, management unilaterally terminated this contract and initiated todays orgy of closures in the wake of another insolvency. By then, the German government had already contributed 680 million as a Coronavirus aid package (i.e., from taxpayers money). At the same time, Benkos own Signa Prime Selection AG had distributed dividends of 201 million to its shareholders. The trade union bureaucrats and works council representatives have repeatedly helped to draw up restructuring plans similar to 2020 in order to deceive the workers and keep their resistance at bay. That is their role now, too. There is only one way for sales staff, warehouse clerks, drivers, administrative workers and other GKK employees to keep their jobs and department stores: They must oppose the cartel of real estate speculators and their lackeys in the governing parties and union headquarters. They must build their own rank-and-file action committees that can act independently of Verdi. And they must address the entire working class on the basis of a socialist program. In Berlin, this destructive cartel is particularly visible. Three years ago, the parties then controlling the Senate (state executive)Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Left Partyto which the Verdi union leaders are also close, gave Signa Holding the go-ahead for new construction projects at Alexanderplatz, Kurfurstendamm and Hermannplatz. In return, sales location guarantees were given for four Karstadt stores, but these are hardly worth the paper they are written on. The stores in Berlin-Charlottenburg and Berlin-Mullerstrasse will close in January 2024, and the other locations have no long-term security either, not to mention any protection of the jobs and social gains of the employees. The signatures under the 2020 Letter of Intent come from the then ruling mayor Michael Muller (SPD), the then deputy mayor Ramona Pop (Greens) and the then Senator for Culture (state minister) Dr. Klaus Lederer (Left Party). Joe Bidens visit to Ireland on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement ending The Troubles was a muted affair. The response in the UK media was anything but. Biden went through the standard agenda of visiting US presidents, following in the footsteps of John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, who all made a show of tracing their Irish roots. As ever, cold political-economic calculations were cloaked in the language of cherished ancestry and common histories of struggle for freedom, democracy and so on. The ties that bind Ireland and America are real enough, but they are greenback green, not emerald. Biden speaking at the Houses of the Oireachtas, April 13, 2023 [Photo by Houses of the Oireachtas/Flickr / CC BY 2.0 In his speech to the Oireachtas (bicameral parliament) in Dublin, Biden combined the usual flowery phrases with references to what was really being celebrated: the vast investment of US corporations in Ireland, taking advantage of its low taxes and position in the European Unions (EU) single market. The president spoke alternately of toiling in the vineyards of democracy and $1 trillion in bilateral trade and investment in 2021. The second string to Bidens visit was to encourage the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to end its boycott of the Northern Ireland Assembly over post-Brexit agreements regulating trade through the province between Britain and EU member state Ireland. The US is concerned to nip in the bud any instability which would not only interrupt its lucrative operation in Ireland, but risk deeper divisions between the UK and EU when Washington is anxious to preserve unity, especially over the war against Russia in Ukraine. Its goal was pursued with a light touch, with Bidens visit full of implied criticisms of the UK Conservative government for unduly prioritising relations with the unionist bourgeoisie. It was delivered with an intention of not making it more difficult for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to rein in the DUP and his own right-wing by too openly siding with the Republic of Ireland and the EU. Bidens first stop in Belfast on Tuesday was kept tightly controlled. He spent barely eight waking hours in the region and delivered just one 20-minute speech in which he made overtures to the unionists and dangled the carrot of billions of dollars of US investment in a stable Northern Ireland. By Bidens standards, his next three days in the Republic were largely on-script and trouble free, with the exception of an accidental reference to the Irish rugby team beating the Black and Tans (the British paramilitary force used to brutally repress the Irish population during its war of independence) instead of the New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks. Mentions of Britain and the crisis in Northern Ireland were very limited. The furthest he went was to say he thought the United Kingdom should be working closer with Ireland to support the people of Northern Ireland, acknowledging it was presumptuous of me to say from the United States. Even these somewhat cautious and pro-forma remarks met with a storm of denunciations in the sections of the press closest to the Tory government. The Telegraph complained,Joe Biden has gravely insulted Britain, Defenceless Ireland should be ashamed of itself and Britain needs to stop fawning over the one-sided special relationship. The Spectator opined, Joe Bidens hostility to Britain only harms the United States and Biden can no longer afford to indulge Irish nationalism. The Daily Mail wrote,Joe Biden cheerfully posed for pictures with an IRA terrorist. Any unionist with an ounce of sense knows hes NOT their friend, and Joe Bidens lack of grip is deeply worrying. All gave extensive coverage to every DUP member they could find attacking Biden as anti-British, someone who hates the UK, and for being pro-republican and meddling in Northern Irish politics. These comments confirm serious inter-imperialist tensions between the US and the UK over Americas insistence that Britain get its house in order in Northern Ireland, whatever must be conceded to the EU and whatever the protestations of the DUP, with which Washington has next to no sympathy. Dean Godson spelled out the grievances most clearly in the Spectator, writing, The US could afford its indulgence of Irish nationalism during the Clinton years because the world was a less dangerous place in the immediate post-Cold War era. Now America needs real allies again and the UK is an infinitely more important partner for the US in maintaining world stability than the still neutral Republic of Ireland. Touting Britains larger population, economy, armed forces, nuclear weapons, support for the war in Ukraine, espionage abilities and position on the UN Security Council, he concluded, with a nod to French President Emmanuel Macrons recent comments in China, Crucially, the grand strategic choice made by this government has been to cease any hint of hedging on the China question. Mired in economic crisisthe UK is predicted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be the worst-performing of the 20 biggest economies, including Russia, in 2023and facing the breakdown of every aspect of its social and economic infrastructure, the ruling class is desperate for more from its special relationship with the worlds largest economy. It was bitterly reported during Bidens trip that a possible trade deal with the US, the central promise held out by the pro-Brexit campaign led by Boris Johnson, was still being kicked into the long grass. Significant sections within ruling circles are angry and feel entitled, especially in return for Britains involvement in the war against Russia in Ukraine, where it has played the role of lead provocateur, confirmed by the recently leaked Pentagon documents, and carried out much of the dirty work of intervention. Former infantry commander Colonel Richard Kemp wrote in the Telegraph in an almost spitting rage that Irelands unwillingness to increase defence spending smacks of timorousness akin to the Republics approach to Nato. Ireland has never been a member, yet it is happy to in practice shelter behind Natos shield, and especially Britains. The right thing to do he went on, would be to properly recompense Britain for its protection. But everybody, including these authors, knows that the US-UK relationship is not one between equals. If the UKs demand is we deserve more from you, American imperialisms rejoinder is we expect nothing less from you and more, when it comes to Ireland. That the response has been so fierce in the last week is an indication of the deep crisis of British imperialism and the Sunak government, which remain impaled on the horns of Brexit and its consequences. While the prime minister was able to push the recent Windsor Framework agreement with the EU through parliament without a major rebellion, the Brexit wing of his party is still a significant force and holds the DUPs ability to blow up the Northern Ireland Assembly as a trump card in British politics. Its views were given voice by seven-week prime minister Liz Truss, who used a speech at the Heritage Foundation in the US to champion her vision of Brexit and complain that it didnt just face coordinated resistance from inside the Conservative party or even inside the British corporate establishment. We faced it from the IMF and even from President Biden. Former prime minister Boris Johnson, similarly aligned, still lurks in the background. Too big a reconciliation with the EU over Northern Ireland will swell their influence in the Tory Party. But this is precisely what is demanded by US imperialism. Bidens visit has highlighted the unresolved tensions in the ruling Conservative party on which the Sunak government sits, and which have brought down two Tory leaders already in the last year. It has emphasised the extent of the Tories' reliance on the Labour Party and the trade unions who are suppressing opposition in the working class which should overwhelm such a weak governmenteven to stay in office. Emergency responders and heavy equipment are seen at the site of a deadly explosion at a chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Saturday, March 25. [AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam] Friday, April 14, marked three weeks since the deadly and preventable explosion at the chocolate factory owned by R.M. Palmer Company in West Reading, Pennsylvania. As the investigation continues into the blast, more evidence has surfaced that R.M. Palmer management was aware of the gas leak and blatantly ignored it. Management then continued production despite the hazardous conditions, confirming surviving workers statements made immediately after the deadly tragedy. Initial autopsy reports have determined that all seven died from blast injuries. At least 10 additional workers suffered mild to severe injuries. The blast was so powerful it shattered windows, knocked people over and caused damage to the broader community. Federal investigators and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have focused on the natural gas leak at the company. NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway said the board is continuing to gather evidence about how the building was supplied with natural gas and point of ignition, interview witnesses, examine the pipeline for fractures, any damage to pipeline, a chronology of events leading up to the explosion, among other issues that may come up as the investigation continues. On Thursday, the R.M. Palmer Company released its first statement on the deadly blast, saying that the NTSB investigation precludes further public comment and that employees safety and health has always been, and will continue to be, of paramount importance. While more evidence emerges of transgressions and criminality, the family members of Judith Judy Lopez-Moran, a 55-year-old mother of three who died during the tragedy, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Judy Lopez-Moran [Photo: Judy's family] According to the law firm Saltz, Mongeluzzi & Bendesky P.C. (SMB), the horrific explosion was foreseeable, predictable, and preventable. R.M. Palmer did nothing when Lopez-Moran and her coworkers voiced safety concerns over the smell of flammable gas throughout the facility, just 30 minutes before the explosion. Instead of evacuating, Palmer directed onsite management to mislead factory workers. The company falsely claimed the gas smell was normal and the factory was safe, so that the factory workers would continue working and so that factory downtime would be minimized. The law firm has also previously represented families and individuals in a 2022 Pottstown, Pennsylvania, residential gas explosion and in a destructive 2019 blast in Philadelphia that flattened five row houses. Many more lawsuits from family members of the victims, survivors and those impacted in the community are expected to follow. On March 31, families and friends of the deceased, along with coworkers and the local community, commemorated the seven victims in a moving vigil at the citys fire department: Amy S. Sandoe, 49, of Ephrata; Domingo Cruz, 60, of Reading; Xiorky D. Nunez, 30, of Reading; Susan H. Halvonik, 63, of Upper Providence Township; Michael D. Breedy, 62, of Marion Township; Diana M. Cedeno, 44, of Reading; and Judith Lopez-Moran, 55, of Reading. Chaney Nunez [Photo: Nunez family] Many of those who attended the vigil displayed pictures and placards of the dead. Mourners expressed both sadness and anger over the disaster. Some demanded answers. Jennifer Aeames, a worker at the factory, described the waves of feelings after the event. A roller coaster of emotions, she said. Sad, confused, trying to heal. Bambi Cipolla lost her friend Susan H. Halvonik. Its been tough. One of my girlfriends was Sue, who passed away. We had the funeral today. One worker who survived the blast slammed the company over its catastrophic decision on social media: I will not be buying any chocolate from RM palmers to help keep their business from shutting down!! I was there during that explosion and I let my supervisor know of the strong odor of gas. She did nothing, she kept packing chocolate. At that moment is when every employee should have been evacuated but instead they expected us to put our life on the line to pack chocolate,... I hold [management] DONNA NEWMAN responsible for the 7 lives that have been lost. Due to her being irresponsible we lost our coworker, family, and friends. Another online attendee of the vigil pointed to the profit-over-lives mentality of the capitalist system, writing underneath candles and the pictures of former loved ones: Its a shame they apparently put profit over people (from the reports Ive read employees were complaining since at least early morning of gas odors but were told its ok we have everything under control, we got this etc. in other words just get back to work!) A responsible employer who actually cares about their employees should have an evacuation plan in place and employed it immediately until the situation was determined safe by the fire department and gas works/UGI. My heart goes out to the workers and their families as for the management I hope they pay dearly for their lack of care for peoples lives. Patricia Borges, an attendee and survivor still convalescing in the hospital, described her ordeal to the local and national press. After the fire burst through the building, I began to burn, I thought it was the end for me. She then plummeted into a pool of liquid chocolate extinguishing the fire but breaking her collarbone and ankles. Once fire rescuers put out the flames, she managed to escape the chocolate pool before drowning. Gofundme for Patricia Borges [Photo: Borges family via Gofundme] Borges, in her interview with the Associated Press, revealed that workers warned management about the unmistakable smell of gas days, months and even 30 minutes before the explosion. The sheer volume of leaking gas nauseated workers. She also asked a supervisor about evacuation procedures, but the individual refused to issue them. Instead, they said that off-site management would have to make this life-or-death decision. In another piece of damning evidence for R.M. Palmer Company, the local gas company, UGI Utilities, said no gas leak reports had been delivered from the building. Facing many lawsuits from families, workers and the community, R.M. Palmer has refused to comment on the explosion other than a public statement shortly after the incident. All questions have been directed to the NTSB. On its Facebook page, the company has censored commenting for fear of a public backlash. Mass protest in front of The Pantheon in Paris, France. [Photo: WSWS] In the past week, World Socialist Web Site reporters interviewed students in Paris and Amiens about the struggle against French President Emmanuel Macrons pension cut. On Thursday, millions of people demonstrated for the 12th time against the cut as the Constitutional Council prepared to give its approval to the law. This means that there is no longer any legal obstacle to this law, even though it is opposed by 80 percent of French people. Valentine, a student at the Sorbonne, denounced the dictatorial nature of Macrons regime. I think it is an attack on democracy. I think the government really wants to implement its ideas, despite the people opposing it, and not accepting to listen to people if they dont agree. Evan, a student at the Sorbonne, explained why he took part in the protests against Macron. I went to all the protests and I am against pension reform. Why? Because it is a reform that is a little unfair due to the increase in the retirement age. And also due to the use of [article] 49.3 because it makes it possible to forcefully pass a law when it is said that 80 percent of the French population is against this law. Evan underlined the lack of a clear perspective on the part of the unions against Macron. We have to try to make Macron and his government bend a little, however this is quite tough. We see it now. Already, there are some [strikers] who are being requisitioned, like garbage collectors. In truth, its a little hard to go on strike when after three weeks you see that things arent moving too much and that the government can use a 49.3 still it is important to go to the picket lines, etc. Evan expressed his opposition to the unions efforts to begin a new mediation with Macron, saying, I find that the techniques of the inter-union, at the moment, they annoy me. They bring together a lot of people during the demonstrations and everything, but afterwards, we know very well that theyre going to discuss with [French Prime Minster] Elisabeth Borne, it will not move anything. She is stubborn in her idea with Macron to pass this reform thanks to 49.3. I have the impression that they block the movement a little. Okay, we have a protest every week and everything, but its not enough. Evan and Valentine signalled their support for the perspective proposed by the Socialist Equality Party of forming rank-and-file committees, independent of the union apparatuses, to bring down Macron through a general strike. Evan said, I think its up to the students or the workers to come together and try to really do something. WSWS reporters in Amiens also interviewed Nairon and Chanis, two high school students who joined the April 13 protest against Macrons pension reform. Nairon explained that she had come to demonstrate against Macron to avoid being retired at 70 in the long run, if we can stop the retirement at 64 we can stop further increases. Its degrading what Macron is doing, and theres no point in retiring at 64. Chanis added, We want to give a little more strength to people struggling at work because of their age and to people here for our future. 62 years old is already hard, going back to 64 is even harder. Asked what would defeat Macrons reform, Nairon replied, A revolution, to which Chanis added, Yes, a revolution because otherwise they will never stop trying to raise retirement to 64 years. In Amiens, the WSWS also interviewed a Confederation Generale du Travail (CGT) official, professor of philosophy Carole Prompsy, who said, The inter-union unity that has lasted since January 19 is a strength and I think that everything must be done to maintain it... Prompsy solidarized herself with the strategy of union mediation with Macron and applauded the former head of the CGT Philippe Martinez as well as the election of a leading bureaucrat of the federation of executives at the head, Sophie Binet of the CGT. She said, I stand in solidarity with CGT and Martinez, he did well, Im glad its Sophie Binet now. The contrast between these comments and those of the young people in struggle underline the class chasm that separates the majority of French people from the corrupt maneuvers of the union apparatuses. Dissatisfaction is mounting among workers and young people against the deceitful role of national union leaders who promote mediation with Macron but do not mobilize workers more widely to defend garbage collectors and refiners threatened with requisition and attacked by the cops. This is why the Socialist Equality Party calls on workers and young people to build their own rank-and-file committees, independent of the union apparatuses, to take control of their own struggles and prepare for the general strike to bring down Macron. Some 1,300 graduate student instructors at the University of Michigan are approaching the fourth week of their determined strike for a living wage. The student workers are members of the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), which, as Local 3550, is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Since the U-M grad students walked out on March 29, demanding a 60 percent increase over their poverty wage of $24,000 a year, plus other benefits, they have been joined by nearly 10,000 grad student instructors, faculty and staff at campuses in three other states: 9,000 faculty and grad students at Rutgers University in New Jersey, plus 450 faculty and staff at Eastern Illinois University, 100 faculty and staff at Chicago State University and 260 faculty and staff at Governors State University in Illinois, and 62 custodians, groundskeepers, and movers at the Rhode Island School of Design. All of the workers in all four states share common conditions of low pay and overwork; the vast majority are members of AFT-affiliated campus unions; and all four states are controlled by the Democratic Party, which is overseeing the strikebreaking efforts and resistance to a living wage by university administrators. All of the striking workers face the deliberate isolation of their struggles by the AFT bureaucracy, led by multimillionaire Randi Weingarten, a member of the Democratic National Committee and staunch supporter of the US-led proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. The powerful wave of campus strikes is part of a resurgence of working class struggles internationallywith mass strikes and protests involving tens of thousands of students as well as workers against President Macron in France, mass strikes in Britain, Germany, Portugal, Greece and other European countries, and ongoing strikes and protests in Sri Lanka following last years strike wave that brought down the government of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The outbreak of the campus strikes in New Jersey and Illinois threatens to break through the isolation imposed by the AFT bureaucracy and its local enforcers, aimed at creating the conditions to impose new sellout contracts on student instructors and part-time and non-tenured faculty, who, in the tens of thousands, have gone on strike over the past several years across the US. This makes all the more sinister the promotion by the GEO leadership at U-M, dominated by the pseudo-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), of the phony reform wing of the United Auto Workers bureaucracy headed by newly installed UAW president Shawn Fain, as well as former UAW president and current lecturer at U-Ms Residential College Bob King, a member of the AFT-affiliated Lecturers Employee Organization (LEO) at the university. Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and UAW President Shawn Fain at the 2023 UAW Special Bargaining Convention [Photo: UAW/Twitter] The DSA, which is being elevated into the top echelons of both the discredited, pro-corporate and pro-war trade union bureaucracies and the increasingly discredited Democratic Party, represents privileged layers of the middle class. It is neither socialist nor genuinely democratic. It is a faction of the capitalist and imperialist Democratic Party. Its central function, along with the rest of the union apparatus, is to block the independent mobilization of the vast social power and potential political power of the working class and channel opposition behind the Democrats. In promoting figures such as Fain and King, the GEO leaders in and around the DSA conceal the treacherous role of the UAW in one campus strike after another over the past several years where the UAW was the bargaining agent. The list of betrayed strikes and sellout contracts includes Columbia University, New York University, the New School and last years six-week strike by 48,000 academic workers at the University of California. GEO Facebook posts video by King On March 26, the official Facebook and Instagram page of the GEO posted a video message from King in which the former UAW leader said, Management needs to stop screwing around I know the UAW members are behind you, will be behind you. Keep fighting. Youre going to win a great contract. The GEO commented that the former UAW president knows our demands are reasonable and should be met. Message from former UAW president Bob King posted on Instagram and Facebook on March 26, 2023 [Photo: Graduate Employees' Organization 3550 (University of Michigan)] In fact, King has said or done nothing to bring his union, the LEO, out on strike with the grad student instructors, let alone mobilize support from autoworkers. GEO Twitter account posts letter from UAW President Fain On March 30, the official Twitter account of the GEO posted a letter from Shawn Fain on UAW stationery addressed to University of Michigan President Santa Ono and other university officials, declaring the UAWs support for the GEO strike. The letter stated, in part: Just as with our locals in the University of California system, Columbia University, New York University, and elsewhere, GEO is fighting for changes that would significantly improve learning outcomes across campus by making graduate workers safe and secure in their jobs. By posting the letter, the GEO leadership not only dishonestly implied that the UAW had secured good contracts for these sections of university workers, it held up Fain and the new UAW leadership as a model of militant unionism to be followed by the GEO strikers. The GEO appended to the post the following obsequious comment: Today @UAW President Shawn Fain wrote to President Ono, Provost McCauley, and the Regents to support our demands for a living wage and a fair contract! We are humbled to have you alongside us in this fight! The very fact that in his pro-forma letter Fain endorsed the betrayals of the noted campus strikes explodes the fiction that he represents a new UAW and will pursue a different policy from the corporatist program of endless give-backs and concessions that has destroyed all of the gains previously made by autoworkers in generations of struggle. There are tens of thousands of education workers who are members of the UAW and who would undoubtedly support the strike at the University of Michigan. The overwhelming majority of the hundreds of thousands of active and retired members of the UAW would support the strike as well. But despite Fains letter, the UAW has done nothing to publicize the strike or even inform its members that the strike is taking place, let alone mobilize UAW members to join it and secure the workers demands. UAW silence on the GEO strike GEO pickets were set up March 29, the same day the UAW Special Bargaining Convention in Detroit, a thirty-minute drive from the Ann Arbor campus, concluded. The new president could have easily promoted the U-M workers struggle at that event, attended by local union bureaucrats from across the US, but Fain did not even mention it. In fact, there has not been a single reference to the GEO strike on either the UAW website, the unions Twitter account or its Facebook page since the strike began. Instead, Fain repeatedly sought to make amends with the faction of bureaucrats aligned with Ray Curry, the president he had ousted. The convention charted a course of treachery in the upcoming contract negotiations with the US-based auto companies covering 150,000 GM, Ford and Stellantis workers. It rejected even the most mild resolutions calling for strike solidarity and the restoration of cost-of-living pay adjustments, and proposed nothing to fight the companies plans for mass layoffs and further wage cuts as they transition to electric vehicles. At the convention, Fain paraded top Michigan Democratic politicians before the delegates to underscore the bureaucracys support for Bidens program of war, bank bailouts and austerity. Among those who attended the convention was Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose party controls both houses of the state legislature and whose administration is overseeing the U-M administrations adamant rejection of the demand for a living wage. Whitmers main claim to fame is the allocation of billions of dollars in tax abatements and subsidies to auto companies and other business interests across the state. The fraudulent UAW election The election that brought Fain to the head of the UAW was organized by the US Labor Department to provide a facelift to the union in the aftermath of a years-long corruption scandal, which has seen a dozen top officers, including two past presidents, convicted and sent to prison for embezzling union funds and taking payoffs from the corporations in return for imposing company-friendly contracts on the membership. The election for president and other top officersthe first-ever direct election in the UAWs historywas a complete fraud. The recorded percentage of eligible UAW voters who returned ballots was the lowest of any previous national union election in the history of the United States. In the first round of the election, less than 10 percent of the 1.1 million eligible active and retired UAW members cast valid ballots. Among the 48,000 University of California strikers, only 1,200 ballots were cast, or just 2.5 percent. This was not due to rank-and-file apathy. It was the result of the deliberate suppression of the vote by all factions of the UAW bureaucracy, which sought to confine the turnout to the thousands of UAW apparatchiks. The vast majority of UAW members, including on the campuses, were not even aware that an election was taking place, because the national and local union officials did next to nothing to inform them and the government-appointed election monitor refused to compel the union officials to ensure that all workers received ballots. The second round runoff ballot between Curry and Fain, which the union publicized more extensively, aroused a vote of only 13 percent of eligible members, reflecting both a lack of knowledge of the election and hatred for both factions of the union apparatus. The Will Lehman campaign Will Lehman, a rank-and-file tier-two worker at the Mack Trucks plant in Pennsylvania, ran in the election as a socialist and principled opponent of the entire union bureaucracy. He advocated the abolition of the bureaucracy and return of power to the rank-and-file workers on the shop floor. He advanced the fight to build a network of rank-and-file committees nationally and internationally to coordinate and unite the struggles of workers globally against global capitalism. Lehman fought for the democratic rights of the UAW membership, filing a court suit to extend the first round and ensure that all members were sent ballots and assisted in casting them. He then filed complaints with the election monitor and the Labor Department demanding that the entire election be rerun on a democratic basis and exposing the election monitors longstanding business connections to the Big Three auto companies. Both Fain and Curry, as well as the monitor and the Biden Labor Department, opposed Lehmans complaints, underscoring their common contempt for the rights of the rank-and-file. Despite the mass suppression of the vote, Lehman won nearly 5 percent of the ballots cast and counted in the first round, demonstrating the broad support for a fight against the entire union apparatus and a growing interest in socialism. In the end, Fain was elected with the support of less than 3 percent of the rank-and-file members of the union. Who is Shawn Fain? Shawn Fain has spent the past 20 years working his way up the bureaucratic ladder, first as Local 1166 shop chairman at Stellantis Kokomo Casting Plant, and then, for the last 10 years, as an international rep at the unions Solidarity House national headquarters in Detroit. Selected by Bob King in 2009 to serve on the UAW-Chrysler National Negotiating Committee, Fain endorsed the savage cuts imposed by Obamas Auto Task Force. These included reducing the wages of all new-hires by 50 percent, eliminating COLA (the cost-of-living adjustment), expanding the use of temporary part-time employees and laying off thousands of workers. By the time the 2015 negotiations rolled around, Fain had been promoted to assistant director of the UAW-Fiat Chrysler Department. His boss, Norwood Jewell, was convicted of taking millions in company bribes for signing and enforcing pro-company contracts. Fain claims he had no idea what was going on in the department he helped run. In 2015, Chrysler workers shot down another concessions contract by a 2-to-1 margin, in the first rejection of a UAW-backed national contract since 1982. The UAW rolled out its full bureaucratic machine to force through a refurbished deal several weeks later. There is no public record of any opposition from Fain to this criminal conspiracy. Instead, over the next few years he was rewarded with an administrative assistant position on the Solidarity House staff. In November 2017, he was appointed as co-director of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center in Detroit, where union officials regularly used company-issued credit cards to pay for their luxurious lifestyles. Who is Bob King? Bob King, first as head of the UAWs Ford department and then as UAW president, arguably played a greater personal role than any of his sellout predecessors or successors in the destruction of all remaining gains made by generations of autoworkers since the sit-down strikes of the 1930s. King negotiated contracts that enabled Ford to cut 40 percent of its workforce between 2005 and 2007. In 2007, he led the team that renegotiated the UAWs four-year contract with Ford, establishing the two-tier wage system, including a $14-an-hour wage for new-hires, and shifting $22 billion in retiree health care obligations from the company to a union-run voluntary employee beneficiary association (VEBA). In 2009, King led the UAW team in negotiating a tentative agreement that included more onerous concessions and pay cuts. It also allowed Ford to make up to 50 percent of its payment into the VEBA with common stock in lieu of cash. This made the UAW bureaucracy a major shareholder in the company, with a direct financial stake in cutting wages and benefits, ending the eight-hour day and increasing exploitation in order to boost Fords profits and increase its stock price. UAW members at Ford rejected the deal 70 percent to 30 percent, but then-President Ron Gettelfinger imposed the contract by invoking an arcane provision of the UAW constitution. King succeeded Gettelfinger as UAW president in 2010, and spent his four-year term imposing the brutal terms of Obamas Auto Task Force. He was succeeded by Dennis Williams, who was later jailed as a result of the governments corruption investigation. King burnished his credentials as a pawn of the corporations at a 2010 Center for Automotive Research conference in Traverse City, Michigan. He all but boasted that under Obama UAW members took wage cuts of $7,000 to $30,000 a year, that benefits were also reduced significantly, and that restructuring resulted in the loss of nearly 200,000 jobs. Laying out shamelessly the corporatist dogma that denies that workers have any interests distinct from those of the bosses, he declared: The 21st century UAW no longer views these managements as our adversaries or enemies, but as partners in innovation and quality. Our new relationships with these employers are built upon a foundation of respect, shared goals, and a common mission. He stressed the utility of the UAW in policing the workers and imposing layoffs and wage cuts, noting that the union had taken a strong proactive role in making sure that quality did not suffer from the workforce reductions and churning. These then are the figures and the union apparatus being presented by the DSA leadership of the GEO to the grad student instructors as genuine supporters of their struggle. This is no wonder, since the DSA and related groups such as Labor Notes in Unite All Auto Workers for Democracy (UAWD) largely ran Fains election campaign and are playing a leading role in his administration. The UAW and the Comaroff witch-hunt One final note on the reform UAW leadership headed by Fain. On the basis of the racial and gender politics obsessively pushed by middle-class pseudo-left groups such as the DSA, the Harvard Graduate Students Union, UAW Local 5118, is playing a leading and filthy role in an ongoing witch-hunt against Professor John Comaroff, a noted and respected anthropologist and specialist in African societies. On the basis of unsubstantiated and slanderous #MeToo-type allegations of sexual misconduct, the unprincipled and anti-democratic fake left leadership of the UAW local is backing demands that Comaroff be fired. While there was no mention of the GEO strike at last months UAW Special Bargaining Convention, the lies about Comaroff reached the floor of the event when Rachel Petherbridge, a member of Local 5118s executive board, denounced Harvard for failing to fire Comaroff. There is no contradiction between promoting reactionary and corrupt figures such as Shawn Fain and Bob King as examples of militant working class leadership and engaging in anti-democratic slander campaigns in order to promote anti-Marxist politics based on race, gender and other forms of personal identity. Nor is there any contradiction between the promotion of identity politics and support for American imperialism and its proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, as well as its preparations for war against China. The DSA speaks for privileged layers of the middle classthe main base of the Democratic Party outside of the intelligence and military establishmentwhich seek to use such politics as a lever for advancing their own careers, whether in academia, the Democratic Party or the trade union bureaucracy, and for increasing their share of the wealth of the top five percent at the expense of the broad mass of working people. There is nothing democratic, let alone socialist, in their politics or their opportunist maneuvers. As was shown in the role of the DSA and its congressional members in assuring passage of Bidens bill to ban a strike of rail workers and impose a contract that had been voted down by the workers, their main function is to help the union bureaucracies divide and suppress the growing mass movement of the working class against capitalism. Last month, Dr David Berger, a highly-experienced rural emergency doctor, issued an open letter to Australian health ministers demanding the mandating of masks in hospitals and all other health settings. This rudimentary measure has been abandoned by Australian governments, allowing the transmission of this deadly disease and the death of vulnerable patients. Dr David Berger [Photo: WSWS] As extensively reported by the WSWS, Dr Berger was censured and threatened with deregistration by the Australia Health Practitioners Regulation Agency for his determined fight for zero-COVID. Dr Bergers open letter lists seven necessary procedures to stop COVID infections in hospitals and other clinical settings: Set and promote a target of ZERO HOSPITAL TRANSMISSION OF COVID AND OTHER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS for the entire country, as our state and federal governments set and promote a target of ZERO ROAD DEATHS. Reinstate the mask mandate in clinical areas, at least, and for N95s, which science tells us are effective against airborne pathogens, as opposed to surgical masks, which are not. Establishand publish the results of an audit program to monitor rates of hospital-acquired COVID and other airborne respiratory infections such as RSV and flu, because without such a program it is impossible to calibrate infection control measures. How else can we know if the measures we are taking are beneficial or detrimental? To quote Lord Kelvin: If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it. Monitor and publish the indoor air quality of healthcare facilities. This air is breathed by the public and its quality deserves to be known by the public. What have you got to hide? Apply mitigations where indoor air quality is found to be lacking, such as improving air change rates and/or HEPA filtration. Educate staff about the importance of respiratory hygiene with respect to airborne infection, in the same way as they are educated about hand hygiene. This is not presently happening. Audit and promote mask [N95] wearing in the same way as hand hygiene is promoted and audited. This is not presently happening. We asked Dr Berger about these demands and why he decided to issue an open letter. David Berger: Governments are basically going back to what was being said in 2019. Given what weve learnt in the past three years this is particularly absurd and dangerous: firstly, because COVID is the most infectious disease weve encountered in the past 60 years, and secondly all that we now know about this disease being airborne. People might like to believe that we can all go back to 2019, and that nothing has changed, but this is not in accordance with reality and science. The idea that we are not pulling out all the stops to ensure were providing the safest healthcare to everyone is abhorrent because it discriminates against anyone with a disability and is a spectacular act of patient harm. ICU nurses protesting outside Westmead Hospital on January 19, 2022. [Photo: NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association] During the post-WWII period there was an aspiration to improve public health. We had the birth of antibiotics, effective hypertension drugs and a spate of childhood vaccinations during the 50s, 60s and 70s, and even in the 1980s and 90s. But what it was like in the 1930s in pre-antibiotic and pre-vaccine days is not in the living memory of many public health professionals working today. When you and I were children there was an understanding among health practitioners what it was like back in the 1930s. That institutional generational knowledge is gone. Its taken for granted that kids dont get sick, and people just live on into old age. Hard fought gains are now being thrown away and responsibility for this rests with governments and senior health officials. WSWS: Could you speak about the horrendous rise in hospital infections? DB: Wed all like COVID to go away but it hasnt, and it wont, so unless the measures I propose are implemented, then more and more people are going to get infected in hospitals and die. Its imperative that medical facilities and hospitals are safe for all people to access. If we fail on this, then we fail the first dictum of health care which is, first do no harm. The first thing we must do, in conjunction with ensuring adequate precautions are taken in hospitals, is to start measuring and publishing the rates of healthcare infections. We do it with road traffic deaths and have a manifest target of getting to zero road deaths, which will never happen, but at least theres an aspirational target. Unless we have a target to measure our success with COVID then we can never improve. As Lord Kelvin said at the end of the 19th century, If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it. And those measurements must be published, and healthcare facilities held accountable. This is our information, and it belongs to the people. Its completely brain-dead to measure infection control by community prevalence. If its low but youre still getting a lot of infections in hospitals, then it means youve got to do more to stop it. Higher community prevalence is a factor, of course, and increases risk but what we have now is a rising sea level, with tidal variations, rather than intermittent tsunamis-like waves. In other words, the background level of infections is sufficiently high that there is no sense in calibrating infection control measures according to community prevalence. You calibrate infection control measures according to whether theyre successful or not. The only way you can tell if theyre successful or not is by measuring outcome, which is hospital acquired infections. This isnt new, complex or some amazing idea, its simply basic project management. Its almost painful and wearying to have to explain this. That government health officials can say were not going to measure the outcome or show you the results, and be allowed by the media to get away with it, shows you the parlous state of the press today. At 6 p.m. yesterday, Frances Constitutional Council ruled that President Emmanuel Macrons pension cuts are constitutional, removing the last legal obstacle to their adoption as law. The Elysee presidential palace announced 15 minutes later that Macron will promulgate the pension cuts as law within 48 hours. The Councils predictable approval of a law opposed by 80 percent of the French people, which Macron rammed through without even a vote in parliament, again tears the democratic mask off the capitalist state. It imposes the diktat of the banks, which plan amid the NATO-Russia war in Ukraine to massively divert social spending into strengthening the military-police machine. The struggle against the pension cuts can only be waged as a political struggle directed against the entire capitalist state machine. The Councils decision also exposes the forces in the union bureaucracy and the pseudo-left parties who, warning of violence by protesters, told workers to place their hopes in trade union mediation with Macron. Everyone involved, including masses of workers and youth, knew very well that Macron would ignore the mediation. On the other hand, two-thirds of the French people supported a general strike to block the economy and bring down Macron. The bureaucrats simply worked to wear down and demobilize mass anger with reactionary and pointless promises to resume talks with Macron. Protests and riots erupted in over 100 cities across France yesterday evening after the announcement of the ruling. Rennes saw heavy clashes with police as protesters stormed and burned down a police station and set the door of the Jacobins Convent church on fire. There were also clashes in Grenoble and Lyon, where heavily-armed riot police put the Croix-Rousse neighborhood on lock-down. In Paris, where a massive police deployment and a police ban on demonstrations protected the offices of the Constitutional Council, several thousand protesters gathered on the Place de Greve in front of City Hall. They marched initially west towards the Elysee palace but were turned back by a series of police charges, finally marching towards Republic Square. Clashes between police and youth protesters who set garbage bins on fire continued throughout the night. The Constitutional Council is a body of unelected reactionaries hand-picked by successive French presidents to nine-year terms. One of its top members is Alain Juppe, the convicted embezzler and former French prime minister, who in 1995 provoked mass rail strikes with the first plan for pension cuts in France, four years after the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its president is the social-democrat Laurent Fabius, for whom laws were changed to avoid his conviction after his government let all Frances hemophiliacs be infected with AIDS-tainted blood in the 1980s. Unsurprisingly, the Council issued an illegitimate, anti-democratic ruling that discredits the capitalist state as a whole. It made only minor changes to the cuts, stripping out certain social measureslike a requirement to report corporations who fire older workers to hire younger, cheaper workersthat Macron added in as a meaningless sop to the union bureaucrats. Workers and youth must continue to oppose this anti-democratic pension cut and the brutal police-state regime led by Macron, which is trying to impose it on them. To wage this struggle, however, they first face the task of building a movement of the rank-and-file, independent of the union bureaucracies which are working to protect Macron. The initial responses of the union bosses and pseudo-left politicians to the Constitutional Councils ruling made clear they intend to continue wearing down the movement with calls for periodic protests without any perspective. Jean-Luc Melenchon, whose Unsubmissive France (LFI) party leads the New Popular Union (NUPES) with the rumps of the French social-democratic and Stalinist parties, reacted immediately after the verdict. He tweeted, The decision of the Constitutional Council shows it is more attentive to the needs of the presidential monarchy than to those of the sovereign people. The struggle continues and must gather its strength. Later on in the evening, Melenchon again tweeted to emphasize that he and his allies intend to work closely with the union bureaucracies to keep political control of workers struggles. He wrote, The exceptional violence of the decisions of the Constitutional Council require intense coordination between the NUPES and the trade unions to continue the struggle and to control the fightback. We are alerting about anger and despair. Melenchons call to control the fightback aims not to mobilize and give a perspective for social anger, but to divert it into the dead end of union mediation with Macron. Indeed, Melenchon had nearly 8 million votes in last years presidential election, largely in working class neighborhoods of Frances major cities. An appeal to his voters to take mass strike action to bring down Macron could rapidly block Frances economy, as a large majority of the French people support doing. Melenchon has abstained from any such call, however, instead issuing an absurd proposal for a general strike addressed to the trade union leaders, who had no intention of acting on it. Still fearing that they cannot call off the movement without provoking a wave of strikes outside their control, the union bosses are continuing to call strikes while trying to wear down the movement. Stephanie Binet, the financial journalist and managers union head newly chosen to run the General Confederation of Labors (CGT) Stalinist bureaucracy, issued an impotent appeal from the all-trade union alliance to Macron to show wisdom and abandon the pension cuts he just imposed. She turned down Macrons invitation to the all-trade union alliance for talks Tuesday and called for a historic, popular tsunami of participation in May Day protests. Binet said, We will not go see the president if he promulgates the cuts as law. But if he withdraws them, it will be with great pleasure that we will go have discussions with him. Given mass anger in the working class, certain political allies of the union bureaucracies tried to restrain expressions of great pleasure at the idea of meeting Frances president of the rich and present a more militant face. Thus Olivier Besancenot, the former presidential candidate of the Pabloite New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA), tweeted: Here lies the tomb of the Fifth Republic, 1958-2023 RIP. The struggle continues! Proclamations that the Fifth Republic is dead by middle class allies of the union bureaucracies working to demobilize opposition to Macron and the Fifth Republics police-state regime are politically worthless. The class struggle has confirmed that these pseudo-left groups work to tie workers to a bankrupt perspective of bureaucratic social dialog with a capitalist state that now unabashedly rules against the people. As social anger continues to mount, the decisive task remains to prepare a general strike to bring down Macron, the investment banker, architect of the pension cuts, and center of the police state conspiracies against workers. But the ruling of the Constitutional Council brings to an end one period of the struggle against Macron. It has confirmed that there is no democratic path within the existing state structure and its official channels for social dialogue to oppose the diktat of the banks. The task now is to build from below a mass movement of the working class, organized in action committees of the rank-and-file, to bring down Macron, alongside a political movement to transfer state power to the organizations of the working class. In 1971, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) split with what was then its French section, Pierre Lamberts Organisation communiste internationaliste. The OCI oriented to the Union of the Left between the big business Socialist Party (PS) and the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF). In 1981, it backed the election of PS President Francois Mitterrand, endorsing him on the first round. A year after his election, Mitterrand carried out his austerity turn, slashing living standards and jobs. The significance of this emerges clearly today, as explosive working class struggles erupt against former PS economy minister, now President Emmanuel Macron. Macron is ruling against the people, ramming through his overwhelmingly unpopular pension cuts without a vote in parliament, and facing a mass strike movement. The Parti de legalite socialiste, the French section built by the ICFI in 2016, calls for workers to build independent rank-and-file committees to prepare a general strike to bring down Macron. The Parti ouvrier independant democratique (POID, Democratic Independent Workers Party), which descends from Lamberts OCI, pursues a diametrically opposite policy. While it also calls for a general strike against Macron, because this proposal has overwhelming popular support, it sees this as a stepping stone to building a new capitalist government. It proposes to replace Macron by a bourgeois government of national unity, offering friendly advice to pseudo-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon, himself an ex-Lambertist. The POID writes: Since January, the all-trade union alliance has won the confidence of workers and youth by calling for struggle until the cuts are withdrawn. If it wants to keep this confidence, it must call the entire country for a general strike until the cuts are withdrawn. This is the only way to respond to the governments contempt for the people and force it to step back. As for Jean-Luc Melenchon, who is asking Macron to dissolve the National Assembly or hold a referendum, he must realize: the solution will not come from Macron. The duty of parties that claim to defend the cause of the workers and democracy is to call clearly for Macrons departure, right now, immediately, and to proclaim that they are ready to constitute an emergency government that makes a break and abrogates the pension cuts. This is a fraud. The PES irreconcilably opposes all attempts to cobble together an emergency bourgeois government to replace Macron, as proposed by the POID. If the POID, Melenchon or other establishment parties somehow assembled such a government, the PES would oppose it and seek to politically mobilize the working class against it. What the POID is proposing is to build a reactionary capitalist government that would directly clash with the movement of the working class. Indeed, the working class is now engaged in a struggle against the capitalist state itself. The PES explains that the bringing down of Macron in a general strike would be a critical first step in a broader struggle. It would mobilize the power of the working class independently of the union bureaucracies, setting the stage for a struggle of the working class for state power and to build socialism. The POID, in contrast, intends for Frances corrupt union bureaucracies to keep control of the struggles of the working class and subordinate them to their negotiations with the capitalist state. Over three months of mass strikes, the bureaucracies have made clear that they have no intention of mobilizing the working class for a general strike to bring down Macron. Indeed, led by CFDT union boss Laurent Berger, they demanded mediation with Macron and warned of violence by protesters as protests were attacked by riot police. The POIDs pleas to the union bosses to organize a general strike have a thoroughly empty, ritualistic character. The POID could, to be sure, use its considerable weight inside the union bureaucracy to launch a substantial campaign for mass strike action, if this was its policy. But it has no intention to organize a rank-and-file rebellion against the union leaders, preferring to issue impotent and useless appeals to them to launch a general strike. By demanding that bureaucracies launch general strikes that they oppose and will not launch, the POID is not trying to initiate a struggle, but to promote illusions in the bureaucrats. This also lets POID members in the union bureaucracy posture in front of the rank-and-file as militant advocates of general strike action, when in reality they are taking no action to bring about a general strike. It is a cynical cover for inaction and political cowardice. Indeed, for that reason the POID constantly in all its party statements poses as advisers of the union bureaucracy, appealing to them to take action. In another party statement, the POID declared: Everything is concentrated in the responsibility of the leaders of the trade union confederations to call without delay for a general strike to force Macron and his minority government to back down. If for the POID, everything is concentrated in the actions of the bureaucracy, this is because it is a petty-bourgeois, anti-Trotskyist tendency, oriented not to rank-and-file workers but to the union bureaucracy, Melenchon and their maneuvers with the ruling establishment. Against the POID, the PES bases itself on Trotskys critique of the POIDs political ancestors in the Stalinist and social-democratic labor bureaucracy, who built the Popular Front alliance with the liberal bourgeoisie in the 1930s. In 1935, Leon Trotsky exposed the Popular Front, which betrayed the May-June 1936 general strike in France, blocking a revolutionary struggle of the working class for power. Against the union bureaucracies linked to the social-democratic and Stalinist parties, he called for the building of rank-and-file committees of action. His essay For Committees of ActionNot the Peoples Front in his work Whither France responds to the POIDs anti-Trotskyist line today. Trotsky condemned the politics of petty-bourgeois forces who, behind revolutionary rhetoric, consider the unity of these apparatuses as an absolute good which stands above the interests of the revolutionary struggle. Building committees of action, Trotsky wrote, is the only means of breaking the anti-revolutionary opposition of the party and trade union apparatuses. On the other hand, political supporters of the bureaucracies, Trotsky wrote, serve to shield this apparatus from the indignation of the masses. The situation can be saved only by aiding the struggling masses to create a new apparatus, in the process of the struggle itself, which meets the requirements of the moment. The committees of action are intended for this very purpose Such tasks as the creation of workers militia, the arming of the workers, the preparation of a general strike, will remain on paper if the struggling masses themselves through their authoritative organs do not occupy themselves with these tasks. The POID rejects a Trotskyist perspective, orienting to the union bureaucracies and bourgeois parties. However, it tries to cover its counterrevolutionary policy behind claims that it is fighting for a workers government like the 1871 Paris Commune. It writes: The first workers government in history, the Paris Commune, in less than 100 days, lay the basis of an authentic social and political democracy founded on the equality of rights. We are fighting for a workers government that will have the audacity to confiscate the hundreds of billions of euros in speculation, the hundreds of billions in war budgets to spend them on urgent needs: to hospitals, schools, public services, to the general raising of wages and the protection of everyones pensions in the conditions in which they were acquired. The POIDs claim that it is inspired by the model of the Paris Commune is another fraud. The Paris workers in 1871 took power not under the control of union bureaucracies, but in an uprising against the Third Republic, forming their own independent organs of state power. It was not just another municipal government in France, but an independent body of the working class diametrically opposed to the bourgeois Third Republic, which ultimately responded by slaughtering the Commune in the Bloody Week of May 21-28, 1871. The experience of the Paris Commune showed, as Marx famously stated in an address to the International Workingmens Association, that the working class cannot simply lay hold of the ready-made state machinery, and wield it for its own purposes. The POID, on the other hand, intends for workers struggles to remain under the control of union bureaucracies negotiating with Macron. It is not proposing to build independent organs of working class struggle that could evolve into organs of workers power, but looking for allies to form a bourgeois coalition government functioning within the capitalist state machine. Such a capitalist government will not expropriate the ill-gotten wealth of the financial oligarchy, as many bitter experiences of the working class attest. The POIDs rhetoric today echoes the OCIs propaganda in support of the 1981 PS-PCF coalition government in France. The record of the 1981 Mitterrand government was not of revolution, however, but austerity at home and imperialist war abroad. After the 1982-1983 austerity turn, Mitterrand sent troops to Chad for a covert war on Libya. In his second term, he ordered French troops to participate in the first Gulf War against Iraq. The French government also played a central role in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, backing the Hutu-led government and helping the Hutu-extremist militias involved in the genocide escape eastward into the Congo. Today, the POID no doubt intends for workers to read its statements as appeals to Melenchon to ally with the POID to build a new government. Melenchon himself has impotently called on Macron to hold new elections, whichthough Macron has given no indication that he will take this suggestioncould theoretically return a greater number of parliamentarians from Melenchons Unsubmissive France (LFI) party. Melenchon could then try to serve, as he already has repeatedly proposed to do, under Macron as prime minister. A POID-backed government would not however be simply a replay of the Mitterrand government of the 1980s, as reactionary as it proved to be. After decades of economic globalization, war and deepening social inequality, with Europe now plunged in a NATO-Russia war in Ukraine, it would be far to the right of that. The experience of governments led by Melenchon allies, like Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain, must be taken as a warning on the nature of a hypothetical government of national unity supported by the POID. In 2015, Syriza allied with the far-right Independent Greeks party, repudiated its election promises to end EU austerity, and again slashed pensions and living standards. It went on to build EU detention camps for refugees and send weapons to Saudi Arabia for its war on Yemen. The Syriza government collapsed in disgrace, bringing to power a right-wing, pro-EU government of the discredited New Democracy party. Podemos now rules Spain in alliance with the big-business Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE). It has fully participated in the NATO war in Ukraine, arming the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, and brutally attacked strikes from workers demanding scientific protection during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has ruthlessly cracked down on truckers and steelworkers strikes, and is currently passing its own pension cuts echoing those of Macron. The PES warns against any attempt to lead workers into the political trap of appeals to the union bureaucracy, or for the formation of a new capitalist government. It explains that the struggle against Macron can only proceed by a rebellion of the working class against the bureaucracies backed by the POID, as workers build their own rank-and-file organizations to prepare a general strike to bring down Macron. In this struggle, the party fighting to build the Trotskyist revolutionary leadership of the working class is the PES, not the pro-capitalist operatives leading the Lambertist POID. Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The response of the US media to a series of leaked Pentagon documents revealing US involvement in the Ukraine war raises far-reaching issues of democratic rights. On Thursday, the New York Times publicly identified the individual who allegedly leaked Pentagon documents exposing US government lies about the Ukraine war, leading to his arrest. The Times, working with the state-funded propaganda clearinghouse Bellingcat, publicly revealed the identity of Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old Air National Guard member. Teixeira was arrested just hours later. There are indications that Teixeira holds repulsive fascist and antisemitic views. But Teixeiras motivations do not change the fact that the documents he released caught the US government red-handed in systematically lying to the public in waging an undeclared war against Russia in Ukraine. The documents showed that, contrary to false claims by the Biden administration, NATO troops are on the ground in Ukraine, NATO is directly involved in the war, and the Ukrainian military is in a far worse position than presented by news reports. These documents have exposed not only the US government, but the New York Times and Washington Post, as liars. In turn, the major US media outlets have responded by upholding, in principle, the right of the US government to lie to the public. On Thursday, the Washington Post published an editorial headlined, The Discord leaks show our nations secrets at risk. Nowhere in the editorial is there any criticism of the Biden administration for having lied to the American public. Instead, the editorial upholds government secrecy, and vows to assist the government to keep the public from knowing what the government wishes to keep secret. The editorial declares, Keeping secrets is essential to a functioning government. In making this statement, the Post, owned by the oligarch Jeff Bezos, has declared war on a fundamental precept of democratic rule. In his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson asserted, The diffusion of information and the arraignment of all abuses at the bar of public reason, I deem [one of] the essential principles of our government. This is because, as Jefferson later explained, Though [the people] may acquiesce, they cannot approve what they do not understand. In verbal deference to this principle, in order to give the United States entry into World War I a democratic veneer, the first of President Woodrow Wilsons Fourteen Points declared, There shall be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view. The state secrets exposed by the documents were secrets not from Russia, but from the American people. The documents show that the government is fundamentally misleading the public about a foreign policy that threatens nuclear war and the destruction of human civilization. By upholding the principle of state secrets with regard to US conduct in the Ukraine war, the Post upholds the right of the government to lie to the public with total impunity. This takes the complicity of the US media in the crimes of US imperialism to an entirely new level: it has become an active co-partner with the government in preventing the development of an informed public opinion that could place restraints on the preparation, conduct and escalation of war. In other words, the creation of a police state in America would not require a change in policy, much less a change in personnel, at the Washington Post. The editorial did not explain the strange contrast between this sweeping assertion of government power over the public with the slogan on its masthead, democracy dies in darkness. A national secret is in fact a secret kept by one part of the nation from another. One part of the nationthe government and the financial oligarchy whose affairs it managesis fully in on the secret. But the great mass of the population is only allowed to hear lies. The fact that a 21-year-old National Guard airman had access to these supposedly highly secret and sensitive documents points to how widespread knowledge of US involvement in Ukraine is within the state, military and media. In fact, the Washington Post has publicly admitted to having viewed hundreds of documents from the leak to which that the public has no access. The crime, in other words, is to inform the broader public about the lies of the US government. It is for this crime that Chelsea Manning spent seven years in prison, and for which Julian Assange is imprisoned to this day. The US media, and the Times in particular, have long collaborated with the US government in promoting and justifying the crimes of US imperialism. But for the Times to publicly take actions that led directly to the arrest of a source of information vital to the public interest marks a milestone in the degeneration of the American press into an appendage of the state. Anyone with information exposing criminal wrongdoing by the government cannot go to the New York Times, Washington Post or other major US media outlet for fear of simply being handed over to the police or FBI. Conversely, the actions of the New York Times endanger all American journalists, who will now be accused of being nothing more than government spies. Over 50 years ago, the New York Times and the Washington Post published the Pentagon Papers, exposing a systematic conspiracy by the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations to wage an aggressive war in Vietnam, involving widespread war crimes by US troops, while misleading the public about the aims and extent of the war. Under the standards now championed by the Times and the Post, not only Daniel Ellsberg, who released the Pentagon Papers, but the Times editors, journalists and publishers who printed them would be liable to prosecution. On Tuesday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby called on the US media to stop publishing information contained in the documents, declaring, It has no business on the front pages of newspapers, or on television. It is not intended for public consumption, and it should not be out there. While the White House may wish the public to have no knowledge of its lies and crimes, and the mainstream media may oblige this request, the rise of the internet has made it impossible for the state to control public discourse. In 2017, former Obama administration official Samantha Power lamented the waning of control by media corporations of public discourse. She wrote, During the Cold War, most Americans received their news and information via mediated platforms. Reporters and editors serving in the role of professional gatekeepers had almost full control over what appeared in the media. The fact that two-thirds of Americans are getting at least some of their news through social media is, she wrote, dangerous. This is why, when Julian Assange was seized from the Ecuadorian embassy, the Washington Post cheered the Trump administrations arrest of the principled journalist, declaring in an editorial that Mr. Assange is not a free-press hero, and that he is overdue for personal accountability. The contents of the leaked Pentagon documents point to the vital role played by the World Socialist Web Site. While the lies of the Times and the Post were exposed by the documents, the WSWSs reporting has been confirmed. This is because, while the Times and Post sought to delude and lie to the working class, the WSWS fought to inform the public about the immense dangers posed by the escalation of the war. The rallying by the media in defense of government lies is a desperate effort on the part of the financial oligarchy to head off a rising tide of social opposition. The ruling elite believes that through a combination of lies and propaganda, it will be able to embroil the world in a war that will create the conditions for outlawing strikes and protests and guaranteeing its profits. But as Abraham Lincoln once said, You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. What the oligarchy most fearsthe building of an international socialist movement of the working class against imperialist waris on the agenda. May Day 2023 will be a vital step in the building of this movement. On Sunday, April 30, the International Committee of the Fourth International, the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality and the World Socialist Web Site will hold an online global May Day rally to mobilize workers and young people around the world against the war in Ukraine. We urge all of those who seek to oppose the war to register today. More than three years into the COVID pandemic, Australian governments, like their international counterparts, continue to remove the limited measures taken to slow the spread of the virus, despite their efficacy in protecting people from a disease that has killed more than 21 million people worldwide. In Australia, where the Labor Party holds power federally and in six out of seven states, this includes the ending of essential mask mandates in hospitals and other clinical areas. Last month, Dr David Berger, a remote area general practitioner and principled advocate for zero-COVID policies and workplace safety measures, issued an open letter denouncing this socially criminal move. Dr David Berger [Photo: WSWS] Circulated on Twitter, where it has currently had 197,600 views, the letter was addressed to Mark Butler, the federal minister for health and aged care and equivalent health officials in Australias states and territories. Bergers letter notes that COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in Australia last year, behind heart disease and dementia, contributing almost 12,000 of the 20,000 excess deaths in 2022, a 12 percent increase compared to pre-pandemic levels. It warns that the current data for 2023 shows no signs of a lessening of the rate of excess death. The letter sharply criticises the dropping of mask wearing requirements in hospitals and health services by state and federal governments. Mask mandates, familiar to any patient or health worker during 2020 and 2021, served to stop the spread of hospital associated infections (HAIs) of COVID, which are particularly vulnerable to large outbreaks given they contain thousands of people in close confines. Hospitals also contain those individuals at the greatest danger of dying from a COVID infection, due to their weakened health from other diseases and conditions. This is not a small group. Those especially at risk, Berger says, include the elderly and children under 5, pregnant women, the disabled, cancer patients, organ transplant recipients, heart attack and stroke survivors, those with congenital disorders like Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and minority ethnic groups. His letter also points out that the Aboriginal population in central and northern Australia, areas where Dr Berger has worked extensively, has a rate of severe ill health at a young age, which is probably amongst the highest in the world, making it arguably the sickest, most vulnerable population in the world. Yet, as Berger outlined, every Australian state and territory government has quietly removed mask mandates in precisely the settings they are most required to protect vulnerable people. Now visitors, patients, and staff are met with recommendations to wear masks based on personal choice, thus leaving it up to an individuals own understanding, and resources, with no publicly accessible guidelines on what masks are adequate. As a result, many individuals, patients, and even health workers wear no masks, or only surgical masks, rather than the N95 masks required to protect against COVID infection. This deliberate neglect of hospital patients is causing avoidable disability and death. Berger notes that in Victoria, from 1 January to 24 August 2022 there have been 2,957 COVID related HAIs, a figure 10 times greater than in either 2020 or 2021, when COVID quarantines and mask mandates were in effect. Victorias Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has reported that being infected with COVID in hospital had a mortality rate of 7.6 percent, 50 times greater than the average rate of death from COVID. Confirming these grim statistics, leaked figures from the Victorian Health Department, published last month in Melbournes Age newspaper and the Sydney Morning Herald, revealed that more than 3,200 people likely contracted COVID-19 in hospitals in Victoria between January 1 and October 26 last year. Of these patients, at least 344over 10 percentdied. Additionally, 510 percent of COVID sufferers will go on to develop Long COVID, a post-viral syndrome with complex and often devastating consequences, like organ failure, blood clots, and early dementia. The lack of masks also causes an increase in the spread of other respiratory viruses. HAIs caused by influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which had been suppressed in 202021, have surged since 2022, even out of season, due to the greater opportunity for transmission. As Berger correctly raises, this failure to protect hospital patients and health workers from COVID is a denial of their fundamental right to physical safety in hospitals. He writes, Sickening and killing patients as a result of lack of basic hygiene in a high-income country in the 21st century is the very definition of negligence and futility. The working class is the hardest hit by infections. Public hospitals, where the largest outbreaks have taken place due to their bearing the brunt of COVID hospitalisations, are also overwhelmingly relied on by working class people and the poor. These groups, particularly those in the lowest 20 percent of incomes, have died from COVID at a rate three times greater than those in the wealthiest 20 percent. Given the breakdown in data collection and the abandonment of serious efforts to track and trace COVID cases, the true number and death rate of HAIs are underestimated. In the UK, a country with a comparable healthcare system to Australia, 30 percent of all COVID infections occur in hospitals. If applied in Australia, where 27,742 COVID cases were officially reported last week, this would mean that in the first week of April roughly 9,000 COVID cases occurred in hospitals. A freedom of information request by the Australian community group COVID Safe Schools, made to the New South Wales (NSW) government regarding internal government correspondence on COVID HAIs was declined, on the supposed basis that no such documents exist. In other words, outside of occasional reporting of COVID infections in hospitals, the NSW government claims to have never discussed the matter internally since the start of the pandemic. Whether or not this extraordinary claim is true, the true extent of COVID HAIs is being suppressed, and the impact is to withhold from the public that hospitals, without appropriate measures such as masks to prevent COVID spreading, represent a danger to patients and healthcare workers. In this context, COVID cases have been rising for the past two months. In Australia, with an absence of mass testing, it is impossible to know actual numbers, however the average number of daily cases has risen from 2,500 to just over 4,000 since early February, an increase of 60 percent. On average, at least 95 people die of COVID per week, a fact passed over with a yawn by governments and the corporate media. New variants, including the XBB.1.16 strain, dubbed Arcturus, have additional mutations on the spike protein, making them more immune-evasive and likely to cause infections to rise. Officially, COVID has killed 20,000 people in Australia, representing the single greatest mass death and disability event to the country since World War II. It was the third most common cause of death in 2022. These figures are undercounts. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) calculates that there were 25,235 excess deaths last year alone15.3 percent higher than the historical average. There were also 172 deaths attributed to Long COVID. Far from responding to COVID by sustained measures to protect people and eliminate the pandemic, government officials resort to lies and suppression of information regarding the severity and consequences of COVID. Any measures to suppress the pandemic are regarded with hostility because they would affect corporate profitability. Victorian State Premier Dan Andrews (left), Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland State Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Some of the Labor Party leaders attending the National Cabinet meeting on September 30, 2022, which announced an end compulsory isolation for those infected with COVID-19. [Photo: Anthony Albanese Facebook] Since coming into power in May 2022 claiming to represent the interests of working people, the Federal Albanese Labor government, whose health department Dr Bergers open letter is addressed to, has presided over at least 11,836 deaths. Their response to Dr Bergers consistent efforts to raise the danger of COVIDs spread and advocate for zero-COVID was to persecute him last year with threats of losing his right to practice as a doctor, a witch hunt carried out by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency. Mask mandates have come under fire precisely because their efficacy in protecting against COVID spread would remind the public of the pandemics ongoing existence and danger and demonstrate the necessity of public health measures in containing its spread. Predictably, Bergers open letter has been ignored by government health officials, the corporate media and greeted with a stony silence by the health unions. Berger passed on the leaked data on COVID-acquired infections in Victorian hospitals to the Age and Sydney Morning Herald, which published a story on the shocking figures. But these outlets wrote nothing about his open letter and the seven rudimentary measures (see interview) he says must be implemented to establish zero hospital transmissions of COVID. The fight to put an end to the COVID pandemic, preserving the lives of the sick and vulnerable requires the mobilisation of health workers, teachers and other sections of the working class in alliance with principled medical researchers and scientists. This means building of rank-and-file committees, such as the Health Workers Rank-and-File Committee (HWRFC) in Australia and internationally, independent of the unions and political parties which are responsible for the let it rip pandemic policies now implemented. The HWRFC has initiated a COVID-19 safety survey for health workers, the results of which will be published on social media and on the World Socialist Web Site. We urge all health workers to complete this questionnaire, share your experiences and take forward this fight. Some of the losses seen by insiders who purchased AU$3.4m worth of Austral Resources Australia Ltd (ASX:AR1) shares over the past year were recovered after the stock increased by 21% over the past week. The purchase, however, has proven to be a pricey bet, with losses currently totalling AU$748k. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. See our latest analysis for Austral Resources Australia Austral Resources Australia Insider Transactions Over The Last Year The CEO, MD & Executive Director Daniel Jauncey made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$1m worth of shares at a price of AU$0.37 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being AU$0.32). It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. 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. Austral Resources Australia insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. Their average price was about AU$0.41. These transactions suggest that insiders have considered the current price attractive. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Austral Resources Australia is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership Of Austral Resources Australia 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. It's great to see that Austral Resources Australia insiders own 55% of the company, worth about AU$93m. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders. Story continues What Might The Insider Transactions At Austral Resources Australia Tell Us? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Austral Resources Australia shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. With high insider ownership and encouraging transactions, it seems like Austral Resources Australia insiders think the business has merit. 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. To that end, you should learn about the 5 warning signs we've spotted with Austral Resources Australia (including 3 which shouldn't be ignored). 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. 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 The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union concluded an agreement with Uber Canada last year that committed it to lobbying provincial governments to ensure workers employed in the ruthlessly exploitative gig economy are denied the basic rights and minimum protections accorded all non-agricultural workers. Shortly thereafter, Ontarios hard-right Doug Ford-led Conservative government passed its Working for Workers Act, 2022 (Bill 88). In the name of outlining digital platform workers rights, Bill 88 effectively places the provinces Uber drivers and other gig-platform workers in a separate categoryakin to the already existing dependent contractor designationthereby denying them even the bare-bones rights of worker/employees. The supposedly non-traditional representation agreement that the UFCW struck with Uber in January 2022 sheds important light on the corrupt and incestuous relations that prevail between the trade union bureaucracy, corporate executives, and government ministers throughout North America. Under the agreement, Uber gave its approval for the UFCW, which with 1.3 million members in Canada and the US is one of North Americas largest unions, to represent its drivers in certain disputes with management. The agreement specifically committed the union to work with the global ride and delivery company to bring about governmental reforms that would provide drivers and delivery people new benefits while preserving flexibilitythat is, that would ensure gig workers were denied basic workers rights. Andrew Macdonald, Senior Vice President of Uber, released a statement on the agreement that declared, In a quintessentially Canadian manner, weve come together to find common ground Through this agreement, were prioritizing what drivers and delivery people tell us they want: enhancing their flexibility to work if, when, and where they want with a stronger voice and new benefits and protections. The reference to flexibility is a euphemism for the ratcheting up of Ubers already notorious conditions of ruthless exploitation, and the blather about stronger worker rights and protections is hogwash. The sole beneficiaries are Uber, which has secured the UFCWs support in lobbying for corporate-friendly legislation, and the UFCW bureaucracy. The latter has gained privileged access to Uber drivers, which it hopes to use, with the companys all but open support, to produce new members and increased revenues via an expanded dues base. Under the agreement, the UFCW is supposed to have ongoing discussions with the company about work-related issues, but there is no union-Uber contract, and workers are not provided the rights traditionally associated with union representation. Rather the agreement allows drivers to choose to have the UFCW legally represent them in disputes with the company over a limited number of issues pertaining to their Uber-App account, including deactivation (i.e., the temporary or permanent suspension of their right to pick up rides or deliveries.) In such cases, Uber will assume the costs of providing the driver with the unions services. In other words, the relationship between Uber and the UFCW is that of a plaintiff bankrolling the defendants legal team in a court case. In a previous period, the unionization of workplaces was associated with bitter working-class struggles. In the 1930s, the CIO industrial unions were built in a mass North America-wide upsurge in the teeth of bitter corporate resistance and organized state violence. Federal government workers in Canada only got the right to unionize following a militant, nationwide wildcat strike by postal workers in 1965. Those days have long since passed into history, and the unions have emerged over the past four decades as appendages of big business and the state. This is exemplified by the Uber/UFCW deal, which was finalized after the UFCW abandoned efforts to win the legal right to represent drivers by signing up union members. The agreement was instead proposed by Uber management, cooked up behind the backs of Uber workers and forced through without so much as a vote. The backroom negotiation between the corporate leadership of Uber and the well-paid UFCW bureaucracy had more the character of a business hiring a security firm to police the activities of its employees than an initiative aimed at improving working conditions. Rather than protecting gig economy workers or expanding their rights to include full time regular benefits, the agreement cements the role of contractorsin reality poorly-paid, super-vulnerable employeesin delivery services. By defining their workers as contractors, gig employers, with the political establishments connivance, have been able to escape any legal obligation to provide regular schedules of work, proper benefits, or regular negotiations over workers pay and other terms of employment. Gig platform companies also use app work to minimize workers contact with each other, so as to facilitate their isolation and atomisation, and frustrate workers efforts to organize resistance. The trade unions are fully prepared to adapt to these new conditions and benefit from this new class of exploited contract workers. Included in the Uber/UFCW deal are several basic provisions about occupational accident coverage and notices of termination. The agreement also included a paltry commitment to earnings of at least 120 percent of the provincial minimum wage, which is currently $15.50 an hour in Ontario. However, several restrictions make this provision all but meaningless. Firstly, the wage is only paid when drivers are driving, not waiting for bookings, which means they will only be compensated for a fraction of the time they actually work. Moreover, the driver still has to pay for gas and maintenance of their own vehicle. An unseemly squabble has erupted between the UFCW and other unions over the deal, with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) taking strongest exception to it. CUPWs criticisms are not made from the standpoint of developing a genuine struggle against the miserable working conditions of Uber drivers. Rather it is angered that the UFCW was given preference by Uber in cutting a potentially lucrative deal for the bureaucracy. While CUPW is challenging the agreement in the courts, it has done nothing to alert delivery workers and the working class more broadly about the dangerous corporatist implications of the Uber/UFCW deal. This is because, like the UFCW and the entire union bureaucracy, they are terrified of the emergence of mass working-class opposition to exploitation and war. This is summed up in both unions fulsome support for the Justin Trudeau-led federal Liberal government and the NDP deal to keep it in office till June 2025. That said, CUPW has revealed further information pointing to just how anti-democratic and rigged is the Uber/UFCW agreement. Uber reportedly used its app to encourage workers to support the agreement. Gig Workers United, a CUPW-backed group, also expressed anger at how the agreement was reached without any democratic process. Uber drivers were not consulted about the deal and were completely bypassed, with no vote on ratification being held. Brice Sopher, a courier and leading representative of Gig Workers United, stated, This is the illusion of a union. This is the illusion of workers representation, but it is not. The agreement, he continued, was made to give Uber the protection, the veneer of being progressive, while they will continue probably to push for the regressive rolling back of workers rights. In fact, far from being an illusion of a union, the UFCWs pact with Uber merely expresses in particularly grotesque form what the actual relationship between the union bureaucracy and rank-and-file workers has become over the past 40 years. In every economic sector, the unions function as little more than corporate syndicates, collecting dues from workers, sitting on joint corporate-government consultation bodies, and paying top bureaucrats huge salaries comparable to those of senior management. In the US auto sector, several former presidents of the United Autoworkers have been indicted for taking bribes from the auto corporations and rampant corruption. Jerry Dias, the former head of Canadas largest private-sector union Unifor and close ally of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was felled last year in a corruption scandal involving his acceptance of a $50,000 payment to act as a sales representative for a mask manufacturer. These organizations no longer have anything to do with protecting the rights of workers, but cater to the privileged middle-class layers who populate their upper echelons. Their key task for the ruling elite is to suppress the class struggle. In contrast to the factions of the union bureaucracy skirmishing over who gets to secure the dues and affiliation of Uber drivers, there has been pushback to the deal from Uber workers themselves. Driver David Heller, represented by Samara Belitzky, has been engaged since 2017 with Uber in a class action lawsuit over the status of gig workers and their right to receive vacation pay and benefits. When asked for comment on the UFCW agreement, Belitzky stated, On paper, it looks like it may be giving some very limited additional rights or benefits to the drivers, but practically speaking, it doesnt give them very much. Ontarios Conservative government used the Uber/UFCW agreement to justify speedy passage of its Bill 88, which was given royal assent in April 2022. It codified a handful of limited protections for gig economy workersprotections that many gig companies were already providing their workers to retain staff. In the run-up to Bill 88s adoption, Uber was heavily involved in lobbying the federal and Ontario governments. They were determined to prevent gig workers being defined as employees, since the fiction that they are contractors and Uber a mere appnot a mega company that is employing hundreds of thousands of workers worldwidehas allowed Uber to trample on workers rights and reap huge profits. Ontarios public lobbying registry reported that on October 25, 2021, Uber lobbyist Laryssa Hetmanczuk, moved to help inform the government about best practices of app-based work, as the government moves forward with legislation to support workers in Ontario. Hetmanczuk was previously an aide to Rod Phillips, who was Fords finance minister till he had to resign in disgrace after taking a holiday to the Caribbean amid a COVID-19 lockdown. At all levels of government, there is an incestuous marriage of corporate lobbyists, government technocrats, and union bureaucrats. In the early months of the pandemic, Hassan Yussuf, the president of the Canadian Labour Congress, summed this up when he called for a collaborative front between government, corporations and unions, and a national task force on how best to reboot the economy based on union, corporate and government cooperation. A year later in 2021, the UFCW supported the reopening of the Oylmel meat packing plant in Alberta, where COVID was running rampant and had killed three workers and infected at least 515. The UFCW explicitly rejected the right of the workers to strike against the dangerous working conditions, citing the collective bargaining process prohibition on strikes when contracts are in force. But when it came to securing a lucrative corrupt deal with Uber management, the collective bargaining rights of Uber drivers were of just as little concern to the UFCW bureaucrats as were the meatpackers lives at the height of the pandemic. The 2022 Uber/UFCW agreement continues the process of the unions conniving in the erosion of workers rights. With the codification of the gig economy and the proliferation of independent contract work, another layer of economic security is being stripped from the working class. It is impossible for workers at Uber or any other company to oppose this process through the nationalist, pro-capitalist unions. The experience of the Uber/UFCW agreement underscores once again the necessity of workers building new forms of organization, rank-and-file committees, to unify their struggles internationally and wage a political fight against the capitalist profit system. We encourage all gig workers who agree with this perspective to contact us and support the building of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. This letter is being distributed to members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America at its annual convention being held in Chicago, Illinois this weekend. To members of the YDSA, We are currently living through the greatest crisis in the history of the capitalist system. The bourgeoisie is tobogganing towards World War III, as the escalating US-NATO war against Russia over Ukraine threatens the world with nuclear war. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 20 million people over the past three years. Fascist and authoritarian movements in the United States and internationally are being cultivated as the shock troops of inequality. Environmental degradation and climate change are producing events of devastating consequence. Extreme levels of social inequality and a cost-of-living crisis are throwing tens of millions of people into poverty. At the same time, there is a growing movement of the working class throughout the world, involving strikes and demonstrations of millions in France, the UK, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Greece and many other countries. The United States is a social powder keg, with the Biden administration, utilizing the assistance of the trade union apparatus, doing everything it can to avoid a full eruption of the class struggle. Building a genuine socialist movement in the working class has never been more urgent. Many of you joined the DSA or its youth movement, the YDSA, because you believed that by doing so you could advance the fight against social inequality, war, dictatorship and the capitalist profit system. However, on every issue, the Democratic Socialists of America has shown itself not to be an instrument for realizing socialism or even the most meager social reforms, but a left cover for the shift ever further to the right of the political apparatus of the ruling class. The fight for socialism requires the independent political organization of the working class against the capitalist state and against an economic system based on the exploitation of the working class for the purpose of appropriating surplus value. Socialism is a revolutionary movement. If it is not that, it is nothing. Young people who have joined the DSA/YDSA in recent years have had a sufficient period of time to make an assessment of its political role. The DSA was revived in 2016 in response to concern about the orientation of young people to the left and growing interest in socialism. Exploiting a lack of understanding of the history of socialism, what socialism actually is, the DSA was utilized to direct this opposition into the dead-end of the Democratic Party. Consider just a few of the experiences of the past two years: The DSAs congressional members have supported the operations of US imperialism, participated in the ruling class assault on the working class, and denounced opposition to the Biden administration from the left. On the pandemic, which has devastated the lives of billions of people over the past three years, the DSA has had virtually nothing to say, while DSA-affiliated publications like Jacobin promoted the herd immunity position of the most ruthless sections of the ruling class. Most recently, Jacobin and the YDSA endorsed the lifting of the life-saving Zero-COVID policy in China, which has resulted in the deaths of over 1 million Chinese people in the past four months alone. The DSA claimed that by electing its members as Democrats, it would be able to push the American political system to the left. In fact, it is those members of DSA who have shifted to the right and, in the process, committed monstrous betrayals of the most elementary principles of the socialist movement. Here in Chicago, the DSA has been elevated to leading positions within the apparatus of the state. The DSA members, and the new DSA-backed mayor, Brandon Johnson, will be tasked with implementing the policy demanded by the ruling class. When confronted with these facts, DSA leaders resort to the argument that the DSA is a multi-tendency organization and that it has no political control over the members in elected office. This is just a cover for the most naked opportunism. The actions of the most prominent DSA members are rooted in the nature of the organization itself. The DSA has functioned as a cog within the Democratic Party machine since its founding in 1982. The theoretical and political leader of the early DSA was Michael Harrington, an acolyte of ex-Trotskyist Max Shachtman, who became a prominent supporter of the US wars against Korea and Vietnam. Later, the most militarist followers of Shachtman would go on to found the neoconservative movement. Harrington, who broke with Shachtman only after it became impossible any longer to cover up his open support for imperialism, defined the politics of the DSA as the left-wing of the possible, by which he meant the left-wing of what was acceptable to the Democratic Party and its ruling class backers. As the ruling class and the Democrats have shifted ever further to the right over the past 40 years, the DSA has shifted with it. That the DSA now supports the war against Russia and the criminalization of working-class struggles is an expression of the fact that the ruling class itself tolerates no opposition to these policies. Such is the history of the DSA. Not only does it have nothing to do with revolution, it has nothing to do with socialism. It exists as a faction of the Democratic Party, and not even one with its own program. Its aim is purely negative, to block the independent organization of workers and youth for socialism. In doing so, it relies on a lack of historical knowledge and theoretical training in Marxism. The politics espoused by the DSA leadership are antithetical to the foundational principles of the socialist movement. Whatever left phrases they may mouth, they are dyed-in-the-wool defenders of American imperialism. Those who work within the framework of the Democratic Party serve its interests by maintaining the pretense that it has anything to do with the left. Among the most sinister actions of the DSA leadership over the past two years was its participation in and condoning of an online campaign in May 2021 by members of the organization celebrating the 1940 assassination of the great Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky, co-leader of the 1917 October Revolution and founder of the Fourth International. In an Open Letter to DSA National Director Maria Svart, which was never answered, Socialist Equality Party National Chairman David North noted that an essential purpose of this campaign was to poison the political environment within the DSA with reactionary anti-Marxist filth appropriated from Stalinism. Its aim was to cut off members of the DSA from an understanding of the real history of the socialist movement, which was defended and advanced through the Trotskyist movement. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Left Opposition by Leon Trotsky and his co-thinkers in the Soviet Union in 1923. Throughout its history, the Trotskyist movementtoday led by the International Committee of the Fourth International and its publication, the World Socialist Web Sitehas fought against Stalinism, reformism and all perversions and betrayals of genuine socialism and Marxism. The present crisis, which is spurring the growth of the class struggle throughout the world, has confirmed the correctness of the program and perspective of Trotskyism, the only political movement to develop the science of Marxism after the death of Lenin in 1924. The fight for socialism is not a question of cheap tactics and electoral maneuvers. It is the struggle within the working class, to win workers to a revolutionary program. But this must be based on a thorough and detailed study of Marxist theory and history. YDSA members, if you are serious about opposing capitalism and fighting for socialism, it is your responsibility to take up this fight. The leadership of the DSA denounces the Trotskyist movement as sectarian. By this, they mean that it is based on firm principles and a firm program, in opposition to the Democratic Party and all of capitalist politics. Coming from political opportunists, the charge of sectarianism is the greatest compliment. The Socialist Equality Party and IYSSE are willing to assist you in taking up these issues and demanding a discussion within the DSA itself. We warn you, however, that that the DSA itself cannot be transformed into a genuine socialist organization. It exists to block, not advance, the cause of socialism, and represents a privileged strata of the upper middle class. You can contact us by email at sep@socialistequality.com. We will set up a time for meetings to discuss these issues in greater detail. We are also including below a selection of readings that will allow you to familiarize yourself with the history of the Trotskyist movement. Sincerely, The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (US), the youth and student wing of the Socialist Equality Party Suggested Readings (Bloomberg) -- Bolivias central bank is rebuilding its international reserves as it deals with a transitory liquidity problem affecting the country, according to Finance Minister Marcelo Montenegro. Most Read from Bloomberg The minister declined to elaborate on what the current level of reserves is, but said it had increased recently. The central bank board can decide to withhold the data to avoid creating more speculation, he said. Theyre replenishing them, Montenegro said in an interview on the sidelines of the International Monetary Funds spring meetings in Washington. The central bank is the only institution that can publish those figures. Bolivias foreign reserves have been on a long downward trend since 2014 as the once gas-rich nation gradually turned into a net energy importer, forcing the central bank to spend reserves to to defend its currency peg of close to 7 per dollar. Bolivia had $3.5 billion in reserves as of Feb. 8, of which $372 million was in cash, according to the bank. The authorities stopped publishing the data two months ago as reserves dropped toward critical levels. In recent weeks, Bolivians have formed large lines outside the monetary authoritys building in La Paz as dollars run low in banks and currency changing shops. President Luis Arce this week ruled out a currency devaluation. The Andean nation is considering offers from multilateral lenders including the Inter-American Development Bank, for a $300-500 million contingency line, and regional Corporacion Andina de Fomento, for a $400 million contingency line, Montenegro said. The government hasnt approached the IMF, he said. The recent plunge in the nations dollar bonds makes it virtually impossible for the government to access global financial markets. Story continues Read More: Financial Chaos at 12,000 Feet: Dollars Are Vanishing in Bolivia In recent weeks, the country has almost exhausted lines of withdrawal with the IMF called Special Drawing Rights. That means that most of the central banks remaining reserves are now in gold, which the authorities cant sell without approval from congress. Montenegro said hes confident lawmakers will soon approve a law that would allow the bank to convert bullion into dollars. In March, Fitch Ratings and Moodys Investors Service cut Bolivias credit rating on fears that its dwindling reserves may affect its ability to service its debt. The extra yield over US Treasuries that money managers demand to hold the nations debt has ballooned to nearly 20 percentage points, well over the threshold to be considered distressed. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Key Insights The projected fair value for Pennon Group is UK8.25 based on Dividend Discount Model With UK8.65 share price, Pennon Group appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Analyst price target for PNN is UK9.70, which is 17% above our fair value estimate Does the April share price for Pennon Group Plc (LON:PNN) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Pennon Group Step By Step Through The Calculation As Pennon Group operates in the water utilities sector, we need to calculate the intrinsic value slightly differently. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. Unless a company pays out the majority of its FCF as a dividend, this method will typically underestimate the value of the stock. We use the Gordon Growth Model, which assumes dividend will grow into perpetuity at a rate that can be sustained. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a company's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In this case we used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.2%). The expected dividend per share is then discounted to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.7%. Compared to the current share price of UK8.7, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. 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. Story continues Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = UK0.5 / (6.7% 1.2%) = UK8.3 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. 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 Pennon Group 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 6.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Pennon Group Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Water Utilities market. Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the British market. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Dividends are not covered by earnings and cashflows. Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it 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. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Pennon Group, we've put together three fundamental factors you should assess: Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Pennon Group you should know about. Future Earnings: How does PNN's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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 (Bloomberg) -- China is sending encouraging signals about breaking a deadlock among global creditors over how to manage poor-country debt distress, according to an Indian official helping to lead Group of 20 efforts to resolve the crisis. Most Read from Bloomberg We see a positive sign in their engagement, and therefore theyre also committing themselves to resolve this, Nirmala Sitharaman, finance minister of India, which is this years chair of the G-20, said in an interview on Saturday with Bloomberg Television. More than 70 low-income nations face a collective $326 billion debt burden, with more than half of them already in or near debt distress, including Zambia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Ghana. Efforts to restructure those debts, and rescue those economies from crisis, have been hampered for years over disagreements between traditional creditors like the Paris Club mainly Western rich nations and new entrants like China the biggest lender to developing economies. That failure of cooperation among creditors was a key theme at this past weeks Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. That included the so-called Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, co-chaired by India, which was broadly tasked with hammering out a way forward for resolving debt treatment among all creditors. The issues surrounding Chinas role as a creditor were also highlighted this week when Japan, India and France announced that debt restructuring talks had begun on Sri Lanka without Beijing, a move people familiar with the situation said was intended to signal frustration and a dwindling of patience with its demands. Read more: China Left Out of Sri Lanka Debt Talks Amid Angst Over Slow Pace Story continues There were, however, some positive signs. China softened its insistence that multilateral lenders like the World Bank take haircuts, or losses, on their debt along with all other creditors. That came amid an apparent concession by the World Bank to boost ultra-low interest loans and grants to countries in debt distress. One should of course not underestimate the capacity of international finance officials to make process look like progress, Martin Muhleisen, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Councils GeoEconomics Center and a former IMF chief of staff, wrote in a commentary. And it will be primarily up to China to demonstrate its willingness to help some of its poorest creditor countries back on its feet. Work via the debt roundtable is expected to continue with a workshop in May aimed at getting creditors to agree on how to fairly treat all debt, including held Chinese creditors, multilateral development institutions like the World Bank and private bond holders. Talks are expected to continue on the sidelines of the G-20 ministers meeting in Gandhinagar, India, in mid July. There is hope that as a creditor China will be coming on board and being at the table to discuss further, she said. China is very much present, in the sovereign debt discussions. When asked about Chinas intentions on Friday, a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing provided the details of what the country had proposed going into the debt roundtable, which was held on Wednesday, without offering any specifics on the meetings outcome. Sri Lanka, its creditors and the IMF said they want China to participate in restructuring discussions. But people familiar with the talks said they are also eager not to let Beijing hold up negotiations any further. Paris Club members including Japan account for $4.8 billion, or more than 10% of Sri Lankas external debt, according to IMF data. Thats slightly higher than China, which stands at $4.5 billion, while India is owed $1.8 billion. The IMF approved a $3 billion four-year bailout for Sri Lanka last month and has urged a speedy resolution of debt-restructuring talks. --With assistance from Shawn Donnan. (Updates with analyst comment in eighth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The Opec Fund for International Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are stepping up their delivery of support for development and transition with a new co-operation agreement. The Opec Fund is providing $2 million to support the identification, design and development of joint projects in common countries of operations. The institutions signed the document during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, DC and remain committed to build a strong pipeline of bankable projects through improved project preparation and technical assistance. The Opec Fund - EBRD Project Preparation Facility aims to cover early stage costs, enhance project preparation and help make projects suitable for financing. Although furnished with different mandates, the Opec Fund and EBRD share many complementary activities and the goal of improving peoples lives, it stated. Both lenders are active in countries in North Africa and the Middle East, and also cooperate in Central Asia. To date cooperation includes a $50 million trade finance risk sharing facility and the co-financing of over 20 projects in public and private sectors, it stated. On the deal, Opec Fund Assistant Director-General Fuad Albassam said both are strongly aligned in priority areas such as climate action and food security. "This new agreement is an excellent example of institutional cooperation and complementarity where we join forces and leverage our strengths for the benefit of those we support. The Opec Fund is looking forward to this agreement becoming the nucleus of many successful projects," he added. China and India are buying so much Russian oil that Moscow's now selling more crude than it was before invading Ukraine Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters Russia's exports of crude oil have now surpassed the volumes hit before its invasion of Ukraine. China and India account for roughly 90% of Russia's seaborne crude exports, Kpler data shows. With Europe largely out of the picture, the two countries are each buying 1.5 million barrels a day from Russia. Russia has been able to navigate Western sanctions well enough to push oil exports above levels reached before its war on Ukraine and new data suggests that Moscow has China and India to thank for that. In the first quarter, Russia's seaborne crude oil exports totaled 3.5 million barrels per day versus 3.35 million barrels in the year-ago quarter, the tail end of which saw the start of Russia's war on Ukraine. China and India now account for roughly 90% of Russia's oil, with each country snapping up an average of 1.5 million barrels per day, according to commodities analytics firm Kpler, That's enough to absorb the shipments that no longer head to European nations, which used to account for nearly two-thirds of Russia's crude exports. Europe now takes in only 8% of Russia's oil exports, per Kpler. "Both China and Russia are taking advantage of discounted Russian crude, benefiting from the sanctions applied on Russian materials by other countries," Matt Smith, lead oil analyst at Kpler, told Insider Friday. Behind China and India, Turkey and Bulgaria are the biggest buyers of Russian crude. Even before Vladimir Putin launched his war on Ukraine, China was already a top buyer of Russian crude, importing 25% of its crude from the country in 2021. That's since climbed to 36%, Kpler data shows. India, the world's third-largest oil importer, relied on Russia for about 1% of its total volumes prior to the war, but now buys 51% of its oil from Russia. The US has led Europe and other Western nations in imposing sanctions and energy price caps on Russia, designed to maintain market flows while curtailing Moscow's export revenue. Story continues European Central Bank calculations show trade volume between the euro area and Russia has halved since February 2022, with the bloc's imports of Russian imports seeing particularly steep declines following the bans on coal in August 2022, crude oil in December 2022, and refined oil products in February 2023. The ECB chart below shows a similar pattern illustrated in Kpler's data, with Russian seaborne crude exports shifting toward Asian buyers and away from Europe. European Central Bank, ECB Economic Bulletin To be sure, the revenue Russia generates from its energy exports has fallen along with the drop in prices, even as volumes remain elevated. The International Energy Agency said Friday that Moscow's revenue is down about 43% compared to the same time last year. But oil prices are heading back up as China's reopening economy drives demand while OPEC and Russia pinch supplies. Earlier this month, OPEC+ announced a surprise production cut of over 1 million barrels a day, with Russia extending its 500,000-barrel-a-day pullback through mid-2023. Read the original article on Business Insider Jack Teixeira, the suspected leaker of hundreds of Pentagon records, was charged Friday with violating the Espionage Act and another statute that prohibits the unauthorized removal of classified documents. Teixeira, who appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston after his Thursday arrest, did not enter a plea. Espionage Act charges carry up to 10 years in prison. Teixeira, 21, was arrested in connection with the posting of numerous records on Thug Shaker Central, a group on Discord where more than 100 classified documents on topics ranging from Ukraine to intelligence gleaned from spying on allies first appeared. Documents dealing with intelligence on Ukraines battle with Russia from as far back as February had been percolating on the site before spreading to other social media platforms. The charges for Teixeira under the Espionage Act include those for taking and copying national defense information as well as a provision of the law for willfully transmitting information that could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation. Teixeira was also charged under a law dealing with any improper removal of classified documents. Though a low-ranking member of the military, he served in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, a position that came with a top secret security clearance and access to the Pentagons Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System. His identity was uncovered in just a matter of days following a New York Times story detailing the existence of the documents, as well as their spread onto mainstream sites. One detail in Teixeiras charging documents shows that he attempted to search U.S. intelligence databases the same day the Times story broke to ascertain whether any intelligence agencies had identified the leaker. On April 6, 2023, TEIXEIRA used his government computer to search classified intelligence reporting for the word leak, the documents state. Story continues Accordingly, there is reason to believe that TEIXEIRA was searching for classified reporting regarding the U.S. Intelligence Communitys assessment of the identity of the individual who transmitted classified national defense information. According to The Washington Post, Teixeiras father yelled Love you, Jack! at the end of the proceedings, with Teixeira responding, Love you, too, Dad. Interviews by various media outlets with members of the Thug Shaker Central group indicate Teixeira shared the information in an online forum for a group that bonded during the pandemic over an interest in guns and military gear. Though Teixeira managed to print and share information in the closed group of 20 to 30 members since the beginning of the year without detection, some of the classified information was later shared among open groups. That included information marked NOFORN, indicating it should not be shared with foreigners. The spill of secrets has been an embarrassing revelation for the U.S., which has had to confront the leak of information about allies, including doubts about Ukraines air capabilities, amid its battle with Russia. The documents also show how deeply the U.S. had penetrated Russian intelligence outlets details the country could use to stem the flow of information the U.S. has been gathering. Updated at 11:43 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Arnold Schwarzenegger fills neighborhood pothole Potholes. We all hate them. The sudden drop in the pavement is not only jarring, these potholes pose a serious danger for people on bikes and people in cars alike. Cities can often be slow to respond, especially after the unusually wet winter and spring wrecked roads across the country. Tired of waiting on the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) to come repair the roads of his Pacific Palisades neighborhood, Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to take matters into his own, very strong, hands. The former California governor and movie star rounded up some manpower and, armed with some shovels and bags of Quikrete, started fixing the rather sizable pothole himself. "After the whole neighborhood has been upset about this giant pothole thats been screwing up cars and bicycles for weeks, I went out with my team and fixed it," he wrote on Twitter. "I always say, lets not complain, lets do something about it. Here you go." In the video accompanying the tweet, the 75-year-old says he'd been waiting on the city to close the pothole for three weeks. "This is crazy," he says to a neighbor driving by. "You're welcome." For those wondering if that DIY method will actually work, Quickrete says that as long as the Quikrete Commercial Grade High Performance Blacktop Repair is used, one can create a new and lasting driving surface. One news source reports that Schwarzenegger may have jumped the gun as the hole was there for a reason. The hole in the road surface was a "service trench that relates to active, permitted work being performed at the location by SoCal Gas, who expects the work to be completed by the end of May, stated Elena Stern, a senior public information director for the department of public works in Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger, who's frequently seen enjoying a bike ride, made the news earlier this year when he was involved in a car-bike collision. He'd been driving his SUV when a woman on a bike suddenly swerved into his lane. Schwarzenegger was unable to respond in time and the two collided. The woman sustained only minor injuries and charges were filed. Schwarzenegger himself had either been returning from a bike ride or going on one, as he was carrying two bicycles on the SUV's hitchrack. Today, after the whole neighborhood has been upset about this giant pothole thats been screwing up cars and bicycles for weeks, I went out with my team and fixed it. I always say, lets not complain, lets do something about it. Here you go. pic.twitter.com/aslhkUShvTApril 11, 2023 See more Calling his demand for records and testimony a burdensome overreach despite no allegations of wrongdoing, Childrens Mercy Hospital in Kansas City is suing Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey over an investigation his office opened last month into gender-affirming care. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Jackson County, asks a judge to toss out an investigative demand letter sent by the attorney generals office in late March. Requests include all instances when child abuse was reported to law enforcement and questions of whether the hospital prescribes hormone blockers for, or performs surgery on, transgender patients. At issue is an investigation launched by Bailey of a pediatric transgender center in St. Louis after a former employee publicly raised allegations that medical professionals had harmed children in St. Louis. His office has widened the scope of its investigation to other healthcare providers in the state. In response to a request for comment, Madeline Sieren, a spokeswoman for Baileys office, said in a statement Saturday that the pediatric hospital is is refusing to provide even a single document to explain its practices. That is very concerning, she said, adding that the the attorney generals office looks forward to prevailing in this request for information and learning what is truly going on. Bailey, a Republican who was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson in November, announced last month that his office would investigate claims made against Washington University Pediatric Transgender Center in St. Louis specifically. He has since claimed without providing further evidence that his office uncovered a clandestine network of clinics in Missouri that are harming children. Bailey has also announced a set of emergency rules, aimed at restricting how doctors provide gender-affirming care, that are set to take effect in late April. The rules include strict psychological therapy requirements doctors must provide in providing such care, and prohibition on such care until any other mental health issues have been treated. Story continues Doctors and LGBTQ advocates have told The Star that Baileys rules would be difficult to enforce, but may create a chilling effect for both patients and doctors providing care. In all, 54 investigative demands were made of Childrens Mercy in Kansas City, according to a letter dated March 24. A lawyer who drafted the petition on behalf of Childrens Mercy says the attorney generals office never called him back or emailed when he tried to discuss the excessive information demand. Releasing such information, the hospital argues in its court filing, would violate state and federal laws, including those designed to protect private medical decisions made between patients and doctors. Regardless, the hospital contends Bailey has no jurisdiction to investigate healthcare companies and physicians, which are instead regulated by the Missouri Board of Healing Arts. The petition says many requests are poorly disguised interrogatories that have nothing to do with gender-affirming care. The lawsuit acknowledges the attorney general has authority to investigate deceptive business practices, such as false advertising, under the states merchandise protection act for lawful, investigative purposes. But the authority to use this investigative tool has its limits, the petition says, adding that the demand letter sent to Childrens Mercy far exceeds those limits, that hospitals are not regulated under that law, and that the hospital cannot in good faith attempt to comply. The lawsuit filed in Jackson County comes two weeks after Planned Parenthood took a similar legal step. On March 31, the Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri announced its own lawsuit, saying Bailey had demanded detailed information about its policies regarding gender-affirming care. The organization called Baileys investigation a sham, politically motivated and transphobic. The Stars Kacen Bayless contributed to this report. BEIJING (Reuters) -China's new home prices rose in March at the fastest pace in 21 months, official data showed on Saturday, suggesting the market is out of the doldrums amid a flurry of support policies, but there is uncertainty on the strength of the momentum. New home prices in March edged up 0.5% month-on-month after a 0.3% rise in February, marking the fastest pace since June 2021 and the third consecutive monthly rise, according to Reuters calculations based on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data. Prices in annual terms showed the smallest drop since June 2022, down 0.8% in March after a 1.2% decline in February, the 11th month of declines on an annual basis. "The housing price index shows a trend of stabilization and recovery, fully indicating the overall real estate is out of last year's trough," said Yan Yuejin, an analyst at the Shanghai-based E-house China Research and Development Institution. Strong home sales in March drove up an improvement in house prices, said Yan. The property sector, accounting for roughly a quarter of China's economy, was hit hard last year as a regulatory crackdown on developers' high debt levels snowballed into a financing crunch, stalling construction on housing projects. Some buyers boycotted mortgage repayments, further weakening consumer sentiment amid tough COVID restrictions. Major cities have seen a rebound in home sales over the past month, as pent-up demand was unleashed after China abruptly rolled back COVID curbs in December. Among 70 cities surveyed by the NBS, 64 cities saw an uptick in new home prices in monthly terms, the most cities since May 2019 and up from 55 in February. The increase in house prices was broad-based among all city tiers which all extended their month-on-month gains. However, analysts say it is still too early to tell whether the nascent property recovery will be sustained, because of the uncertainty over consumer confidence. Story continues "The property sector recovery should be gradual and bumpy, due to the challenging demographic trend, still-tight financing conditions for troubled developers and policymakers' long-held stance that 'housing is for living in, not for speculation'," said analysts at Goldman Sachs commenting on the data. Last month, more than 50 cities introduced stimulus policies or relaxed some property rules, including subsidies, more housing provident funds and easing home purchase curbs. "The biggest problem in the economy is insufficient demand with increasing deflationary pressure, the continued stabilization of real estate is critical as recent data showing sales growth has slowed," said Wu Jinhui, analyst at CSCI Pengyuan Credit Rating Limited. "In the second quarter, there is room for policy relaxation on both the supply and demand side, such as a balance sheet improvement for high-quality property firms, smaller down payments and cuts in mortgage rates." Credit data this week suggested the growth of household medium-to-long term loans, which are mostly mortgages, accelerated in March, in line with improved property transactions. Earlier in April, the central bank released a quarterly survey of urban depositors that showed 17.5% of respondents have plans to buy a home during the next three months, up from 16% in the previous quarterly survey. China will release property sales and investment data for March on Tuesday, along with economic activity data and first quarter gross domestic product (GDP). ($1 = 6.8690 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Liangping Gao, Qiaoyi Li and Ryan Woo; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Simon Cameron-Moore) Mip TV is just around the corner and, as ever, the content will be king. Here, Deadline walks you through seven of the buzziest dramas set for the Croisette, featuring police thrillers, a Royal Family docu-drama and Beta Films latest about the MS Estonia shipwreck. Read on for the best-in-class projects heading to Cannes for the April 17-19 confab. Blue Lights Distributor: BBC Studios More from Deadline Network: BBC One Episodes: 6 x 60 Having just launched on BBC One primetime, Blue Lights is the latest precinct drama from Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, the creators of the critically-acclaimed Salisbury Poisonings. In Gallagher Films/Two Cities Productions show, the pair, who worked for years as investigative journalists, turn their hands to the troubled situation in Belfast, a uniquely dangerous place to be a Police Officer. Grace (Sian Brooke), a mother of a teenage boy, has made the decision in her 40s to leave her steady job as a social worker to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland, while she is joined by rookies Annie (Katherine Devlin), who struggles with the fact that her chosen path may mean having to leave everything shes ever known behind, and Tommy (Nathan Braniff), who is desperate to prove himself. As all three battle their way through probation, this darkly funny drama, which is inspired by extensive interviews, deals with what happens when ordinary people do an extraordinary job in a society that could spiral out of control at any moment. The show comes to the Croisette with millions of viewers flocking to watch it on BBC One each week, which isnt a bad starting point. Fans of The Salisbury Poisonings 2020s biggest new BBC drama are in for a treat. Story continues Platform 7 Distributor: Fremantle Network: ITVX Episodes: 4 x 60 This is no traditional spooky ghost story, says Platform 7 creator Paula Milne, the BAFTA-winning writer of Small Island and The Politicians Wife. Milnes latest, one of new streamer ITVXs highest profile early commissions, is a chilling tale of emotional abuse and coercive control and, yes, there are supernatural elements. BAFTA-nominated Top Boy star Jasmine Jobson plays Lisa Evans, trapped at a railway station with no memory of who she is. As she begins to piece things together, she realizes she is dead. Lisa has no recollection of how this happened and needs to discover the truth of her past life, sending her down memory lane where she reflects on how her naturally charming boyfriend treated her with disdain. Leading Fremantles Mip TV scripted catalog, Platform 7 comes from Dancing Ledge, a UK production company on top of its game having helmed Martin Freeman-starring five-time BAFTA nominee The Responder amongst others. Royal Mob Distributor: eOne Network: Sky History Episodes: 6 x 60 It was tricky to know whether to put this hybrid drama-doc into the scripted or non-scripted category but, on balance, we opted for the former. Royal Mob comes from Nutopia, the Transatlantic makers of Netflix double African Queens: Njinga and The Last Czars, both of which have been leading the charge in the drama-doc space. Told through the eyes of Queen Victorias granddaughters the beautiful Hesse sisters, and their passionate and doomed love affairs across Europes Royal courts the series lifts the lid on a story which set cousin against cousin, relative against relative, and which saw millions plunged into the bloodiest war the world had ever known. Shedding light on the final throes of the most powerful empires of all time, Royal Mob, which pulled in the punters for Sky, looks sure to make some noise on the Croisette, repping a sub-genre that is having quite the moment. Good Morning Chuck Distributor: Cineflix Rights Network: Crave Episodes: 10 x 60 Canada is on a hot streak at the moment and Good Morning Chuck, which is in competition at the concurrent Canneseries, could be the nations next big thing. Greenlit by local network Crave, Good Morning Chuck forms the centerpiece of Cineflixs Mip TV catalog. It comes from Jean-Francois Rivard, the multi-award-winning co-director of Happilly Married, and follows the eponymous Chuck, the beloved host of the morning show Bon matin, un cafe?, who finds himself on the front page of all the newspapers and gossip magazines after a scandal involving his drug and alcohol addiction erupts. All of Quebec is in shock, but for those close to him, this is the final straw. With his reputation on the line, Chuck heads to rehab in order to convince his spouse, his agent, and the public of his (relative) goodwill. The show joins factual series Hitlers Engineers in Cineflixs catalog and could make a splash amongst a number of Canadian projects being shopped at Cannes. The Brigade Distributor: Studiocanal Network: Canal+ Episodes: 8 x 60 Distributor Studiocanal is betting big on an action-packed drama that digs deep into the arcane power of the Parisian Police force while providing suspense, adrenaline and action. Jumping upon buyers current penchant for shows about police corruption, The Brigade, which is directed, created and written by Jeremie Guez (Sons of Philadelphia, Black Box), follows Said, an ex-member of the special forces. He oversees the B.R.I., an elite police unit specialized in fighting organized crime and terrorism, attempting to integrate a new team while preventing a gang war. This fiery eight-parter from Cheyenne Federation packs a punch and could lead the charge on the new breed of police drama. Wolf Distributor: APC Network: BBC Episodes: 6 x 60 BBC crime thriller Wolf is the latest big bet from Sherlock creator Hartswood Films alongside boutique French producer-distributor APC. This is the next generation of darkly epic crime thriller. Based on the acclaimed Jack Caffery novels, Wolf is aiming to make a star of Ukweli Roach, who leads as DI Caffery, a young man searching for himself. Obsessed with the neighbor he believes murdered his 10-year-old brother in the 90s, Jack finds himself trying to right the wrongs of others but at what cost? Meanwhile, in an isolated house in Monmouthshire, the wealthy Anchor-Ferrers find themselves the victims of a psychopaths cruel games. When the two narratives collide, the DI finds himself racing against time. Wolf has been in the offing for some time and is one of the highest-profile projects that will be doing the rounds in Cannes. Estonia Distributor: Beta Film Network: TV4, Cmore, MTV and ProSiebenSat.1 Episodes: 8 x 60 We all have to become a bit more Scandinavian, declared Beta Film MD Moritz von Kruedener at last months Series Mania. Von Kruedener was referring to the way in which shows such as the Beta-distributed Estonia now require buy-in from multiple networks from early on in the production process. Estonia was his prime example, a show that Beta is now presenting at Mip TV. The eight-parter counts networks in Germany and the Nordics as partners and follows the tragic story of the MS Estonia, which was caught in a catastrophic storm off the coast of Finland in 1994. Despite a dramatic rescue operation under the most difficult conditions, the ship sinks within 30 minutes, sweeping 852 souls to their deaths, and the terrible tragedy poses multiple questions. It may not be the most cheery story and certainly isnt for the faint-hearted but, given the success of Betas Berlinale TV Series hit The Swarm, expect Estonia to walk away from Cannes with a few more partners than it entered with. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Washington. The FBI used social media to track down Jack Teixeira, who is now charged with leaking classified documents about the war in Ukraine. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press Air Force National Guard airman Jack Teixeira was charged and arrested Thursday for leaking classified documents about the war in Ukraine. The FBI reportedly tracked down the 21-year-old through the social media account he allegedly used on the popular platform Discord to post the information. Related How did the FBI use social media? USA Today reported that the owner of the social media account leaking information would speak by video chat or voice calls, which helped reveal the social media user to be a white male in his 20s who called himself Jack, lived in Massachusetts and worked for the Air National Guard. Teixeira allegedly would share several documents a week under the social media username OG, by uploading pictures of the documents, which also exposed OG to greater risk. In the background of some images, they could see items and furniture that they recognized from the room where OG spoke to them via video on the Discord channel, according to National Review. The Deseret News reported that FBI agents took Teixeira into custody Thursday afternoon. Related What exactly is Teixeira charged with? The Associated Press reported that Teixeira has been charged with unauthorized removal of classified national defense information, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland. The documents that were leaked on social media contain material obtained through eavesdropping on key allies and adversaries and blunt assessments on the state of the Ukraine war, according to CNN. Fox News reported that even though the documents didnt reveal much about the war and dont seem to have a chain-of-custody, the motive for the leak is still unknown and some are waiting for more information to come out before deciding on why the leak happened. The leak reportedly is a very serious risk to national security that includes files with a format similar to documents issued to senior leaders. The Last Voyage of the Demeter trailer Dracula is heading to the big screen again in the upcoming thriller The Last Voyage of the Demeter. The first trailer for Universals new monster movie promises a tense horror with scares, gore, and a very demonic depiction of the legendary vampire. The Last Voyage of the Demeter is based on 'The Captains Log' entry of Bram Stokers novel. Set on the merchant ship Demeter, strange events begin to unfold on the private charter traveling from Romania to London as one of the characters warns that "evil is on board." As the trailer continues, the shipmates discover that something is lurking in the strange cargo of fifty unmarked wooden crates in the bowels of the ship. This is particularly chilling for those familiar with the Dracula story we won't spoil it here but it's fair to say everyone is in danger on the doomed voyage. This take on the story features a star-packed cast including Game of Thrones actors Aisling Franciosi and Liam Cunningham as well as Dunes David Dastmalchian. Corey Hawkins (In the Heights), Jon Jon Briones (Ratched), Stefan Kapicic (Deadpool), and Nikolai Nikolaeff (Stranger Things) also star. Vampires are certainly on trend right now after the release of Renfield, which is Universals more comic take on the Dracula story. The movie landed mixed reviews, but Total Films official stance was positive giving it four stars and calling it "an eye-bugging, blood-soaked comedy horror". The Last Voyage of the Demeter will be released on August 11. For more upcoming movies, check out our breakdown of 2023 movie release dates. Florida rapper Kodak Black is the headliner for this years Black spring break in Biloxi. The four-day event brings thousands of students from historical black colleges and universities across the US to the Mississippi Coast for music, food, fun dancing and the beach. Black spring break visitors will start arriving tomorrow and traffic is expected to be heavy along Highway 90 in Biloxi, especially near Edgewater Mall and the Coast Coliseum. Saturdays Kodak Black concert at the Coliseum starts at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $80 per person. Nardo Wick, Est Gee, Fynesse 2 Times and Gloss Up will also perform. Who is Kodak Black? Heres everything you need to know. PROVIDENCE The Rhode Island Senate took a day off from legislating on Tuesday to honor their colleague, the late Maryellen Goodwin, and regale each other with stories of her memorable wit which didn't stop at the nicknames she had for everybody. Senate Majority Leader Ryan Pearson, D-Cumberland, said she had dubbed him "Little Lord Fauntleroy,'' but some of her other nicknames were not suitable for repeating on the Senate floor, in a televised tribute to Goodwin, the Senate Majority Whip and a Senator for 36 years. Others recalled her infamous text, including one where she needled a Republican colleague, Thomas Paolino, on his "Gerber baby" style haircut, and another where she texted fellow Democrat Frank Lombardi, D-Cranston, to get over a lingering snit over some legislative something. "You know you can't hate me. I love you," she wrote. "Man, was she funny," Lombardi said. "In the dozen or so times that I've seen the need for a whip because the vote was close....Her wit got us through it and necessarily brought us across the finish line." The consensus: she was "unfiltered." And while some spoke of her courage and her compassion, Sen. Joshua Miller quoted a close Goodwin friend and State House colleague who said: "The Senate just lost its sense of humor." In Goodwin's honor, Miller asked his colleagues "to make sure that statement is not true." Goodwin died overnight on Saturday, after a nearly four-year battle against cancer that she turned into a winning State House campaign for no-cost colorectal cancer screening. Speaking of her from the Senate rostrum on Tuesday, Gov. Dan McKee hailed her courage and said "if there is one thing that we all can agree on it is that Maryellen was a champion, a tireless champion for her constituents and the entire state of Rhode Island." "From sponsoring legislation to support our seniors, to strengthening worker protections to fighting for increases in school aid, Senator Goodwin dedicated her life to public service." Story continues House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi also sang her praises, calling her "the epitome of what a good legislator should be. She lived it everyday...She loved this building. She loved this institution." And he recalled one of his first conversations with her when he became Speaker, mid-COVID when they were both masked, and she said: "Speaker, I've been trying to get this colorectal (cancer screening) bill passed for years and it never passed the House. Will you pass [the bill] for me, and not just for me? Will you pass it for all of the Rhode Islanders who will be benefited by this?" Shekarchi said it was "one of the most important and earliest pieces of legislation [passed] during my tenure as speaker." In his turn, Sen. Frank Lombardo, D-Johnston, credited Goodwin with giving him "the courage to live with cancer...She taught me to be strong, and to have faith... and to embrace every second of life. I promised her I'd keep on fighting the good fight." On the day Goodwin died, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio issued this statement: "Our hearts are shattered by the news that our beloved colleague Maryellen Goodwin has passed away. Her accomplishments are numerous, and her legacy will be indelible," Ruggerio said in the statement issued Saturday. "She stood fearlessly for what was right, fighting for the voiceless, vulnerable and underprivileged. Her leadership led to passage of landmark laws improving lead poisoning prevention, the child care industry, domestic violence prevention, public safety, worker protections, access to health care, home care and nursing home safety, and so much more. "She [also] lit up every room she entered with an infectious smile and razor-sharp wit. Our lives are richer for having known her," Ruggerio said. Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin. A patient undergoing chemotherapy every two weeks for long stretches of time since 2019, Goodwin, 58, was nonetheless a regular presence at the State House until mid-February, when Senate Journals begin to reflect her absences. As the Senate majority whip responsible for counting and, when necessary, "whipping up" votes, Goodwin who was first elected to the Senate in 1986 was third in line in Ruggerio's leadership team and also the second-longest-serving member of the chamber, behind Ruggerio. Goodwin was 'the driving force' in the RI Senate Born and raised in the Smith Hill neighborhood she represented in Senate District 1, she lived for years over the funeral home where her late father a former state senator worked. She held her father's former seat. She turned up, in 2022, as a behind-the-scenes player in a national intrigue over the location of President Joe Biden's "designated survivor'' U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo when all of Washington's brass gathered for his 2022 State of the Union address. As was subsequently reported: Raimondo, the former Rhode Island governor, was having dinner with Goodwin in downtown Providence when the news broke, and they were surrounded by Secret Service agents trying to get Raimondo to hurry out of the restaurant and up to her hotel room. As the story goes, Raimondo said: "No, I'm having dinner with my friend Maryellen." Colleagues remember Goodwin as "the driving force," on the Senate side, for Rhode Island's Paid Sick Leave law, independent options for senior home care and stronger reporting requirements for abuse in schools. She also sponsored the Senate version of the 2021 minimum staffing law that set the highest staff-to-patient ratios in the nation for nursing homes. The SEIU-driven law remains the focus of a war between the state, which is obligated to enforce the law, and the understaffed nursing home industry. Goodwin also championed what she called "common-sense gun laws," including the Senate version of the states Red Flag law to remove firearms from individuals who pose a clear threat to themselves or others. And she co-sponsored the landmark "Homicide Prevention Act," which requires individuals subject to restraining orders to surrender their firearms, as well as legislation providing that individuals convicted of felony domestic assault surrender their firearms. In a related vein, she sponsored bills to expand the definition of domestic violence to include arson, burglary, damage to or obstruction of a telephone, cyberstalking and cyber-harassment, and covert tracking of a motor vehicle. Maryellen Goodwin Colorectal Screening Act In recent years, she led a fight on two fronts personal and legislative for early cancer detection and treatment. The "Maryellen Goodwin Colorectal Screening Act" which requires insurers to fully cover preventive screenings and colonoscopies was named in her honor. "My cancer could have been detected a little earlier. And it was not ... so I really don't know how much time I have left on this earth," Goodwin told Senate colleagues, her voice breaking. In the emotion of the moment, the only words she spoke next that could be heard clearly, before the Senate's unanimous vote for the bill, were "early screening." The legislation, which had passed the Senate before only to fail in the House prohibits insurers from charging co-pays for colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests for average-risk individuals age 45 and up and a follow-up colonoscopy if the results of the initial tests are abnormal. "Colon cancer is [also] one of the most survivable forms of cancer, but only if it is detected early," Goodwin told colleagues. "This legislation removes significant financial barriers that too often discourage or prevent people from getting this life-saving screening." Goodwin, born Sept. 27, 1964, was a graduate of St. Patrick High School and Rhode Island College. In addition to her part-time legislative role, she worked for the City of Providence. The City Council mourned her passing in a statement on Saturday: "For nearly 40 years, Goodwin served the residents of Smith Hill with honor, passion, and integrity, helping pass laws that have touched the lives of so many Rhode Islanders. She will forever be remembered as a champion for the poor and working people." Her first winning election was as a delegate to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention in 1985. She was also the longtime chairwoman of the Providence Democratic City Committee. Tributes to her poured in Saturday. Among them: "Rhode Islanders owe a debt of gratitude to Senator Goodwin her leadership and courage have helped so many across our state," said Gov. Dan McKee, announcing that he had directed that flags be lowered in her honor. "I am so proud that one of the first bills we passed when I became speaker in 2021 was the Maryellen Goodwin Colorectal Cancer Screening Act, which will save countless lives and will be a lasting legacy to her," wrote House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi. "I will always miss her tenacious advocacy for the most vulnerable Rhode Islanders, as well as her tremendous grace and wit while waging a courageous fight against cancer for the last several years. ... All of her colleagues in the General Assembly loved her dearly," Shekarchi said. "Rest in peace, my beautiful friend," said U.S. Rep. David Cicilline. Maryellen Goodwin was a dedicated public servant, a champion for her community and her district, and a beloved colleague to so many of us. It has been a special blessing in my life to call her my friend, and I am heartbroken by her passing." Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, in a statement issued on behalf of the Senate Republicans, hailed Goodwin's legislative achievements, but added: "More than her impressive career accomplishments, Maryellen will be remembered for how she made us all feel. Her presence was a comfort, her courage, and good humor in the face of her illness an inspiration, and her never-faltering smile a ray of sunshine in our lives. "Indeed, she was one of a kind, and her loss is deeply felt by all who knew her," she said. "Senator Goodwin and I had a special friendship and [she] shared the most beautiful text ... when she found out I was leaving the GA," former state Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell wrote in a tweet. In the attached text, Goodwin conveyed her gratitude for having "shared a district" and said of Ranglin-Vassell what people were saying about Goodwin on Saturday: "You have an incredible heart of true service to anyone in need." This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin remembered for her wit and compassion Click here to read the full article. Ruffling feathers is what the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is known for. But the animal welfare organization doesnt want to see feathers of any kind on the red carpet at one of the years biggest fashion events. PETA sent a letter to Met Gala co-chairs Anna Wintour, Dua Lipa, Roger Federer, Penelope Cruz and Michaela Coel urging them to instruct designers to steer clear of fur, exotic skins and particularly feathers as theyve been featured on runways and red carpets in recent months. The message may work well with most of the co-chairs; Dua Lipa has been known to rock faux fur, Federer created a vegan sneaker with On Running, Cruz once appeared in a PETA anti-fur campaign and Coel is a vegan herself. But the face of the Costume Institute Benefit, Wintour, is a well-documented furrier darling. Its past time for designers to get more creativeits what fashion is supposed to be all aboutto be more innovative, and to stop relying on birds and other animals who suffer terribly for their designs, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said. PETA is hopeful that the Meta Gala sponsors will show compassion to all animals by asking designers to stick to fabulous featherless materials, faux fur and simulated skins. The benefit takes place annually on the first Monday in May and marks the opening of The Costume Institutes spring exhibitionthis year, Karl Lagerfield: A Line of Beautyand provides the department with its primary source of funding. This years gala is a tribute to the late Chanel designer, and though he was criticized (by PETA) for using animal products for years, his brand banned fur in 2019 and exotic skins in 2020. PETA urged the co-chairs to remember this and honor this progress in their directives to designers. As with all of PETAs diatribes, the request to phase out feathers is based on an investigation conducted by the nonprofit. In September 2015, PETA sleuths traveled to South Africa to gain footage inside the worlds largest ostrich slaughter companies, including the exclusive supplier of ostrich skins for Hermes Birkin bags. The investigators reported seeing ostriches being lined up and forced into small stun boxes before having their throats slit. Feathers were ripped out of the ostriches skin while they were still fully conscious. Story continues The influence of just one celebrity who wears feathers on the famed Met Gala red carpet could lead to immense suffering for thousands of birdsand, of course, in the cases of fur and exotic skins, enormous cruelty to other animals is involved in the procurement, Newkirk wrote in the letter to the co-chairs. In addition to causing suffering and death, the production of animal-derived materials requires toxic chemicals and contributes to climate change, land devastation and water contamination on a far, far greater scale than the production of vegan materials. The Met did not immediately respond to Sourcing Journals request for comment. Just days after two mass shootings, former President Donald Trump addressed gun rights activists at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Indianapolis on Friday. "I was proud to be the most pro-gun, pro-Second Amendment president you've ever had in the White House -- I think that's been acknowledged -- and with your support, in 2024, I will be your loyal friend and fearless champion once again as the 47th president of the United States," Trump said Friday. Trump spoke for nearly an hour and the recent Nashville, Tennessee, and Louisville, Kentucky, shootings only came up towards the very end of his speech. PHOTO: In this screen grab from a video, former President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention in Indianapolis, on April 14, 2023. (Pool via ABC News) "It is a scandal and a tragedy that year after year, Democrats in Washington continue to hold commonsense school safety measures hostage to their radical gun control agenda, which, in virtually all cases, would do nothing to prevent attacks by demented and disturbed individuals," Trump said. The former president did not blame guns for the tragedies. "This is not a gun problem," he added. "This is a mental health problem, this is a social problem, this is a cultural problem, this is a spiritual problem." Earlier, former Vice President Mike Pence said he's tired of "pointless calls for gun control." "I'm tired of it. Tired of the excuses, the predictable blame shifting, the pointless calls for gun control against law abiding Americans," Pence said. "I'm tired of the senseless violence and the loss life that could be prevented if our leaders would support law enforcement, protect our schools, institutionalize the obviously mentally ill and enact legislation to ensure that anyone thinking about these heinous acts of mass shooting knows that they will face justice and face justice swiftly." The convention highlights the iron grip the NRA still has on Republican politicians: several 2024 presidential hopefuls and possible contenders are appearing at the gun convention this year, including Asa Hutchinson, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Kristi Noem, Chris Sununu, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, and the former President Donald Trump. Story continues PHOTO: People attend the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention in Indianapolis, on April 14, 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) MORE: NRA membership dues and spending continue to shrink, report shows DeSantis, Haley and Scott appeared via taped video message, not in person. While the two-time former running mates Pence and Trump are at the same gathering for the first time since leaving office, it's unlikely the two will actually cross paths. The politicians are courting gun rights activists just days after recent mass shootings at a private religious school in Nashville, Tennessee and a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. PHOTO: Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention in Indianapolis, on April 14, 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) "I came here today before the NRA to say enough is enough. It's time we took a stand for America and for freedom," Pence said to the crowd. Pence spoke for about 20 minutes. There were a few audible boos as he first walked out on the stage in his home state, though one person screamed out, "I love you, Mike!" and he responded, "I love you, too." MORE: Trump, Cruz rail against gun control at NRA meeting in Texas "I promise you with a new Republican Congress and a new Republican President, we will kick these liberal meddlers are out of our gun stores and out of your lives," Pence said. "But let me make you a promise. As long as there is breath in my lungs, I will stand with you to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed," he said. PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the Mar-a-Lago Club, on April 4, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE) "We don't need gun control. We need crime control. We don't need lectures about the liberties of law-abiding citizens, we need solutions to protect our kids," he said. "So, I say to Joe Biden and the gun control extremists: give up your pipe dreams of gun confiscation in this free society. Stop endangering our lives with gun bans and stop trampling on the God given rights of the American every time tragedy happens," he said. MORE: How one city cut gun violence in half and may become a model around the country Pence said a solution could be to install a federal death penalty statute: "I believe the time has come to institute a federal death penalty statute, with accelerated appeal to ensure that those who engage in mass shootings, face execution in months, not years." "The answer to mass shootings is not fewer guns," he said, adding that "institutional mental health care" in the US should be boosted. He called on the Biden administration to focus on ending violent crime and protect the southern border. PHOTO: A man tries out a rifle at the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., April 14, 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) The convention this week is reminiscent of last year's NRA convention that went on as planned in Houston just days after 19 children and two adults were killed by a gunman roughly 300 miles away in Uvalde, Texas. MORE: More than 11,500 people killed in gun violence so far in 2023 At the time, Trump mocked other Republicans for skipping the event. Pence closed his remarks by calling on the audience to "stand your ground in these troubled times for our nation." GOP presidential hopefuls flock to NRA convention originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Country Thunder Arizona got back up and running at Canyon Moon Ranch near Florence with an all-star lineup topped by some of country's biggest names Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson and one of Arizona's most enduring gifts to country radio, Dierks Bentley. Those headlining artists were the marquee names the folks behind the annual festival were banking on to draw thousands of country fans back to the ranch. But the highlights have always run deeper than the top of the bill at Country Thunder. We were out at the festival all weekend weighing in on the highs and lows, from the best of those headlining sets to tomorrow's marquee names. These are the things we liked the most (and least) at Country Thunder Arizona 2023. 'This is what made me who I am': Dierks Bentley came home to rule Country Thunder Arizona High: Dierks Bentley's Arizona homecoming Theres always a bit of a homecoming vibe in the air when the formerly local Dierks Bentley takes the stage at Country Thunder Arizona as a headliner. Next year marks 30 years since Bentley and his father loaded up the family truck so the aspiring country star could try his luck in Nashville. And we all know how that turned out. He went on to become one of the most successful country artists of his generation, sending 18 songs to No. 1 on Billboards country charts. After opening the show with two songs from his recently released 10th album Gravel & Gold, he told one of the weekends largest, most enthusiastic crowds, Its a big deal to be closing out Country Thunder in my home state of Arizona. This is what made me who I am. Ed Masley Live from Florence: The latest from Country Thunder Arizona 2023 High: Cody Johnson (assuming youre ready for 'real' country music) Cody Johnsons hype man had something he needed to know before the man could take the stage. Are you ready for real country music? Its an important distinction Johnson loves to make. Hes a hard-twanging honky-tonk man who rode bulls on the rodeo circuit before giving real country music a try. Story continues After more than a decade of slugging it out in the real country trenches, hes managed to work his way up to the headlining spot at a major country music festival in Arizona, having built a dedicated grass-roots following the CoJo Nation largely on the strength of his commitment to keeping it real in an age of imitation cowboys. His performance Saturday at Country Thunder did not disappoint, setting the tone with such crowd-pleasing staples as Lets Build a Fire, Yall People and Longer Than She Did. Johnson's set was hardcore country, played on pedal steel guitar and fiddle, Johnson shouting out asides that spoke to his aesthetic. Do you still listen to George Jones? he asked, after referencing the Possum in the second of Dance You Home. You do not want to get that answer wrong in Johnsons presence. Did he do a lot of speechifying? Yes, he did, including one impassioned diatribe about freedom and patriotism and how we all need to stop watching the news" because, as he assured us, "its all lies. But most of what he said about his passion for the music only added to the sense that you were in the presence of a true believer. Midway through his set, there was a lengthy monologue about the struggles he encountered on the road to Country Thunder. "I couldn't get a record deal because they said I had to take my cowboy hat off," he sneered before appealing to CoJo Nation with "How many of you would agree with me tonight that country music hasn't sounded like country music in the last 10 years?" quickly adding, "I feel the same way." It was a masterful bit of political theater, ending with a solemn vow. "As long as I'm alive, you will always get real country music from me." Ed Masley Homegrown: The most Arizona things we saw at Country Thunder 2023, from Dierks Bentley to Kurt Warner High: The (Randall) King of Country Music, also real The spirit of real country music was alive and well at Country Thunder Saturday, where several hours before Cody Johnson took the stage to testify, a young man by the name of Randall King opened his set with a song that had me thinking he could be the next Dwight Yoakam. Then he told us, I grew up on old-school country music. By that point, we already knew what hed grown up on. You could feel those old school country roots informing nearly every nuance of the mans performance. He even cited Roger Miller as a role model to introduce a highlight of his latest album, "Shot Glass" Roger, Miller Lite and Me" in the course of a crowd-pleasing set that included a tribute to the country music of the 90s, from Shouldve Been a Cowboy to That Aint My Truck and Friends in Low Places." As King explained the Garth Brooks cover: "George Strait is the King of Country Music, right? But the King of '90s Country will always be Garth Brooks." It's hard to say where that leaves Roger Miller. As for King, though, he is definitely someone we would all do well to keep an eye on. Ed Masley Low: Is there an echo in here (in here, in here)? Cody Johnsons set was truly wonderful, but there were times in his performance where the snare was clearly ricocheting off a surface somewhere on the ranch and bouncing back toward the stage with a lengthy delay, an extremely distracting annoyance that probably couldnt be helped. The good news, it either didnt last that long or I got used to it. Also, theres a chance you only heard that awful slap-back if you happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ed Masley High: Hailey Whitters stole our hearts A lot of country singers like to talk as though they grew up in a small Midwestern town with a population of approximately 731. But Hailey Whitters did. And it has clearly shaped the artist shes became. She opened her performance Saturday at Country Thunder with a heartfelt ode to rich dirt growin up tomatoes and her latest album is an introspective masterstroke inspired by her small town roots in Shueyville, Iowa. That album, Raised, supplied a number of the better songs in Whitters set. There was one about being a little more "Messed-up Mary than Plain Jane" and another with a chorus hook of They ain't left, they ain't right/Theyre just left right in the middle of America. She waxed nostalgic on the boys back home to set up "Boys Back Home," whose title characters she says will "pull you out of a ditch or a bar, and they wont be caught dead in no electric car." And her spirited cover of John Cougar Mellencamps Small Town felt more like a celebration of the folks back home in Shueyville, Iowa, than a desperate attempt to get the crowd invested in her set (the way most covers in those afternoon sets have come across). She also covered Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood and John Denvers Country Roads (of course), but those songs also felt like natural extensions of her music and her personality. Her fiddle-driven sound was more legitimately country than most sets weve seen so far this year. Much like Ashley McBryde on Friday, Whitters came across as not just likeable, but real. And she ended on a high note, singing Everything She Aint, her well-earned breakthrough single, with a joy that cant be faked. Ed Masley Low: What was ADOT thinking?! You know what road a lot of people take to get to Country Thunder Arizona? If you guessed the I-10 East through Phoenix, well, you might not work for ADOT, because ADOT chose the weekend of the biggest music festival in Arizona in a year full of 52 weekends to close the road so many of us use to get there. Not just those of us who live in central Phoenix, but the folks from all points west of Phoenix. As you may have guessed (again, unless you work at ADOT), this led to a pretty gnarly bottleneck as you got to the point where the highway stopped, diverting cars onto the 202 East. Ed Masley High: Luke Bryan gets his country on Luke Bryan clearly loves to keep the party people smiling. But it's always nice to see him lose the lampshade long enough to reconnect with what it was that made him want to be a country singer in the first place. Friday night at Country Thunder, that meant dusting off a handful of old country songs, from Ronnie Milsap's "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" to Conway Twitty's version of the Pointer Sisters' "Slow Hand" and the Brooks and Dunn hit "Neon Moon." He clearly loves that portion of the set, which only made it that much more engaging. Ed Masley High: Ashley McBryde, a future country legend in the making Ashley McBryde is a future country legend in the making. As Luke Bryan joked about her awe-inspiring lead-in to his own headlining set at Country Thunder Friday night in Arizona, "You can bet your sweet ass on this; I will not sound as good as her." And sure enough McBryde has got a great voice, to be sure. And yet, her gift is more in how she uses what she has to draw you into what she's singing, from the darkly comic "Brenda Put Your Bra On" to "Light on in the Kitchen," where a mother lets her daughter know she'll always be there if she needs someone to listen, and "Sparrow," a bittersweet song about wanting to fly while waiting on the wind to take you home to see the folks you left behind. She set the tone with a raucous rendition of "Made for This," a country-rock anthem about how, if you want to make a go of it in music, you've "gotta be made for this." McBryde is clearly made for this (and then some). You could see it in the smile that rarely left her face in a performance so infused with joy, it was beyond contagious. And her comic timing made it all the more engaging. "I started playing bars when I was 19," she revealed. "I told my mother they weren't bars and told the bars I wasn't 19." Ed Masley Low: We could always use more country outliers Midland and Ashley McBryde have been real treats in part because they're just that good, but also for the way their whole aesthetic effortlessly stood out from the pack. It's the same way Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives felt like they'd been beamed in from another planet in 2019. In a perfect world, there would be at least one act a day that filled that role (while also sounding nothing like the act that filled that role the day before they got there). Country music is a big umbrella. Why not challenge expectations while you're waiting on the fans who only care about the headliner to come in from the campgrounds? Ed Masley High: Kurt Warner spotted at Country Thunder Former Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda Warner listen to Nate Smith at Country Thunder Music Festival near Florence on April 14, 2023. After a long journey to get into the festival and find will call, I was ready to get inside and start reporting on the action. Lucky for me, the action began before I even received my wristband. I listened as excited Country Thunder music fans standing in line around me exchanged hushed whispers as they tried to determine if the man ahead of them in line was Kurt Warner, former Arizona Cardinals player and distinguished NFL Hall of Famer. For any Arizona Cardinals fan, the sight of Kurt Warner is a thrilling one. Warner was instrumental in what was arguably the Cardinals' most exciting season to date. Groups waiting in line whispered to one another, stealing glances at the 6-foot-2 football player until one man approached him to ask the big question. Warner smiled and shook the mans hand as the two shared a quick conversation. Then, the former NFL player collected his wristbands and went on his way, marking a high for anyone standing in the sunny ticket line on Friday afternoon. Sydney Carruth Low: Siena deserved more Most of the Country Thunder crowd was glued to the main stage to watch Nate Smith perform at 5 p.m., leaving Siena on the second stage to sing her debut single "Sass" to a crowd of fewer than 10 people. The desert-born and Nashville-based artist has shared stages with the likes of Rodney Adkins and the Rascall Flats. Watching the talented artist perform as the golden-hour sun cast a halo around her bleach-blonde hair was a low for me. Not for her set, but for the lack of festival-goers who were there to witness it. With big names occupying the main stage, the crowds for second-stage performers are often small. This was the case for Siena, but for those who were there to witness it, it was an energetic and fun performance. Near the end of the set, a group filed onto the dance floor and began twirling around as Siena sang. The artist waved at them and they smiled. That made this Country Thunder low a little less so. Sydney Carruth Country Thunder Arizona 2023: Here's the complete lineup and live music schedule High: Mackenzie Carpenter's cover of 'Neon Moon' Mackenzie Carpenter had couples and singles alike swaying to her cover of Brooks & Dunns "Neon Moon" in the warm afternoon air. Are yall drinking yet? she asked the crowd with a laugh, and was met immediately with an enthusiastic cheer. The Georgia natives band then began playing the familiar chords of "Neon Moon," a familiar country music anthem for any cowboy or cowgirl who has lost their one and only. In a precious moment, couples swung their partners round and round while singles swayed and sang along to the familiar chorus. The sun didnt go down on Carpenters side of town as she followed the heartbreak anthem with her spin on Cyndi Laupers "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," called "Country Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." The crowd was moving as she belted out a cover of Whitney Houstons "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." An energetic set complete with anthems for the lovers and the loners alike, Carpenters performance and bright blue cowboy boots made for an undeniable mid-day high. Sydney Carruth High: 'Mr. Saturday Night' on a Thursday Jon Pardi brought plenty of hits to the table as Thursdays main attraction, from Up All Night (which included a snippet of Bob Marleys Three Little Birds) to the quadruple-platinum back-to-back singles with Boots in the title. But for all the charms of songs as strong as Beer Cant Fix and Heartache Medication, there was nothing else in Pardis set that felt as timeless as the title track to his latest release, Mr. Saturday Night. Its just that good, a deeply soulful highlight of an album that could scarcely feel more like the turning of a clear artistic corner. Several of the strongest songs in Pardi's set, in fact, were pulled from that same 2022 release, from "Raincheck" to "Smokin' a Doobie." And his latest hit to top the country airplay charts, "Last Night Lonely," hit harder live, if not as hard as his opening song a Metallica cover that had to leave a lot of people wondering why he'd even want to start a set like that. Ed Masley Low: That last two miles of traffic that seemed to last forever State Road 79 was surprisingly clear on Thursday afternoon. The Price Road turnoff to the festival is where the traffic reared its ugly head. It was 1:55 p.m. when I was forced to come to a complete stop, having timed my arrival to be 90 minutes early for the first performer of the day. The access road was a parking lot. Those last two miles before I got to where they were scanning tickets on phones lasted 45 minutes. And that was in the early afternoon. I can't imagine how much longer people had to sit there dreaming of a restroom as the day wore on. Ed Masley How to minimize the pain: With Country Thunder Arizona comes traffic High: Could we just bottle everything about that Midland set? Is it too early to say Midland played the greatest set we'll see this year at Country Thunder Arizona? Sure it is. But that's no reason not to say it. Not when you've just had your brain rewired by a set that felt like everything you could've asked a country band to be in 2023. That extends from the opening salvo of two highlights from a new release that feels like it could be their finest hour to a triple-platinum breakthrough hit that Mark Wystrach told us made it possible to make music for a living. There was even Wystrach is a graduate of Tucson's Salpointe Catholic High School and he could not stop making Arizona references, which definitely added to the charm of the performance. But they didn't need that local flavor any more than they needed Jon Pardi to join them onstage for a spirited "Longneck Way To Go," a collaboration featured on both artists' latest albums. Even their banter was brilliant. I think it was Wystrach who told the crowd, "You all are pretty docile, though," then deadpanned "That means quiet." Their taste in covers was impeccable, from an awe-inspiring cover of "Wichita Lineman," one of several Jimmy Webb songs that became career-defining singles for the late Glen Campbell, to "The Boys Are Back in Town" and Jerry Reed's "East Bound and Down." Ed Masley Low: Seeing really good artists play to 30 people on the second stage There's gotta be a better way to do the second stage. Why are those artists playing at the same time as much bigger artists playing at much louder volumes on the main stage? You would almost have to hate the main stage act to go seek out the artists on that second stage tucked away, as it is, at the back of the festival ground behind the food court. Why not bring the second stage in closer to the action and only program music on that stage in the breaks between the main stage acts, allowing them to play much shorter sets for more than maybe 30 people? Just a thought. Ed Masley High: Tracy Byrd still holdin' heaven after 30 years It's been 30 years since Tracy Byrd topped Billboard's country chart with "Holdin' Heaven," the oldest breakthrough single any act can claim on this year's Country Thunder Arizona bill. And his performance made a solid case for adding some nostalgia to the mix. At 56, he still sounds great, inspiring smiles and singalongs to hits as big as "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous," "Watermelon Crawl," "The First Step" and "The Keeper of the Flame" after setting the mood with a single whose chorus is Were from the country and we like it that way. He also did a really nice rendition of the Townes Van Zandt classic "Pancho and Lefty." Ed Masley Country Thunder Arizona checklist: These are the 7 sets real music fans shouldn't miss Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Highs and lows of Country Thunder Arizona 2023 near Florence More than 300 workers at Saitex Internationals factory in the Vietnamese province of Dong Nai went on strike for more than six hours on Monday to protest the denim manufacturers policy of penalizing employees for mistakes that lead to product defects, a move that a union leader said was inappropriate and illegal but is allowable under national law. The demonstration at Amata Industrial Park, which was first reported by Vn Express, took place after workers discovered deductions of between 200,000 to 1 million Vietnamese dong ($8.53 to $42.65) on their March paychecks. A representative from the Dong Nai Labor Confederation told the outlet that the B Corp, which makes Fair Trade-certified jeans for brands such as Everlane and J.Crew, complained of higher rejection levels of products in that month, which Saitex confirmed to Sourcing Journal. The company docked their paychecks for products with defectiveness rates of between 15 and 25 percent. Saitex, which says it pays workers a living wage, said that workers went back to work after discussions with the union led to the deducted amounts being returned to workers. The companys CSR department also reported the incident to Better Work, the International Labour Organization-backed initiative that promotes decent working conditions in several garment-producing countries, including Vietnam. The Best for the World award winner said that such protests are a rare occurrence for the company, which has built its name on ethics and sustainability. The disruption, as Saitex characterized the strike, was minimal. Protestors represented roughly 10 percent of the factorys 2,800-strong workforce, which churns out 18,000 pairs of jeans a day, it said. As a Fair Trade facility committed to paying living wages, workers well-being is at the cornerstone of Saitexs operations globally, a spokesperson told Sourcing Journal. The recent employee-led disruption at one of our facilities in Vietnam is something Saitex strives to prevent. However, disagreements and issues do arise. Story continues The Dong Nai Labor Confederation could not be reached for comment. According to Vietnamese law, employers can deduct wages for workers mistakes that lead to defects or damage of products, tools or equipment; absenteeism without justification or employer approval; and tardiness or early departure from work without justification or employer approval. Deductions cannot exceed 30 percent of the workers monthly paycheck. Employees must also be told in writing how much money is to be taken out and why. Saitex, which also operates a LEED-certified denim mill in Dong Nai and a Factory of the Future in Los Angeles, said that the furor was more of a communication problem than anything else and that its looking into specific training for its middle managers. We are grateful for the companys leadership and employee understanding in order to promptly resolve the circumstances that took place, the spokesperson said. Click here to read the full article. Luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent will take you to the actual North Pole in 2024 here are the deets. Steffen Graupner Iconic luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent (or A&K) is gearing up for an incredible adventure next year: it will take a maximum of 199 guests to the top of the world next July, aboard an ice-breaking expedition ship heading to the geographic North Pole. Steffen Graupner Though A&K has hinted about the trip, the company has now unveiled all the details on its North Pole Expedition Cruise, an 18-day odyssey that starts in Oslo, Norway, on July 10, 2024. From the jumping off point, guests will fly north to Longyearbyen, in Svalbard, Norway, to board Le Commandant Charcot, a luxury expedition vessel operated by Ponant and accompanied, on this sailing, by A&Ks own expedition team. From there, passengers and crew will continue north toward the marginal ice zone, or MIZ, a far-flung Arctic realm of elusive blue, rorqual, and beluga whale, according to a statement A&K released to Travel + Leisure. Over the next few days, the expedition ship will churn through the waves and ice, keeping watch for polar bears and other wildlife. We have taken what not too long ago was a long, arduous expedition, and transformed it into a luxury adventure, says Stefanie Schmudde, A&Ks vice president of product development and operations, in the statement. Passengers can spend the sea days engaged with hands-on scientific research projects, visits to the ships lab and bridge, stargazing sessions, seamanship and polar survival workshops, cooking demonstrations, and photo contests, according to A&K. Not that the ship lacks creature comforts. T+L contributor Stanley Stewart was aboard Commandant Charcot recently, on a trip to Antarctica, and described life aboard: Between shore landings, there were fine meals at the ships two restaurants, one an expansive buffet, the other a la carte, overseen by the French chef Alain Ducasse. There were concerts and spa appointments, films and yoga classes and talks in the theater given by the specialists who led our shore excursions naturalists, marine biologists, photographers, historians, ornithologists, hiking guides. In the spa there was a sauna; on the ninth deck were two swimming pools one indoor, one outdoor and heated seats for sitting out in the sun. In the evenings, cocktails and Champagne were served in the two lounges, where a pianist played Chopin before dinner and jazz afterward. Story continues Not a bad way to spend five days at sea. Still, the prize of reaching 90-degrees north is the goal for the expedition. Once there, guests on the A&K trip will have the chance to step off the ship and onto rarified territory. After overnighting at the top of the world, and finding a nearby floe suitable for a gangway landing onto the ices surface, guests will have a once-in-a-lifetime photo op and perhaps if willing a polar plunge, according to A&K. Olivier Blaud/Courtesy of Ponant The return trip to the island of Spitsbergen, in Svalbard, affords more opportunity for relaxation or hands-on citizen science with the expedition team. As Stewart experienced on his journey aboard the Commandant Charcot, theres always something on: In the two onboard labs, a team of scientists gather real-time data about the polar regions to relay to research centers like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the French National Center for Scientific Research," he reports. "Guest scientists are also invited on cruises: during our trip, a group from the University of Toronto was monitoring microplastics, sweeping the ocean for samples on each of our shore excursions. Newly announced, all-inclusive rates for the 2024 expedition start at $47,995 per person. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. FILE - The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 2, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. Beijing on Saturday, April 15, 2023 protested Washington's placement of additional Chinese companies on a sanctions list over their their alleged attempts to evade U.S. export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BEIJING (AP) Beijing on Saturday protested U.S. sanctions against additional Chinese companies over their alleged attempts to evade U.S. export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains. The U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday put five firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong on its entity list, barring them from trading with any U.S. firms without gaining a nearly unobtainable special license. Washington has been tightening up enforcement of sanctions against foreign firms it sees as providing assistance to Russia in its war against Ukraine, forcing them to choose between trading with Moscow or with the U.S. A total of 28 entities from countries ranging from Malta to Turkey to Singapore were added to the list. A statement from China's Commerce Ministry said the U.S. action has no basis in international law and is not authorized by the United Nations Security Council. It is a typical unilateral sanction and a form of long-arm jurisdiction which seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and affects the security and stability of the global supply chain. China firmly opposes this, the statement said. The U.S. should immediately correct its wrongdoing and stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, it added. The latest sanctions were leveled against Allparts Trading Co., Ltd.; Avtex Semiconductor Limited; ETC Electronics Ltd.; Maxtronic International Co., Ltd.; and STK Electronics Co., Ltd., registered in Hong Kong. The list identifies entities essentially businesses that the U.S. suspects have been involved, are involved, or pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States, the department said. Entities named were designated as "military end users" for attempting to evade export controls and acquiring or attempting to acquire U.S.-origin items in support of Russias military and/or defense industrial base, it said. Story continues The Chinese protest was similar to one issued in February after the U.S. announced sanctions against the Chinese company Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd., also known as Spacety China. The department said the company supplied Russia's Wagner Group private army affiliates with satellite imagery of Ukraine that support Wagners military operations there. A Luxembourg-based subsidiary of Spacety China was also targeted. At that time, China's Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of outright bullying and double standards for sanctioning its companies while intensifying efforts to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons. China has maintained that it is neutral in the conflict, while backing Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for the invasion of its neighbor. China has refused to criticize Russia's actions, blasted Western economic sanctions on Moscow, maintained trade ties and affirmed a no limits relationship between the countries just weeks before last year's invasion. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow last month and China announced Friday that Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu would visit Russia this coming week for meetings with counterpart Sergei Shoigu and other military officials. However, Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Friday said China wont sell weapons to either side in the war, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide outright military assistance to Russia. Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude, Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict, and manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations. A new man! Joe Giudice looks almost unrecognizable since his Real Housewives of New Jersey days following his deportation in 2019. Although he lost a significant amount of weight in prison, its clear that the former reality star has stuck with hitting the gym and getting in shape. Now that Joe lives in the Bahamas after residing in Italy following his prison release, daughters Gia and Milania Giudice have shared tons of content of their transformed dad. The businessman had a noticeably slimmer face in one of the first photos fans saw of Joe following his imprisonment and being in ICE custody. One of the happiest moments of my life, Gia wrote via Instagram Storied in October 2019 alongside a FaceTime screenshot of her and Joe flashing big smiles. Love you so much daddy, so happy youre free. See you so soon, she added. One month later, Gia and her sisters Milania, Audrianna and Gabriella and mom Teresa Giudice reunited with Joe on a trip to Italy and fans were shook over his slim figure! Gia posted a solo shot with her dad in Salerno, leading fans to rave over the freelance contractors new look. Wow! Joe doesn't even look like the same guy! Cute pic! one person wrote, while another commented, So sweet! Your dad looks so good! Im so glad you girls got to finally see him!! Im sure he was beyond happy to be with all of you! Hang in there were all praying for all of you. More recently, Milania has been posting endless wholesome content with Joe while she and her sisters spent Easter with their father in the Bahamas in 2023. Before celebrating, the former Bravo husband made a heartfelt toast dedicated to his family. Happy Easter, everybody. I am so happy to have my girls here, my friends, my mom, my daughters especially because theyre so beautiful and my mother because she deserves everything, Joe said in the April 2023 clip before struggling to pop the champagne bottle. Dad Looks Great I love to watch your Videos when you girls go & Visit with him God Bless, one person shared in the comments section. A second person wrote, He looks fantastic! while a third fan commented, Joe looks so happy. Good to see him that way! Keep scrolling to see Joe Giudices complete weight loss transformation! John Legend is one proud dad! The music superstar, 44, wished oldest child Luna a happy 7th birthday on Friday with a sweet Instagram tribute. John shared multiple photos of the youngster alongside his heartfelt caption, in which he listed all of Lunas most lovable qualities and how grateful he is to have her. Happy 7th birthday to our kind, smart, creative, beautiful little girl Luna Simone. She brings us so much light and love every single day and I feel so lucky to be her dad, he wrote. John chose a series of cute snaps of Luna over the years, including one snap of the birthday girl sitting on his shoulders and another where she proudly holds up a caricature drawing of herself. Fans and famous friends such as Mindy Kaling flocked to the comment section with well wishes for Luna on her big day, with many also expressing disbelief over how quickly time has passed since Luna arrived. How is she already 7?! one person wrote, adding a cry face emoji. View this post on Instagram A post shared by John Legend (@johnlegend) John and wife Chrissy Teigen, 37, welcomed Luna on April 14, 2016, and have since added son Miles, 4, and newborn daughter Esti, 3 months, to their family. The crew recently spent time overseas, with Chrissy sharing Instagram peeks at their Easter celebration in Venice, Italy. In March, the Cravings cookbook author told Access Hollywood about how she, John and the kids are adjusting to their newly expanded household. Its so great. Its really so chaotic and fun. It was like she came right in and fit right in, Chrissy said of baby Esti. Erin Biglow With the nation focused on the case of Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Douglas Teixeira charged with federal crimes in U.S. District Court in Boston on Friday no doubt there are plenty of people wondering: Just what is the National Guard? Basically, it's a component of the U.S. military with a dual command, available to serve both the state when called upon by the governor and the federal government when called upon by the president. According to the National Guard Bureau, members of the guard are called on during emergencies at home, such as hurricanes, floods, and widespread health emergencies like the COVID pandemic. They may also be deployed on overseas combat missions or called on to undertake counterdrug operations and reconstruction efforts, among other duties. Dighton MA is in national spotlight. Here's what residents say about the town Is there a difference between the U.S. National Guard and the Massachusetts National Guard? Essentially, no. The Massachusetts National Guard is a force of the National Guard available for deployment by the governor of Massachusetts, according to mass.gov, but also available to the president of the United States if needed. It is grouped into two forces: the Massachusetts Army National Guard and the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Members of each force are trained and equipped as part of their corresponding branch of the military, the Army and the Air Force. They receive the same ranks and wear the same uniforms, and must meet the same standards as members of the main military branches. What we saw in court: Jack Teixeira, accused of leaking US military secrets while stationed on Cape Cod What is the Massachusetts Air National Guard The Air National Guard is an element of the Air Force, and the Massachusetts Air National Guard is the part of that assigned to Massachusetts and available at the governor's calling. What is the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard? The 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard provides worldwide "precision intelligence and command and control, along with trained and experienced airmen for expeditionary combat support and homeland security," according to information from Joint Base Cape Cod on the Upper Cape, where the 102nd is based. Story continues It is one of several operations headquartered there including the Joint Base Cape Cod executive director, the Massachusetts National Guard's Camp Edwards, the U.S. Coast Guard base Cape Cod, the U.S. Coast Guard's Air Station Cape Cod, the Air Force's 6th Space Warning Squadron, and the Regional Training Institute. What is the difference between being in the Army or Air Force, and being in one of their guard forces? Active duty service in any of the main branches of the military means people are full-time members of that force, and likely live on a base. Members of the National Guard are not full-time military personnel, they usually hold outside jobs and don't live on base. Both groups, though, may be deployed at any time if needed. If a National Guard member is called to long-term active duty, any civilian person or business that employs them must hold their job for them or provide an equal job when they return. Many members of the military transfer to guard or federal military reserve units once their obligatory active tours are complete, but prior military service is not required to join the National Guard if other eligibility requirements are met, according to Military OneSource, a program of the Department of Defense that offers military members various services such as tax services, spouse employment help, webinars and online training, relocation and deployment tools, among others. Can a Guard member be full-time? There are full-time Guard members in each state who, according to the National Guard Bureau, "manage the day-to-day operations of the units in their state or territorial Guard." What we know on Friday: Jack Teixeira, of Dighton, held without bail related to leaked Ukraine, Pentagon documents What are the minimum requirements to join the National Guard? Anyone looking to enlist in the National Guard must meet some basic eligibility requirements. They include: Must be between 17 and 35 years of age, unless you have previous U.S. military service, or you have a specialized professional skill, such as a chaplain, lawyer or certain medical specialties. Must be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident alien. Must meet medical and moral requirements. Must have a high school diploma, GED, or 15 credit hours of college. Other requirements can be viewed at http://www.nationalguard.com/eligibility How long is National Guard duty? When joining the National Guard, members have an eight-year enlistment period; however, members can choose to serve for three or six years and then transfer into the "individual ready reserve." The National Guard Bureau explains that members in this reserve don't train with a unit but they can be called up for duty in emergencies. Proudly serving in the U.S. Army: Sikh American soldier fights to honor his religion and country What are National Guard training requirements? According to the National Guard Bureau, new members must attend initial entry training, the length of which differs depending on a member's career specialty. It can range from four to 64 weeks. After that, members must participate in training one weekend each month, as well as an annual two-week training, that usually takes place in the summer. What's the difference between the guard and reserves? The National Guard Bureau notes that the main difference between the guard and military reserve units is that guard members can be called upon by both the governor of their state and the U.S. president. Members of the reserves are only at the call of the federal government. Members of both groups, though, are subject to the same training requirements and can be called into combat if needed. Serving in other places: Members of Massachusetts National Guard return from Washington, D.C. Do members of the guard get paid? Members of the guard do get paid. Part-time guard members get paid for the time spent in training and monthly during active duty. According to the National Guard's online pay calculator, weekend drill pay starts at $255.68, with annual training pay at $958.80 and monthly active duty pay at $1917.60. Pay increases with rank and years of service. The annual average pay for full-time members is about $46,816, according to Zippia, an online recruitment service. On the low end, annual pay may be in the $25,000 range, and on the high end, it can reach $90,000 and above. How many National Guard members are there? In Massachusetts, there are about 8,500 members of the National Guard, based on 2021 numbers. Nationally, according to Statista, there are an estimated 336,000 Army National Guard members and 108,300 Air National Guard members. A history making man: Stephen Boyd retires as longest serving Black aviator in Massachusetts Army National Guard Massachusetts is where the National Guard got its start Even though the National Guard is now considered a part of the U.S. armed forces, it is notable that it was the nation's first defense force, and the Massachusetts arm is the oldest, organized here in 1636, according to the Massachusetts National Guard. Today, four of the oldest units in the U.S. Army serve in the Massachusetts Guard: the 181st Infantry Regiment, the 182nd Cavalry Regiment, the 101st Field Artillery Regiment and the 101st Engineer Battalion. In the past year: 'He thought there were migrants on the bus': Guard officer pursues, confronts senior citizens Both Plymouth Colony in 1621 and Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629 organized militia companies for defense, calling on men between 16 and 60 to be armed and ready and to participate in regular training musters. More about the National Guard's history can be found on the Massachusetts National Guard's website. Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and features in Barnstable, Brewster and Falmouth Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on Twitter @HMcCarron_CCT Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: MA National Guard: What to know after Jack Teixeira's arrest Getty Images Anne Perry, the British best-selling writer of more than 120 mystery novels and short stories, lived the kind of life one of her own fictional characters could have lived. As a teen, 25 years before publishing her first book, she committed murder. Perry, who died on April 10 at age 84, was convicted of the crime in 1954, when she was 15 years old. Then known by her birth name Juliet Hulme, she and her then-best friend Pauline Parker beat Parkers mother to death in New Zealand, sending her to prison for five years. Perrys role in the killing did not become publicly known until the release of the film Heavenly Creatures (1994), which depicted the crime and starred Kate Winslet as Perry. She had already been working as a writer for 15 years by that point, and the movies release brought her an entirely new level of infamy. Why cant I be judged for who I am now, not what I was then? she said to The Guardian in 2003 . I had to give up my pastthe hardest thing imaginableand begin life in my new identity as Anne Perry, knowing even a tiny slip could unravel everything. An Obsessive Friendship Perry, who was born Juliet Hulme on May 26, 1938, met Parker during their teenage years in New Zealand. Hulme had immigrated there from London in 1948, and her father worked as a rector at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. Hulme, 15, and Parker, 16, attended Christchurch Girls High School and developed a friendship so close that it eventually became obsessive. They invented an elaborate fantasy life together, writing plays, books, and stories set in their secret world, and even invented their own private religion and version of utopia known as The Fourth World. By 1954, Hulmes parents were in the process of separating and planned to send her to South Africa to live with relatives. Hulme and Parker did not want to separate, and they planned for Parker to go to South Africa as well, so they could later go to Hollywood or New York City together to publish their writings. Story continues But Parker did not believe her mother, Honorah Rieper, would allow her to go, so the two decided to kill the 45-year-old. Hulme later said she felt she owed it to Parker to participate in the murder, because Parker had supported her when she was hospitalized due to an illness. I felt I had a debt to repay, Hulme said . Pauline was the only one who had written to me when I was in hospital, and she threatened to kill herself if I didnt help. I really believed she would take her life, and I couldnt face it. The Murder Getty Images The murder took place on June 22, 1954, when the two girls took a walk with Rieper in Christchurchs Victoria Park. Hulme dropped a decorative stone so Rieper would bend down to pick it up, after which Parker struck her on the head with a brick wrapped in a stocking. The girls took turns repeatedly striking her, hitting her more than 20 times in total. After the murder, Hulme and Parker fled to a tea shop where they had been eating earlier, covered in blood . They claimed Rieper had fallen down and hit her head. However, police found the murder weapon nearby shortly after investigating, and their story about the death quickly fell apart. Following their arrests, Parker and Hulme stood trial in Christchurch. A sensational affair, the trial drew speculation that the two teens were insane and also involved in a romantic relationship, something both have denied . They were found guilty on August 28, 1954, and were sentenced to prison, because they were too young to be considered for the death penalty. Both served five years and were released separately from each other. They never made contact with each other again, according to The New Zealand Herald . Hulme later said going to prison was the best thing that could have happened because it forced her to come to terms with what she did and repent. That is how I survived my time while others cracked up, she said . I seemed to be the only one saying, I am guilty, and I am where I should be. Success as a Novelist Getty Images Upon release, Parker was given a new identity as Hilary Nathan. Hulme, adopting the pen name Anne Perry, published her first novel, The Cater Hangman, in 1979. She went on to become a successful and prolific mystery novelist, selling more than 26 million copies . Her role in Riepers killing was not widely known to the public until the 1994 release of Heavenly Creatures, the Peter Jackson directed drama based upon the murder, with Kate Winslet portraying Hulme and Melanie Lynskey playing Parker. It seemed so unfair, Perry said of the films release. Everything I had worked to achieve as a decent member of society was threatened. And once again my life was being interpreted by someone else. All I could think of was that my life would fall apart and that it might kill my mother. The filmwhich Perry never watched did not seem to damage her career, however, as she has published more than six dozen books since Heavenly Creatures was released, according to her website . Many of her books include themes of repentance and forgiveness, something she said she grappled with after the murder. Spring is here, which means dull shades of brown grass on most lawns are being replaced by deep tinges of green. It also means that its time to break out your lawn mower. When your lawn reaches a certain height in the spring, it usually signals that it needs a trim and watering your lawn during the warmer months can ensure that your grass retains moisture and stays healthy. Heres when you should mow and water your lawn this spring in Charlotte, and other maintenance tips. When should you mow your lawn in the spring? The best time to start mowing your lawn in the spring is when the grass is actively growing, according to North Carolina-based Canopy Lawn Care. You should avoid cutting when below-freezing temperatures are still present, the company says, since frost can cause the moisture in grass blades to freeze. You can typically mow your lawn for the first time in the spring when your grass reaches two to three inches in length, according to the company. After the initial mow, Charlotte-area company Barker Brothers Landscape Maintenance recommends mowing your lawn at least once a week, and adjusting the height of your mower blades as needed to ensure healthy grass. When to give your lawn a spring shower You should water your lawn at the first signs of moisture distress, according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. The best way to tell if your lawn is under moisture stress is by looking for footprints, NCDEQ says. If you can see footprints on your lawn, you should water it. NCDEQ recommends watering in the early morning, when the sun will cause the least evaporation, or in the evening. To moisten the soil four to six inches deep, clay soils should receive one inch of water at a time, and sandy soils should get a half-inch, according to NCDEQ. More spring lawn care tips Here are some other spring lawn maintenance tips, according to Barker Brothers: One of Kentuckys biggest bourbon producing counties is looking to turn off the whiskey spigot, at least for now, and others are having similar thoughts. Nelson County Fiscal Court took the first step Friday to put in place a moratorium on new bourbon warehouses and other distillery construction. The 90-day moratorium on any action by planning and zoning, the board of adjustment and the planning office, if approved, will allow the county to review existing ordinances dealing with bourbon, according to the Nelson County Gazette, which reported the approved first reading 4-1 vote came after a contentious meeting packed with bourbon industry representatives. The issue could come up before the fiscal court May 9. We want to work with the bourbon industry, but we got to make sure its done ... theres a reason why we have planning and zoning, and the reason why is to have smart growth and structured growth, Nelson County Judge Executive Tim Hutchins said, according to WAVE TV. Hutchins said Friday evening that his goal is to make sure Nelson County citizens have a voice. I didnt get elected by the distilleries or by big business. I got elected by the citizens of Nelson County and I will do everything in my power to make sure anything that goes in this community wont impact the citizens in a negative way, he told the Herald-Leader. The moratorium will direct the planning commission to review and adopt changes to protect prime agricultural land and public health, saying the increase in distilleries and distilled spirits storage facilities have resulted in a loss of prime agricultural land, (and) has detrimental effects on public health, safety and welfare of our citizens. A halt could have an impact on construction projects planned in Nelson County with Bardstown right in the heart of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Hutchins said that the moratorium wouldnt impact projects on land zoned industrial or those tied to industrial revenue bonds issued by the county. New projects, however, could be impacted, he said. Story continues Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Log Still Distilling, Kentucky Owl and Bardstown Bourbon Co. are all in the midst of multimillion expansions, according to the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority. The move to stop new projects came after the Kentucky General Assembly in March approved a phase-out of the bourbon barrel tax that generates millions for county budgets. A Heaven Hill representative at the meeting told WAVE that the move is retaliation for the tax break. If youre a county that doesnt want us, there are other counties that are more than happy to have that business, said Jessica Pendergrass, Heaven Hill Distillery general counsel. But county officials with other major bourbon counties arent so sure. They say without the barrel tax revenue their counties wont be able to fund firefighters, repair roads or water and sewer systems or pay for other services. Bourbon distilleries paid $40 million in state taxes for aging barrels in warehouses in more than two dozen Kentucky counties. The Kentucky Distillers Association, lobbying on behalf of the distillers, argued that the tax was unfair and hurt growth, although the bourbon industry reported record growth and new investment in recent years. Kentucky lawmakers voted, over the objections of county leaders, to end the tax by 2043. Gov. Andy Beshear signed the bill into law on March 31. The tax will begin to sunset with the 2026 tax year. On the last day of the legislative session in Frankfort, Bardstown Mayor Richard Heaton spoke about the negative impact that eliminating the property tax on distilled spirits would have on local governments. State lawmakers passed the tax break anyway and Gov. Andy Beshear signed it into law the next day. It isnt clear what the total impact of the tax break for bourbon will be for the counties or for the state. According to one version of a fiscal note prepared for the bill, the reduction in state and local tax receipts is an estimated $249 million; the bill also allows distilleries to claw back another $192 million in taxes from the state, according to the fiscal note. And the state will have to pay millions to shore up school budgets once the barrel tax sunsets completely. Bullitt Co. wont consider new bourbon construction, unless... Bullitt County Judge Executive Jerry Summers, who also is a former Beam executive, said that his county, home to Jim Beam and Four Roses, plans to honor existing permits but wont consider new bourbon construction until the industry agrees to bear the associated costs. We have three warehouses left to be constructed and that will probably be the end of them, Summers said. Under the previous judge executive, Summers said, Bullitt County granted Beam $300 million in tax breaks for a 15-warehouse complex. One 58,000-barrel warehouse is left to be built, he said. Four Roses has two 24,000-barrel warehouses left to build. The warehouses now will become net losses to the county budget, he said. Nobody in this county has an appetite for them. Not right now. And were not alone in this. When you look at the five major counties that hold most of the worlds bourbon, its the same, Summers said of Franklin, Woodford, Marion, Nelson and Bullitt counties in Kentucky. Going forward, Summers said, Bullitt may add additional fees to barrels to make up the costs of extra water and sewer lines, fire protection and other costs. Its a hazardous industrial facility and you have to have the right safeguards in place. Theres no revenue stream to do that and its expensive, he said. Regrets in Marion County over Bulleit, Pernod Ricard bourbon warehouses Marion County, home to Makers Mark, Diageos Bulleit and, soon, Pernod Ricards Jeffersons bourbons, feels burned too, according to Judge Executive David Daugherty. His county doesnt have any zoning to fight new bourbon warehouses but hes pushing for it, he said. With no zoning they could put in warehouses anywhere. And they dont bring in a lot of jobs. Typically the reason we done it was for the barrel tax, Daugherty said. Its kind of a bad deal, to be honest with you. He said that the Kentucky Distillers Association, which lobbied for the tax break, has argued the distillers will go to other states. If youre not going to pay the barrel tax, honestly, so what? Daugherty said. The city of Lebanon, which does have zoning, annexed property to allow Pernod Ricard to build a $181 million distillery, its first in Kentucky. Daugherty said people were not happy about that because of concerns about whiskey fungus, the black mold-like growth on buildings, trees and surfaces surrounding warehouses. The city did it, he said, for the tax revenue. His county also was counting on revenue from the Bulleit complex of 18 55,000-barrel warehouses to begin flowing in soon. He regrets that they couldnt offer that to an automotive plant instead. If we would have known Diageo wouldnt have paid a penny ... We used one of our better facilities for that, with water and infrastructure, he said. They didnt care and its terrible. If we knew they were not going to pay this tax, Id say it the outcome would have been different. HOLLAND The suspect in a March 25 assault in Holland Township was found and arrested in the city of Holland Friday, the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office reports. Xavier Rose, 19, of Holland, was taken into custody by a team of officials from several departments around 11 a.m. Friday, April 14. Officers from the U.S. Marshals West Michigan Fugitive Task Force, Michigan State Police and Grand Rapids Police Department were involved in the arrest. More: Assault suspect flees scene, 18-month-old found with family Rose is currently lodged at the Ottawa County Jail. Official charges will be announced after his arraignment. The arrest stems from an incident that took place in an apartment complex off 136th Avenue in Holland Township on Saturday, March 25. Deputies were called to the scene after an 18-year-old woman escaped the apartment and contacted police. The woman told police shed been in a domestic relationship with Rose and was assaulted, and said Rose was armed with a knife and a firearm. The suspect fled prior to deputies arriving and took an 18-month-old child with him. Investigators located the child, who was unharmed, with family of Rose and reunited her with her mother. Since that time, warrants for Roses arrest were obtained and multiple law enforcement agencies have been searching for him. Subscribe: Receive unlimited access to your breaking news coverage Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office or Silent Observer at 1-877-88-SILENT. Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Suspect in March 25 assault arrested after weeks-long search Suzume key art featuring Suzume, a chair, and a door standing in ruins The latest anime movie from director Makoto Shinkai, Suzume, is finally now in theaters in the US and UK. Shinkai is perhaps best known for anime like 2016s critically acclaimed Your Name and 2019s Weathering with You. Ahead of Suzumes international release, Total Film had the opportunity to speak with Shinkai about the release and all of its thematic underpinnings. And three-legged chairs, of course. If youre not familiar, Suzume focuses on a high school girl named Suzume Iwato that lives with her aunt. Through a series of unlikely encounters, she ends up traveling across Japan to a number of different ruins, closing doors that cause disasters. Notably, a major part of the film deals with the disastrous circumstances following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and Shinkai was fairly open during the interview about the effect of the real-life disaster on his worldview. Suzume and Souta look at a phone in a still from anime Suzume Total Film: Congrats on the impending full international release. How does it feel? Makoto Shinkai: Certainly a little bit nervous right now. The North American release is still in April, and across many Asian countries the movie was released theatrically, and it has outperformed our expectations for which I'm really grateful that the film resonated. But how that translates to the US audience remains to be seen. So definitely still a little nervous. Now I have to ask, without spoiling anything, I feel like the choices of what to feature in your films are very deliberate. So why the three-legged chair, of all possible things? One of the central themes of this film is, of course, the 2011 Tohoku Great East Japan earthquake, and taking on that disaster as a theme face to face would have resulted in a very dark and almost too heavy of a film. So in order to offset that, and still do the theme justice, you wanted to lighten up the mood a little bit, so I brought in this comical character to be Suzumes sidekick and achieve that. And I'll try my best to not spoil this. There might be a little bit, but in terms of why the chair is three legged The first is I felt that that gave it a bit more comical, kind of funny feel. I mean, you'd look at a three-legged chair, the off-balance sort of awkwardness, even watching the chair walking alone gives a comic relief to the film. The second, a little deeper, but the chair was presumably washed away during the tsunami before it was rediscovered, and in that process, lost one of its legs and to me that is a metaphor for Suzumes mind if you will, her loss and her grief that she experienced as a result of the earthquake and tsunami. Story continues But in spite of that loss and her losing her mother, the chair only having three legs as Souta, he's still able to live his life and run all the way across Japan despite having three legs. I think that there is a beautiful metaphor there. A chair stands alone in a still from anime Suzume Particularly when it comes to trauma, there's this idea that repetition through fiction can allow us to come to terms with those feelings, to finally recover in some ways. Obviously your work has dealt with natural disasters frequently, but perhaps never quite so directly with a one-to-one real-life analog as Suzume. How do you feel that your creation of the movie has allowed you to personally process the 2011 earthquake and tsunami or has it? How the 2011 disaster affected me, I think, certainly I wasn't a direct firsthand victim of the incident. Having lived in Tokyo, we were somewhat removed. But nonetheless, I would say that that incident has changed my life. It changed my mindset and my worldview, and the types of movies I created afterwards. And part of me, I think, goes back to the idea that it wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that I could have been directly affected or involved had I been living in the Tohoku region, or had the earthquake happened in Tokyo, what would that have done to all of our lives had we been directly affected? So that could happen today, tomorrow, maybe not for a while. That anxiety and uncertainty also of living in Japan, side by side with disaster that could happen at any moment, I constantly think about why I and we all continue to choose to live in Japan. And this has been a huge theme for myself over the past 10 years that I have been thinking about. So, now that I've completed Suzume, have I completed that journey with trying to come to terms with or understand that disaster, or will my next film or my next, next film also take on disaster as a central theme? I'm at the moment unsure, and it'll probably take me a few more months before I kind of hone in my ideas on this blank slate of what kind of story I want to tell next. Tarrant County commissioners will discuss litigation surrounding a 2019 jail death in closed session during their meeting Tuesday Inmate Robert G. Miller died in August 2019 after he was pepper sprayed at least three times at close range during intake. He was not given medical treatment when he told a nurse he could not breathe. A Tarrant County medical examiner had listed Millers death as natural from a sickle cell crisis. Millers family and experts on sickle cell anemia who spoke to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for an investigation into his death say Miller never had the disease. The investigation prompted a third-party autopsy review, which commissioners approved in December. The county contracted with Bloomington, Illinois-based medical examiner J. Scott Denton to do the review. That contract expired Feb. 28, and officials have remained silent on it since. The last time commissioners discussed the case was during a two-hour closed session Feb. 21. Commissioners did not take action on the case before the meeting adjourned. County officials have used pending litigation as an excuse to not discuss the case. Millers widow, Shanelle Jenkins, was pursuing a federal lawsuit against the Sheriffs Office. Jenkins case is on the commissioners agenda for Tuesdays meeting. It will be discussed in closed session. But that case was delivered a blow on April 3 when a federal appeals court prevented it from moving further. Jenkins had sought to amend her complaint with more information about what happened to her husband inside the jail, but could not do so because cases have to be filed within two years of death. The Star-Telegram has requested documents related to the review through the Public Information Act. The Criminal District Attorneys Office asked the Texas attorney general for a opinion on whether it could withhold records. Then county officials came back and said no records existed and pulled their request with the attorney general. Story continues Sheriff Bill Waybourn held a press conference on Tuesday to tout the Sheriffs Offices achievements. During that press conference, he said there had been misinformation going around his employees murdering and hurting inmates. He told reporters that when deaths happen in the jail, theyre investigated by the county, the medical examiner, the Texas Rangers and Texas Jail Standards. Many hands are in that, Waybourn said. And at no time has a jailer been at fault for hurting or abusing or, absolutely, as terms of murdering have been used, that has never occurred. Beatriz Flamini emerged smiling from an underground cave in Spain on Friday, where she had spent 500 days living in isolation, saying the time had flown by. "When they came in to get me, I was asleep. I thought something had happened. I said, 'Already? Surely not.' I hadn't finished my book," the 50-year-old Spanish athlete said, according to the Reuters news agency. Flamini went underground as part of an experiment to allow scientists to learn more about circadian rhythms and the human mind, Reuters reported. She was closely monitored by psychologists, physical trainers, cave specialists and other researchers, though no one was permitted to make contact with her. "It's not that the time passes more quickly or more slowly, simply that it doesn't pass, because it's always four in the morning," Flamini filmed herself saying during her days underground. "It's been amazing, girl. It's been really amazing," she told the camera. She spent two birthdays in isolation, missing a year of war in Ukraine and the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She said she spent her time reading, painting, doing exercises, knitting hats and trying to maintain "coherence." According to Spanish news agency EFE, Flamini was being studied by scientists at a sleep clinic in Madrid, as well as at universities in Granada and Almeria, to determine the effects of isolation and extreme disorientation on the perception of time and the effects of being underground on sleep patterns. "I love you so much," Flamini told her support team as she emerged Friday. "I'm really grateful, and please disregard anything I have said down there." Flamini said she would be examined by doctors so they could assess the physiological effects of her time in the cave before she embarked on any new caving or mountaineering projects, Reuters reported. Justice Department asks Supreme Court to preserve abortion pill access Boston Marathon bombing manhunt | 60 Minutes Archive Expert shares tips on how to prepare for next tax season Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE). To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY). Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity. Check out our latest analysis for Bristol-Myers Squibb How Is ROE Calculated? The formula for return on equity is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Bristol-Myers Squibb is: 20% = US$6.3b US$31b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022). The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every $1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn $0.20 in profit. Does Bristol-Myers Squibb Have A Good Return On Equity? Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. If you look at the image below, you can see Bristol-Myers Squibb has a similar ROE to the average in the Pharmaceuticals industry classification (20%). roe That isn't amazing, but it is respectable. Although the ROE is similar to the industry, we should still perform further checks to see if the company's ROE is being boosted by high debt levels. If so, this increases its exposure to financial risk. To know the 3 risks we have identified for Bristol-Myers Squibb visit our risks dashboard for free. How Does Debt Impact ROE? Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same. Story continues Combining Bristol-Myers Squibb's Debt And Its 20% Return On Equity Bristol-Myers Squibb clearly uses a high amount of debt to boost returns, as it has a debt to equity ratio of 1.27. While its ROE is respectable, it is worth keeping in mind that there is usually a limit as to how much debt a company can use. Debt does bring extra risk, so it's only really worthwhile when a company generates some decent returns from it. Conclusion Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. If two companies have around the same level of debt to equity, and one has a higher ROE, I'd generally prefer the one with higher ROE. But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. Of course Bristol-Myers Squibb may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have high ROE and low debt. 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 The claim: March 30 protest in Tennessee was an 'insurrection' the likes of Jan. 6 A March 30 Facebook post (direct link, archived link) includes a link to a news story with the headline "Gun control activists storm Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville." "If Jan 6 was an insurrection, then so is Mar 30," reads part of the post's caption. "If Mar 30 is not an insurrection, then neither was Jan 6. The Alt-Left cant have it both ways; if they want the Jan 6 protesters prosecuted as insurrectionists, then theyd better be ready to apply the same standards to the protesters today." Similar posts comparing the two events generated hundreds of shares on Facebook. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks Our rating: False The Nashville protest is not comparable to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to numerous experts. While the Nashville protesters behaved peacefully and no arrests or injuries occurred, the Jan. 6 attack resulted in injuries to more than 100 police officers, over 1,000 arrests and the destruction of government property. Intent of action differed On March 27, a 28-year-old gunned down three children and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee. The incident prompted over 1,000 peaceful protesters to assemble at Tennessees State Capitol building on March 30 in support of gun control laws, The Tennessean reported. The same day, Cameron Sexton, the Republican speaker of the Tennessee House, claimed on "The Hal Show Podcast" that the actions of three Democrat lawmakers in the protests were equivalent to an insurrection in the Capitol. But an array of experts said it is ridiculous to call the Nashville protest an insurrection or compare it to the Jan. 6 attack. The critical difference is there was no threat to the integrity of a democracy in Tennessee, said William Banks, a law professor at Syracuse University. Insurrection conditions occur when civilian authorities are unable to enforce the laws. That was a real threat on Jan. 6. Not so in Nashville. Story continues Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told USA TODAY, "Demonstrating for or against laws is different from rising up against your lawfully elected government. Protesters demonstrate during a Rally of Parents and Kids to End Gun Violence at the State Capitol Thursday, March 30, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. John Pitney, a politics professor at Claremont McKenna College, agreed and highlighted that the Jan. 6 attack involved "violence and death." "It was an effort to prevent the certification of the duly elected president and replace him with the loser of the election," Pitney said in an email. "There were elements of planning at multiple levels, ranging from officials of the White House to violent people such as the Proud Boys." Fact check: No connection between QAnon shaman's release from prison and Jan. 6 tapes Actions of protesters were dramatically different The actions of the Nashville protesters had very little in common with the Jan. 6 rioters. All the Nashville protesters who entered the Tennessee State Capitol building came in legally through security managed by officers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, according to The Tennessean. No arrests or injuries took place during the Nashville protest. On Jan. 6, however, rioters violently forced their way past police, injuring about 140 officers, according to the Department of Justice. Federal prosecutors ultimately arrested over 1,000 Jan. 6 rioters and charged over 900 of those defendants in nearly all 50 states, according to the Department of Justice and a USA TODAY database. Five people died at the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol, as USA TODAY reported. The Nashville protesters chanted phrases such as Save our Children! but none of the protesters damaged property, incited violence or stormed the Capitol floor, as CBS News and The Tennessean reported. Representatives had difficulties moving through the building, but they were able to continue with their duties such as debating an education bill. In addition, protesters willingly left the building when security was ordered to clear the House galleries, The Tennessean reported. Fact check: Arrests were made inside Capitol building on Jan. 6, and after Legislative action was halted when three Democratic lawmakers approached the House floor without being recognized to speak a breach of chamber rules and led gun control chants with a bullhorn, according to The Tennessean. But legislative activity resumed shortly after the interruption. "The protests of the Tennessee Three may have been disruptive, but they were neither violent, nor did they revolt against the authority of the government," Rahmani said. By contrast, the Jan. 6 rioters shattered the glass of the Capitol building, destroyed an inauguration platform and chemically damaged presidential statues and paintings, as USA TODAY reported. At a hearing investigating the attack, police officers recounted their experiences on that day. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell told the House panel he engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the rioters, and he likened it to a "medieval" battle. DC Metro Officer Michael Fanone said he was violently assaulted. They began to beat me with their fists and what felt like hard metal objects, Fanone said. "I was electrocuted again and again and again with a taser." USA TODAY reached out to the social media users and Sexton's office for comment. PolitiFact also debunked the claim. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Nashville protest wrongly compared to Jan. 6 attack Looking for the perfect beach in Spain? These gorgeous seaside locations will more than deliver. Estanis Banuelos/Getty Images Dreaming of the warm sand between your toes, azure waters, and that sweet smell of sunscreen? Then its time to head to Europe and visit one of Spain's best beaches. If you need some help figuring out exactly where to go next Spain does, after all, have nearly 5,000 miles of coastline weve got you covered. Here are 10 of the best beaches in Spain for your next European getaway. Playa de Ondarreta, San Sebastian Ashley Kempher/Getty Images Find a quieter stretch of shoreline in San Sebastian with a visit to Playa de Ondarreta. This lesser-visited beach in the region is an ideal spot for families or those simply wanting to take a relaxing snooze on the sand or catch up on a good book. The less-than-a-mile-long stretch is also well-equipped with changing rooms, bathrooms, and umbrellas for rent. Es Pujols, Formentera Pola Damonte/Getty Images Find gloriously clear blue waters at Es Pujols, a seaside village located on the north coast of the island of Formentera. Its a well-known destination, so expect plenty of other guests, as well as lots of services, including glamorous hotels and delicious restaurants by the shore. If you come in the summer, make sure to visit its lively flea market for the perfect souvenir. Calo des Moro, Mallorca Stefan Mendelsohn/Getty Images Find a tiny slice of paradise on the island of Mallorca at Calo des Moro. This beach measures just 131 feet long and is a bit hard to find, plus you must get down a steep set of stairs. But if you can and youre willing, its a divine spot to spend a day away from the tourist crowds. Playa de Monsul, Almeria Anetlanda/Getty Images Explore more of the mainlands beaches with a visit to Playa de Monsul, located in Cabo de Gata Natural Park. The beach is well-known thanks to its appearances in TV and films like "Indiana Jones." Plus, its unique lava-formed rocks make for gorgeous photos and it's easily accessible by car or public transport. Lumebo Cove, Galicia Ramonespelt/Getty Images Lumebo Cove is perhaps one of the more special beaches on this list as you must time your visit perfectly to see it. Thats because the cove is only accessible during low tide. But its soft sand and serene landscape make it worth the wait. (Its also worth noting this is a popular spot for nudists, so make sure youre comfortable with that.) Story continues Playa del Ingles, Canary Islands Nicole Serafim/Eye Em/Getty Images Head to the islands for one more fantasy beach day at Playa del Ingles. This beach is popular, but its also large, at nearly two miles long, making it entirely possible to find a section all to yourself, even in the high season. There are plenty of amenities here, including bathrooms and changing rooms, as well as fun activities such as beach volleyball. Playa de Pechon, Cantabria Estanis Banuelos/Getty Images Make your way to northern Spain to Playa de Pechon. This beach comes with turquoise waters set off by lush greenery all around. Though the beach itself is highly accessible, and a place where you can easily spend an entire day, a visit to its cliffside for what appears to be a never-ending view of the jagged shoreline is well worth it. Puerto Banus, Marbella MEDITERRANEAN/Getty Images Get a taste of the luxe life with a visit to Puerto Banus, a high-end marina in Marbella. Here, visitors can not only check out some impressive yachts, but they can also lounge at the nearby beach, home to delicious restaurants, golden umbrellas, and soft, warm sand. Cala sa Boadella, Lloret de Mar Education Images/Contributor/Getty Images Make your way slightly north of Barcelona to Cala sa Boadella, an unspoiled paradise that's another favorite for nudists, though the fully clothed are welcome, too. This beach is not accessible by car, so you must be willing and able to walk a bit to reach it. Those who make the journey will be rewarded with fewer crowds and clear waters. Llafranc, Costa Brava John Harper/Getty Images Llafranc isnt just one beach, but rather an entire small town in Costa Brava. That said, the community is located along the shore, and its most famous asset is indeed its beaches. Known for its family-friendly atmosphere and calm waters, its the ideal place to visit with little ones. There are also plenty of local restaurants next to the beach and a lengthy promenade for a seaside stroll. Portinatx, Ibiza Atlantide Phototravel/Getty Images No list of beaches in Spain would be complete without mention of the beautiful sandy stretches on the island of Ibiza. And Portinatx happens to be one of the best. The golden sand and gin-clear waters make it a prime place to spend a day. There are also lots of amenities here, including loungers and umbrellas available for rent, which youll want on those super-sunny island days. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Our hearts cannot handle this story. World Bird Sanctuary While weve been focused on M-15 and his mission to raise his eaglets alone following the death of his mate, more than a thousand miles away, another male bald eagle has been vying for the title of Super Dad. A 31-year-old bald eagle named Murphy first captured the hearts of the nation last month, when the disabled bird went viral for sitting on a rock he thought was an egg. Murphy, who cannot fly due to a permanent wing injury, resides at World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri. In early March, keepers there noticed he had built an extremely simple nest on the ground and was very carefully and attentively incubating a single egg. We wish Murphy all the luck in the world, but were not telling him the reality of the situation, the sanctuary wrote on Facebook. We have yet to see a rock hatch. The post quickly went viral, garnering national news coverage and a wave of concern for Murphy and his rock baby. World Bird Sanctuary assured his fans that there was no need to worry. Although it might make you feel sad that Murphy has built a nest and is nurturing a rock as an egg, its just his hormonal response to spring, the non-profit wrote in a follow-up post. Murphy is not sad, so you dont need to be. Male bald eagles take an equal part in raising young, so this is very natural behavior for a male. Keepers were sure that Murphy would grow bored of the rock and eventually move on, but the opposite happened. Despite the odds, he remained fiercely committed to it, and by the first week of April, things had reached a boiling point in his shared enclosure. Murphys exuberant protection of his egg was stressing the other bald eagle occupants, and sanctuary staff was forced to move him into his own private enclosure. At 31 one years old, Murphy, it seemed, was determined to become a first-time dad. Fortunately, keepers had just the thing. On April 1, the sanctuary received its first bald eagle nestling in more than eight years. Bald Eagle 23-126, who arrived with a fractured wing after its nest tree was blown down in a storm, was in desperate need of a foster parent. Story continues On April 6, after some initial hesitation due to Murphys lack of parenting experience, the news everyone had been waiting for arrived. Murphy will be given a chance this week to bond with the eaglet we received last week, the sanctuary announced on Facebook. Step one will be placing the chick in Murphys enclosure during the day (with a warmer) within the small cage, so we can see how Murphy reacts to the chick without having full accessjust in case the reaction is negative. Keep your talons crossed, the post concluded. This week, after safely allowing them to get acclimated to each other, 23-126 was released from his protective cage, and Murphy had a chance to start the bonding process. Staff watched through a peephole as Murphy examined the eaglet from afar. An hour later, he approached. The next morning, keepers were thrilled to discover that he had successfully fed the baby. ITS HAPPENING!!!! they exclaimed in a Facebook update. From this point on, we will be as hands off as possible to allow maximum bonding between Murphy and 23-126 and as natural of an upbringing as can be managed in a rehabilitation setting, the post explained. This means that our updates on Murphy and 23-126 will be less frequent as we dont want to disturb them with constant checks and observation. Go, Murphy go! What an incredible year its been for bald eagle dads! For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Southern Living. Here's what you need to know about visiting Bergen, Norway. Ryhor Bruyeu/Getty Images Most towns have one or two main attractions a beautiful mountain setting, interesting architecture, or a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And then there are places like Bergen, Norway, which seem to have more than their fair share of natural beauty and charm. The town is situated on the southwestern coast of Norway between two of the countrys biggest fjords, the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord. Its surrounded by seven mountains, two of which are accessible by cable car, and entire neighborhoods cling to the steep hillsides. Down near the water is Bryggen, a picturesque wharf lined with colorful wooden buildings that youve likely seen on Instagram. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is not far from where the scenic Bergen Railway sets out from the city. Meanwhile, foodies can check out the lively fish market, which has been serving up fresh-caught seafood since 1276 and remains one of Norways most-visited outdoor markets. In short, theres a lot to do. To help guide your travels to Bergen, weve outlined some of the best things to do, as well as offered our recommendations on where to stay, what to eat, and when to visit. Susan Walker/Getty Images Best Things to Do in Bergen, Norway If youve made the journey to Bergen, chances are youre here to see the fjords. The city lives up to its nickname the heart of the fjords by acting as a basecamp for some of the countrys most iconic fjord excursions. The legendary Norway in a Nutshell tour is a full-day, 11-hour tour that includes a fjord cruise, a journey on the famous Flam and Bergen Railways, and a visit to the Kjosfossen waterfall. There are also several fjord-specific tours based out of Bergen. If youre not the tour type, make sure to plan a trip on the Bergen Railway, the highest-altitude railway in Northern Europe, and the Flam Railway, which is one of the steepest normal gauge railways in the world. Both journeys offer panoramic views of Norways wild mountain ranges. Story continues gerenme/Getty Images If you enjoy hiking, you can conquer one (or two) of the seven surrounding summits quite easily. The most accessible summit, Mount Flyen, is just around an hour's hike from town, while the highest of the seven mountains, Mount Ulriken, takes a similar amount of time, but is noticeably steeper. The most popular route for hiking Ulriken is to walk the 1,333 Sherpa Steps to the top. Both peaks can also be reached by cable car so you can hike up and ride down. To get a sense of Bergens history, swing by the Old Bergen Museum, a reconstructed town of around 50 historic houses. The open-air museum shows what Bergen, which was Europes biggest wooden city in the 1800s, looked like in the past. Susan Walker/Getty Images What to Eat and Drink Bergen is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, so most people arrive with sky-high expectations and leave with happy bellies full of fish. With seafood at the core of Bergen cuisine, youll find menus packed with dishes like fish soup, fish cakes, and persetorsk, a dish made of cod cured with sugar and salt thats native to the city of Bergen. For a good array of seafood restaurants, swing by the historic fish market near Bryggen. In addition to stands of fresh-caught seafood and local fruits and veggies, youll find some of the citys best restaurants, including Fjellskal Seafood Restaurant, which has been recognized for its outstanding seafood. If youre interested in a totally unique dining experience, check out Cornelius Sjmatrestaurant, a raw seafood restaurant perched on its own island off the coast of Bergen. To get there, you have to hop aboard a boat at the historic Bryggen Wharf for a 25-minute, view-filled journey. JamesBrey/Getty Images Where to Stay in Bergen, Norway Not far from the historic Bryggen Wharf is Opus XVI, a modern boutique hotel with just 65 uniquely designed and decorated rooms. Theres an on-site French-inspired brasserie and daily afternoon tea. Nearby is the Bergen Brs Hotel, a larger, 127-room property with modern Scandinavian touches. Their suites are over the top, especially the harbor-view suite with big windows overlooking the water and a spacious living room area. When to Visit Bergen, Norway Thanks to warm waters from the Gulf Stream, the fjords surrounding Bergen are open year-round. That said, most people tend to visit Bergen in the summer, between May and September, when the days are long and the weather warms. In general, May and July are thought to be the best months to visit, with the former showcasing cherry blossom blooms and the latter boasting warm weather. No matter when you visit, youll want to pack a raincoat Bergen gets around 200 days of rain a year. Peter Adams/Getty Images How to Get There As quaint as it is, Bergen is Norways second-largest city, so getting there is easier than youd think. Most travelers fly into Bergen Airport (BGO), an airport thats just large enough to have a decent selection of direct flights. Other travelers fly into Oslo or Flam and take the train. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Even Kate Middleton, Jennifer Garner, and Reese Withespoon have all been spotted wearing the brand. Travel + Leisure / Reese Herrington Any upcoming travel plans call for a new pair of sneakers to wear through the airport and onto the city streets of your destination, and there are few brands that excel in versatility quite like Veja. The ever-popular French sneaker brand is undeniably well-loved by celebs like Kate Middleton, Reese Witherspoon, and even Jennifer Garner, but its not often that these stylish shoes are on sale until now. These timeless (and ethically produced!) sneakers are an effortless choice when youre looking for a pair that you can wear from the moment you embark on your vacation, through your sightseeing excursions, and all the way until you arrive home. Just in time for spring cleaning, right now Veja sneakers are majorly discounted at the boutique retailer Gilt and ready to replace your beat-up shoes for an elevated twist on the white sneaker and so many other styles. With this secret sale on hundreds of fresh styles and colors, you simply have to make a free account at Gilt to shop the exclusive deals on these celeb-adored shoes ahead of your next vacation. So, whether youre walking the streets of Italy or taking an active trip to Disney, youll be outfitted with the best shoes for the job at a price you cant beat. Gilts Best Deals on Veja Sneakers Story continues Veja SDU Sneaker Gilt Vintage-inspired sneakers are incredibly popular this season, so finding a pair thats also comfortable for walking is an added bonus. The lightly padded insole keeps you comfortable on your feet all day, while a grippy rubber sole provides the traction you need to feel secure on a wide range of surfaces. Complete with a lace-up closure and the classic Veja logo, these shoes are about to become the most-worn sneaker in your wardrobe and theyre currently 35 percent off. To buy: gilt.com, $100 (originally $155) Veja Nova Canvas High-Top Sneaker Gilt If youre drawn to the traditional high-top sneaker look, this canvas pair is sure to be a hit. A ridged, rubber sole gives you the grip you need to comfortably sightsee, and the unique denim-like appearance of the canvas promises to add essential flair to any outfit you pack for your vacation. A loop at the back of the heel makes these shoes easy to pull on, and a smooth insole is both comfortable and supportive for all-day wear. To buy: gilt.com, $100 (originally $120) Veja Urca CWL Sneaker Gilt Channeling a more monochrome style is this sleek faux leather sneaker, complete with all-black laces as well as the Veja logo. This classic skater sneaker also contains a lightly padded insole for all day comfort, and a flat, grippy sole adds an undeniably cool flare to these basic sneakers. Did we mention theyre 45 percent off right now? To buy: gilt.com, $100 (originally $185) Veja Nova Canvas Sneaker Gilt Spring calls for glowing neutrals like taupe and cream, and these canvas Vejas deliver with ease. Theyre made with a breathable cotton textile affixed with the V logo on the side of the shoe, and feature a smooth insole, a grippy rubber sole, and a lace-up closure thats makes them excellent for touring a new city while effortlessly tying together your spring and summer wardrobe. To buy: gilt.com, $100 (originally $105) Veja V-10 Suede and Leather Sneaker Gilt These bold pastel sneakers are sure to be the highlight of any outfit you throw together during your travels and are made with comfortable, moderately padded footbeds and lace-up closures that keep you feeling light and secure in your shoes. The shoe is made with a combination of suede and leather adding a unique flare to this skater-style sneaker, and the multicolor design matches with a range of travel outfits that you might have planned. To buy: gilt.com, $166 (originally $195) Veja Rio Branco Alveomesh Sneaker Gilt Adding a darker flare to any outfit is this blue and green mesh sneaker from Veja thats currently on sale for 18 percent off. These sneakers lean into a more vintage, 90s style look, making them the perfect accent to a cargo pant (as seen by Oprah on her latest vacation to Jordan). With a smooth insole and an effortlessly cool design, these shoes are bound to get you compliments wherever you go. To buy: gilt.com, $130 (originally $160) Veja Venturi Alveomesh Sneaker Gilt This sporty sneaker is both supportive and undeniably cool, with an arched sole, smooth insole, and a pull-on loop at the back of the shoe that makes them easy to slip on and go. The sneaker is made with a balance of taupe and brown shades that will match most items in your suitcase and are well-equipped for walking tours, evening strolls, and long days of travel. The best part? Theyre 21 percent off right now. To buy: gilt.com, $160 (originally $205) Veja V-15 Leather Sneaker Gilt The high-top design of these sneakers is an ode to the early 2000s skater shoe and is a comfortable and stylish snag for 14 percent off right now. The cream and white coloring of these sneakers make them a versatile choice for vacation wear, and a lightly padded insole keeps your feet feeling refreshed and supported throughout the day. To buy: gilt.com, $180 (originally $210) Veja Campo Suede Sneaker Gilt A low top will never truly go out of style, and this navy suede pair is a must-have for spring and summer adventures when youre looking for a slightly more elevated sneaker to add to your look for a pop of color. Even the flat sole provides impressive traction on whatever terrain your vacation may throw your way, and their low-maintenance design will make anything you wear look cooler even if that outfit is just sweats at the airport. To buy: gilt.com, $150 (originally $175) Veja Minotaur Leather Sneaker Gilt You can also rock the navy suede sneaker in a high-top style thats on sale for 17 percent off and provides ample cushioning around the ankle that will help to avoid blistering while keeping your feet supported during busy travel days. This sporty style is a more relaxed alternative to a low-top sneaker but will be easy to pack and wear throughout the duration of your trip with little need for other shoes. To buy: gilt.com, $170 (originally $205) Shop More Veja Deals at Gilt Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and well send you our favorite travel products each week. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty With a burst of concentration, University of Alabama computer science major Jacob Boykin sent his small quadcopter drone speeding ahead of an identical drone operated by UA computer-science PhD student Roya Salehzadeh. It was a drone race along a 16-foot track, and after weeks of heats initially involving 20 competitors, Boykin was crowned the Brain-Drone Race 2023 champion. Drone racing has existed for years and can trace its beginnings back to 2011 when a group of amateur drone hobbyists in Germany held the first official race. Today, there are leagues all over the world organizing competitions with prizes of $50,000 or more. Russian and Ukrainian troops have even turned speedy racing drones into crude cruise missiles by strapping explosives to them and sending them flying towards each other. What was special about the April 1 race in Alabama, though, was that the contestants werent steering their drones the usual way with handheld controllers. Instead, they operated the drones with their thoughts. They werent racing for a cash prize or even bragging rights either. Well, not completely. The April race, organized by UA computer scientist Chris Crawford, was an experiment to help advance an important new technologybrain-computer interfaces (BCIs)while also introducing a new generation of budding scientists to the bleeding edges of computer science and neuroscience. University of Alabama The key is what the eight racers were wearing: electroencephalography (EEG) headsets, which detect electrical activity in the brain. Doctors typically use them to diagnose epilepsy and sleep disorders. However, if you connect it to a radio transmitter and add the right software, an EEG headset can also double as a BCIor a brain modem. These signals have the potential to revolutionize everyday life by enhancing our ability to interact with technology in a more natural and intuitive way, Salehzadeh told The Daily Beast. Brain modems arent exactly new. Scientists have been tinkering with them since the 1970s. Among other niche uses, they can connect amputees to their smart prostheses and give mute people computerized speech. Story continues But despite a lot of hype from the tech sector (Elon Musk launched BCI startup Neuralink in 2016, and Facebook funded some BCI development between 2017 and 2021) brain modems still havent gone mainstreamand for good reason. The best brain modems have to be surgically implanted inside the users skull. The holy grail of the BCI field is a modem you can wear like a hat and still get a good read of your own thoughts. Thats the kind of tech the racers were testing at UA last week. The brain-drone race event is our way of taking BCI research outside of a controlled lab environment, Crawford told The Daily Beast. It provides a way for us to learn which components are robust. The race highlighted some big recent advancements in brain modems, but also underscored the huge obstacles the tech still faces on its way to everyday use as a way of interfacing with your car, smart home, computer or smartphoneor even silently communicating with another user, mind to mind. The April race wasnt actually Crawfords first brain-drone contest. In 2019, he teamed up with University of Florida computer scientist Marvin Andujar for a joint Florida-Alabama race. Before that, Andujar had been running his own local races for three years. For four years, COVID interrupted what could have been an annual brain-drone race. But the long break also gave Crawford an opportunity to upgrade the tech. This year the team investigated the use of new hardware and software, Crawford said. Brain-Drone racers wear electroencephalography (EEG) headsets, which detect electrical activity in the brain and sends it to the drone. University of Alabama All the brain-drone races have involved wearable EEGs rather than the more-sensitive implanted modems. After all, what college kid wants to have a hole drilled in their head? But the races before this years involved a less sophisticated wearable system: A passive interface thats just sensitive enough to gauge the overall level of neural activity under the skull. In other words, it cant tell what youre thinking. It can only tell how hard youre thinking. That intensity-only, passive EEG afforded racers just one degree of freedom, or type of command. This means that, a user can relay just a single general direction to a drone or other device. You can think of a degree of freedom as a dimension of independent control, like moving a joystick in one axis, Graeme Moffat, a scientist in the neurotechnology industry, told The Daily Beast. Forward/backward is one degree of freedom. Left/right is one degree of freedom. In the case of the pre-2023 brain-drone competitors, the command was go faster or go slower. Think hard and generate lots of brain waves, and the drone takes that to mean speed up. Think less hard, generate fewer brain waves, and the drone slows down. All that is to say, in the previous brain-drone races, the drones could only travel forward at varying speeds. Besides being a fun competition, the Brain-Drone Race are helping develop new approaches to BCI technology like new signal-processing and better machine-learning algorithms. University of Alabama For the 2023 race, Crawford fitted his racers with active interfaces that are sensitive enough to translate specific neural impulses into more degrees of freedom. The contestants could control their drones speed and direction. That made the contest a lot more interestingand transformed the race into a combination of art and science. I found that the key to success was to remain relaxed and consistent in my imagination of hand movements, Salehzadeh told The Daily Beast. Once I learned to control my thoughts and visualize the movements clearly, I was able to use the EEG signals to control the drone with greater accuracy. However, it's still not perfect. More degrees of freedom are needed to "reliably control a robot in a useful way, Moffat explained. Moreover, for brain modems to become true consumer tech, theyll need potentially hundreds of them. Luckily, every experiment or trialor yes, drone racethat helps add degrees of freedom gets us slightly closer to an everyday brain modem. The data that investigators can obtain are brain data and qualitative feedback from the competitors, Anjudar told The Daily Beast. But Crawfords race has a parallel objective. The contestants experiences could inform effort to improve the control links between EEG headsets and drones, or write new algorithms for translating neural impulses into commands "But it's by and large a learning environment for students just starting out in BCI, Moffat said. After some recent setbacks, including Facebook cutting off BCI funding and regulators rejecting Neuralinks request to start human trials, its becoming clear just how much work Crawford and Andujar and their fellow scientists still have to do to make the tech work for more people, and for different purposes. It might take years, or Decades even. So its possible one of the students commanding a drone with their mind at one of Crawford or Andujars races will be the one to finally make brain modems work for everyone. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Here's everything frequent fliers should know about the Oneworld Alliance, including member airlines, benefits, and more. Ingrid Barrentine/Alaska Airlines/Courtesy of oneworld Management Company In the late 1990s, airlines began to form partnerships to share resources for the benefit of both travelers and carriers. If youve traveled by air recently, you may have noticed signs, special check-in lines, or ads touting airline memberships in Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld. These alliances have successfully expanded opportunities for travelers by offering more flight options, simplifying the booking process, and probably most appealing making it possible to earn miles on all partner carriers. Heres what you need to know about the second airline partnership ever created Oneworld Alliance. Damon Coulter/Getty Images What to Know About the Oneworld Alliance The Oneworld Alliance was launched in 1999 by founding members American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. The alliance now includes 13 member airlines and Oneworld Connect partner Fiji Airways. (A Oneworld Connect partner is a non-alliance airline that shares certain services and benefits with the Oneworld Alliance.) Member airlines operate over 11,000 flights daily, serving more than 900 destinations. American Airlines, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is the largest member airline, accounting for about 6,700 of Oneworlds daily flights. This range of destinations makes it more convenient for travelers to connect to cities worldwide, and with Oneworlds Round the World fares, multi-destination travel is easier than ever. There are three different kinds of these multi-city fares: the Oneworld Explorer, which focuses on continent-based travel; the Global Explorer, which focuses on distance-based travel; and the Circle Pacific, which can hit multiple continents that border the Pacific Ocean. Oneworld Member Airlines Members of Oneworld Alliance include: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, SriLankan Airlines, Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect member), and Oman Air (set to join the alliance in 2024). Story continues Courtesy of OneWorld Benefits for Oneworld Members Alliances like Oneworld make trip planning easier by providing details about flights on all of their partner airlines in one convenient search. This gives travelers a broad selection of different flight options so they can select the fare, class of service, departure times, connections, and airports best for them. For example, a traveler looking to fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo will find several flight options on multiple airlines. American Airlines has two nonstop flights from LAX to Haneda International Airport, while Japan Airlines has one nonstop flight to Haneda International Airport and one to Narita International Airport. Several connecting flights are also available, including one departing from Ontario International Airport, located 40 miles east of Los Angeles, which is more convenient for many travelers. Travelers can join one of the member airlines frequent flier programs to accrue points on flights with any Oneworld member and redeem those points for an award ticket on member airlines (subject to availability). DANIEL SLIM/Getty Images Travelers can reach elite status through their loyalty program of choice and enjoy benefits based on the three Oneworld tiers: Ruby (entry-level), Sapphire (mid-level), and Emerald (top-level status). These Oneworld tiers correspond to the individual member airlines' status levels. For example, when you reach gold status in American Airlines AAdvantage, you also receive the perks that come with the Oneworld Ruby tier. Benefits increase with each level. Ruby privileges include priority boarding, priority standby, and access to preferred seating. Sapphire-level travelers have access to first and business-class lounges, first-class priority check-in, extra baggage allowance, and other benefits. Access to up to 620 airport lounges around the world varies by tier level. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. A killer dubbed the 'Facebook Rapist' who escaped prison by faking his own fiery death with help from guards was brought back to South Africa Thursday after going on the run with his girlfriend. Convicted sex offender and murderer Thabo Bester, on the lam since last spring, was arrested in Tanzania last weekend, local officials said. He was at large for a year after it was thought he died by setting himself on fire in his prison cell. A manhunt for Bester, one of the country's most-wanted fugitives, was launched last month after a new post-mortem investigation revealed the body was not actually his, BBC reported. State broadcaster SABC showed video of Bester being driven from Johannesburg's Lanseria Airport in a police vehicle with bars across the windows. Heavily-armed police put the girlfriend, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, into a separate white van at the airport. She is expected to be charged with murder as part of the elaborate jailbreak plot from Mangaung Correctional Centre in Free State province. Nandipha Magudumana in the dock at the Magistrates Court in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Thursday, April 13, 2023. Magudumana is the girlfriend of Thabo Bester, a man serving a life sentence for murder and rape and who escaped from a top-security prison with help from guards by faking his own burning death, was bought back to South Africa early Thursday after going on the run with Magudumana. A body, a blaze and a breakout During the escape, officials said, someone moved a body into the prison where Bester was housed to help him stage his own death in the May 3, 2022 fire. Magudumana's father as well as a prison guard had already been charged with homicide in connection to the case after the body of a man was found burned beyond recognition in the cell. The victim, police said, died of blunt force trauma to the head before the fire. As of Friday, the victim had not been identified by authorities Local police and officials from South Africa's Ministry of Justice could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY Friday, but confirmed online the fugitives' deportations and said more arrests were expected. "Bester has been readmitted into the Kgosi Mampuru Central Maximum correctional facility and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana is under arrest, pending her first court appearance," the ministry wrote. "We are grateful to all the role players seized with this matter thus far, this includes state agencies and members of the public who have shared information that has assisted in the detention of the two fugitives, following an extensive man hunt." Story continues 'Facebook rapist' Dubbed the 'Facebook rapist', Bester was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. According to police, Bester used the social media site to lure his victims to meetings. He was found guilty of murder for stabbing his girlfriend, a model, to death in 2011 and raping two other female models. After his escape, Bester was formally declared dead by suicide. But details were only made public and pieced together in the past three weeks. Prison security failures This week, local lawmakers held an hours-long parliamentary hearing regarding security failures in the breakout. They questioned senior officials from the prison and British private security company G4S which runs the facility. So far at least three prison employees have been fired due to suspicion they helped Bester escape amid the confusion of the predawn blaze. Thabo Bester is seen on a TV camera screen in the Western Cape High Court, in Cape Town, South Africa Thursday, May 3, 2012, where he appeared in connection with murder. The 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 April 9, 2023, to begin to extradite Thabo Bester. The prison and its security company conceded under questioning that a TV cabinet big enough to possibly hide a dead body was brought into the prison in an unauthorized vehicle hours before Bester broke out, around 4 a.m. the following day. Officials said the cabinet and the vehicle were not searched. They also said top prison officials gave Bester permission to be transferred to a single-occupant cell three days before his escape. The cell was situated next to a fire exit hes believed to have used to flee. Contributing: Gerald Imray and Mogomotsi Magome with The Associated Press. Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thabo Bester who faked death to escape prison returned to South Africa For D. Marque Hall, not being able to drive was unthinkable. His license was his livelihood: As a longshoreman, he drove crates onto freight ships in the harbor. It afforded him convenience: He could make check-ins with his parole officer without spending all day on public transit. It was also his pride. When he was younger, Hall saw his car an all-black, 1999 Cadillac Eldorado as a symbol of his value as a person. But because of unpaid criminal fees, Hall couldn't legally have a license in Delaware. And if he continued to drive while his license was suspended, he could face even more fines. It left him with an impossible choice: drive anyways and make a living, or lose his income. City Council candidate D. Marque Hall raises his fist as he rides alongside a group of around 50 Black Lives Matter protesters in Wilmington on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. RELATED: Delaware's probation system is making reentry harder, activists say. Here's their fix Hall is not the only person to have been left at a disadvantage after not being able to pay fines off immediately. Thousands of other Delawareans have found themselves trapped in a loop of racking up more fines while losing the tools to pay them off, said Meryem Dede, co-coordinator of the Campaign to End Debtors Prison. It has perpetuated the same cycle of poverty that got many people involved in the criminal justice system in the first place. A law that went into effect last week sought to change that. How does the law work? House Bill 244, introduced by House Judiciary Chair Rep. Sean Lynn in June 2021 and signed into law in October 2022, reformed multiple laws related to criminal justice fines and fees. Among them were the removal of public defender fees for defendants; the prohibition of imposing criminal fees on children unable to work; and, most importantly to activists, the reversal of the rule suspending drivers licenses for everyone with outstanding fees. It was really just putting burden upon burden on people, Dede said. CRIMINAL JUSTICE: He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Nearly a year later, he died by suicide in prison House Judiciary Chair Rep. Sean Lynn Dede has worked with people who havent had a drivers license for decades because of unpaid criminal fees. Others oscillated between having their license and having it suspended depending on whether they could pay off their fees during a certain month. Story continues Unless the crime involved a vehicle, Dede said, theres no reason for the criminal justice system to have any impact on ones drivers license. Most states dont operate under that thinking though. Delaware is now one of only 19 states to not suspend drivers licenses for unpaid criminal fees. Washington, D.C., also does not suspend licenses for unpaid fees, and some states allow people to continue driving legally if the unpaid fees are for traffic violations only. Of neighboring states, New Jersey and Pennsylvania suspend licenses for any overdue fees, and Maryland suspends licenses for unpaid criminal fees. MORE: How a Delaware farm aims to help parenting, pregnant women recover from addiction Assistant public defenders work with people during an expungement clinic and job fair at the Route 9 Library and Innovation Center Thursday, April 28, 2022. The fight to eliminate penalties for unpaid fees A suspended driver's license is not the only consequence for unpaid criminal fees or the only burden placed on people involved with the criminal justice system even after they've served their time. Similar to how drivers licenses were until recently, Delaware residents cannot get their criminal records expunged if they have not paid all of their fines and fees. It means that, even if someone has gone years without committing a crime and is otherwise eligible to have their record cleared, unpaid fees will always stand in the way. It creates the same cycle of poverty, Dede said. It also has the same impact of holding people back from getting jobs or housing. ACLU of Delaware's adult expungement guide EXPUNGEMENT: Those minor violations could be hurting you. How expungements can make a difference Efforts to reform these barriers Delaware lawmakers have already taken steps to address this. A clean slate law signed in late 2021 will automatically clear the criminal records of Delawareans who meet certain requirements, removing a barrier from expungement. However, the law will not actually go into effect until 2024. We have to continue to work to make sure we have a policy that takes effect and takes effect quickly, Hall said. How can you get your license back? Anyone who has had their license suspended due to unpaid criminal fees and is otherwise eligible to drive can contact the Division of Motor Vehicles to have it reinstated for free. Some people may need to retake a driver's test or pay a fee if their license has been suspended long enough. Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware driver's license suspension ended for unpaid criminal fees A woman was found dead in an apartment building after a group of children spotted the body, Alabama police said. A group of children, whose ages were not disclosed, discovered the body at about 2:30 p.m. April 12, Birmingham Police Department Officer Truman Fitzgerald told McClatchy News in a statement. After the kids found the body, a caller notified officers. The womans body was found at the North Birmingham Homes public housing community in the Vice Hills area, according to AL.com. The apartment was vacant, according to the outlet. The body was identified as a woman, but her age and race are still undetermined, Fitzgerald told McClatchy News. The body will be sent to Jefferson County Medical Examiners Office and a cause of death will be determined, Fitzgerald said. Once the cause of death is determined, detectives will rule the womans death a homicide, unclassified death or natural death. The investigation is ongoing, Fitzgerald said. The children who discovered the body have been offered counseling services from the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District, AL.com reported. Paraglider in his 60s dies in crash along Floridas Gulf coast, police say Driver says he threw $200,000 cash out car window to bless others, Oregon cops say Walgreens worker shoots pregnant woman he thought was shoplifting, Tennessee cops say 28-year-old killed after he was shoved onto train tracks and electrocuted, MD cops say Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets apprentices and staff during a visit to the Caterpillar factory - Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Rishi Sunak is poised to scrap Boris Johnson's flagship business council amid growing concerns from senior executives that Downing Street is turning its back on the private sector. The council made up of a string of blue chip leaders and intended to provide frank feedback on policy decisions last met in February and has become increasingly irrelevant, sources said. The looming decision to abolish it has fuelled fears that the Prime Minister and Chancellor are ignoring businesses' concerns over rising taxes and red tape. In an attempt to reset relations, Mr Sunak has hired a former investment banker to be his new business czar and will host a select gathering of bosses at an event called the Business Connect conference next week. However, executives are concerned that the Prime Minister is only interested in tech companies as Downing Street attempts to build a British version of Silicon Valley. A source said: There is a general sense that there is a lack of business engagement. If you are a tech unicorn, you can get as much access as you want. Meanwhile, slower growth parts of the real economy such as retail have been put on the Cinderella heap, they added. Industry figures are understood to be frustrated at Mr Sunaks decision to abandon the open door approach adopted during the Covid crisis, when leaders had relatively easy access to then-prime minister Boris Johnson. Boris Johnson hosting the Prime Ministers Business Council - Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street Downing Street is now reverting to the more hierarchical pre-pandemic system where companies were forced to engage with government departments rather than directly with No 10, they said. It follows widespread unhappiness about the Government's decision to increase corporation tax from 19pc to 25pc in the teeth of an economic downturn. Downing Street sources last night explained that the Business Connect conference, further details of which are being closely guarded, was not a replacement for Mr Johnsons business council. It is thought that only 20 to 30 executives have been invited. Story continues They insisted that it would be wrong to say that Rishi had shut the door to business leaders, adding: His big priority is growing the economy and business engagement is at the heart of it. Initially called the Build Back Better Business Council when it was launched in January 2021, Mr Johnson's business council was hailed as a way of leveraging business leaders knowledge and experience to better manage the economy. Meeting quarterly, Mr Johnson said it would provide an important forum for frank feedback with membership changed every 12 months. The councils first iteration included Bernard Looney, BP chief executive; Dame Sharon White, chairman of John Lewis; Philip Jansen, chief executive of BT; and Sean Doyle, chief executive of British Airways. They were replaced by Whitbread chief executive Alison Britain; Amanda Blanc, the head of Aviva; and Charlie Nunn, chief executive of Lloyds bank. Announcing the new cohort in February 2022, Mr Johnson said: Harnessing the extraordinary powers of our new Business Council, together we will knuckle down on creating new high skilled, high wage jobs, driving innovation in science and tech, and mobilising investment to deliver the green industrial revolution all while levelling up and securing the UK as the best place to do business. The perceived importance of the council diminished following Mr Johnsons decision to step down as Prime Minister. Its third meeting last autumn under Liz Truss was delayed and did not materialise. The final meeting was in February, according to two members of the committee. Last week it emerged that French former Morgan Stanley executive Franck Petitgas had been appointed as Mr Sunaks new business and investment adviser. He is expected to take a different approach to Mr Johnsons business adviser, the political lobbyist Alex Hickman, who was well-regarded owing to his willingness to facilitate meetings with the Prime Minister, sources said. The engagement between business leaders and the Government has been further complicated by the recent scandal engulfing the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), dubbed Britains biggest business lobby group. Until recently, the CBI has led much direct engagement with senior figures within Downing Street. But the Government is pausing engagement by ministers and senior officials with the CBI until investigations into alleged sexual misconduct are concluded cutting off one of the few key lines albeit indirect into No 10 left to top executives. A spokesman for No 10 said: One of the Prime Ministers five priorities is to grow the economy and the Business Connect conference later this month is just one of a number of ways the Government is engaging with key businesses and entrepreneurs across the UK to deliver on that ambition. Its time for spring in London. The city is bustling, with art from Ai Weiwei to stage plays such as Hanya Yanagiharas A Little Life and Jon Bradfields Animal, as well as all the newest restaurants to dine at, such as Kapara. What to watch A Little Life A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Hanya Yanagiharas devastating novel A Little Life comes to life at the Harold Pinter Theatre with James Norton, Luke Thompson, Omari Douglas and Zach Wyatt as four best friends living in New York as they journey through the past of Jude St. Francis (played by Norton). Its the most emotionally charged stage play since The Normal Heart at the National Theatre. More from WWD Nederlands Dans Theater NDT 1 Nederlands Dans Theater NDT 1 at Sadlers Wells. The Nederlands Dans Theater is in London at Sadlers Wells for a three-part production that plays with the themes of extinction, beauty, space and time. In Figures in Extinction [1.0] choreographer Crystal Pite and director Simon McBurney dissect the killing of nature and language. Renowned Czech dancer Jiri Kylian stages his 100th choreography, Gods and Dogs, based on the idea of unfinished beauty. Slapstick meets acrobatics and modern dance in Gabriela Carrizos La Ruta, which creates an abstract world from motorway to village to forest path. Animal Jon Bradfields Animal at Park Theatre. Jon Bradfields Animal at Park Theatre follows David, a gay disabled character on the quest for love and sex while in round-the-clock care, starring Christopher John-Slater, Amy Loughton, Matt Ayleigh, Harry Singh, Joshua Liburd and William Oxborrow. What to see Ai Weiwei: Making Sense Ai Weiwei: Making Sense at the Design Museum Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is playing the role of maker and curator at the Design Museum for his first major exhibition on design. The artist has already unveiled a Lego artwork reimagining Claude Monets Water Lilies #1 by using 650,000 studs of Lego bricks in 22 colors. The showcase will examine historical Chinese artifacts, as well as demolition and urban development in China. Story continues Andy Warhol: The Textiles Andy Warhols design of ice cream sundaes, toffee apples, colorful buttons, cut lemons, pretzels and jumping clowns are being exhibited at the Fashion and Textile Museum, featuring his lesser known work of more than 45 patterns, from the 50s to 60s. Grenfell Steve McQueen, Grenfell, 2019 Sir Steve McQueen has produced a 24-minute film on the horrors of the event of June 14, 2017, when Grenfell Tower burned down. Its a silent film that doesnt address anything yet its emotionally harrowing. The film is being shown at the Serpentine. Where to eat Claridges ArtSpace Cafe Claridges ArtSpace Cafe Claridges has opened its doors to cafe culture with an informal dining area where visitors can enjoy roasted brie and wild mushroom on toast, croissant sandwiches, coconut chia pudding, homemade granola and baked eggs with ratatouille. British architect John Pawson designed the space, which has a patisserie counter and marble communal tables. Kapara Kapara from chef Eran Tibi. A taste of Tel Aviv, Israel, has come to Soho via chef Eran Tibi, who has a Tunisian-born father and a Syrian Israeli mother. Tibi has translated this heritage into the menu, which includes dishes including slow-cooked lamb belly, cheesy borekitas, hummus with aubergine and amba spice and shawarma chicken. Brat Chef Tomos Parrys restaurant Brat sits at number 78 in the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants with two locations in London, one on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch and the other on Climpsons Arch in Hackney. Parry is all about British produce with a back to basics approach to the food he serves, including velvet crab soup, roast duck rice, grilled bread, olive oil ice cream and fig leaf. Studio Frantzen Studio Frantzen at Harrods Swedish chef Bjorn Frantzen has set up a kitchen inside Harrods that goes onto the terrace with more than 150 seats. The menu features everything from oysters and caviar to crudites to grilled porterhouse steak with pine-scented bone marrow and oxtail ponzu. The Twenty Two Its all happening at The Twenty Two, which is a hotel, private members club and restaurant visited by the likes of Rihanna, Kate Moss and Stormzy. The kitchen is headed by executive chef Alan Christie, formerly of Clos Maggiore and Arbutus. Christies menu includes spiced cauliflower with green tahini, truffle roast chicken, octopus and pasta al limone. Where to treat yourself Sunday Riley at Liberty London Since founding her beauty company in 2009, Sunday Riley has taken her brand global, from Houston to London. The brands facial menu at Liberty starts from 30 pounds with consultations and facials such as the Ice Lift, CEO Glow, Ice Clear and Ice Repair at 145 pounds. Gays The Word The U.Ks oldest LGBTQ bookshop in Russell Square has been going since 1979 started by a group of gay socialists as a means to educate the people around them and to give minority voices a space. Healing Sessions Energy healer Emma Lucy Knowles is opening her studio to one-on-one sessions over three, one-hour sessions over the course of three weeks to teach healing techniques. The first session takes place at her studio while the following two can be done remotely or in person. Sessions can be booked on Emmalucyknowles.com. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. Just hours after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law bills expanding background checks for firearm purchases and safe storage requirements, the Michigan House approved a series of bills to enact a so-called "red flag" law that would empower courts in the state to temporarily take away guns from those deemed dangerous. The vote comes after Senate Democrats last month passed similar legislation. All Democratic-backed bills in the state House passed on party-line votes after lawmakers adopted amendments Thursday to address due process concerns raised by law enforcement and modify the process for applying and appealing extreme risk protection orders issued by courts under the proposed red flag law. The two chambers must agree on the final versions of the bills before they can go to Whitmer for her signature. "We are constantly reeling from one mass shooting to the next," said House Judiciary Committee chair Rep. Kelly Breen, D-Novi, during a Tuesday hearing on the bills. Between shootings that leave multiple people dead and entire communities left to grieve, firearm suicides occur so frequently that they account for the majority of gun deaths, Breen said. State Rep. Julie Brixie, D-Okemos, whose district includes East Lansing, where a shooting two months at Michigan State University left three dead and five injured, said she has heard repeated calls since the rampage to pass gun safety measures, including a red flag law. "We'll never know whether extreme risk protection orders would have prevented the MSU shooter, but we do know he was deeply troubled and there were warning signs," she said. More: Whitmer expands background checks, enacts safe storage with gun safety bills More: Michigan lawmakers want undocumented immigrants to be able to get driver's license, ID Changes worked out during bill negotiations ultimately gained support from law enforcement before the votes Thursday. Dan Pfannes, deputy director for the Michigan Sheriffs' Association, thanked lawmakers for the opportunity to provide input on the legislation. The Michigan Fraternal Order of Police also expressed support for the bills, according to Breen. Story continues One major change to the legislation would require that an individual petitioning a court for an extreme risk protection order show the order is necessary because someone is at risk of injuring themselves or someone else with the firearm specifically in the near future. Another change would give those under an extreme risk protection order opportunities to ask the court to rescind the order twice during the year the order is in effect. Some former law enforcement officers serving in the House raised objections to the bills. State Rep. Mike Harris, R-Waterford, said requiring law enforcement to execute extreme risk protection orders and confiscate guns from those deemed dangerous could put officers at risk by creating potentially volatile situations. Other Republican lawmakers called for enforcing the laws already on the books instead of creating new ones to address gun violence, particularly stemming from mental health issues. "When we make guns the scapegoat for society's mental health crisis, it deflects our attention from real solution," said state Rep. Jaime Greene, R-Richmond. House Democrats passed five bills Thursday as part of the red flag law package. House Bill 4145 and Senate Bill 83 would enable courts to issue extreme risk protection orders. The House version of the bill would limit petitions for an extreme risk protection order against an adult to be filed in the county where either the person requesting the order or the respondent resides or has a business. Meanwhile, the Senate version of the bill would allow petitions to be filed in any county in the state. House Bill 4146 would ban those under such orders from purchasing firearms. House Bill 4147 would prohibit courts from charging fees for actions brought under the red flag law. Finally, House Bill 4148 would update the state's code of criminal procedure to include violations of the proposed red flag law, including false statements in a request for an extreme risk protection order. Whitmer on Thursday morning called for lawmakers to send the extreme risk protection order legislation her way. If she has the chance to sign it, it will mark the culmination of her call to enact a trio of gun safety measures. Some Democrats hope action to curb violence won't end with the three proposals taken up so far. Clara Hendrickson fact-checks Michigan issues and politics as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support her work at bit.ly/freepRFA. Contact her at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan House Democrats pass red flag bills: What it means The author at the airport gate in London with her backpack. Sama Ansari Pour Earlier this month I traveled on a Ryanair flight from London to Riga, Latvia, for a five-day trip. I didn't want to pay extra for luggage so I decided to bring a backpack, which was more than enough. I pre-planned my outfits, wore my bulkiest item while traveling, and limited my toiletries. I recently flew with Ryanair from London to Riga, Latvia, an Eastern European country bordering Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, and Estonia. I traveled with Ryanair (L) to Latvia, where I only brought a backpack that I filled halfway (R). Sama Ansari Pour. Ryanair, a budget airline that flies to cities across Europe, charges passengers up to 60, or around $75, if they travel with a checked-in suitcase. Since I was only going to Latvia for five days, I thought it was unnecessary. So I settled on bringing just a backpack but barely filled half of it. I brought a few clothes, my phone charger, a battery pack, and limited toiletries. I brought two dresses, one pair of jeans, a skirt, and a sweater. The two dresses made separate outfits, and I made two more outfits by pairing the sweater with either a skirt or a pair of jeans. I folded one black dress, a skirt, and one gold dress into my backpack. I wore my jeans and sweater while traveling. Sama Ansari Pour. The weather app said the average temperature would be 59F during my visit in early April, so I focused on packing spring clothes which also took up less space in my bag. Since I packed my clothes strategically, I was able to combine them into several different looks during my trip. My four outfits. I wore jeans and a sweater when traveling back to London Sama Ansari Pour. I kept accessorizing simple by only bringing one pair of small gold hoop earrings, which would suit every outfit. I brought one pair of pajamas, but they barely took up any room. And since I stayed at a hotel, I didn't have to pack a towel which was helpful. I wore my bulkiest outfit on my travel day. My travel-day outfit. Sama Ansari Pour My big white sweater takes up a lot of space, so I wore it while I was traveling. It wasn't the comfiest experience as I was super warm, but I'm glad I did it to make room in my backpack nonetheless. I only brought one pair of shoes, which I wore the whole time. I'm also glad I didn't go in the summer, as packing an extra pair of sandals would've taken up more room. Story continues I kept toiletries and liquids to a minimum. I brought moisturizer, makeup remover, blush, concealer, deodorant, mascara, eyebrow products, eyeliner, highlighter, and contact lenses. Sama Ansari Pour I washed my hair the morning of my travel day to avoid taking shampoo on my trip. As a makeup lover, I found packing a little tough and had to make sacrifices. I opted for more powder products since liquids are limited with a carry-on, and had to leave my favorite setting spray at home as it was too big. I still brought a few liquid products, but chose older products that I wouldn't be upset about throwing away in case I overpacked and had to leave some behind. One mistake I made was relying on everything going exactly as planned and not packing for hypothetical scenarios. My bag just about fitted under the seat on my Ryanair flight. Sama Ansari Pour. If I had spilled coffee on my jeans or my skirt ripped, I would have had nothing else to wear. I'm lucky that the trip went well, but I would've been in a sticky situation if something like that happened. It was also a little inconvenient wearing my sweater for three days. Even though I recycled my outfits, I walked over 20,000 steps a day in warm weather so in hindsight, I wish I'd brought an extra top. Overall, I think I packed well for my five-day trip even though I traveled light, but next time I'll bring some extras. The author outside Riga Central Market in Latvia. Sama Ansari Pour. Pre-planning my outfits, wearing my bulkiest item while traveling, and limiting my toiletries meant I didn't even fill up my backpack. But in the future, I'll always make sure I bring a spare outfit, just in case. Read the original article on Insider The shocking arrest of Evan Gershkovich, an American reporter in Russia for The Wall Street Journal, marks the latest assault on freedom by Vladimir Putin. Gershkovich represents a highly respected, influential, surviving authentic-news organization and is a most unlikely foreign agent. Poignantly, his parents, Jewish Russians, fled the Soviet Union in 1979. This is the first arrest of a U.S. journalist by Russia since the end of the Cold War, but only the latest example of escalating repression. Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russia opposition leader, is a prisoner following his brave return to Russia in 2021. He had been evacuated to Germany for emergency medical treatment after being poisoned. Before Navalny returned, authorities there tried to intimidate journalists and restrict protests supporting him. State media regulator Roskomnadzor demanded social media not post information related to protests. In Britain in March 2018, a police officer found Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury, a city near London. Authorities immediately hospitalized them in intensive care. The nerve agent responsible sickened the officer, likewise hospitalized. Skripal worked for the GRU, the military intelligence arm of Russia. He also was a double agent for British intelligence from 1995. In September 2018, opposition activist Peter Verzilov became severely ill after a court hearing related to a protest and his subsequent arrest. He also was flown to Berlin for specialist medical treatment, where poisoning was diagnosed as the likely cause. Vladimir Kara-Murza, an opposition leader and journalist, suffered two severe health attacks in 2015 and 2017. The diagnosis in each case was probable poisoning. He is vice chairman of Open Russia, an organization founded by successful business entrepreneur Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a strong Putin opponent who has been persecuted and imprisoned. A particularly prominent victim is Alexander Litvinenko, who died in London in November 2006 from acute radiation poisoning. Litvinenko was a former colleague of Putin in the KGB, the principal arms of state security in the Soviet Union, an agency rightly feared for ruthless methods and effective results. Story continues Putin is a product of distinctive KGB culture. Litvinenko defected to Britain, where he until silenced was a prominent and influential public critic of Putin and the government of Russia. After a meticulous thorough investigation, representatives of Scotland Yard testified in a public inquiry the Russian government was involved in this killing. Earlier, critics of Russias regime sometimes died violently gangland style, in public. In early 2009, near the Kremlin on a sunny day on a public street, a gunman murdered activist attorney Stanislav Markelov. Journalist Anastasia Baburova tried to help him and was killed. The hitman was a pro, his pistol equipped with a silencer. Markelov had denounced release from prison of Colonel Yuri Budanov, convicted of strangling a woman during the Chechnya war. Today, Russian military aggression, related espionage and sabotage, and other outrages are constant. The invasion of Ukraine is only the most extreme example. Military involvement beyond Ukraine is extensive. Interference in U.S. elections is notorious. Harassment of American and other citizens is a part of this picture. Winston Churchill observed the key to Russia is national interest. We must actively seek levers to secure the release of Gershkovich. In 2021, courageous journalist Dmitry Muratov of Russia received the Nobel Peace Prize. Last June, he auctioned the prize for $103.5 million, which was donated to UNICEF to aid Ukrainian children. In March, the Kremlin shut down his news organization, Novaya Gazeta. Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). Contact acyr@carthage.edu. This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Arthur Cyr: Russia is strangling freedom through intimidation A murder suspect who was mistakenly released from a Charlotte, North Carolina, jail has turned himself back in, police said. Jaylan Noah Davis, who is accused of shooting and killing Arthur Mikulski in November of 2022 and was being held without bond according to CBS News affiliate WBTV, was wrongfully released from the Mecklenburg County Detention Center on Thursday due to an incorrect court order. Police said the incorrect order indicated that Davis' charges, which include murder and other violent felonies according to WBTV, had been dismissed. It's not clear how the error was made. Sheriff McFadden is pleased to report that murder suspect Jaylan Davis, who was wrongly released due to an incorrect court order indicating that his charges had been dismissed, turned himself back in at Detention Center Central early Saturday morning. pic.twitter.com/jkS055ROgC Meck Sheriff (@MeckSheriff) April 15, 2023 Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said in a statement shared on Twitter that Davis had turned himself back in to the detention center early Saturday morning. "I am grateful that it appears no one was harmed as a result of this mishap, though I am sure it was an emotional rollercoaster for the families involved. Our criminal justice system will never be flawless, but we will learn from this experience and improve our processes accordingly," McFadden said. He is once again being held without bond, WBTV reported. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 17. Christy Giles: "She was like a tornado" Hilda Marcela Cabrales: Architect's American dream tragically cut short Saturday Sessions: The Tallest Man On Earth performs "Slowly Rivers Turn" MANCHESTER, N.H. Addressing over 500 Republicans Friday at New Hampshires biggest GOP annual fundraising gala, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made his first visit to the all important first-in-the-nation voting state. DeSantis, who is expected to soon launch a presidential campaign, has been making a flurry of visits across the country. He dined with GOP voters in Ohio on Thursday. On Friday before the New Hampshire dinner, he delivered a speech in Virginia at Liberty University and addressed the National Rifles Association annual convention over a taped video message. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during the New Hampshire GOP's Amos Tuck Dinner on April 14, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. During his first trip to the state, DeSantis spoke before over 500 attendees at the annual Amos Tuck fundraising dinner for the New Hampshire Republican Party. Headlining the New Hampshire Republican Partys Amos Tuck Dinner, named after a former attorney and House representative who some credit with founding the GOP in the 1850s, DeSantis met a receptive crowd. DeSantis, who has not made a formal presidential campaign announcement, gave remarks that sounded a lot like a campaign speech. "If the election of 2024 is a referendum on Joe Biden and his failed policies, and we provide a fresh vision for American renewal, Republicans will win the White House, the House and the U.S. Senate," DeSantis said in one of his most overt pitches for 2024. The Florida governor championed his accomplishments as governor, hinting to voters he hopes to model the country after his home state. Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter "I take credit for the nice warmth and sunshine I brought with me from down south today here in New Hampshire, DeSantis joked. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during the New Hampshire GOP's Amos Tuck Dinner on April 14, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. During his first trip to the state, DeSantis spoke before over 500 attendees at the annual Amos Tuck fundraising dinner for the New Hampshire Republican Party. DeSantis meets a receptive crowd in New Hampshire, mostly DeSantis speech largely reflected what he has become known for being one of the biggest figureheads in the Republican partys culture wars. I think parents should be able to send their kids to second grade, let them watch cartoons, just let them be kids, not having somebody's agenda shoved down their throat," DeSantis said to a standing ovation. It is wrong to tell a second grader that they were born in the wrong body. Story continues Trump or DeSantis for president?: Maybe neither, New Hampshire voters say in key early primary state Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during the New Hampshire GOP's Amos Tuck Dinner on April 14, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. During his first trip to the state, DeSantis spoke before over 500 attendees at the annual Amos Tuck fundraising dinner for the New Hampshire Republican Party. And he strongly touted his own leadership as Floridas governor to more cheers from the crowd. All we do is get the job done day after day. And that means we beat the left day after day, week after week, DeSantis said. The welcome was not as warm from others. During his speech, two protestors tried to usurp the stage and unfurl a banner that read Jews against DeSantis while chanting the same before being quickly whisked away by security. Youve got to have a little spice in the speech, DeSantis said, to massive applause from the crowd. A protester interrupts an address by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a stop at a New Hampshire Republican Party dinner, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. Pro-DeSantis voters describe a rock star quality Scott Maltzie, 62, from Boscawen, N.H., despite not yet decided on a GOP presidential candidate, had high praise for DeSantis before his speech, describing the Florida governor as a rock star. He is a rock star in the party and doing a lot of great things in Florida, said Maltzie, who said the governors outspoken conservatism is especially appreciated. He stands up for what he believes in and he stands up to the cancel culture thats out there that is really seeking to silence conservative voices. Hes out there speaking truth. Maltzie continued. Round one: Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump launch rhetorical brawl for Republican nomination Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, waves to the audience while arriving with Chris Ager, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, during a stop at a New Hampshire Republican Party dinner, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. Jeanne Geisser, a 63-year-old realtor from Atkinson, N.H., said she has not made up her mind yet on any candidate either, but said she wants a strong candidate to win the general election. Geisser pointed to his soaring support in the Sunshine State, noting his first election for governor in 2018, where he won by a razor-thin margin of 0.4% against Democrat Andrew Gillum. That compares to when he won in 2022 against Democrat Charlie Crist by almost 20%. To her, those results show a winning candidate that can beat President Joe Biden in 2024. After DeSantis remarks, the governor went around for a bit of the retail politics New Hampshire is known for, mingling with attendees, signing books and taking as many selfies as voters wanted to. Tom Johansen, 67, from Hanover, N.H., said the experience of seeing DeSantis in person made the Florida governor a more compelling candidate. Johansen has not set his mind on any specific candidate yet, but his remarks strongly appealed to him, calling them logical, comprehensive and very compelling. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during the New Hampshire GOP's Amos Tuck Dinner on April 14, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. During his first trip to the state, DeSantis spoke before over 500 attendees at the annual Amos Tuck fundraising dinner for the New Hampshire Republican Party. DeSantis avoids abortion politics in New Hampshire DeSantis talked about plenty of hot-button conservative issues, but the governor did not utter one specific word in the entire speech: Namely, abortion. DeSantis visit comes off the heels of him signing a 6-week abortion ban in Florida. The ban includes exceptions to save the mothers life if needed and also allows abortions in cases of incest or rape if the patient has documentation such as a police report. The Florida governor did not announce his signature until just after 11 p.m on Thursday. His quiet announcement and his lack of mentioning the legislation in his speech goes to show how tough abortion politics can be for GOP figures eyeing the White House. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who announced a presidential exploratory committee Wednesday, made a stop in Manchester on Thursday and repeatedly evaded or declined to answer specific questions about where he stands on abortion when asked by reporters. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during the New Hampshire GOP's Amos Tuck Dinner on April 14, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. During his first trip to the state, DeSantis spoke before over 500 attendees at the annual Amos Tuck fundraising dinner for the New Hampshire Republican Party. Whats next for DeSantis in 2024? I have only begun to fight DeSantis stop comes as other declared and undeclared 2024 presidential hopefuls are making their ways around the Granite State and other key early primary states. Scott stopped in Manchester just roughly a five minute walk away from where DeSantis spoke, rubbing elbows with voters over breakfast at the Red Arrow Diner and later meeting with local pastors and GOP leaders on Thursday. Conservative entrepreneur and multimillionaire Vivek Ramaswamy spoke to the New Hampshire State Senate Thursday and began a multi-day bus tour hoping to court Granite State voters in his long-shot presidential bid. And former Gov. Nikki Haley has made multiple rounds around the Granite State, hosting several town halls since announcing her White House bid in February. She will be visiting the state again in late April, hosting three town halls in what her campaign calls a New Hampshire hat trick. Nikki Haley says to ban TikTok, not guns: Takeaways from her 2024 campaign stop in N.H. For DeSantis, the headline speaker gave the crowd a taste of what is to come. I am very proud of what we have accomplished in the state of Florida, but I can tell you this, DeSantis said. I have only begun to fight. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves as he arrives to the New Hampshire GOP's Amos Tuck Dinner on April 14, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. During his first trip to the state, DeSantis spoke before over 500 attendees at the annual Amos Tuck fundraising dinner for the New Hampshire Republican Party. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ron DeSantis in NH teases 2024 bid: 'I have only begun to fight' Kansans for Life announced at its January March for Life that passing so-called "born alive" legislation was one of its goals for 2023. Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill on Friday, but the Legislature has the votes for an override. Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the first abortion-related bill presented to her since Aug. 2, when Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposed anti-abortion constitutional amendment. The Democratic governor's veto of House Bill 2313 sends the so-called "born alive" legislation back to a Republican-led Legislature that has enough votes for an override. This bill is misleading and unnecessary," Kelly said in the veto message. "Federal law already protects newborns, and the procedure being described in this bill does not exist in Kansas in the era of modern medicine. The intent of this bill is to interfere in medical decisions that should remain between doctors and their patients." The bill passed the House 86-36 and the Senate 31-9 as a handful of Democrats joined Republicans in supporting a priority of Kansans for Life. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, and Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, expressed confidence that their chambers will override the veto. The legislation would require that medical providers perform life-saving care in the event of a live birth following an abortion. Kansas law already bans abortions after 22 weeks with exceptions for when the health of the mother is at risk or the pregnancy isn't viable due to a fetal abnormality. Supporters argue the bill is necessary to ensure a baby who could potentially survive an abortion receives medical care. More: Months after Value Them Both failed, Kansas March for Life unveils new anti-abortion slogan Hawkins said in a statement he is saddened that Kelly "has chosen to abandon the dignity of life by allowing for the ending of an infants life even once its outside the womb." "This veto gives abortionists free reign to walk away as a living, breathing baby dies," Hawkins said. "This is not only radical, but also inhumane." The Kansas Department of Health and Environment doesn't have data on any babies being born alive in Kansas after an abortion attempt. Opponents of the bill argue such a scenario does not happen, and the bill could result in a newborn who has no chance of survival being deprived of spending its short life outside the womb with its mother, instead being put on life-support. Story continues There is no circumstance in which an abortion is performed in Kansas where an infant can be born alive," Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, said in a statement. "It simply does not happen. The reality is that this legislation would harm mothers and health care teams who will be forced by statute to attempt care that will not change a tragic outcome, rather than provide families the dignity to grieve in peace." More: Kansas lawmakers send first abortion-related bill to governor since Aug. 2 election Kansas Republicans push anti-abortion bills after Value Them Both fails Anti-abortion protestors and abortion rights counter-protestors face off at the Statehouse last month. Kansans for Life communications director Danielle Underwood said in a statement that Kelly is "out of touch" with the values of Kansans. "Legislators from both sides of the aisle stood together to state the simple fact that babies born alive after an attempted abortion should not be left to die on a cold, steel, table," Underwood said. "These babies deserve protection and the same medical care as any other newborn of the same gestational age." The abortion bill was the first to pass the Legislature and the first to be vetoed since Kansas voters rejected the so-called Value Them Both amendment in August and since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. More: Kansas voters rejected Value Them Both. Republicans answer? Redefine abortion. More: Taxpayer funding would boost anti-abortion counseling and ads under Kansans for Life plan Republicans lawmakers have pushed to redefine abortion in the wake of the vote, as well as further address telemedicine abortion and the controversial concept of abortion pill reversal. Meanwhile, they have also sought to strip state liability insurance from abortion clinics. Anti-abortion counseling centers are in line for increased taxpayer funding while their donors could get tax credits. Last month, interim President Heather Williams, of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told reporters that part of its 2024 electoral strategy for the Kansas House and Kansas Senate will be to focus on abortion rights. "Voters have made their voices clear on that," Williams said. "Republicans seem to just be flat out ignoring it. And so we anticipate continuing to have really strong, robust conversations about what it means to have rights taken away and what it means to move the needle on giving people the access to reproductive rights that they deserve." This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Laura Kelly vetoes 'born alive' abortion bill from Kansans for Life Seldom has a visit of the leader of a small democracy provoked the degree of apprehension and anxiety that resulted from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wens trip to the United States. China sent warships and dozens of fighter jets toward Taiwan on Saturday in retaliation for her meeting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with the Chinese military announcing a three-day combat readiness patrol. Technically, Tsai's trip was not a visit at all but stopovers in New York and Los Angeles while en route to shore up ties between Taiwan and two of the remaining countries that recognize the island democracy as a legitimate government. Beyond affirmations of mutual support between Taiwan and Guatemala and Belize, the stopovers symbolized Americas commitment to stand behind Taiwan. Communist 'one China' policy holds claims on democratic Taiwan Beijing, which under its "one China" policy considers Taiwan a part of the People's Republic of China despite Taiwan maintaining its own democratic system of government since the two split after a 1949 civil war, threatened dire consequences. As if to underscore the message, the Chinese military flew combat jets over the Taiwan Strait as she left Taipei, with Beijing threatening to resolutely hit back if Tsai met with McCarthy. Meanwhile, Tsais political rival and immediate predecessor as president, the more China-friendly Ma Ying-jeou, chose this moment to visit the mainland. Ma's trip was not an official tour but a chance to see his ancestral village and build goodwill between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. He was accompanied by an entourage of 30 that included students, presumably because they could serve as the peacemakers of the next generation. Threat of invasion from China: Watching bombs drop on Ukraine stirs feelings of dread for Taiwan Elon Musk's ties to China raise security concerns: Pentagon's reliance on him grows despite his behavior Story continues Ma heaped lavish praise on the mainlands achievements, declaring some of them even undreamed of. In anathema to the view of not only Tsais party but also that of the overwhelming majority of Taiwans citizens, he declared that Taiwan is a part of China. President Tsai, a quiet personality with a core of steel, had expressed a desire for her visit to America be kept low-key, and so it was. In New York, she was greeted by a noisy but peaceful crowd of supporters waving Taiwanese flags and an equally noisy but peaceful group of detractors waving flags of communist China, with the two groups kept apart by vigilant New York police. Supporters holding American and Taiwanese flags cheer as Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, arrives at her hotel in New York City on March 29. A banquet held in her honor by the conservative Hudson Institute on March 30 had a closed guest list, with the invitations reading only that the dinner would be in honor of an important guest. No reporters were allowed. Tsai also met separately with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and had breakfast with Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. But Beijing took particular exception to Tsai's meeting with McCarthy this month. While campaigning for his ultimately successful bid for House speaker, he said he wanted to visit Taiwan as his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, had done. But apparently at the request of the Taiwanese government, the California Republican amended this to a meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library outside Los Angeles. After the Taiwanese president's closed meeting with more than a dozen bipartisan members of Congress, McCarthy told a news conference that the U.S.-Taiwan bond "is stronger than at any time or point in my life, and that he expected ties to continue to expand. ouse Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., welcomes Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for a bipartisan meeting April 5 in Simi Valley. The meeting is only the latest to tighten tensions in U.S.-China relations. Beijing suspended or canceled official military dialogues and cooperation channels after Pelosi visited Taiwan last August. In February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed an imminent trip to China because, as Biden administration officials said, a Chinese surveillance balloon drifting over America was a "clear violation" of sovereignty and international law. Is Pelosi's visit to Taiwan risky?: Yes, but she can deliver strong messages to China It's bigger than a surveillance balloon: Chinese spying in US includes research labs and universities Tsai has arrived safely back in Taipei, having demonstrated her determination not to allow Beijing to isolate her country diplomatically as well as a reaffirmation of bipartisan support from Washington. But the drama is not over. According to Chinas Global Times: The final outcome will undoubtedly be that every provocation by Washington will be met with the Chinese side's resolute countermeasures, and every act of 'Taiwan independence' by Tsai ... will result in tighter constraints on them. June Teufel Dreyer, a senior fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, is a political science professor at the University of Miami. The opening round came on the same day of Tsai's meeting with McCarthy: Chinas maritime safety administration announced Wednesday that it had begun on-site inspections of cargo ships and construction vessels in the Taiwan Strait which is legally international waters but which Beijing refuses to recognize as such. Taiwan has said that it will not comply. It has notified shipping operators that if they encounter such requests, they should refuse and immediately notify Taiwans coast guard for assistance. Chinas military declared that it is ready to fight after completing three days of large-scale combat exercises around Taiwan that simulated sealing off the island. But there has not been a reaction from the U.S. House speaker. The implications for peace in the Taiwan Strait and beyond are ominous. How will Tsais new allies in Washington react now? June Teufel Dreyer, a senior fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, is a political science professor at the University of Miami. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China sends warships after House Speaker McCarthy meets Taiwan leader The U.S. Supreme Court has intervened in a series of federal rulings targeting mifepristone, a common drug used in medication abortions across the country, to allow the justices more time to review the case. While the country waits for the dust to settle on the rapidly evolving situation, Iowa's largest abortion provider says it is working to ensure its patients retain access to abortion care. Should mifepristone be blocked in parts of their service area, officials with Planned Parenthood North Central States told reporters Friday they are working on contingency plans. Iowa and Nebraska, two states within the organization's service region, are facing the possibility of reduced access to mifepristone if the U.S. Supreme Court opts to uphold a lower court's decision. As a result, Planned Parenthood health centers in those states will likely utilize other types of abortifacients which represents a pivot from their typical standard of care. "Our commitment is to do whatever is possible to ensure that patients continue to have access to abortion care, including providing medication abortion through misoprostol alone where possible," Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said during the press conference. What's happening in the courts? On April 7, a federal judge in Texas suspended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions. In his decision, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, sided with the anti-abortion group who argued that claimed the drug was not safe and that the FDA should not have approved it. On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit stayed part of Kacsmaryk's decision to suspend FDA approval. However, it did allow other parts of his decision to move forward that limit the drug's availability starting this week. In recent years, the FDA had introduced measures to increase access to mifepristone, such as allowing it to be prescribed by nonproviders and dispensed by mail. Story continues Dr. Sarah Traxler, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood North Central States, criticized these rulings in Friday's press conference, saying it could also impact sexual and reproductive health care. Mifepristone is also used to manage miscarriages and other reproductive health conditions, she said. "The decisions out of Texas and from the Fifth Circuit have nothing to do with facts or science, but are deliberate political interferences in private health care decisions," Traxler said. "Every single one of us deserves the right to make decisions about our own bodies and futures without this interference." On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to take emergency action to stop the appeals court's decision to roll back these measures that expanded access to mifepristone. Instead, it asked the high court to put the ruling on hold while litigation continues. Hours later, the Supreme Court agreed to hit pause on the lower court's decision, maintaining the status quo on the drug's access until Wednesday. Minnesota attorney general says legal situation is changing rapidly Last Thursday, U.S. district judge out of Washington state ordered the FDA to preserve access to mifepristone in 17 states and Washington, D.C., but not in Iowa. The conflicting ruling to the Texas decision underscores the messy legal landscape around mifepristone in the United States. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison emphasized during Friday's press conference that the situation is changing rapidly. "Nobody can honestly say they know exactly what is going to happen," he told reporters. "But we are committed to make sure that people have the right to make their own reproductive choices and use safe drugs like mifepristone." Minnesota will retain access to mifepristone, thanks to the Washington state ruling. How common are medication abortions? Most abortions in Iowa are medically induced, according to data from state health officials. In 2021, 3,761 abortions were performed in Iowa. Of those, 2,992 or nearly 80% were medically induced. That reflects the national trend, with medication abortions accounting for the majority of abortions in the United States. In 2022, preliminary data states that medically induced abortions accounted for 54% of all abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. What is mifepristone? How does it work? First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000, mifepristone is taken alongside another drug called misoprostol as part of a two-step regimen to terminate a pregnancy. It can be taken up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, or up to 70 days after the first day of a person's last menstrual period. Mifepristone works by blocking progesterone, a hormone essential to development of a pregnancy. Without that hormone, the lining of the uterus becomes thins and prevents a pregnancy from continuing. Misoprostol is taken up to 48 hours after mifepristone. The drug causes the uterus to contract, expelling the early pregnancy tissue. This two-drug method is the most common medication abortion regimen in the United States, and has been determined by the FDA as a highly effective method to terminate a pregnancy. When both drugs are taken, it successfully terminates a pregnancy 99.6% of the time. It's also very safe, according to federal regulators. Studies show there's a 0.4% risk for major complications among patients. Since it was approved two decades ago, it has been linked to 28 deaths out of an estimated 5.6 million who have used mifepristone, according to the FDA. Federal officials say those fatalities could be linked to other complications, such as co-existing medical conditions. Information gaps about the patient also made it impossible to directly link the cause to the drug. How does a misoprostol-only abortion work? As part of their contingency plans, Planned Parenthood officials told reporters Friday they are working to ensure states like Iowa continue to have access to legal abortion. That means providers may pivot to a misoprostol-only abortion for those patients that qualify. Misoprostol taken alone can be used successfully for abortions. In that scenario, a patient would take three or four doses of misoprostol every three hours until the pregnancy passes. The process typically occurs within 12 hours. Traxler said this method is common in other countries that have not approved mifepristone. However, top health organizations, including the World Health Organization and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, say the two-step regiment is more effective than using misoprostol on its own. Experts say patients also experience fewer side effects when mifepristone and misoprostol are taken together. Patients using a misoprostol-only regiment do experience more discomfort, Traxler said. Symptoms include heavy cramping and bleeding, and patients are also more likely to experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. A misoprostol-only abortion is still highly effective, with a success rate of about 80-85%. One study found 0.7% of patients experienced complications from the drug. Still, Traxler said forcing providers to use a misoprostol-only method goes against decades of standard abortion care in the United States. "We know that better success rates happen when a patient uses mifepristone prior to misoprostol," Traxler said. "So that's our goal. We know that mifepristone is a really safe medication. It should be used in the medication abortion regimen and so we're going to use it if we are allowed to." Is abortion still legal in Iowa? Yes, for now. Abortion in Iowa is legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, but that law is in flux as the Iowa Supreme Court decides on a so-called "fetal heartbeat" ban. The law, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2018, would ban most abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy. Iowa's top court heard arguments in that case on Tuesday. A decision is expected later this year. Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Planned Parenthood working to ensure medication abortion access in Iowa A car drives through flooding at Fort Lauderdale's airport in Florida. Marta Lavandier/AP A JetBlue flight from Newark, New Jersey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida was diverted to the Bahamas on April 12. After three hours in Nassau, the plane went back to Newark, some nine hours after it first left the airport. Fort Lauderdale airport had shut down because of heavy rain and flooding. Passengers on a flight to Florida ended up in the Bahamas instead. JetBlue flight 205 connecting Newark with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was diverted to Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport on April 12 due to the Florida airport's closure. It left Newark at 1:38 p.m., over three and a half hours later than scheduled, made its way south toward Florida, and landed in the Bahamas at 4:58 p.m., according to the flight tracking data platform FlightAware. Three hours later, at about 8:20 p.m., the flight took off from Nassau and headed back to its origin, landing at Newark just before 11 p.m. A JetBlue spokesperson told Insider the airline sought other Florida airports to land at, but due to the extreme situation and numerous diversions caused by the flooding and airport closure, it was safest to land in Nassau. "With the airport in Fort Lauderdale closed and surrounding airports unable to accommodate this flight, the aircraft, and customers were returned to Newark after some time on the ground in Nassau," the spokesperson said. "Safety is JetBlue's first priority and the weather, airport closure, and subsequent diversion traffic was unprecedented." The unplanned visit to the Caribbean was caused by intense rains in Florida that flooded the airport, which had to shut down. Flights at the airport resumed on Friday but with only one runway available. Passengers on the flight were offered a $500 JetBlue credit as well as full refunds if they didn't want to reschedule their trip, according to the representative. Flight diversions are relatively common, and flights can be diverted for a number of reasons, including unruly passengers, snakes on planes, and issues at the airport of destination. Story continues But diversions that see a US domestic flight land in another country are less common, as passengers could be required to have visas and passports they don't have with them to get off the plane. The Bahamas requires US citizens to have a valid passport to enter the country. JetBlue flight 205 was canceled on Thursday but operated normally on Friday. Read the original article on Business Insider BEIJING, April 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr Liu Jincheng, Chairman of EVE Energy, a leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer, was invited to speak at the 2023 China EV100 Forum, a three-day event focusing on the development of China's electric vehicle industry. Dr Liu's keynote speech titled "A New Stage for EVE Energy's Power Battery Development" shared insights on the current situation of batteries, challenges in fast charging technology, and the outlook for future development. Chairman of EVE Energy: Dr Liu Jincheng The China EV100 Forum is organized by China EV100, and co-hosted by Tsinghua University, the China Society of Automotive Engineers, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, and the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute. The event aims to promote the modernization of China's automobile industry and features discussions on global industry development trends, high-quality development of new energy vehicles, China's intelligent connected vehicle development strategy, and trends in core industry supply chains such as power batteries. "This is the second time EVE Energy has attended the China EV100 Forum. Our long-term strategy is to develop our lithium-ion battery technology and maintain a steady business structure with consumer batteries, power batteries, and energy storage batteries," said Dr Liu. "In addition, we have strengthened our cooperation with leading companies in the supply chain since 2018 and invested in more than 20 joint ventures to ensure supply and cost control." Dr Liu discussed the current state of the power storage battery industry, specifically in relation to lithium-ion batteries. He mentioned that developing these batteries is a long-term commitment due to the testing required to ensure their lifespan, which can take several years. He also emphasized the importance of having a long-term perspective when entering the industry and developing a sustained work ethic, even in the dynamic fields of power storage and batteries. Story continues His speech then covered the challenges and practical approaches to fast-charging technology. Dr Liu revealed that focusing on cost and lightweight designs is the current trend in the power battery industry. Safety used to be the primary concern, but after years of effort, it has been adequately addressed. Now, the focus is on optimizing the battery structure and cost. He believes fast-charging technology and network construction are critical to solving the final bottleneck problem affecting electric vehicles' development. In addition, Dr Liu suggested that improving fast charging to around ten minutes will significantly reduce the social cost of using electric vehicles. He also explained that EVE Energy had conducted successful fast-charging trials in Guangdong and Hubei, and they plan to expand further in partnership with companies in Huizhou and Jingmen. He also suggested that direct current should be used for superfast charging, as it doesn't require large-scale charging stations. Commenting on his outlook for the industry's development, Dr Liu stated that in the past two years, the company had focused on improving the performance of electric vehicle batteries by optimizing space and structure through design and thermal management. This has led to increased battery capacity and improved space utilization, which in turn has enabled longer driving ranges. One example of this approach he cited was the use of large cylindrical LFP batteries, which feature a new structural design improving space utilization and reducing the number of structural components, thereby lowering costs. For more information about EVE Energy, please visit https://www.evebattery.com/en. About EVE Energy Founded in 2001 and listed in Shenzhen in 2009, EVE Energy has developed into a global player in the market, providing core technologies and comprehensive solutions for both consumer and power batteries, especially in the Internet of Things and the energy internet. Currently, EVE Energy has set up a research institute with 60 doctors and over 3,400 interdisciplinary R&D engineers in materials, electrochemistry, structure design, and electronic circuit design, obtained over 5,910 national patents in China. The company launched a carbon reduction roadmap with a series of low-carbon reduction efforts in energy use, the manufacturing process, the supply chain, and resource management, and was named a "National Green Factory." Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eve-energy-chairman-expresses-optimism-at-china-ev100-forum-301797417.html SOURCE EVE Energy Co., Ltd Former Senator John Edwards campaigning in Iowa City, Iowa on December 12, 2007 in Iowa City, Iowa. Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images Like Donald Trump, John Edwards was accused of paying off a mistress during a campaign. Edwards was charged with campaign finance violations over the payments but wasn't convicted. While not a sure thing, the allegation that Trump falsified business records is easier to prove. A politician paying hush money during a campaign to keep an alleged affair out of the headlines there is, undeniably, a striking similarity between the cases of one Donald J. Trump, former president, and John Edwards, a disgraced senator, with both accused not just of cheating but of skirting laws to cover it up. The legal cases against both, however, are quite different. For one, Trump has not been charged with violating federal campaign finance laws. Edwards was. "Mr. Edwards is alleged to have accepted more than $900,000 in an effort to conceal from the public facts that he believed would harm his candidacy," Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer said in 2011, announcing that the North Carolina Democrat was being charged with accepting illegal campaign contributions and a conspiracy to conceal them. The gist of the government's case against Edwards was that the money which was given to Edwards' mistress should have been reported as a campaign donation, given that it came from the former senator's largest donors and would aid his 2008 presidential campaign. The case fell apart at trial, however, with jurors failing to convict Edwards on a single charge, history that some have suggested illustrates the difficulty of prosecuting Trump for his own alleged payments to Stormy Daniels. "I think that shows that the one time the Justice Department tried to pursue a case like this, it failed," Hars von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told Fox News. "That was probably the biggest reason why the Justice Department and the FEC didn't go after Trump because they didn't believe that it was based on prior experience a violation of federal campaign finance law, and that's the biggest flaw in this whole case." Story continues It may well be true that the Edwards precedent is why the Justice Department didn't charge Trump with a campaign finance violation. But, while Trump was still president, it did go after his former fixer, Michael Cohen and it did so successfully. Cohen, in 2018, was sentenced to three years in prison over a hush payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels that is at the heart of Trump's legal troubles today. Among other things, prosecutors charged Cohen with breaking campaign finance laws, arguing that his $130,000 payment to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election constituted an illegal contribution to the Trump campaign. Trump has denied the affair and any knowledge of the payments to Daniels, pleading not guilty to the charges he falsified business records. In other words, federal prosecutors demonstrated that it is indeed possible to put someone behind bars for a hush payment to an alleged mistress which is itself legal by arguing that it broke campaign finance laws, coming as it did during a heated election. They were helped, to be sure, by the fact that Cohen pleaded guilty, eliminating the need for a trial; the Edwards prosecution failed, by contrast, because it went before jurors and because key witnesses, namely the donors who provided the cash for Edwards' mistress, were unable to appear and be questioned at trial (one had already died and one was over 100 years old and deemed too elderly). When Cohen was indicted, prosecutors noted that he did not act alone, stating that he had made the payment to Daniels to "influence the 2016 election," and that he did so after having "coordinated with one or more members of the [Trump] campaign." That's where the Trump charges come in When he indicted the former president, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag did not do so on charges of violating federal law he, of course, cannot do that. Instead, he accused Trump of falsifying business records to hide the fact he was paying back Cohen for that payment to a porn star. That is a more straightforward case, in some respects: the prosecutor alleges that the payments to Cohen were marked as being for a retainer that federal prosecutors have already demonstrated did not exist. Bragg does not need to prove that Trump broke federal campaign finance laws; he needs to prove that he falsified business records, which is a crime no matter the reason. Where it gets dicey, in the view of legal experts, is the fact that the crime of falsifying those records is treated as a misdemeanor in New York, with a statute of limitations that has already expired. Upgrading the charges to felonies, as Bragg has (34 counts), eliminates the time limit but also requires showing that the records were fudged in the service of another crime, whether or not the accused was convicted of another crime or not. In his indictment of Trump, Bragg does not say what crime that might be. But an accompanying "statement of facts" accuses the former president of taking part in an "unlawful scheme" that "violated election laws" (speaking to reporters, Bragg noted that state law "makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means"); it also accuses Trump of mischaracterizing the payments to Cohen "for tax purposes." Speaking to CNN, Ryan Goodman, a law professor at New York University, said that if the underlying crime is a state tax issue then Bragg would be able to avoid questions about campaign finance laws, including whether a hush payment constitutes a violation something that jurors were not convinced of in the Edwards trial more than a decade earlier. "That is a stronger case," Goodman said, "because it is insulated from a bunch of the legal challenges, of which there are strong legal challenges to be made to election law crimes." Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider Lashawn Thompson (left) died inside this squalid jail cell in Georgia, his family say. Handout from Michael Harper A man died inside of a Georgia jail cell after he was "eaten alive" by bed bugs, his family alleges. Lashawn Thompson was found dead at the Fulton County Jail in September 2022. Thompson's cell "was not fit for a diseased animal," a lawyer for the man's family said. A 35-year-old man died inside of a filthy Georgia jail cell after being "eaten alive" by insects and bed bugs, an attorney for the victim's family has alleged. "It's just horrible," Michael Harper, a lawyer for the family of Lashawn Thompson, told Insider on Friday of the young man's death. Thompson was discovered dead inside a disgusting cell at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 13, 2022 three months after he was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor simple battery, Harper said. While he was held at the lockup, officers moved Thompson to the jail's psychiatric wing after they determined he had a mental illness, Harper said. "They left him there essentially," Harper told Insider. "And they had a plan to take him to the medical observation unit, but their plan never happened, and they found him dead, eaten by these bed bugs." Harper released graphic photos showing Thompson's body and the horrific conditions of his jail cell on Wednesday along with what he said was a report from the Fulton County medical examiner that described a "severe bed bug infestation" in Thompson's cell. "There were no obvious signs of trauma found about the decedent's body," the purported medical examiner's report said. "The decedent's body was covered in bed bugs." The medical examiner ruled Thompson's cause and manner of death as "undetermined," according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, which runs the jail. Harper, citing jail records, alleged that jail staffers noticed that Thompson was "deteriorating" but did nothing to help him. "They literally watched his health decline until he died," Harper said in a statement. He alleged that Thompson's jail cell "was not fit for a diseased animal." Story continues "He did not deserve this," Harper continued. "Someone has to be held accountable for his death." The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said in a statement provided to Insider on Friday that it has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Thompson's death. Once the investigation is complete, Sheriff Patrick Labat will make an official request for review by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations "to determine whether any criminal charges are warranted in this case," the statement said. The Georgia jail cell where Lashawn Thompson was found dead, according to Thompson's family. Handout from Michael Harper "The health, well-being, and security of inmates in our care is our top priority. It's no secret that the dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions of the current facility make it incredibly difficult to meet the goal of providing a safe, clean, well-maintained, and healthy environment for all inmates and staff," the statement continued. It added, "Without making any explicit statements about Mr. Thompson's health, it's fair to say that this is one of many cases that illustrate the desperate need for expanded and better mental health services." "That is precisely why Sheriff Labat continues to call [for] building a new Fulton County Jail and Criminal Justice Complex which will provide humane care in a safe and clean environment that offers mental health and other services that provide a strong foundation for rehabilitation," the statement said. Photos of the jail cell where Lashawn Thompson was held show squalid conditions. Handout from Michael Harper Brad McCrae, Thompson's brother, told reporters on Wednesday that the photos of his sibling's body were "heartbreaking," "hard to look at," and reminded him of the 1955 teen lynching victim Emmett Till. "They're horrified," Harper told Insider of Thompson's family. "Can you imagine seeing these photos and knowing what happened to your loved one to die like that? They're just sick about it." Thompson's family is now calling for a criminal investigation into Thompson's death and for the jail to be closed and replaced with a new facility. The family is also planning to file a lawsuit against the jail, Harper told Insider. Read the original article on Insider Christies auction house sale coordinator Gillian Hawley holds a rock and metal meteorite that was once part of an asteroid in New York on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. The Maine Mineral & Gem Museum is offering a $25K price to whoever finds a piece of meteorite that landed in Maine. | Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press A treasure hunt in Maine comes with a $25,000 prize. The treasure in question? A piece of meteorite. The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum, located in Bethel, Maine, is offering $25,000 to the first person who can find a piece of a meteorite that hit Maine Saturday. Where did the meteorite land? According to NASAs Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Lab, the meteorite fall occurred at 11:56 a.m. local time on April 8, striking the earth near Calais, Maine. The lab calculated the strewn field of the meteorite, estimating that it landed in a stretch of forest between the the U.S.-Canada border. The first person to present the museum with a meteorite piece weighing 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) or more will receive $25,000. But Darryl Pitt, head of the meteorite division at the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum, said they would be open to paying for a meteorite piece irrespective of its size, according to CNN. Finding a meteorite can be difficult, but Pitt is hoping the prize will incentivize more people to get out into the woods and search. With more people having an awareness, the more people will look and the greater the likelihood of a recovery, Pitt said, per The Associated Press. What does a meteorite look like? According to the United States Geological Survey, here are some questions you can ask to identify a meteorite: Is it dense? Is it magnetic? Does it an have an unusual shape? Does it have a fusion crust (a thin crust on their surface where it melted as it passed through the atmosphere)? If you said yes to these questions, you may have a meteorite on your hands. Keep in mind that a meteorite does not have: Drew Angerer/Getty Images Clarence Thomas is facing impeachment calls following a report on his real estate dealings with a GOP donor. But Supreme Court experts told Insider there is no chance the conservative justice will be removed. The Supreme Court has little regulatory oversight and few routes for disciplining its judges. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is facing renewed scrutiny following the revelation this week that the powerful judge sold his childhood home to GOP mega-donor Harlan Crow and never disclosed the sale. Judiciary ethics experts told Insider the bombshell ProPublica report left them "shocked" and "disturbed." But don't expect the SCOTUS lifetime appointee to face any real repercussions as a result of his growing list of ethics concerns, at least, not in this political climate, they said. The outlet on Thursday reported that Thomas sold a Savannah, Georgia property to Crow, a longtime friend and powerful right-wing donor, for $133,363 in 2014, marking the first known, but never disclosed, instance of direct cash flow between the two. "The idea that someone is shoveling money to a Supreme Court justice with no disclosure is highly disturbing," Clare Pastore, a professor of the practice of law at USC Gould School of Law and an expert in legal ethics, told Insider. The ProPublica report comes one week after the outlet reported that Thomas has been accepting, and also failing to disclose, several luxury vacations from Crow for years. While Thomas defended the undisclosed trips by citing an ill-defined "personal hospitality" exemption included in disclosure requirements, the real estate revelation may be harder to explain away. Federal law requires government employees, including Supreme Court justices, to report most real estate transactions worth more than a thousand dollars. "It's reasonable to say we would expect the most powerful judges to be following federal law," Scott Lemieux, a professor of political science at the University of Washington and an expert in constitutional law, told Insider. Story continues ProPublica also reported that Thomas' 94-year-old mother still lives in the home, which Crow poured tens of thousands of dollars into for renovations after acquiring the property. The Republican donor told the outlet he hoped to turn the property into a museum dedicated to Thomas' legacy. Four ethics law experts told ProPublica that Thomas likely violated a federal disclosure law enacted in the wake of Watergate, sparking renewed calls for his resignation, with some Democratic lawmakers raising the topic of impeachment. But legal experts told Insider that talk of Thomas' removal is essentially a nonstarter. "That will not happen," Pastore said plainly. Protestors called for Justice Clarence Thomas' impeachment in late March. Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn Political parties are far too polarized Supreme Court justices, who are appointed to life terms and are among the most powerful people in the country, face few challenges to their positions and little discipline for missteps, experts said. "One issue we have is that the only discipline of Supreme Court justices is the extreme form of impeachment or removal," Lemieux said. "Clarence Thomas could shoot someone on Pennsylvania Avenue and this Senate wouldn't remove him." Similar to the process of impeaching a president, a Supreme Court justice can only be removed from the bench if a simple majority of the House of Representatives first votes to impeach, and then, two-thirds of the Senate, a supermajority, votes to convict. The impeachment of a Supreme Court justice is also nearly unprecedented. Only once before have lawmakers voted to impeach a justice on the top court, and he was ultimately not convicted, holding on to his seat on the bench. In 1804, the House voted to impeach Justice Samuel Chase for "refusing to dismiss biased jurors and excluding or limiting defense witnesses in two politically sensitive cases," according to the Senate website. But because of near-record levels of polarization among party lines today, and a Democrat in the White House who would have the power to pick a replacement, experts said there's no chance Thomas will face a legitimate threat to his seat anytime soon. Republican lawmakers thus far have rushed to defend Thomas in the wake of the ProPublica reports. Beyond impeachment, Supreme Court justices face no other obvious disciplinary measures, experts said. "We don't have those mechanisms with life-tenured justices, so that's why their behavior on the bench is even more important than politicians on whom we do have some checks," Pastore said. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas attends the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett to be the U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice on the South Lawn of the White House October 26, 2020. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images The court could soon put internal checks in place The impeachment dead-end and lack of additional discipline measures mean Thomas could theoretically continue to take undisclosed sums of money from whomever he wants with few real-life consequences. But Lemieux said he thinks the controversies plaguing the court's level of public trust, which has been at an all-time low in recent months even before this bout of Thomas-focused crises, will ultimately lead to internal policing and behavioral changes within the top court. While lower courts are bound by a code of ethics, the Supreme Court has no such regulatory device, nor does it have any superior courts to oversee it. But Pastore predicted this could be the impetus toward the court eventually adopting such a code or even subjecting itself to the existing code of ethics that applies to other judges. "I think it's quite likely we get some movement in one of those ways," she told Insider. "That would be a good step in the right direction. Read the original article on Business Insider US-POLITICS-GUNS-NRA-CONVENTION Former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump leaves after speaking during the 152nd National Rifle Association (NRA) annual Covention at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 14, 2023 Credit - AFP via Getty Images Former President Donald Trumps fundraising for his 2024 reelection campaign spiked after his indictment on March 30, raising $18.8 million between January and March$4 million of which came in the 24 hour period after the indictment, according to new figures from his campaign, Politico reports. The large sum was split between the former presidents political action committee, Save America, and his campaignwhose first-quarter financial disclosure to the Federal Election Committee is due Saturday. Trumps uptick in fundraising is a strong point of interest in the Republican primary, where he has a stronghold among MAGA supporters, but continues to face controversy and legal woes. Trump was indicted on March 30 by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to his alleged involvement in a 2016 hush money scandal weeks before he won the presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty and prosecutors have asked for a January trial, just weeks before the Iowa caucuses kick off the GOP primary. According to Politico, the campaign says it raised $15.4 million in the two weeks following the DA offices filing of charges against Trump, and that almost a quarter of donors from that period had never donated to Trump before. He received more than 312,000 donations, over 97% of which were less than $200 each, averaging around $49. Trump was also reportedly raising $168,000 per day in the first quarter from January 1 to March 31, according to Politico. Because of the March 30-31 window following the indictment, the donation figures provided dont reveal the true scope of Trumps fundraising in the weeks that have passed since the charges were filed. Story continues According to figures from the campaign, Trumps fundraising report will show that the campaign accumulated $14.5 million in the first quarter, almost all of which was transferred over from Save America, Politico reports. Additionally, the campaign reported spending $3.5 million and having $13.9 million liquid at the end of March. Trump began fundraising for the campaign in November, but his earnings have been small compared to his 2020 reelection run while he was still in office. He raised more than $30 million in 2019s first quarter. The campaign is pushing hard to increase revenue with recent efforts like recruiting experienced Republican fundraisers to pursue an advantage in the crowded race for Republican presidential nominee. Trumps competition includes former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov.r Asa Hutchinson and potential contenders who have supported Trump over the years, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Lori Vallow Daybell, right, sits by an attorney for a hearing at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. Vallow Daybell is currently being tried in a Boise court in the deaths of her two children, as well as the death of her husbands former wife. | Tony Blakeslee, East Idaho News via Associated Press The first week of arguments and witness testimony in the trial of Lori Vallow Daybell ended Friday with chilling new insight into the role of Alex Cox, Vallow Daybells brother who himself wondered whether he was his sisters fall guy shortly before he died in December 2019. Vallow Daybell has been charged with conspiracy, murder and grand theft in the deaths of her two children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. She is also charged in connection to the death of Tammy Daybell, the late wife of Chad Daybell. Weeks after Tammy Daybells death, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were married in Hawaii and Cox, as he was described on Friday, was the couples warrior. Thats according to Zulema Pastenes, who was briefly married to Cox before his death, and on Friday gave prosecutors a detailed look into her late husbands role in Vallow Daybells inner circle. Related Pastenes first met Vallow Daybell in 2018 at a friends house, during a religious gathering. The two became close and would travel to Arizona, Utah and Idaho to watch Chad Daybell speak on his fringe beliefs. She watched Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell quickly fall for each other. The two brought Pastenes into their tightly knit group, where they would talk of past lives, and the belief that people can be possessed by evil spirits. They also introduced her to Cox, and by the summer of 2019 the two began dating. Cox, more than anybody else in their circle, believed in demonic possession, and that dark spirits were dangerous, Pastenes testified Friday. Eventually, the entire family moved to Rexburg, Idaho, following the shooting death of Loris husband, Charles Vallow, at the hands of Cox. Though the shooting was deemed self-defense at the time, a grand jury in Arizonas Maricopa County has indicted Vallow Daybell of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Story continues Pastenes said when she asked Cox if he was OK following the shooting, he responded: Zulema, he was a zombie. Pastenes traveled to Rexburg to visit the family in September. Though she remembers seeing 7-year-old JJ, when Pastenes asked Vallow Daybell where Tylee was, she told her she had to be free. When I tried to ask her what she meant by that, she lifted her hand and put it up to my face and said, Dont ask, Pastenes said. Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell both urged Pastenes to move to Rexburg the small community would be a place of refuge during the end times, Daybell said. They also pushed Cox and Pastenes to get married, which they did on Dec. 1, 2019. Shortly after Pastenes September visit, on Oct. 9, Tammy Daybell was shot at in her driveway by a masked man. That same night, Pastenes was with Vallow Daybell and her niece, Melanie Boudreaux, when they got a call. She was very, very angry, scary angry, Pastenes said, describing what she could hear of the call. On Monday, prosecutor Lindsey A. Blake described the same call. He cant do anything right, Vallow Daybell said after the call, though it was unclear who she was referring to. Prosecutors also said Coxs cellphone was in the vicinity of Tammy Daybells home the day she was shot at. Ten days later, Tammy Daybell died in her sleep. Prosecutors on Monday said she died by asphyxiation, at the hands of another person. The day after the funeral, Pastenes said Chad Daybell moved into Lori Vallow Daybells apartment. Isnt that a little too fast, when there should be some time for grieving? she told Vallow Daybell, according to her testimony. Vallow Daybell did not respond. Pastenes also explained how the group slowly unraveled, starting with Vallow Daybell and her new husband moving to Hawaii, just weeks after trying to convince her, and everyone else, to move to Rexburg. The couple stopped communicating with Cox, which Pastenes said upset him. Can you believe theyre being such jerks after how much I helped them? Now they dont even want to talk to me, Cox said around Thanksgiving, according to Pastenes. Then Pastenes got a call from Melanie Gibb, Vallow Daybells former best friend, who told her about the missing children. She felt that we had been deceived by Chad and Lori, Pastenes said, telling prosecutors she became distraught. I didnt know what to think or how to process that information. To hear my friend saying that all this was happening, and then at the same time knowing how much trust I had put into these two people, it was very, very confusing. When she confronted Cox about it, he was very quiet, not his usual self ... he just didnt answer me, Pastenes said. Cox died on Dec. 12, 2019, the day after Tammy Daybells body was exhumed. Pastenes on Friday detailed the evening leading up to his death. After a long day at work, she came into her bedroom to find Cox, who at this point had moved to Arizona, on the phone with Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell, who were telling him about the exhumation. I was very confused at the reason why they would be exhuming Tammys body, she said. ... And I asked him if he was involved in anything that could do with Tammys death. ... He said no. Pastenes continued to press Cox. She told prosecutors it was a weird and so bizarre conversation. He was very quiet and unresponsive, and then he said, I think Im being their fall guy, Pastenes recalled. I said, Fall guy for what? What is it that you have done? What have you done that you would be the fall guy for? Pastenes said Cox wouldnt give her a straight answer. As she walked away, he told her: Zulema, either I am a man of God, or I am not. The next day, he was dead. Testimony in the case will resume Tuesday. Clarification: An earlier version quoted Zulema Pastenes testimony, where she describes a phone call. In her quote, it is unclear whether Pastenes said Lori Vallow Daybell or Melanie Boudreaux was speaking on the phone. This version has been updated to reflect that, and to include quotes from the prosecutions opening argument about the call. RFA/Latino Community and Lower Valley Reporter Heyo, Im Jasper. Nice to meet you. I cover a wide variety of news, but I try to focus on the Latino community and the Lower Yakima Valley. I want to sharestories and perspectives from the Yakima Valley. Im interested in economics, labor, geography and the environment, but the most important issues will always be the ones the community cares about. If you have something worth saying, Ill listen and try to write it down. Im a gosei from Northeast Los Angeles and I got my start as a student journalist and editor covering sports in the Bay Area. Im a massive soccer fan and I still love to play. I also love water in all its forms, the word copacetic and trying new things. I want to read more, and I like to cook, but Im not great at either. Have fun out there! Child care fall through? You might be able to get unemployment in WA If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. Alejandro Ortega, left, talks with Jessica Dunn, both Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising students, in 2011. (Katie Falkenberg / For The Times) After years of downsizing and under an imminent threat of losing accreditation, Los Angeles' Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising found a lifeline in Arizona State University, forming a new partnership that is likely to forever change the longtime fashion school and save it from financial ruin. The merger has created ASU FIDM, which will offer classes in Los Angeles and Phoenix through ASU's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts mixing ASU's relatively new fashion program with FIDM's 50-year legacy, which includes its renowned museum and library. The partnership "will offer students pursuing degrees in creative industries enhanced educational opportunities by embedding world-class fashion education within a public research university with global reach," according to the news release from ASU this week. While many at FIDM seemed hopeful the new deal would bring stability and more opportunities, students and staff remained concerned what was lost in the deal: More than 100 FIDM employees were laid off, and at least a handful of the school's flagship fashion and design programs appear to have been permanently cut. I know that we had been having financial and organizational struggles in the past," said Hannah Pabalan, a 19-year-old FIDM student. "Part of me is hopeful that this will help improve our school in the long run but its been tough." All of FIDM's fashion-focused programs will move completely under ASU, but the two educational entities will remain separate, officials said, with FIDM continuing to offer business-focused degrees. "ASU is not taking over FIDM," said ASU spokesperson Katie Paquet. "FIDM is continuing to operate as a separate educational institution from ASU with a more intentional focus on academic programs related to business in the creative industries." Paquet and FIDM officials did not respond to requests to disclose the financial details of the deal. FIDM officials also did not respond to questions about the layoffs or the future of FIDM. Story continues In a statement, FIDM Vice President of Education Barbara Bundy said that "our tradition of excellence and inspiration will continue to thrive as a part of Arizona State University, with students having expanded access to world-class facilities, faculty and programs to ensure they are prepared for a highly demanding, increasingly competitive and ever-evolving industry. FIDM, a private institution that offers a variety of associate, bachelor's and graduate degrees, had been on accreditation probation since July 2021, but in March it was alerted by the WASC Senior College and University Commission that it was months away from losing accreditation as it had still "not provided evidence of long-term financial viability." Students who attend schools that lose accreditation can no longer access federal financial aid. FIDM staff told The Times that the institution had undergone multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years and continued to shrink amid financial struggles, closing its San Diego and San Francisco campuses. "We were going downhill since 2008," said one FIDM staff member, who was laid off last week as the ASU deal was announced and requested anonymity to not ruin chances of a new job with ASU FIDM. "Management received numerous warnings from WASC and they didnt listen. I think it was really the best decision that someone is taking over," the staff member said. "It cant get worse. According to state filings, 107 FIDM employees were recently laid off, all effective May 31. Concerns and questions about ASU's expansion have swirled over the last week among FIDM students, chiefly about the future of certain degrees and faculty members. "A lot of programs are up in the air," said Sophie Gow, a 19-year-old FIDM student who came to L.A. from Houston for school. She was planning to complete her advanced associate degree in international merchandise product development one of the programs she expects to be cut under ASU FIDM but she thinks it still will be available next year. "Were all definitely worried," Gow said. "We really dont know how this will change or affect us.... Were hoping, they keep the FIDM staff and teachers because thats what makes our school so special." Pabalan, who got her associate degree in merchandise product development, said a lot of the programs that draw students to FIDM appear to be on the cutting block under the ASU FIDM merger, including costume design and merchandise product development. Paquet, though, said ASU officials "intend to help all students complete programs that are consistent with the academic goals they have had at FIDM." "At the end of the day, this is very stressful, but I wanted to continue with FIDM, I wanted to stay in L.A. and this is the way theyre making it happen," Pabalan said. She said she just wished her school had provided more information and communication about the merger. "Its kind of like they just told us, but no one had any answers," Pabalan said. Current FIDM students have the option to transfer to ASU and are recommended to do so by spring 2024 for an easier transition, according to the new website. The merger is ASU's latest expansion into California and Los Angeles. The university has a campus in downtown L.A. that houses a semester-long journalism program and opportunities to attend its film school. The university also has a master's program partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Miranda Rico, who graduated from FIDM with a bachelor's degree in 2018, said she had been recently considering returning for a master's, but was surprised to hear about the ASU news and confused what it would mean. But after more consideration, she said ASU's credentials would probably only improve an MBA program at FIDM. I think it gives students a lot more opportunity than I had back in 2015," Rico said. Im optimistic. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Four restaurants were cited by inspectors from the Mississippi Health Department, one for the fourth time in seven years. El Rancho, 2441 Pass Road, Biloxi, was inspected March 30 for a permit renewal. It was cited for: Insects, rodents or animals present Inadequate hand washing facilities supplied and accessible Food contact surface cleaned and sanitized, a repeat offense Corrected during the inspection were: Food separated and protected Proper cold holding temperatures This is the fourth C for the restaurant since 2017. MGM Park Main Concession, 105 Caillavet St., Biloxi, had a scheduled inspection April 3. It was cited for sewage waste water not properly disposed. Corrected during the inspection was hot and cold water available at adequate pressure. This was the second C since 2015. Subway, 4315 Gex Road, Diamondhead, had a scheduled inspection April 10. It was cited for having no certified manager, a repeat offense. Corrected during the inspection was food contact surface clean and sanitized. This was the first C dating back to 2011. Little Caesars, 2530 Denny Ave., Pascagoula was inspected April 10 for a permit renewal. It was cited for having no certified manager. This is the third C since 2016. Restaurants and other food service establishments in Mississippi are rated A if they pass the health department inspection, B if violations are corrected during the inspection, and C if the violations are critical. Since March 21 there have been 167 restaurants in South Mississippi that scored an A for no violations and 26 that got a B when violations were corrected during the inspection. The United States is "our friend and ally", Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio in an interview on Friday. Orban said it was important that we are members of a joint military defence alliance and there were similarities of thinking between the two countries, with the basic beliefs are identical. The US is also a Christian country and economic ties show the image of a success story, he said. At the same time, he said the US was not unified and showed an image of a more divided country with large party political differences. When it is a Democrat president in the White House, then relations are more difficult and when there is a Republican, then they are easier, Orban said, adding that the Republican point of view was closer to the Hungarian governments views on basic issues. He said the US was free to send any ambassador it wants to Hungary, and we must accept that the American ambassador represents the USs opinion in Hungary. He said it was unusual that the US embassy uses street billboards to represent this American opinion. Orban said the billboards showing Russians go home seemed to suggest that they are one step behind because we have already sent them home. Orban: Measures Announced By US Not Sanctions Against Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in an interview to public radio on Friday, said the punitive measures announced by the US embassy were not sanctions against Hungary. The list announced by Washington includes 34 private individuals, including a single Hungarian and others from countries including Cyprus, Austria and Liechtenstein, he said, adding that the action focused basically on finance professionals. Orban said Hungary never agreed with the usefulness of sanctions but did not question anybodys right to introduce them. They have been acknowledged and will be respected, he added. The Budapest-based International Investment Bank (IIB) could have played an important role in developing central European economies, he said, but ever since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine it was clear the banks potential had been circumscribed and the recent sanctions destroyed it. Under these circumstances, he added, Hungarys participation in the banks future activities had become senseless, and it therefore withdrew its delegates from the bank and quit the IIB. Orban: Hungary Resisting Attempts to Force it into War The United States is not abandoning its plan to force everyone into a war alliance, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview to public radio on Friday, adding that Hungary would not allow them to force us into the war. Orban said the US appeared a safer place on the map, but you cant say this about the Carpathian Basin, and global political risks were different in Berehove (Beregszasz) and Budapest compared with America. Justifiably, we expect the United States to take Hungarys special situation into consideration, he said. Were on the side of peace, and that is where we want to remain, he said. The prime minister said that if there were a world war, it would be nuclear. Orban said the situation in Ukraine was deteriorating every week, while the danger of the war escalating was growing. He added that reports suggested that Britain was sending depleted uranium ammunition to the front in Ukraine, while Russia was deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. This is of course not a nuclear bomb, but it is one step closer to the world of the nuclear toolkit, he said. The fear that works its way through all of us, that the further escalation of war could result in the involvement of some sort of nuclear weapon, is not literary exaggeration, he said. God save us from that! he added. Orban: Govt For Peace, Security Has 'Overwhelming' Support in Hungary The pro-war left wing has a fraction of the support of the national government of peace and security, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday. Orban said he strove to find points of agreement in dialogue with the left in the interest of unity. [I]f a country agrees on big things, we are all the stronger, said, adding that it was regrettable that the left wing was not in the Hungarian peace camp. He said the government was trying to offer a bridge to the pro-peace camp, and this is why the ruling parties submitted a parliamentary resolution expressing Hungarys unwillingness to take part in the war in Ukraine or supply weapons. Orban said the international community should focus its energies on working for negotiations that lead to a ceasefire and peace. The left did not cross this bridge he said, adding that hope dies last. Orban said Ukraine financially was a non-existent country as the EU, including Hungary, financed its operations. This is ruining Europe, he added. He said European public opinion was not yet at the point where European leaders would change their position on the war and sanctions, but the moment of truth will come, adding that Europes security and economy were being ruined in the meantime. Orban said the war would be over the moment Europe and America answers no to the question of whether they would continue supporting Ukraine financially. With tens of billions of euros missing from the European economy, this cannot continue indefinitely, he added. Meanwhile, the prime minister called the French presidents visit to China very important, saying a different voice had appeared looking for potential partners rather than potential enemies, and he likened this to Hungarian common sense. Hungarian foreign policys aim, he added, was to gather friends, not enemies. The prime minister said that Emmanuel Macrons talk of European strategic autonomy also pointed in this direction, and it degraded Europes spirit to take over the foreign policy of other countries. Europe must start from its own interests, he said. France, he said, was Europes only leading power able to raise questions in a historical framework, and, he added, if only the French president were called de Gaulle everyone would agree with him on almost all issues. Orban said that Macron was honourable, though he did not conceive of Europes future in the same way as Hungary, as we believe in a Christian renaissance, while Macron saw the need to make a liberal Europe globally competitive. KEARNEY The University of Nebraska at Kearney Police Department is investigating an alleged assault by a professor. The alleged incident involved multiple UNK students and a female faculty member, said Todd Gottula, UNK senior director of communications and marketing. The incident occurred on March 31 in a classroom in Bruner Hall here on campus. We got a couple anonymous complaints to UNK police, and they investigated the incident, but no charges have been filed, Gottula told The Hub. The Antelope, UNK's student newspaper, reported a student told police she was struck in the head by the professor, which exacerbated preexisting head trauma. Gottula explained the professor is a visiting faculty member, and the university placed her on administrative leave and removed her from the classroom. She is no longer teaching in the classroom and is not allowed on campus, Gottula said. There is no threat to the safety to the students or our employees. The class the professor was instructing continues after being reassigned to another faculty member. UNK Police continue to investigate the case. FlyArystan, a low-cost Kazakh carrier, is expanding its presence in the international market. The airline has announced new flights from India's capital, Delhi, to achieve this goal. With this expansion, the airline aims to get passengers who travel from Kazakhstan to India as tourists, students, and for other purposes. To aid this expansion, the airline is also adding more aircraft to its fleet size. Bookings for FlyArystan's forthcoming service between Shymkent and New Delhi have already commenced. There will be two weekly flights between the two cities, on Monday and Thursday. Also read: Watch: Brave Ryanair Pilot Skillfully Navigates Boeing 737 Amidst Severe Crosswind The airline anticipates that this Shymkent-based service will draw travellers from Almaty, Astana, Atyrau, Kostanay, Semey, and Aktobe as well. Passengers from Kazakhstan travelling to India on a regular basis include those going there for leisure travel, medical tourism, and educational purposes. The airline said in a statement, "New route Shymkent-Delhi-Shymkent is perfect both for tourists who want to learn the culture of India and for students of both countries. It is worth noting high-quality medical tourism in Delhi, which is highly demanded among tourists worldwide. We are pleased to provide an opportunity for safe and affordable travel to Delhi for tourists from Kazakhstan!" Delhi is the eighth international location for FlyArystan. Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey, Kutaisi in Georgia, Baku in Azerbaijan, Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Yerevan in Armenia, and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan are all destinations that the airline currently offers flights to. There are presently 14 Airbus A320 aircraft in the carrier's fleet. Due to the anticipated arrival of numerous new aircraft, it intends to expand its fleet to 19 aircraft by the end of this year. In fact, FlyArystan received a brand-new plane from the Airbus manufacturer for the first time just last year. Since then, four brand-new Airbus A320neos of the newest generation have been welcomed. New Delhi: Billionaire Elon Musk is working on launching an artificial intelligence start-up that will rival ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, the Financial Times reported on Friday citing people familiar with his plans. Twitter-owner Musk is assembling a team of AI researchers and engineers, according to the FT report, and is also in discussions with some investors in SpaceX and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) about putting money into his new venture. Billionaire Elon Musk is working on launching an artificial intelligence start-up that will rival ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, the Financial Times reported on Friday citing people familiar with his plans. Twitter-owner Musk is assembling a team of AI researchers and engineers, according to the FT report, and is also in discussions with some investors in SpaceX and Tesla Inc about putting money into his new venture. Musk has secured thousands of graphics processing units, systems that power the computing required for intensive tasks such as AI and high-end graphics, from Nvidia Corp, according to FT. Shares of the chip company, which declined to comment on the matter, gained on the news on Friday. Musk last month registered a firm named X.AI Corp, incorporated in Nevada, according to a state filing. The firm lists Musk as the sole director and Jared Birchall, the managing director of Musk's family office, as a secretary. It was not clear if the firm was related to Musk's reported AI start-up efforts. Musk did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Musk is one of the co-founders of OpenAI, which was started as a non-profit in 2015. He stepped down from the company's board in 2018. New Delhi: The Delhi government has called a special session of the assembly on Monday and it is likely to discuss CBI's notice to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case in the House. The second part of the Budget Session will commence in the Assembly Hall at 11.00 am on Monday, according to an official notification. The CBI has summoned Kejriwal at its headquarters at 11 am on Sunday to question him in connection with the formulation of the now-scraped excise policy. He has been called by the agency as a witness and is not an accused in the case in which his former deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26. The AAP has alleged that the party is being targeted for raising its voice against corruption. "This incident is unprecedented. And this should be discussed in the assembly. We will have views of all MLAs who are representing various constituencies in Delhi and know their perspective about this issue in the upcoming session," AAP national spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said earlier in the day. On Saturday, Kejriwal said he will appear before the CBI in the excise policy case and asserted that if he was "corrupt" then no one in the world was "honest." He also said he will sue the CBI and ED officials for alleged perjury and filing false affidavits in courts. "We will file appropriate cases against CBI and ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts," he tweeted. At the centre of the controversy over an alleged excise policy scam, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind on Saturday said that the Aam Aadmi Party will file appropriate cases against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts. Day after CBI summoned him in the case, Kejriwal said that if he is corrupt, then no one is honest in the world. Kejriwal said that he will appear before the CBI. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal said the AAP has emerged as a ray of hope for the country and that is the reason why efforts are being made to trample it. Addressing the press conference, CM Kejriwal said no other party has been targeted in the last 75 years in the way the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is being targeted. We will file appropriate cases against CBI and ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts April 15, 2023 "Tomorrow, they (CBI) have called me and I will definitely go. I want to say it again, Prime Minister sir, if Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt and a thief, then there is no one honest in this world...The BJP leaders are doing press conferences claiming they will get Kejriwal arrested. If BJP has ordered CBI to arrest me, then CBI will obviously follow their instructions," said Kejriwal. #WATCH | Tomorrow, they (CBI) have called me and I will definitely go. If Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then there is no one in this world who is honest... If BJP has ordered CBI to arrest me, then CBI will obviously follow their instructions: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/1PbAD6QajT ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2023 The AAP convenor underlined that the excise policy, which is the centre of attention, is an excellent policy and is doing well in Punjab where the party is in power. Accusing the CBI and the ED of filing false affidavits, he said they are alleging that his former deputy Manish Sisodia destroyed 14 phones, but the reality is different. Kejriwal further said that it has been alleged that a bribe of Rs 100 crore was taken, but he asked where was the money. "More than 400 raids were conducted...Where is the money? It was said that money was used in the Goa elections. They questioned every Goa vendor whom we had employed, but could not find anything. The question is not about corruption in the excise policy," he asserted. The Delhi chief minister added that he was told that "his number would be next" after he had spoken about corruption in the state assembly last month. At a time when the Congress is striking a balance between its top leaders D.K. Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, the BJP high command is favouring former chief minister and the party`s Central Parliamentary Committee member B.S. Yediyurappa to keep the Lingayat vote bank intact in Karnataka. Sources in the party said that the high command, which tamed Yediyurappa and asked him to step down from the post of CM and snubbed him till just before the elections, has now decided to tread cautiously with him. Analysts who have watched Yediyurappa closely talk about how he challenged the BJP`s revered leader L.K. Advani in 2011 after being asked to resign following the Lokayukta report against him on alleged charges of illegal mining. He did not accept the diktat of the BJP high command on the appointment of the new CM. He installed the CM of his choice, D.V. Sadananda Gowda. Later, in July 2012, he got Sadananada Gowda removed from the office and anointed Jagadish Shettar to the CM`s post, much to the chagrin of the BJP high command and his enemies. On December 10, 2012 Yediyurappa launched the KJP party and contested the elections. The party managed to get close to 10 per cent of the votes and decimated the ruling BJP in the 2013 assembly elections paving the way for the Congress to obtain a simple majority. Yediyurappa`s party had won 6 of the 203 seats it contested, and restricted the BJP to a mere 40 seats. The BJP had won 110 seats in the 2008 assembly elections under the leadership of Yediyurappa. During the height of the corona pandemic, Yediyurappa had warned of action against those who tried to target Muslims in the backdrop of the Tablighi Jamaat controversy. The statement had angered the Sangh Parivar and Hindu activists. During the state executive committee meeting Yediyurappa had stated that the elections can`t be won only in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The competition is tough in Karnataka and he called on the party workers to reach out to the people. However, Yediyurappa kept quiet when he was snubbed by the state as well as the central leadership. He was not to be seen while welcoming PM Modi when he arrived in Karnataka. When his detractors started saying that the BJP had moved on from Yediyurappa, the central leadership made him a member of the BJP Central Parliamentary Committee. As the state inched closer to the election, the high command brought him into the limelight. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh went to the extent of saying publicly that the next government will take shape as per the wishes of Yediyurappa. PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were seen with Yediyurappa. Party sources said that as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has failed to emerge as a mass leader, the party had to go back to Yediyurappa. The party knows the impulsive nature of the 80-year-old Yediyurappa, who is presently concerned about shaping the political career of his son B.Y. Vijayendra. The party had given the ticket to Vijayendra as per his wishes to contest from Shikaripura constituency. BJP insiders say that as of now all is well between Yediyurappa and the party. Khartoum: The Indian embassy in Sudan warned its citizens to stay indoors and not venture out in the wake of clashes between Sudan`s army and paramilitary forces. The Indian embassy in Sudan tweeted, "Notice to all Indians in view of reported firings and clashes, all Indians are advised to take utmost precautions, stay indoors and stop venturing outside with immediate effect. Please also stay calm and wait for updates." NOTICE TO ALL INDIANS IN VIEW OF REPORTED FIRINGS AND CLASHES, ALL INDIANS ARE ADVISED TO TAKE UTMOST PRECAUTIONS, STAY INDOORS AND STOP VENTURING OUTSIDE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT. PLEASE ALSO STAY CALM AND WAIT FOR UPDATES. India in Sudan (@EoI_Khartoum) April 15, 2023 As clashes were reported between rival factions of armed forces in Sudan, several gunshots and explosions rang out on Saturday morning in various parts of Khartoum, reported New York Times. Many videos appeared on social media showing armed fighters driving across the runway of the city`s international airport, conducting checkpoints at crucial traffic intersections, and moving through residential areas. At the same time, heavy gunfire was audible in the background.The skirmishes were a dire development after weeks of escalating tensions between the Sudanese Army, led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary organisation, led by Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan. In recent days, UN officials and ambassadors from many nations have fought to keep the tensions from escalating into violence. But, those attempts seemed to fail early on Saturday as anxious locals hunkered inside their homes, as per New York Times.Both sides have been accusing each other of starting the fight. The Rapid Support Forces, in a statement, said it first came under attack at a camp in Soba, in the south of Khartoum, by the regular army in a "sweeping attack with all kinds of heavy and light weapons." The military, 18 months after its coup, had promised to cede control to a civilian-led government this month. Yet, the process has been dominated by a rivalry between General al-Burhan and General Hamdan, also known as Hemeti. The two generals have been openly criticising one another in speeches over the past few months, and they have dispatched reinforcements and armoured vehicles to oppose military camps spread around the city. Residents` worst fears came true on Saturday when the fighting soon extended across the Nile to Khartoum`s twin city of Omdurman, where locals reported that armed men had surrounded the state broadcaster`s offices.The flights out of the international airport, which is in central Khartoum, were cancelled, reported New York Times. Nikhil Kumaraswamy, grandson of former Prime Minister and veteran JD(S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda, and son of ex-Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, is getting ready to contest the May 10 Assembly elections from Ramanagara. The Deve Gowda family`s grand plan of launching Nikhil Kumaraswamy in politics had failed in 2019, when he was defeated by actress-turned-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh by a huge margin of 1.25 lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Mandya. His cousin Prajwal Revanna though had managed to win from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. Now, the powerful political family of Karnataka is carefully planning the re-entry of Nikhil into politics from the safest possible seat. Ramanagara, which comes under the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency, is presently represented by Nikhil`s mother Anita Kumaraswamy, who had won the 2018 by-election by a whopping margin of 1,09,137 votes. The Ramanagaram constituency fell vacant after Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who had contested from two seats in the May Assembly polls, took oath as the legislator from Channapatna. The JD(S) has been winning from Ramanagara since 2004, with Kumaraswamy emerging victorious on four occasions -- 2004, 2008, 20013, 2018. However, when Nikhil took a tour of the constituency after the confirmation of his candidature, he had to face the wrath of women who alleged lack of development in the area. Women from Doddabadigere village told Nikhil that they won`t vote if development is not assured, as they complained about availability of drinking water, and improper drainage system. Nikhil gave a patient hearing to their grievances and assured them that he would get the works done. The video of the conservation went viral on social media, causing embarrassment for the JD(S) leadership. However, Nikhil`s mature way of handling the situation was appreciated. The BJP has fielded Gowtham Gowda from Ramanagara, while the Congress has given ticket to senior leader Iqbal Hussain H.A. Some sources claim that Nikhil should win the elections comfortably. The constituency has 2,06,999 voters. Hindus make up 51.04 per cent of the electorate, while Muslim account for 47.65 per cent of the voters. The Vokkaliga vote bank is dominant among the Hindus, which stands firmly with the JD(S). A major chunk of Muslim voters has traditionally supported the Deve Gowda family.However, the competition can be close this time with a section of the Congress projecting prominant Vokkaliga leader D.K. Shivakumar as the party`s chief ministerial face. In that case, it would be interesting to see if the JD(S) succeeds in holding on to the Vokkaliga vote bank in Ramanagara. Also, given the rising polarisation on religious lines Karnataka, holding on to the Muslim votes can also prove to be a tricky affair for the JD(S). So, it`s certainly not going to be a cakewalk for Nikhil in what is considered to be a `safe` seat of the JD(S). New Delhi: Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were killed by three assailants who were posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night when the police personnel were escorting the duo to a medical college in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj for a checkup. In the vidoes going viral all over social media platforms, Atiq Ahmed is seen addressing media and suddenly an assailant shoots him in his head and then shoots his brother. Several rounds of guns were fired upon Atiq and his brother Ashraf by the three assailants. After gunning down Atiq and his brother, the attckers raised the slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram' while the police took a hold of them. The brothers were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews. According to IANS report, One of the journalists who was present on the spot said, "The assailants shouted `surrender, surrender` and threw their firearms on the ground." Meanwhile, prohibitory orders have imposed in Prayagraj and other communally sensitive districts. PAC and RAF teams have been deployed in Prayagraj and the bodies have been removed from the scene of crime. Atiq Ahmed`s eldest son Umar is lodged in Lucknow jail, while the second son Ali is lodged in Naini Central Jail in separate cases. The third son Asad was shot dead in an encounter in Jhansi on Thursday and was buried in Prayagraj on Saturday. The fourth son Ahjam and the youngest son Aban are housed in a juvenile home in Prayagraj. His wife Shaista Parveen is absconding after being named in criminal cases. (Bloomberg) -- The Group of Seven nations are nearing a deal to accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels but have failed to agree on a timeline to exit coal, according to French Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher. Most Read from Bloomberg Pannier-Runacher spoke on the sidelines of a meeting of G-7 energy and environment ministers in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo that runs through Sunday. The ministers are negotiating a joint communique that outlines support from the worlds most advanced economies for the global energy transition. For the first time ever, the G-7 says that we must accelerate the phasing out of all unabated fossil fuels, Pannier-Runacher told reporters on Saturday. We could not reach an agreement on exiting coal by a specific date, which we wanted to set at 2030. The G-7 have appointed themselves leaders in the global mission to decarbonize, and the communique sends an important political signal that sets the tone for energy and climate conversations fpr the rest of the year. Still, the failure to agree on a timeline to exit coal may weaken resolve ahead of a critical UN climate summit in Dubai later this year COP 28 where nearly 200 nations will be pressed to phase out the fossil fuel. The G-7 also calls for accelerating installment of renewables, Pannier-Runacher said. A plan in the works would aim to triple solar capacity and boost offshore wind generation seven-fold from 2021 levels across the group by the end of this decade, Nikkei reported Saturday. Read more: G-7 Energy Ministers Face Climate Fight With Japan as Host The G-7 pledged last year to end new direct public support for the international unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022, except in limited circumstances clearly defined by each country that are consistent with a 1.5 C warming limit. But that hasnt stopped some members from continuing to finance new fossil fuel generation. Story continues The Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Japanese Nippon Export and Investment Insurance earlier this year committed $655 million for a new 1,580 megawatt natural gas power plant in Uzbekistan. And public finance support in Germany and Italy for fossil fuel projects doesnt align with climate pledges the groups energy and environment ministers made last year, according to nonprofit group Oil Change International. In the earlier drafts of the communique for the ministerial, Japan had called for support for upstream investment in LNG and natural gas. The French energy minister said that a compromise was reached which implicitly means that we cannot invest in the exploration of new gas capacity. G7 countries are still negotiating over ways to reduce vehicle emissions, Pannier-Runacher said, without elaborating. Securing metals critical for building green technologies is also under discussion, Japans NHK reported Friday, and G-7 members are working on a plan to allocate more than 1 trillion yen ($7.5 billion) toward the development of supply chains to ensure supplies of minerals like lithium and nickel. The proposal may help sidestep export restrictions on raw materials critical for manufacturing batteries and building clean energy infrastructure by countries including China and India. We have all became acutely aware that over-reliance on a single energy supplier and a lack of diversification imply high risks, for energy security and for our clean energy transition, European Union Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said in an email. This applies to conventional fuels, like gas or oil, as Russias war against Ukraine has underscored, but also to future clean techs, with respect to the necessary critical materials. The Sapporo meeting is a precursor to the annual G-7 summit for world leaders, which Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will host in Hiroshima next month. --With assistance from Tsuyoshi Inajima, Takashi Umekawa and Ewa Krukowska. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. THIMPHU: Bhutan is being "heavily pressurised by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)" to change its stand on Doklam, according to a Delhi-based foreign policy think tank Red Lantern Analytica (RLA). "Bhutan, who even agreed to coordinate its foreign policy with that of India, under agreements like the Friendship Treaty, is now being heavily pressurised by the CCP to change its stand owing to which Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, recently made claims stating that 'China has equal stake in Doklam dispute' as it is not up to Bhutan alone to solve the Doklam dispute and that all three countries - Bhutan, India and China are equal stakeholders," read an RLA statement. Doklam is a disputed area between India, Bhutan and China. The Doklam plateau issue rose to the limelight in 2017 when under the CCP`s leadership, Chinese troops with construction vehicles and road-building equipment, began extending an existing road southward in Doklam.China claims the entire Doklam plateau while India maintains the dignity of historical treaties, as per Red Lantern Analytica. According to the think tank, China has been toying with Bhutan`s sovereignty and territorial integrity for decades, sometimes by showing large parts of Bhutan as part of China in Chinese maps, sometimes by building heavy infrastructure in Bhutan`s territory, but mostly by trying to construct illegal sites in the disputed areas. Though it might look like Bhutan has limited options when it comes to stopping China`s increasing encroachment on Bhutan`s territory, it is important for the country not to get lured by the cheesy words of the CCP and take a pacifist stand, as taking side with China just might fetch the exact opposite outcome, according to RLA. The think tank said that Bhutan should not fall into the trap of China`s dubious claims and reciprocate with gusto which India has always shown in trying to resolve Bhutan's conflicts with China. Bhutan should take its own clear stand on the issue while being uninfluenced by China. According to RLA, the Doklam issue is a sensitive geopolitical issue of which Bhutan is an indispensable part; therefore, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering must take into consideration the interests of both India and Bhutan before caving into the whims and fancies of the CCP. New Delhi: Mehul Choksi, the diamantaire wanted in India in connection with a Rs 13000 crore fraud, cannot be removed from Antigua and Barbuda, the country's High Court ruled Friday. Choksi, the claimant, has argued in his civil lawsuit that the Attorney General of Antigua and the Chief of Police have a duty to conduct a thorough investigation and that he has an arguable claim that he was subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, news agency PTI reported. Choksi has requested relief, including a declaration that suggests he is entitled to a prompt and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his forcible removal from Antigua and Barbuda on or about May 23, 2021. The 63-year-old diamantaire is wanted in India in connection with a Rs 13,000-crore fraud in the Punjab National Bank (PNB). According to the court order, Mehul Choksi cannot be removed from Antigua and Barbuda's territory unless the High Court rules after an interparty hearing and after Choksi has exhausted all other legal options, including appeals. The defendants, on the other hand, argued that there is no valid complaint that exposes a cause of action for any failure to carry out an "effective" and "rapid" investigation within the scope of the jurisdiction under section 7 of the Constitution. As per PTI, the defendant also claimed that the claim was frivolous, vexatious, and an abuse of the court`s process. Collusion, forced abduction, removal from Antigua and Barbuda, assault, and battery are among the incidents detailed in the Claimant Mehul Choksi`s affidavits in support of the claim. The Claimant was forcibly transported to the Commonwealth of Dominica aboard a boat, as per the report of Nature Isle News. According to the claimant`s evidence, he asked to consult with his lawyers at the time he was approached by the individuals, but that request was denied. Interpol Removes Red Notice On Choksi Earlier in March, the name of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi wanted in a Rs 13,000-crore scam in the Punjab National Bank is understood to have been removed from the Interpol database of Red Notices on the basis of his plea to the Lyon-headquartered agency, people in the know of the development said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remained tight-lipped on the development. The Red Notice is highest form of alert issued by the 195-member country-strong Interpol to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. Requests seeking comments of the CBI and the legal team of Choksi remained unanswered. The Interpol had issued the Red Notice against Choksi in 2018, nearly 10 months after he fled from India in January that year to take refuge in Antigua and Barbuda, where he had taken citizenship. Choksi had challenged the CBI application seeking issuance of Red Notice against him, calling the case a result of political conspiracy, sources said. He had also raised questions on issues such as jail conditions in India, his personal safety and health, they added. An IndiGo plane enroute to Bagdogra returned to Delhi on Saturday afternoon due to a technical problem. While a source said the aircraft made an emergency landing due to a technical problem, IndiGo said the flight 6E 6282 from Delhi to Bagdogra returned to Delhi as a precaution. "The pilot noticed a technical issue and requested a turn back. The aircraft landed safely and is undergoing necessary inspection. An alternate aircraft was provided for the passengers to be flown to Bagdogra," IndiGo said in a statement. According to the source, there were more than 200 people onboard. Starting a new airline is a no small feat, starting a new airline in India is even tougher and starting a successful pan-India airline takes another level of grit. Well, thats what I thought about the Akasa Air, soon after taking my first ever flight aboard an Akasa plane from the Manohar International Airport in Goa to Delhi. Akasa Air was started back in August 2022 by a group of aviation veterans, backed by Late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. Having covered the developments of Akasa from the get-go, I knew something special was brewing in the Indias aviation industry, as Akasa was not just a new airline. Nevertheless, my curious travel experience started the moment I set my foot on the new Goa Airport, and ended at least a few hours after I reached my home, thinking how far along our aviation industry has come. While the Mopa airport did leave a big impact on me, I will try to be as objective as possible while talking about my first Akasa flight. Heres our GOX-DEL Akasa Air Flight review. The Plane Akasa Air, before its formal launch, announced a massive deal with Boeing Co, ordering 72 Boeing 737-8 MAX aircrafts putting everyone to surprise. To the uninitiated, the same aircrafts were involved in two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019, resulting in aviation agencies across the globe to ground these planes. However, in 2021, various countries lifted the ban on the MAX aircraft after Boeing fixed the issue, including India. Also, its some sort of ground rule by domestic airlines to deploy Airbus single aisle planes on domestic routes, as they are more affordable to own. For a new airline to order a Boeing plane, and that too a MAX, was a bold move, to say the least. Leaving those two crashes aside (which was a result of a faulty MCAS sensor system), the Boeing 737-8 MAX is widely considered an advanced, frugal and value-for-money aircraft. The plane is an advanced version of the iconic B737 aircraft and gets CFM International LEAP-1B engines, that lend it the reputed efficiency and performance. Though I have travelled on the Boeing 737 Max plane 5 years back from Delhi to Dubai in a 3.5 hour flight, I was excited to board the plane again. The whole boarding experience was smooth and to my surprise, the flight was on time. To those who have travelled from Goa, they know Goa is notorious for flight delays. The boarding was distributed Zone wise, and our entry to the flight was through an Aerobridge. My first reaction after seeing the plane on the apron was its colour scheme. The use of bright colours like orange and purple makes sure you notice the plane every time you see an Akasa flight. As soon as I was welcomed by the cabin crew onboard the flight, I had a smile on my face seeing the gender-neutral cabin crew dress, but that I will mention later. The next thing I noticed was the colour of the seats. The seats with semi-leather upholstery had an aqua green colour, which I somehow didnt like. It was going against the colour scheme of the plane. Nevertheless, I loaded my handbag in the luggage stowage and sat in my window seat (as always) and was flabbergasted to see the legroom. Having travelled in almost all the airlines in India, I can honestly say, Akasa planes have among the best legroom. You then get amenities like USB charger, phone holding tray among other stuff. The cushioning on the seat was ample for a comfortable 3 hour flight. Another key point is that the plane offers magazine storage space at the back of the seat. The flight took off on time, and I was wondering how well engineering those CFM engines are. Despite me being seated quite close to the right engine, there was minimum vibrations and cabin noise while taking off. The dual pointed winglets are unique to the Max aircrafts as well. After we reached the cruising altitude, the food was served, which, again, I will mention in a while. Since we took an evening flight, the cabin lights looked bright, yet soothing. Boeing has worked on its cabin lights a lot and it shows on the 737 Max planes. We reached Delhi on time and landed at the Terminal 2 without any fuss. The deboarding was quick as well. Cabin Crew One thing that I have admired about Akasa Air is their new gender neutral crew uniform. Announced back in June 2022, Akasa Air became the first Indian airline to introduce custom trousers, jackets, and sneakers for its in-flight crew. As mentioned by Akasa earlier, the trouser and jacket fabric has been specially made for Akasa Air, using recycled polyester fabric which is made from pet bottle plastic salvaged from marine waste. The crew dress is designed by Rajesh Pratap Singh, and the footwear is also specially designed for the comfort of the cabin crew, who spend long hours standing. The Vanilla Moon designed sneakers contains extra cushioning from heel to toe and the sole of the sneakers is carved from recycled rubber and manufactured without any use of plastic. Just like the sound of all this looks promising on paper, seeing the dress in person makes you feel proud, even as a flyer. Having travelled in flights for a long time now, seeing crew, especially the cabin crew in sneakers is a comforting thought. The orange and black coloured dress is quite Indian, yet modern. More so, the flight crew was courteous, well trained and soft spoken. The Food On the cusp of its inaugural flight in 2022, Akasa Air announced Cafe Akasa, the on-board catering service of the airline. Akasa is a low-cost airline, offering a premium service to the customers and hence, the food is on a need to eat basis. You can either buy it on the flight, or pre-book your meal while booking the flight. Speaking about the Cafe Akasa, the airline promises a wide choice of fusion meals, that are farm-inspired and have plant-based offerings. The options include Pasta, Vietnamese rice rolls, Middle Eastern Falafel platter, Continental Bagels, Burgers, Sandwiches, Insta friendly Salad and various Pies, Cakes and Puddings. While the menu sounds promising, our flight from Goa Airport to Delhi offered us only mixed nuts or cashews and a handful of beverages. On being asked, the cabin crew said since the flight is not originating from Goa, these options are not available. Further, the pre-packaged meal was over as the facility to load the cabin again during turnaround flight is not available. It left everyone who pre-booked their meals in a bad taste. IMHO, these are all teething issues as the airline started its operations only 8 months ago and more so, the new Goa Airport was opened recently as well. Having said that, Akasa did send me some of the food items at my place and I found them quite delicious and innovative. Finally boarded my first @AkasaAir flight on GOX-DEL sector Also my first #Boeing 737-8 MAX flight since 2018 Loved the crew dress, so comfy & gender-neutral Orange-Purple livery stands out at any airport Not sure about the seat colour choice#AkasaAir #aviation #MopaAirport pic.twitter.com/HWYXgLHl3t Arjit Garg (@Arjit_Garg) April 6, 2023 Closing Remarks My first Akasa Air flight was a special experience, as I witnessed a making of a successful and thoughtful airline on the Indian soil. While the planes are new, the menu is unique among other things, I found the idea behind Akasa noble, thanks to their crew uniform as well as pet travel policy. Surely there are teething issues, which are well understood, as running an airline is a colossal task, but India desperately needed a new airline amid the Covid-19 turmoil. Hoping to catch more Akasa flights in the near future to further solidify my thoughts about the airline. A Saudia Airlines cargo flight on Saturday made an emergency landing at Kolkata Airport after its windshield cracked mid-air, reports ANI. The aircraft landed safely at the Kolkata Airport at 12:02 pm. Before the landing, the airport had made all the necessary arrangements. Full emergency was withdrawn after the flight landed, according to airport officials. Recently, an Abu Dhabi-bound Etihad Airways flight returned to the Bangalore International Airport shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. The airline said that the aircraft did a normal landing at Bangalore airport. The flight inspection was done and later took off to its destination where it landed this morning. Also read: Flight From Mumbai-Goa At Rs 85: Air Ticket From 1975 Makes Internet Nostalgic, See Pic Earlier on April 1, a full emergency was declared at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi after a Dubai-bound FedEx aircraft suffered a bird hit soon after take-off, according to airport officials. Happy Vishu 2023 Wishes Images, Quotes, Messages, Status, Greetings: According to the Malayalam solar calendar, Vishu is the name given to the first month of Medam. Vishu is celebrated on April 15 every year. Hindus in Kerala, the Tulu Nadu area of Karnataka, the Mahe district of Pondicherry, and various regions in Tamil Nadu celebrate Vishu with tremendous fervour. The ninth month in the Malayalam calendar, Medam, is when it is traditionally commemorated. As a part of the celebrations, people worship Lord Krishna (fondly called Unni Krishnan) who is an avatar of Lord Vishnu, make kolams (rangolis) using rice and flour at the entrance of houses, and wear new clothes. Malayalis all across the nation get ready for the New Year by adorning their houses with lovely pookalam patterns and preparing the delicious Vishu Sadya, the traditional feast that is served on banana leaves with at least 20 to 30 dishes and enjoyed by the entire family. This occasion is marked with a great deal of pomp and circumstance across the nation. Punjab and Haryana enjoy Baisakhi, whereas West Bengal and Assam celebrate Poila Baishak. Tamil Nadu celebrates Puthandu. Malayalis decorate various auspicious items in front of their homes during Vishu and celebrate it first thing in the morning. Here are some wishes, messages, and WhatsApp status to spread festive cheer: - Wish you bright rays of happiness, joy, and prosperity, Happy Vishu! - God created the world on this day for his followers. May you find new hope and happiness in your heart to make your life beautiful! Happy Vishu! - Happy Vishu to you and your loved ones. May this year bring happiness and prosperity to your lives. - May Lord Krishna fill your life with love, peace, and joy throughout the year, Happy Vishu! - On this day, lets bring positive and peaceful energy to us and our surroundings, wish you a peaceful Vishu. - With this new year strengthens our friendship and takes it to a new and strong level, Happy Vishu! - From Vishukkani to Vishu Sadya, may you be able to enjoy the special moments of the festival with your family. Happy Vishu. - Wishing you joy, wealth, and prosperity on this auspicious occasion of Vishu. May the joy of Vishu bring prosperity and cheer have a beautiful day ahead with your loved ones near happy Vishu! - Happy Vishu. May this day bring prosperity, happiness, and joy to you and your family. - On this day, lets bring positive and peaceful energy to us and our surroundings, wish you a peaceful Vishu. Vishu is one of the most significant festivals celebrated in South India. It marks the beginning of a new agricultural cycle in Kerala. Vishu is observed as a time for renewal, hope, and optimism as people welcome the New Year with open arms and pray for a prosperous year ahead. Vishu, which is also celebrated as a harvest festival, falls on the first day of the Malayalam month of 'Medam'. As Vishu is the start of a new year, it also emphasises the importance of reflection and renewal where one assesses their life and makes an amendment if necessary for betterment. Special pujas take place on Vishu day in many temples including in Famous Guruvayur and Sabarimala. People in Kerala ushered in the Malayalam New Year, Vishu with colourful rituals, traditional fervour, and gaiety looking forward to a season of prosperity and progress. In the northern parts of the state, the day marked the beginning of the 'Vishu Vilakku' festival season in many temples. Vishu 2023: Traditional Foods, Rituals, And Celebrations On Vishu day, many Keralites wake up at dawn and take darshan at Vishu Kani which is a collection of auspicious items (flowers, fruits, vegetables, rice, and a small statue of lord Krishna) along with a Nilavilaku, a lamb. For the Vishu Kani children with their eyes covered with hands are led from their beds towards it by elders. Eyes are opened when they reach the Vishu Kani and have a darshan. Another traditional practice on Vishu day is Vishu Kaineettam which is elders giving money to children and others. Vishu Sadhya, sumptuous lunch with traditional Kerala dishes, is also one of the essentials. Also read: Vishu 2023: Know Date, Significance And Rituals Of Malayalam New Year Keeping with the tradition, elders followed the practice of presenting money, especially coins, as 'Vishukkaineetam' to youngsters in the family. People in Kerala are seen shopping for the celebration of Vishu. In Kottayam, many people are seen collecting Lord Krishnas statue, and flowers from the Konna tree for Vishu Kani. In the district most of the shops are filled with Lord Krishna statues, there is a wide variety of Krishna statues in shops like small Krishna, Blue Krishna, Krishna, and Radha. Vishu 2023: Traditional Foods Besides seasonal fruits, vegetables, and flowers, rice, gold ornaments, clothes, coins, and holy texts are arranged on a platter in front of the deity to be the first sight of people when they wake up on Vishu day. The preparation of 'Vishu Sadhya', a sumptuous feast comprising ethnic delicacies made of seasonal produce like cucumber, mango, and jackfruit, was also a highlight of the Vishu celebrations in central and southern districts. All major temples, including Lord Krishna's at Guruvayur and Lord Ayyappa's at Sabarimala in the state, witnessed a heavy rush of devotees in the early morning hours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan were among those who greeted people on the day. "Vishu greetings to everyone. Wishing you all a great year ahead," Modi tweeted. (With inputs from agencies) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which surprised many with its victory in Surat Municipal elections in 2021, is appearing to be in splits in Gujarat. On Friday midnight, six AAP municipal councillors in Surat switched sides to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Along with them, four AAP councillors who had left the party earlier formally joined the BJP. CR Patil, who is Gujarat BJP chief and a member of Lok Sabha from the Navsari constituency, presided over the event. Gujarat's Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi was also present during the occasion. The six municipal councillors who left AAP are Ghanshyam Makwana, Dharmendra Vavaliya, Kiran Khokhani, Ashok Dhami, Niraliben Patel and Swati Kyada. The four councillors who had left the party earlier are Bhavnaben Solanki, Rutaben Kheni, Jyotikaben Lathiya and Vipulbhai Movaliya. #WATCH | Gujarat: 6 AAP corporators from Surat joined BJP in the presence of state Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi (14/04) pic.twitter.com/Glc2jZAVPU ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2023 The AAP had made a spectacular debut in the Surat civic body in 2021 winning a total of 27 seats. The Surat victory had marked AAP's official entry into Gujarat's politics. Now, out of the 27 seats, only 17 are left with AAP. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has 120 seats. The BJP had won 93 seats in the 2021 polls. With 10 AAP councillors joining the saffron party, it now has 103 members in the house. Congress did not win any seat in the polls. Speaking at their welcome ceremony, minister Sanghavi said, "AAP corporators resigned from their party and joined the BJP." He added that the true face of AAP is coming to light before the country today. "The way AAP leaders spared nothing to defame Gujarat and people of the state, corporators of AAP joined the BJP with a pledge to develop their respective wards," the minister told reporters. Meanwhile, the state unit of the AAP alleged that its corporators were being lured as well as threatened into joining the BJP. In a video statement, AAP corporator Dipti Sakariya alleged that she was invited to the residence of a BJP minister in state capital Gandhinagar, where she was offered money to join the BJP. Another AAP corporator Rachna Hirpara said the BJP has been trying to make AAP corporators switch sides ever since they won the election. In the 2022 Gujarat Assembly Election, the AAP troubled the BJP and Congress to win five maiden seats with a vote share of 12.92 per cent. The Gujarat assembly seats won by the AAP were Botad, Dediapada, Gariadhar, Jamjodhpur and Visavadar. With its victory in Punjab, Delhi and Gujarat, the AAP became eligible to get the status of a national party. The Election Commission of India on April 10 accorded the status of a national party to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP. NEW DELHI: Congress party released the list of party election observers for Bangalore City and Assembly Level Observers to oversee the Election Preparations for the Assembly Elections in Karnataka-2023, the party said on Friday. A total of 61 observers in the state have been appointed by Congress to oversee the election preparations for the upcoming elections in Karnataka. "Congress President has approved the proposal for the appointment of AICC Observersfor Bangalore City and AICC Assembly Level Observers to oversee the Election Preparationsfor the ensuing Assembly Elections in Karnataka-2023, in selective assembly segment/sassigned to each of them, as follows, with immediate effect," the press release mentioned. The party has appointed 5 observers to Bangalore City from the list of 61 observers. "Congress Party observers for Bangalore City are Ex-PCC chief N. Raghuveera Reddy, Ex MRCC President Sanjay Nirupam, MP Benny Behanan, MP Karti Chidambaram, MP Jothimani," it mentioned. Karnataka, which has 224 seats in the Assembly currently has 119 MLAs of the ruling BJP, while Congress has 75 and its ally JD(S) has 28 seats. Political parties in the State including the ruling BJP, Congress and ally JD(S) are engaged in a spate of allegations and counter-allegations, with the latter attempting to corner the government over the issue of corruption. Elections are slated to be held in Karnataka in a single phase on May 10, and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. New Delhi: A traffic policeman in Punjab's Ludhiana was dragged on top of a car's bonnet for about a kilometre after the driver ignored the cop's signal to stop. Police said there were two occupants in the car, both of whom have been identified. Both have criminal antecedents, they added. A video purportedly of the incident has gone viral on the social media. In the video, the traffic policeman is seen perched dangerously on the car's bonnet. Police on Friday said the incident took place at the Mata Rani chowk, near the municipal corporation office intersection in the city, on Thursday afternoon after on-duty Traffic Head Constable Hardeep Singh signalled the car to stop. Punjab traffic police cop on duty at Mata Rani Chowk in #Ludhiana was dragged by a car rider by sitting on the bonnet of the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/8ilxUGBxDp alexander (@alexvairava) April 15, 2023 Instead of stopping, the metallic silver-coloured car hit the policeman, as a result of which he landed on its bonnet. Police said the driver then drove towards the Jalandhar bypass for about a kilometre with Singh on the bonnet. They said the cop fell off the bonnet after the car slowed down due to heavy traffic. However, the occupants of the car managed to escape along with the vehicle. Ludhiana's Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramandeep Singh said the occupants of the car have been identified and would be arrested soon. Both of them have criminal records, he added. It is speculated that something illegal was being transported in the car, he said, adding that raids are on to nab the duo. A case under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 279 (rash driving) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered, the ACP said. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Interior Ministry is examining all Chinese components that are already installed in the country's 5G network, Minister Nancy Faeser was quoted as saying on Sunday, as Berlin re-evaluates its relationship with top trade partner China. "We have to protect our communication networks," Faeser told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, adding that the examination's three priorities were identifying risks, averting dangers and avoiding dependencies. "This is especially true for our critical infrastructure," she said. Germany has been considering banning certain components from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in its telecoms networks, a government source told Reuters last month, in a potentially significant move to address security concerns. The German government has been wary of expressly singling out Huawei but there are concerns that such companies' close links to Beijing's security services mean that embedding them in the mobile networks of the future could give Chinese spies and even saboteurs access to essential infrastructure. (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Mumbai: Actress Kangana Ranaut has shared an old video of filmmaker Karan Johar talking about being tagged as a 'movie mafia' by her and that he is not 'interested in working with her'. Kangana took to her Instagram story, in which she shared the 2017 video which has Karan's comment and her reactions. In the clip, Karan had said, "When she said 'movie mafia' what does she mean? What does she think we are doing? Sitting and not giving her work? Is that what makes us mafia? No, we do that by choice. I do that because maybe I am not interested in working with her." The edited clip also had a segment of Kangana saying, "He said I am jobless and looking for job from him or something like that. I mean look at my talent and look at your movies. I mean really?" She captioned the clip, "Chacha Chaudhary thanks for these frivolous outbursts when I establish myself as a filmmaker and producer... Will rub these in your face..." Over the last few years, Kangana and Karan have got into verbal spat several times. The duo have taken potshot at each others at public platforms. The two have been at loggerheads ever since Kangana appeared as a guest at Karan's Koffee With Karan chat show and sparked off the neoptism debate. The actor accused the filmmaker of blatantly supporting nepotism over outsiders who are genuinely talented. Karan was recently under the scanner for allegedly attempting to destroy the careers of Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra in Bollywood. The filmmaker is often chastised and accused of favouring celebrity kids. Amidst the turmoil, Karan shared a cryptic note on social media that read, "Laga lo ilzaam, hum jhukne waalon mein se nahi." He further wrote that no matter how much one tries to slander him and show him in a bad light but he is not among those who would die. Recently, actor Priyanka Chopra in a conversation with Dax Shepherd on his podcast Armchair Expert had said, "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." New Delhi: Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan has his kitty full of plum deals. Recently, the actor travelled to Manipur for one of his work commitments and took to his social media to share with his fans about not having been able to sleep for 30 hours. He jetted off to another destination back-to-back. He wrote in the IG story: 30 hrs n counting no sleep... A few days back Kartik Aaryan was spotted relishing a warm moment with Vidya Balan and the internet went berserk after their interaction and demanded that they unite for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. On the work front, the actor has an interesting lineup of films like Satyaprem Ki Katha, Aashiqui 3, and Kabir Khans untitled next among a few other unannounced ones. Kartik was in Kashmir to shoot for a romantic track for his next 'Satyaprem Ki Katha' with Kiara Advani. The film is set to release on June 29. Meanwhile, Kabir Khan talked about his untitled project with Kartik at an event and was quoted by IANS as saying, "It's a fascinating true story that I came across. This time around it's about an unknown hero, unlike '83' which showed living legends who we all know about. What compelled me to tell this story is that as Indians you'll be shocked, that how do we not know this person." New Delhi: The Mumbai party scenes are quite glammed-up, especially when star kids are spotted attending the events making it a big one. Last night saw a bunch of popular faces including Khushi Kapoor, Anjini Dhawan and Ibrahim Ali Khan heading for a party together along with a bunch of other friends and yes ofcouse Orry aka Orhan Awatramani was also present there. While Ibrahim looked dapped in his casual wear, Khushi rocked the night in a Little Black Dress (LBD) with a strappy look. Anjini Dhawan on the other hand was wearing a fitted bodycon dress in a pretty lilac colour and carrying a white handbag. Watch the video of the star kids hanging out outside the plush Mumbai party spot: Saif Ali Khan and former wife Amrita Singh's son - Ibrahim is busy assisting movies these days. All eyes are set on his big Bollywood debut. Meanwhile, on the work front, Khushi Kapoor is all set to enter the showbiz world with Zoya Akhtars upcoming film The Archies. The highly anticipated film marks the debut of star kids Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor and Agastya Nanda, along with Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Yuvraj Menda and Vedang Raina. The film has been produced by Tiger Baby Films, Graphic India and Archies Comics. The film will release this year on Netflix. A few days back, Khushi Kapoor was holidaying in Dubai with her friends. The star kid was seen posing with Orry and they also attended Atif Aslam's concert together along with other friends. A special tourist train that will take passengers to cities associated with social reformer B R Ambedkar across the country was flagged off on Friday from Delhi, marking his 132nd birth anniversary. The Bharat Gaurav tourist train tour on Ambedkar Circuit was flagged off by Union Minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar from the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. The special train will take passengers on a seven nights and eight days tour and include key sites in Maharashtra and Bihar. This Bharat Gaurav tourist train aims to give all the passengers a glimpse of the life and legacy of Bharat Ratna, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Reddy said. Also read: PM Modi To Flag-off Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur Vande Bharat Express On April 25, 1st Train Reaches Kerala The tourism minister said the train also aims to promote domestic tourism and the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat'. He said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has "developed the sites related to Babasaheb Ambedkar not only in India but also in London." The government has taken many steps to promote the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar in today's world, Reddy said. The minister later also tweeted pictures from the ceremony. "Reminisching the life & legacy of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Flagged off the first Baba Saheb Ambedkar Yatra - Bharat Gaurav Train at Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi, on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti," he tweeted. "Ambedkar Yatra is one of many initiatives of the @NarendraModi government to commemorate his legacy and pay tribute to his indelible contributions to the country's progress," he wrote on the microblogging site. Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, said the Bharat Gaurav train is an "effective step" to promote 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat' under "Dekho Apna Desh.". He also said that Babasaheb faced very challenging situations in his life, and his life journey to empower the last man in the hierarchy and remove discrimination based on caste is very inspiring. Bharat Gaurav, a tourist train launch, is in line with the centra government initiative "Dekho Apna Desh" to promote special interest circuits in domestic tourism, the tourism ministry said in a statement. Babasaheb worked all his life for equality and fraternity, and today the train is representative of that equality, and the passengers travelling will come back with many memories and knowledge about the principles of Babasaheb Ambedkar, it said. The statement said that the IRCTC, in association with the Ministry of Tourism, is operating its first tour on the Ambedkar circuit on an eight-day special tour that started from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station on Friday. The Ambedkar yatra will include a visit to prominent places associated with the life of the social reformer,like New Delhi, Mhow, and Nagpur, while sacred Buddhist sites like Sanchi, Sarnath, Gay, a and Rajgir, and Nalanda are also on the itinerary, it said. The tourist train first halted at New Delhi Railway Station, from where tourists were taken on a visit to the Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial by buses, the ministry said. The next stop of the train will be at Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow), his birthplace (Bhim Janam Bhoomi). Then it will move to Nagpur Railway Station, where tourists will proceed to visit Deekshabhoomi, a consecrated monument of Navayana Buddhism, it added. The train will depart from Nagpur for Sanchi. The sightseeing at Sanchi comprises the Sanchi Stupa and other Buddhist sites. After Sanchi, Varanasi will be the next destination. The visit to Sarnath and Kashi Vishwanath temple will be a part of the sightseeing. Gaya is the next and the last destination that the train arrives at on the sixth day of the journey. The holy site of Bodhgaya is where tourists visit the famous Mahabodhi Temple and other monasteries. The next day the tourists proceed for sightseeing at Rajgir and Nalanda in Bihar by road. Buddhist sites and the ruins at Nalanda are the key sites. The ministry said that the train will then depart from Gaya for New Delhi, bringing the circuit tour to an end. The tourist train is fitted with a well-equipped pantry car for rustling up freshly made vegetarian meals for tourists. It said that an infotainment system, CCTV cameras, and security guard services should also be available on board, it said. Leading Brazilian technology group Akaer has entered into a partnership agreement with Saudi group Intra Defense Technologies for developing large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the country. The agreement was signed recently at LAAD Defense & Security 2023, the largest defence and security fair in Latin America, held in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Akaer, which has more than 30 years of experience in the development of cutting-edge technologies for the defence and aerospace sectors, said the project will initially cater to the Saudi market demand and then, it will be gradually extended to other countries and regions. Currently, Intra operates UAVs in Saudi Arabia with great success, accumulating over 4,000 flight hours in different missions. The partner company developed two VTOL UAVs (which perform vertical landing and takeoff), one of which was on display at LAAD 2023. "This is a crucial partnership for the Akaer's growth in important markets for Brazil, such as the Middle East. We are expanding our actions around the world and creating new sources of synergy, remarked Akaer's CEO, Cesar Silva after signing the deal with Intra's Executive Director of Alliances, Hmoud Alshethre. Also present at the ceremony was Intra's UAV Test Pilot, Mohammed Aljehani. The partnership between Akaer and Intra will follow the concept of the Saudi Vision 2030, which foresees a majority content of the programme in that country, stated Silva. The first project started to be developed in January, and foresees the production of a prototype of a Class 3 twin-engined UAV, but the trend is that other systems will be created in the near future. However, the partnership with Akaer will be even broader, with the aim of developing bolder solutions, he added.-TradeArabia News Service (Bloomberg) -- Teck Resources Ltd. Chief Executive Jonathan Price began last week on a blistering note, declaring a $23 billion takeover bid from Glencore Plc a non-starter and slamming his mining rivals history of bribery and risk. Most Read from Bloomberg He had good reason to be confident: Just days earlier, Tecks controlling investor had said he wouldnt sell to Glencore, no matter what the price. Yet less than one week later, the momentum has shifted sharply in favor of Glencore and its hard-charging South African CEO, Gary Nagle. The focus of the tussle between the two companies for now is an April 26 vote by Teck shareholders on a proposed breakup of the company. The Canadian miner wants to spin off its steelmaking coal business to focus on mining copper and zinc. Glencore is trying to muster enough investor support to block that plan while proposing a takeover that would lead to the creation of two new, separate entities, a metals-producing behemoth dubbed GlenTeck and a massive coal-mining group. But its not just the future of both companies thats at stake. The unfolding corporate drama also underlines how huge mining mergers are back on the agenda after a decade-long hiatus. The potential dismantling of Teck and its consolidation with Glencore may be a preview of similar deals to come, as the biggest miners position themselves for a world in which fossil-fuel use could soon peak while the transition to green energy triggers an explosion in metals demand. Read: Mega Miners Are Hunting for Deals After Decade on the Sidelines Glencore ends the week with the wind at its back. Two influential shareholder advisory firms have recommended against Tecks strategy, with Glass Lewis suggesting the company should engage with Glencore. Bloomberg reported on Friday that Tecks largest investor, China Investment Corp., currently favors Glencores proposal. Story continues And Norman Keevil, patriarch of the Canadian family that ultimately controls Teck, also clarified to the Globe and Mail newspaper that he wouldnt veto any deal that has the support of Tecks board and other shareholders after the companys coal spinout, though he still opposes Glencores bid. Its still not clear whether Teck and Keevil would entertain discussions with Glencore if investors vote against the Canadian companys coal spinoff. But in an interview on Friday, Nagle was blunt: Glencore will keep pushing for a deal. Read: Glencores Nagle Says Hell Meet Teck CEO Anywhere to Talk Bid With less than two weeks left on the clock, Glencore is pulling out the stops to win over investors, framing the Teck vote as a referendum on its own offer to buy the company and then spin off their combined coal businesses. (Teck, on the other hand, insists its simply a vote between a split and the status quo.) Adding to the drama of the past week were the simultaneous flying visits to Toronto by both chief executives, who spent the last few days pitching their visions to Teck investors. Both men are both relatively early into their first roles as CEOs Nagle took over in mid-2021, while Price has only been in the job for a little over six months. Both replaced longtime CEOs whose leadership shaped the legacy of their companies: Ivan Glasenberg at Glencore, and Don Lindsay at Teck. And each has an influential, larger-than-life investor to contend with Glasenberg remains Glencores biggest shareholder, while Tecks dual-class structure gives Keevil a blocking vote on any decisions through supervoting Class A shares. But while Nagle has spent his career at Glencore, Price is a relative newcomer, having joined Teck from industry leader BHP Group in 2020 to become CFO. Nagle arrived Wednesday night in Toronto with a posse of Glencore executives to sell his vision. The former commodities trader, who spent 20 years traveling weekends and cutting deals as he ascended the Glencore ranks, was in his element. We are ready to engage, he said in an interview Friday. If Jonathan says hell meet with me, Ill go anywhere in the world. The Glencore team managed to speak with or meet about 120 Teck investors on Thursday alone, according to people familiar with the interactions. Price, meanwhile, has been adamant that the company has the support of investors. In Mondays presentation to analysts and investors, the Teck CEO criticized Glencores plan as lacking clarity and emphasized the other companys track record on environmental, social and governance issues, including its guilty pleas last year for bribery and price manipulation. Weve been speaking to a lot of shareholders and we are confident they recognize and are supportive of Tecks planned separation as having the greatest potential to create value, Price said on Friday. Both companies have adjusted their proposals this week in an effort to win investor support. Glencore had originally outlined an all-share offer for Teck, but on Tuesday offered to add a cash component to buy investors out of their exposure to the combined coal company. Several Teck shareholders had raised concerns about receiving shares in a business that just produced coal. The change from Glencore may have won support from at least one key investor. China Investment Corp., which owns 10% of Tecks Class B shares, currently favors Glencores latest proposal because it offers a quicker and cleaner exit from coal, Bloomberg reported on Friday. CIC hasnt made a final decision yet, but is considering voting against Tecks split plan, although it could still require a higher price to support Glencores offer. In Tecks spinoff plan, investors would get shares in the new steelmaking-coal company, and the new Teck Metals would earn a royalty on the coal profits for a period after the split. The company has now reduced the minimum term for those payments to three years from more than five earlier. However, Tecks efforts to win shareholder support received two big blows late in the week after proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis both recommended that investors vote against Tecks spinoff plan on April 26. The Glencore offer represents a reasonably compelling alternative that could warrant discussion and there is no urgency for Teck to have to pursue its separation now, Glass Lewis said in a report. Some analysts have also suggested that Glencore could raise its offer to further persuade Teck investors to block the spinoff. Between the ISS recommendation and a higher Glencore bid likely coming, the vote really seems to be in jeopardy, said Canaccord Genuity analyst Dalton Baretto. (Update in sixth paragraph to clarify Keevil statement on veto powers) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. DUBLIN, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Military Command & Control Systems - Global Market and Technology Forecast to 2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo Command & Control (C2) technologies continue to evolve and improve with advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, and cloud computing. These technologies are enabling commanders to make better-informed decisions, respond faster to changing situations, and achieve greater situational awareness. One of the significant trends in Command & Control is the shift towards more network-centric operations, where decision-making is distributed among various nodes in the network rather than being centralized in a command centre. This approach allows for greater agility and flexibility, as well as improved resilience against disruptions to the network. The increasing use of sensors for a wide range of military applications has opened avenues for innovative C2 programmes such as Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2). These systems are often operated autonomously to collect data from many new data points that earlier were not possible to track. New command and control programmes are encouraging to maintain situational awareness and control over multiple platforms simultaneously. In the early days, the source of information came mostly from humans and some electronic systems. Nevertheless with the evolution towards network-centric and electronic warfare, the volume of sensor-generated data has grown exponentially. The data volume has increased exponentially, pushing for an increase in processing power, better analytical tools and more bandwidth for real-time activity. These technological enablers are expected to transform the way the military plans, executes and manages joint operations. The use of AI and machine learning technologies in C2 systems have also improved the ability of military commanders to predict and respond to threats in real time. Cloud-based C2 offers several benefits to military organizations. By leveraging cloud computing, organizations can build more scalable, agile, and cost-effective C2 systems that can enhance situational awareness, improve decision-making, and ultimately support successful military operations. With such advancements worldwide command and control markets are going to remain dynamic and growing at a pace. This is a challenge as well as an opportunity for defence companies to participate in the modernisation spree. Story continues Covered in this Report Overview: Snapshot of the Military Command and Control Market during 2023-2031, including highlights of the demand drivers, trends, and challenges. It also provides a snapshot of the development plans concerning regions as well as components, types, and platforms. It sheds light on the emergence of new platforms like joint command and control initiatives. Market Dynamics: Insights into the technological developments in the data management software and integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cyber-security and a detailed analysis of the changing preferences of Military Command and Control solutions around the world. It also analyses changing industry structure trends and the challenges faced by the industry participants. Segment Analysis: Insights into the Military Command and Control Market from a segmental perspective and a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each segment. Regional Review: Insights into present Military Command and Control infrastructure strength and future demand for top countries within a region. Regional Analysis: Insights into the Military Command and Control Market from a regional perspective and a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each region. Trends Analysis - Key Defense Market: Analysis of the key markets in each region, providing an analysis of the Military Command and Control technology expected to be in demand in each region. Competitive landscape analysis: Analysis of the competitive landscape of the global Military Command and Control Technology industry. It provides an overview of key companies, together with insights such as product range, strategic partnerships and SWOT analysis. Leading Companies Lockheed Martin Raytheon Technologies The Boeing Company Saab AB BAE Systems Collins Aerospace Thales Group L3Harris Technologies General Dynamics Systems Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 1.1 Scope 1.2 Definitions 1.3 Methodology 1.4 Who will benefit from this study? 2 Executive Summary 2.1 Trends and Insights 2.2 Main Findings 2.3 Key Conclusions 2.4 Important Tables and Figures 3 Technologies and Developments 3.1 Introduction 3.1.1 C2 Software, Applications and Interface 3.2 Software Supporting Command and Control 3.3 C2 Data Management 3.4 C2 Data and Cybersecurity 3.5 Modern C2 Systems 3.5.1 Integration of AI in C2 Systems 3.5.2 Cloud-based C2 3.5.3 Modular Architecture 4 Market Overview 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Market Demand Analysis 4.3 Interoperable C2: Emerging Market Proposition 4.4 The Competitive Landscape for C2 Technology Developers 4.4.1 American C2 Technology Companies 4.4.2 British C2 Technology Companies 4.4.3 French C2 Technology Companies 4.4.4 German C2 Technology Companies 4.4.5 Russian C2 Technology Companies 4.4.6 Israeli C2 Technology Companies 4.4.7 Chinese C2 Technology Companies 4.4.8 Indian C2 Technology Companies 4.5 Emerging Tech Companies in C2 5 Market Analysis and Forecast Factors 5.1 Market Segmentation 5.2 Drivers 5.2.1 Changes of Military Force Structure 5.2.2 Network-Centric Electronic Warfare 5.2.3 Emerging Technologies for Battle management 5.3 Trends 5.3.1 Increased use of Commercial-off-the-Shelf Products 5.3.2 Open-source Architecture 5.3.3 Integrated C2 Systems 5.3.4 Opportunities 5.3.5 Supplying Off-the-Shelf Solutions 5.3.6 Providing System-integration at the Local Level 5.4 Challenges 5.4.1 Existing C2 Systems 5.4.2 Costs and Budgets 6 Country Analysis 6.1 The US 6.1.1 The US Command and Control Technology Programmes 6.1.2 GCCI-J Modernisation 6.1.3 Current Status of JADC2 6.1.4 Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) 6.1.5 The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) 6.1.6 Earlier US DoD C2 Scenario 6.1.7 C2 Software Solutions used by the US DoD 6.2 The United Kingdom 6.2.1 Joint Concept Note (JCN) 2/17 6.2.2 Fully Networked Command, Control and Communication (FNC3) 6.2.3 Guardian 6.3 Germany 6.3.1 D-LBO programme 6.4 Russia 6.4.1 Automated Command and Control System (ASU) 6.5 Ukraine 6.6 China 6.7 India 6.8 Japan 6.9 Australia 6.10 Israel 6.10.1 Tzayad 6.10.2 Carmel 6.10.3 Samson 6.10.4 Arrow Air Defense System 6.10.5 Iron Dome 6.10.6 David's Sling 6.11 Saudi Arabia 6.11.1 The Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) Modernization Program 6.11.2 Other Initiatives 7 Global C2 System Market Forecast to 2031 7.1 Global C2 System Market by Region 7.2 Global C2 System Market by Platform 7.3 Global C2 System Market by End-User 8 Regional C2 System Market Forecast to 2030 9 Technological Enablers Integration in C2 Systems - Market Forecast by Region to 2031 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Technological Enablers Integration in C2 Systems - Market Forecast by Region 10 Technology Market Forecast to 2031 10.1 Command and Control System Platform Market by Region 10.1.1 Land-based C2 System Market by Region 10.1.2 Air-borne C2 System Market by Region 10.1.3 Naval C2 System Market by Region 10.1.4 Space C2 System Market by Region 10.1.5 Integrated C2 System Market by Region 11 End-Users Market Forecast to 2031 11.1 Command and Control System End-Users Market by Region 11.1.1 Army C2 System Market by Region 11.1.2 Airforce C2 System Market by Region 11.1.3 Naval C2 System Market by Region 12 Impact Analysis 12.1 Forecast factors and Market Impact 12.1.1 Integrated C2 System becomes a Mainstream System Companies Mentioned Lockheed Martin Northrop Grumman Raytheon General Dynamics L3Harris Technologies Boeing CompanyBritish C2 Technology Companies BAE Systems QinetiQ Thales Airbus Sopra Steria Safran Atos Nexter Hensoldt Rohde & Schwarz Rheinmetall Atlas Elektronik MBDA Krauss-Maffei Wegmann KRET Ruselectronics Concern Radio RTI Group Russian Space Systems (RSS) Elbit Systems Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) C2 Systems Ltd Mer Group China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation (ZTE) China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO) China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) Larsen & Toubro (L&T) HCL Technologies Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) Rolta India Limited AirMap Anduril Industries Black Sage Technologies Cogniac Epirus Hanwha Defense Omnispace Palantir Plasan Roboteam Shield AI Viasat For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/62kuju About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-military-command--control-systems-markets-and-technology-forecast-report-2023-2031-supplying-off-the-shelf-solutions-gives-rise-to-business-opportunities-301797729.html SOURCE Research and Markets The U.S. and Chinas feud shows no signs of abating. Its starting to worry international organizations such as the World Bank, which recently predicted that the rift between the two superpowers could hurt the growth of other economies. More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home Now, former Treasury Secretary Henry Hank Paulson is echoing similar concerns about intensifying geopolitical tensions. The U.S.-China relationship is on the brink. Communications have ground to a halt, Paulson said in an interview with the Financial Times published Friday. Theres a lot going on in the world thats troubling, but to me its the U.S.-China relationship that is the most worrying. The two countries have gone head-to-head in trade, foreign policy, and the race for technology in recent years. While tariffs and trade restrictions are already in place, a complete decoupling scenario, where the economies work separately from each other, could have a significant impact. China is still among the U.S.s top trading partners and the worlds second largest economy. The economic importance of the two nations raises the stakes of them clashing, and Paulson thinks America may be underestimating what China can do. This is a dangerous situation, he said. I strongly believe that [President Joe] Biden would like to stabilize the China relationship, but both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have staked out a very strong line which complicates things for Biden. I have a concern that Congress is underestimating the relative power of China, the permanence of China, and Chinas relationship with so many other countries. According to Paulson, China is boosting its presence around the world, and putting out a clear message that China is open for business again. So, if the U.S. responds with further curbs on trade and investment, even as other nations deepen ties with Beijing, the U.S. could become more isolated. Story continues Taiwan in the middle One of the flash points in the relationship is Taiwan, which China has historically claimed as its territory. The U.S. has had an unofficial relationship with Taiwan, which has strengthened in recent years even though China has repeatedly warned against it. Earlier this month, U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Californiathe first meeting between a Taiwanese leader and a House speaker on American soil since the U.S. and Taiwan cut diplomatic relations in 1979. I believe our bond is stronger now than at any time or point in my lifetime, McCarthy told reporters after the meeting. In response to the growing closeness between the U.S. and Taiwan, China said after McCarthys meeting that it would take forceful measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity and warned that the U.S. should not tread the wrong path. Paulson thinks that Americas rhetoric on Taiwan needs to change to keep the countrys China situation at bay. Great powers dont look to go to war: They stumble into it through some combination of miscalculation or misjudgment or accident. So I think its important that we tone down the rhetoric on Taiwan, Paulson said. Despite what you read, the last thing that [Chinese President Xi Jinping] needs is a war for Taiwan. This isnt the first time Paulson has warned about U.S.-China relations. In 2021, just days after Biden and Xi had their first virtual meeting, Paulson warned that the countries needed to know where they were headed diplomatically. We need more certainty around how the U.S. and China are going to compete, where were going to cooperate, and how were going to manage conflict. Otherwise the world is heading for a very dangerous place, Paulson said at the time. In January, Paulson wrote a piece for Foreign Affairs titled Americas China Policy Is Not Working, in which he highlighted the resemblance of the global situation now to what it was in 2008, when Russia invaded Georgia and tensions with Iran and North Korea were high. The key difference? Back then, he worked with China to address the 2008 financial crisis to restore macroeconomic stability, but he went on to say how that was unthinkable now, with U.S.-China relations at a historic low. Paulson noted that the policies of both countries had a part to play in the state of their diplomatic relations, but he said that a wholesale decoupling (rather than targeting a few industries like tech) would not help either of them. Instead, he suggested the countries should come up with a way to manage targeted decoupling in such a way that essential trade continues. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home Aerial view of one of Terminal 5 buildings of London Heathrow Airport and Boeing 747 and 777 aircrafts operated by British Airways at the gates - Grzegorz Bajor British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are bracing for a dogfight with Heathrow as the airport prepares a legal challenge in a long-running row over passenger landing charges. Britains biggest airport is widely expected to lodge a legal appeal with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) against the aviation regulators decision to lower fees by 20pc from next year. Heathrow is thought to be working with external lawyers on a submission that will be filed early next week, City sources said. Sources close to Heathrow on Friday night insisted that no final decision had been taken by the airport in relation to a legal challenge. Nevertheless, BA and Virgin have set aside their long-running rivalry to join forces with other airlines in a counter-attack against Heathrow, industry sources said. Lawyers for carriers operating out of the airport are understood to be finalising representations to be submitted to the CMA this weekend in the event of the airport mounting a formal legal bid. An industry source said that a Heathrow challenge is kind of inevitable, adding: I cant see how they can climb down. An industry executive added that the push for a legal challenge is being driven by Ferrovial, Heathrows largest shareholder. In response, BA and Virgin are standing pretty close together on this, they added. The airport has until April 18 to challenge the decision, which was announced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) at the start of March. Heathrow operates as a regulated monopoly, meaning that its profitability is tightly controlled by the CAA. The regulator sparked fury among airlines during the pandemic by sanctioning a steep rise in landing fees to compensate for a sharp fall in passenger numbers. Heathrow, meanwhile, claimed it was entitled to even more money and warned the CAA that its decision meant it would have to postpone much-needed investment across the airports terminals. The latest decision, to reduce fees from the current 31.57 per passenger to 25.43 from next year, came as a major blow after Heathrow argued to be able to charge a levy of up to 40. Story continues Nevertheless, airlines were unhappy with the decision too. Luis Gallego, chief executive of BA owner IAG, said that the size of charges risked undermining [the UKs] competitiveness. Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic chief executive, said that the CAA has not gone far enough to push back. He claimed that Heathrow had peddled false narratives and flawed passenger forecasts in an attempt to win an economic argument. The prospect of a legal challenge could be complicated by Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye standing down later this year. John Holland-Kaye, Chief Executive Officer, Heathrow Airport - Yui Mok/PA Wire Sources said that his replacement the favourite being Mr Holland-Kayes deputy Emma Gilthorpe may wish not to pursue a strategy that would plunge relations with airlines to new lows. The CAA originally proposed a 28.39-per-passenger charge before a fierce lobbying effort by airlines convinced the regulator to reduce the fee to 25.43. Ferrovial, which owns a 25pc stake in Heathrow, complained that the 28.39 was too low during a call with analysts in February. The Spanish firms chief executive, Ignacio Madridejos Fernandez, said: We hope the CAA final decision corrects the errors in the CAA's forecast of key regulatory building blocks. After the final decision, Heathrow and airlines have the option to appeal to the CMA. All parties declined to comment. Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad. In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Telekom Malaysia Berhad (KLSE:TM), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it. Check out our latest analysis for Telekom Malaysia Berhad How Fast Is Telekom Malaysia Berhad Growing? If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Shareholders will be happy to know that Telekom Malaysia Berhad's EPS has grown 21% each year, compound, over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied. Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Telekom Malaysia Berhad maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 5.1% to RM12b. That's progress. You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers. Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for Telekom Malaysia Berhad. Story continues Are Telekom Malaysia Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? As a general rule, it's worth considering how much the CEO is paid, since unreasonably high rates could be considered against the interests of shareholders. For companies with market capitalisations between RM8.8b and RM28b, like Telekom Malaysia Berhad, the median CEO pay is around RM3.8m. Telekom Malaysia Berhad offered total compensation worth RM2.8m to its CEO in the year to December 2021. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar sized companies. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn't be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense. Should You Add Telekom Malaysia Berhad To Your Watchlist? You can't deny that Telekom Malaysia Berhad has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. With swiftly growing earnings, the best days may still be to come, and the modest CEO pay suggests the company is careful with cash. So this stock is well worth an addition to your watchlist as it has the potential to provide great value to shareholders. Before you take the next step you should know about the 1 warning sign for Telekom Malaysia Berhad that we have uncovered. There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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 Many The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) insiders ditched their stock over the past year, which may be of interest to the company's shareholders. 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. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. Check out our latest analysis for Coca-Cola The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Coca-Cola In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Chairman & CEO, James Robert Quincey, sold US$2.8m worth of shares at a price of US$60.50 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$63.05, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. We note that the biggest single sale was only 6.7% of James Robert Quincey's holding. In total, Coca-Cola insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! I will like Coca-Cola better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Insiders At Coca-Cola Have Sold Stock Recently The last three months saw significant insider selling at Coca-Cola. In total, Chairman & CEO James Robert Quincey sold US$2.8m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Coca-Cola Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It's great to see that Coca-Cola insiders own 0.7% of the company, worth about US$1.8b. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders. What Might The Insider Transactions At Coca-Cola Tell Us? An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. While conducting our analysis, we found that Coca-Cola has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore these. 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. 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 Key Insights Significant control over Grand City Properties by private companies implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions The largest shareholder of the company is Edolaxia LTD with a 59% stake Institutional ownership in Grand City Properties is 26% If you want to know who really controls Grand City Properties S.A. (ETR:GYC), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are private companies with 59% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. Following a 12% increase in the stock price last week, private companies profited the most, but institutions who own 26% stock also stood to gain from the increase. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Grand City Properties. View our latest analysis for Grand City Properties What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Grand City Properties? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Grand City Properties. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Grand City Properties' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Story continues Hedge funds don't have many shares in Grand City Properties. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Edolaxia LTD with 59% of shares outstanding. This essentially means that they have extensive influence, if not outright control, over the future of the corporation. Massachusetts Financial Services Company is the second largest shareholder owning 5.0% of common stock, and Candriam Luxembourg S.A. holds about 2.9% of the company stock. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Insider Ownership Of Grand City Properties The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. We note our data does not show any board members holding shares, personally. Given we are not picking up on insider ownership, we may have missing data. Therefore, it would be interesting to assess the CEO compensation and tenure, here. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 15% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Private Company Ownership It seems that Private Companies own 59%, of the Grand City Properties stock. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Be aware that Grand City Properties is showing 5 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 2 of those don't sit too well with us... If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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 Ineos' Grenadier off-roader is inspired by the Land Rover Defender - Patrick GOSLING/beadyeye.tv Ineos Automotive, the carmaker owned by Britain's richest industrialist and would-be owner of Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has lined up a number of new model names to succeed its off-roader Grenadier. Ineos Automotive trademarked the names Fusilier, Privateer, Brigadier, Quartermaster, Sapper and Gunner in a flurry of applications in January. Prior trademarking activity had been around its Grenadier brand. The Grenadier, inspired by the Land Rover Defender, has cost Sir Jim more than 500m (440m) so far in losses accrued by Ineos Automotive, according to its latest accounts. It began rolling off the companys production line in Hambach in France in October last year. Costing from 55,000, deliveries began in December. The motor was the brainchild of Sir Jim, who had the idea in a London pub also named The Grenadier. It was initially going to be made in Bridgend, south Wales, but the company was able to purchase a ready-made factory from Mercedes, which gave it better access to suppliers. The company denied that the decision was motivated by Brexit. The model kept the rugged outlines of the Defender, which halted production in the UK in 2016. But Jaguar Land Rover then relaunched the model in 2019, albeit with a facelift and marketed at a more upmarket audience rather than the farmer-focused original. Sir Jim had the idea for his car in a pub that shares its name - Ineos Ineos is now reportedly developing a pickup version of the Grenadier, which has entered the testing phase of development. The company signed a deal in 2020 with South Koreas Hyundai to develop hydrogen technology for future models. Ineos's broader chemical operations make 300,000 tons of hydrogen a year, mostly as a byproduct of other processes. The company said in a statement: We have a number of names under consideration for future model lines, but a final decision has yet to be made. Sir Jim tabled an improved bid to buy Manchester United after securing extra time from brokers last month, allowing him to go up against an offer from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar. The Glazer family put the club up for sale in November. The deadline for the next round of bids is April 28. Teresa Giudice's husband, Luis "Louie" Ruelas, never misses a chance to show how he's feeling and that was definitely the case when he recently posted a sweet update on his two sons, Nicholas and Louie Jr. Ruelas. "I love watching you guys grow into everything you want to be!!" The Real Housewives of New Jersey husband wrote on Instagram. "Love you all beyond words [and] I will always be here for you." Since Teresa Giudice and Louie married, his two sons have grown close to Teresa's four daughters, Gia, Milania, Audriana, and Gabriella, and they frequently are spotted on social media hanging out with each other. Louie is definitely a fan of seeing how close the Giudice-Ruelas siblings have become. But when he's not gushing about his kids, he's also gushing about his wife, Teresa, which also included a nod to their blended family. "Babe you look so beautiful tonight," he shared on Instagram after a recent red-carpet date night. "Its crazy cause ever since I met you, Ive had the opportunity as a man to truly know what it feels like to be loved!! I live everyday experiencing true unconditional LOVE with you, All of it our kids, our dogs, our time together its all so beautiful because of YOU! thank you for loving the way you do." Luis also recently shared a message for his stepdaughter Milania Giudice timed to her birthday. "Milania, I couldnt love you any more if you were my biological daughter," he wrote. "You have a gigantic heart with a beautiful soul! Im so happy for whats to come this next year for you! Reach for the stars." Daily Dish Rhonj Louie Ruelas He also posted a message for Gabriella Giudice to celebrate her college acceptance news. "Gabriella, Congratulations on being accepted to The University of Michigan and now committing to them as your school of choice,: he wrote. "YOU chose this school because you worked hard enough to create options and lanes for yourself! Amazing Gab!! Super proud of you! Onward and upward you go! Love you." In addition to sharing updates on his family, Louie recently shared an update on his career. [I] started a new company, Louie shared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen back in February. Its in media, digital media... [in] lead generation ad sales. Watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey on Bravo Tuesdays at 9/8c and the next day on Peacock. Catch up on the Bravo app. (Bloomberg) -- Emmanuel Macron enacted his controversial pension reform on Saturday after clearing a constitutional hurdle, allowing the French president to try to move past the episode thats sparked months of protests and dented his popularity. Most Read from Bloomberg The move was made possible after Frances Constitutional Council, made up chiefly of former politicians and senior civil servants, approved the core elements of the bill on Friday. The legislation, which will increase the minimum retirement age by two years to 64, will take effect in September. While the green light from the court is a source of relief for Macron, he still faces deep opposition to the pension reform. Labor unions have remained unusually united through the protests, with opinion polls showing a majority of French people oppose raising the retirement age and support the strikes that started in January. Even before the ruling, Macron tried to show hes ready to move on to other issues. He invited unions, without preconditions, to meet at the Elysee on Tuesday for discussions. However, in a statement on Friday evening, leaders of the major labor movements said they wouldnt accept any meetings before May 1, which is Labor Day in most of Europe and when they have planned their next major protest. Democratic Hold-Up This evening there is neither a winner nor a loser, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne tweeted after the ruling, adding that the pension plan had reached the end of its democratic process. In the early hours on Saturday, the law was enacted by being written into Frances Official Journal. Macron has previously said he intends for it to be applied in September, a time-line confirmed by Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt Friday evening. Story continues Emmanuel Macron and his gang have promulgated their retirement law like thieves in the night, leftist lawmaker Francois Ruffin said Saturday on Twitter. What theyve just done is a democratic hold-up. Speaking on France Info radio Saturday, Stanislas Guerini, minister for civil service, said its normal procedure for the government to enact laws within 48 hours of constitutional approval. We want this law to apply because it is useful and necessary for the country, he said. Macron will speak on French television Monday evening, according to Agence France Presse. His government says raising the pension age is vital to boost employment rates and halt the build-up of deficits in the massive public retirement system as the population ages. Unions say changing the age thresholds to claim a full pension will disproportionately penalize the least well-off, and that there are other options to balance the system, including higher taxes on business and the wealthy. One cant govern a country against its citizens, said Sophie Binet, head of Frances far-left CGT union, who spoke at a protest in front of Paris city hall after the ruling. We are calling on the president to get away from his stubborn, obstinate dogmatism. Opposition lawmakers who requested a Constitutional Council review of the law argued the government had used an inappropriate vehicle for the reform, as well as tools that hastened the process and made debates unclear and insincere. Unions and protesters were particularly angered by Macrons use of a provision to bypass a vote on the bill when it became clear he lacked a majority in the National Assembly. In its decision, the court also rejected one of two opposition-backed demands for a process that could lead to a referendum on keeping the pension age cutoff at 62 a move that would have prolonged political and legal uncertainty. It will issue a ruling on the second request on May 3. Some peripheral provisions of the retirement law were struck down, but thats unlikely to force a wholesale revision. Political Impact We cant expect the Constitutional Council to fix a problem thats purely political it never wanted to play that role, said Samy Benzina, a law professor at the University of Poitiers. The court doesnt want to engage in politics, or say whether or not the reform is a good one. --With assistance from Gaspard Sebag and Tara Patel. (Adds Macron to speak on French television Monday in ninth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. World oil demand will climb by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023 to a record 101.9 million bpd, according to the IEA Oil Market Report (OMR) for April. The IEA report stated that the extra cuts by Opec+ will push world oil supply down 400 kb/d by end-2023. From March-December, gains of 1 million bpd from non-Opec+ fail to offset a 1.4 million bpd decline from the producer bloc. For the year as a whole, global oil production growth slows to 1.2 million bpd versus 4.6 million bpd in 2022. Non-Opec+, led by the US and Brazil, drives the 2023, it added. "Reflecting the widening disparity between regions, non-OECD countries, buoyed by a resurgent China, will account for 90% of growth,'' stated the OMR. "OECD demand, dragged down by weak industrial activity and warm weather, contracted by 390 kb/d y-o-y in 1Q23, its second consecutive quarter of decline. Jet/kerosene accounts for 57% of 2023 gains," it added. Global refining throughput is forecast to average 82 million bpd this year, 0.1 million bpd lower than in last month's report due to weaker Q1 data. As per the report, the annual gains will double to 2.1 million bpd from Q1 to Q2, as runs in the US normalise and with Chinese activity materially higher than a weak Q2 2022 baseline. On average, 2023 crude runs will approach pre-covid levels but remain 0.3 mb/d below 2019 average throughputs. According to IEA, global inventories held largely steady in February after surging by 58 million barrels in the previous month. Oil on water and non-OECD stocks fell by 11.5 and 2.1 million barrels respectively, while total OECD inventories rose by 8.8 million barrels. OECD commercial stocks built by 9.6 mb, narrowing the deficit against the five-year average to 7.5 mb. Preliminary data for the US, Europe and Japan show a hefty 38.9 mb decline in March, it added. PenFed Credit Union donated $50,000 to Honor Flight Network to sponsor historic flight from San Juan to Washington, D.C. April 12-14, 2023 TYSONS, Va., April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Two dozen Puerto Rican veterans arrived at San Juan Airport to thunderous applause, live music and an enthusiastic crowd waving American and Puerto Rican flags. The vets returned from the first Honor Flight in history from the island to Washington, D.C. where they visited the monuments and memorials built in their honor. PenFed Credit Union, the nation's second-largest federal credit union, partnered with the Honor Flight Network to make this unprecedented, all-expense paid trip a reality. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9150251-penfed-credit-union-honor-flight-veterans-puerto-rico/ PENFED logo (PRNewsfoto/PenFed Credit Union) "PenFed loves Puerto Rico. PenFed loves veterans. Sponsoring this Honor Flight for Puerto Rican veterans was not only the trip of a lifetime for them, but it was also a beautiful way to express our gratitude and appreciation for their service and sacrifice," said PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO, James Schenck. "It was an honor to be in San Juan at the airport to welcome them home." The Honor Flight trip included veterans who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. One veteran, 101-year-old Angel Acevedo Bernal served in all three conflicts. "When I heard about PenFed sponsoring this trip, it didn't surprise me. What they say is what they do. PenFed made our dreams come true," said Jose Irizarry, a Vietnam veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne Division. "I saw a Korean War veteran crying because he felt that everything he went through was erased today. We really appreciate this. A lot." The distinguished veterans visited several iconic locations in our nation's capital, including the WWII, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, as well as Arlington National Cemetery. "PenFed's generosity helped make this flight possible. The Honor Flight Network was proud to partner with the credit union to make this inspiring and emotional journey a reality for Puerto Rican veterans," said Honor Flight Network CEO, Meredith Rosenbeck. "Honor Flight trips provide veterans with an empowering sense of camaraderie and in many cases, closure." Story continues About PenFed Credit Union Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is America's second-largest federal credit union, serving 2.8 million members worldwide with $35.5 billion in assets. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading certificates, checking, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and a wide range of other financial services. Our mission is to empower members of our community to achieve their financial well-being. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow us @PenFed on Twitter. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on LinkedIn. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. About Honor Flight Network The Honor Flight Network was formed in 2005 with a mission of honoring our nation's veterans by bringing them to Washington, DC to visit the memorials and monuments dedicated to their service and sacrifice. The Honor Flight Network is currently comprised of over 130 hubs throughout the country dedicated to carrying out the Honor Flight mission. In addition to World War II veterans, the organization transports those who served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, intermediary operations, and in special cases of terminal illness or injury, veterans from more recent service eras. Since 2005, the Honor Flight Network has taken more than 250,000 veterans to Washington D.C. For more information, visit honorflight.org. Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/puerto-rican-veterans-return-from-first-ever-honor-flight-301798162.html SOURCE PenFed Credit Union If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. 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. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. With that in mind, the ROCE of SMIS Corporation Berhad (KLSE:SMISCOR) looks great, so lets see what the trend can tell us. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for SMIS Corporation Berhad, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.25 = RM23m (RM121m - RM28m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022). Thus, SMIS Corporation Berhad has an ROCE of 25%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Auto Components industry average of 5.1%. View our latest analysis for SMIS Corporation Berhad roce While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of SMIS Corporation Berhad, check out these free graphs here. What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us We're delighted to see that SMIS Corporation Berhad is reaping rewards from its investments and has now broken into profitability. The company was generating losses five years ago, but has managed to turn it around and as we saw earlier is now earning 25%, which is always encouraging. On top of that, what's interesting is that the amount of capital being employed has remained steady, so the business hasn't needed to put any additional money to work to generate these higher returns. With no noticeable increase in capital employed, it's worth knowing what the company plans on doing going forward in regards to reinvesting and growing the business. After all, a company can only become a long term multi-bagger if it continually reinvests in itself at high rates of return. Story continues The Bottom Line On SMIS Corporation Berhad's ROCE To sum it up, SMIS Corporation Berhad is collecting higher returns from the same amount of capital, and that's impressive. And with a respectable 54% awarded to those who held the stock over the last five years, you could argue that these developments are starting to get the attention they deserve. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence. One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing SMIS Corporation Berhad that you might find interesting. If you'd like to see other companies earning high returns, check out our free list of companies earning high returns with solid balance sheets 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. 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 TaxAct vs. TurboTax As you prepare for Tax Day, you might be overwhelmed by the options available for filing your taxes online. Youve probably heard of TaxAct and TurboTax, two of the most popular tax-filing services on the market. But which is right for you? Heres how they compare to each other and what to consider when using either platform. If you want expert help with your tax strategy, consider speaking with financial advisor. Pros and Cons of TaxAct TaxAct might not have the name recognition as TurboTax and other services, but it offers a similar process and can be less expensive for many filers. Lets take a deeper look at some of the upsides and downsides of TaxAct. Pros Its cheaper than TurboTax. The TaxAct website claims youll save up to 20% on your federal tax preparation compared to TurboTax. TaxAct does not offer a fully free option for filing simple returns, but all of its other products are less expensive. (A note on pricing: Many tax preparers raise their prices as Tax Day draws nearer, so the prices listed here might not be current. All prices listed here are as of April 6, 2023.) Simple and easy-to-use interface. While it offers less hand-holding and special features than some other e-filing software, that can be a plus for those who are looking for a straightforward process and already have a solid base of tax knowledge. Cons May be more difficult for tax novices. Less hand-holding throughout the e-filing process might be a positive for taxpayers who already know the basics, but others may need more guidance. TaxAct doesnt provide many explanations or a guided experience, so it might not be as well-suited for those who have never filed their own taxes before. Pros and Cons of TurboTax TaxAct vs. TurboTax TurboTax is one of the most popular e-filing options, with a streamlined interface that makes filing easy. But that ease of use comes at a cost. Lets take a look at the positives and negatives of their products. If youre ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Story continues Pros A guided experience. TurboTaxs software takes a lot of guesswork out of the process of filing your taxes. If youre not sure about something, TurboTax often has a simple questionnaire to help guide you to the right choice. While this might seem like extra steps for those who have a solid understanding of their taxes, for many this can be extremely helpful and offer peace of mind that youre making the right tax decision. Seamless integration. TurboTax makes it easy to import not just tax information such as W-2s and prior returns, but data from QuickBooks and other services, like Uber. While TaxAct allows you to import prior returns or W-2s, its not set up to easily connect with QuickBooks (which is also owned by Intuit, like TurboTax) or import information from an Uber account. Free option. If you have a tax return with only W-2 income, no Schedule B interest or dividends, and take the standard deduction rather than itemizing, you may be able to file both your federal and state taxes for $0. Cons More expensive. The real downside of TurboTax is simply that it costs more. Other than TurboTaxs completely free option, TaxAct is significantly less expensive across the board. Youll save $93.15 using TaxActs self-employed option with expert help rather than TurboTaxs equivalent product. For budget-conscious filers, that might edge TurboTax out of the running. Whats the Same? Both companies have a very similar structure a basic or free plan that allows filers with simple tax situations to file their federal return for $0 (TaxAct charges $39.95 for state returns). The next step up is the Deluxe plan, intended for families with more complex deductions and credits. Above that option is the Premier plan, intended for filers with investments, such as stocks or real estate. Then, both companies offer a product for self-employed filers, designed to assist freelancers, independent contractors and gig workers with their returns. Both offer audit support in the event of an IRS audit. They also both offer maximum refund guarantees and have mobile apps. Price Comparison: TaxAct vs. TurboTax TaxAct vs. TurboTax Heres a cost breakdown of the different services that TaxAct and TurboTax offer: Service Level TaxAct TurboTax Basic 0 + $39.95 per state $0 Deluxe $46.95 + $54.95 per state $69 + $59 per state Premier $69.95 + $54.95 per state $99 + $59 per state Self-employed $94.95 + $54.95 per state $129 + $59 per state Heres how much each service level costs when adding expert help: Service Level TaxAct TurboTax Basic $39.95 + $39.95 per state $99 + $54 per state Deluxe $86.90 + $54.95 per state $139 + $64 per state Premier $109.90 + $54.95 per state $189 + $64 per state Self-employed $134.90 + $54.95 per state $219 + $64 per state Prices as of April 6, 2023. Bottom Line Both TaxAct and TurboTax are solid e-filing options. While TurboTax is more expensive overall, the ease of its process will likely make it the best choice for taxpayers who have a lot of questions about their taxes and would benefit from the guidance. On the other hand, TaxAct can be a great way to save some money if youre a savvy e-filer who knows what youre doing. If you qualify for TurboTaxs completely free filing option, that might be the best of both worlds. Tax Filing Tips If youre precise with numbers and good at record-keeping, youre probably fine using tax preparation software. But if you want help minimizing your tax liability, you can consider hiring a financial advisor who specializes in taxes. Finding a financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. If you need more time to file your taxes, you can use Form 4868 to get a maximum extension of six months from the April 18 deadline. But remember, this extension does not apply to payments. So if you owe taxes, you should estimate what you owe and pay what you can to avoid a penalty and interest. Photo credit: iStock.com/fizkes, iStock.com/Delmaine Donson, iStock.com/damircudic The post TaxAct vs. TurboTax appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. (Bloomberg) -- Teck Resources Ltd. took another blow in its defense against Glencore Plc, after influential advisory firm Glass Lewis said shareholders should vote against the Canadian miners strategy to split out its coal business. Most Read from Bloomberg The Glencore offer represents a reasonably compelling alternative that could warrant discussion and there is no urgency for Teck to have to pursue its separation now, Glass Lewis said in a report. Teck has rejected two takeover proposals this month from Glencore which wants to combine both their coal businesses and spin them out together and is instead pressing ahead with an April 26 vote on its own coal-separation strategy. Norman Keevil, who holds a blocking vote thanks to Tecks supervoting Class A shares, has rejected a deal with Glencore. However, the company requires approval from both classes of shares voting separately, and the Glencore camp is framing the vote as a referendum on its takeover offer as both sides scramble to win over investors. Competing proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services has already recommended shareholders vote against Tecks plan. Bloomberg also reported on Friday that Tecks largest shareholder, China Investment Corp., currently favored Glencores coal plan and was considering a vote against Tecks strategy, although it may require a higher price from Glencore before backing its offer. Glencore had originally proposed an all-share offer for Teck, but has since offered to add a cash component to buy investors out of their exposure to the combined coal company. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Transocean Holdings Bhd (KLSE:TOCEAN) so let's look a bit deeper. What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)? If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Transocean Holdings Bhd is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.0076 = RM484k (RM71m - RM7.3m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022). Thus, Transocean Holdings Bhd has an ROCE of 0.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Logistics industry average of 3.6%. View our latest analysis for Transocean Holdings Bhd roce Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Transocean Holdings Bhd's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Transocean Holdings Bhd, check out these free graphs here. How Are Returns Trending? The fact that Transocean Holdings Bhd is now generating some pre-tax profits from its prior investments is very encouraging. About five years ago the company was generating losses but things have turned around because it's now earning 0.8% on its capital. And unsurprisingly, like most companies trying to break into the black, Transocean Holdings Bhd is utilizing 44% more capital than it was five years ago. We like this trend, because it tells us the company has profitable reinvestment opportunities available to it, and if it continues going forward that can lead to a multi-bagger performance. Story continues In another part of our analysis, we noticed that the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets decreased to 10%, which broadly means the business is relying less on its suppliers or short-term creditors to fund its operations. Therefore we can rest assured that the growth in ROCE is a result of the business' fundamental improvements, rather than a cooking class featuring this company's books. The Bottom Line On Transocean Holdings Bhd's ROCE Overall, Transocean Holdings Bhd gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. Since the stock has returned a staggering 202% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Transocean Holdings Bhd can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead. One more thing, we've spotted 1 warning sign facing Transocean Holdings Bhd that you might find interesting. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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 (Bloomberg) -- Twitter is facing condemnation in Latin Americas largest economy for its laissez-faire approach on content suspected of inspiring violence in schools. Most Read from Bloomberg A sudden spike in killings in education centers across Brazil where school shootings are uncommon prompted authorities this week to clamp down on social media companies that were hosting messages that lauded the attacks. Twitter, which has espoused a free-speech ethos since being taken over by billionaire Elon Musk last year, initially resisted over 500 requests from Brazils Justice Ministry to take down posts and profiles. The stance sparked widespread backlash and the issuing of an executive decree late Wednesday that threatens Twitter and other platforms with fines or even a potential ban for failure to comply. A childs life is worth more than all the terms of use in all the platforms, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said Wednesday evening in Brasilia after announcing the decree. The Justice Ministrys offensive comes as the nation is still reeling from the murder of four children caused by a hatchet-wielding man at a daycare center in southern state of Santa Catarina this month. Investigators often point to the existence of active groups in the far-reaches of the Internet that celebrate such attacks as one of the reason violence in schools keeps multiplying. Twitter didnt respond to a request for comment. Internet activists and enraged Twitter users struck back at the website with posts containing #TwitterApoiaMassacres, or Twitter supports massacres, which later appeared to be blocked on the platform. Twitters failure in moderating such content was simply grotesque, said Carlos Affonso Souza, head of the Institute for Technology & Society at Rio de Janeiro State University. Story continues Read more: Brazils Online Election Challenges Extend Beyond Meta While school shootings are commonplace in the US, causing educators to employ armed guards and install metal detectors in buildings, they have been a historically rare occurrence in Brazil. An unprecedented series of violent events has left the population alarmed. Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo logged 10 attacks on schools in the last 13 months. Four have occurred since the start of the year. The federal government has responded by making millions of dollars worth of funding available to state and local authorities to increase security at schools. Yet the upswing in violence and fears of a potential copycat attack have tensions running high ahead of April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre. Theres a clearly connection between attacks and social media communities to spread hate speech, according to Carolina Ricardo, executive director of the Non-Governmental Organization Sou da Paz. Theres also a clearly reference to the US cases, all recent Brazilian cases were inspired in Columbines, so its necessary to truly debate social media regulation, she said. After Musks takeover, Twitters legal policy team, which removes content based on government and legal requests and reviews law enforcement inquiries for user data, faced massive cuts, a person familiar with the matter said. Since then, more employees on the policy team have departed voluntarily, leaving fewer people with the time or expertise to deal with government demands. Musks social-media platform is wildly popular in Brazil and news of the companys stance caused an immediate uproar. After the pressure of Brazilian authorities, the San Francisco-based company had begun removing some of the material cited by the Justice Ministry as of Wednesday, local media outlets reported. But it remains unclear if Twitter will meet the governments demand. Social media terms of use do not override the constitution, Dino said at a press conference on Monday. --With assistance from Beatriz Reis and Vanessa Dezem. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Join the most important conversation in crypto and web3! Secure your seat today The U.S. House Financial Services Committee published a draft version of a potential landmark stablecoin bill, with proposals including a moratorium on stablecoins backed by other cryptocurrencies and a request to study a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The bill, available on the committee's hearing page, represents the first major piece of crypto legislation to move in 2023, and follows two key incidents over the past year involving stablecoins: the blowup of terraUSD (UST), which was backed by a token called LUNA, and the second-largest one, USD coin (USDC), temporarily becoming unmoored from $1. It creates definitions for payment stablecoin issuers, echoing a term former Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) used when he introduced his own stablecoin bill in 2022. The moratorium on stablecoins like UST would last until a study can be conducted. The bill also seeks a study of the potential impact of a CBDC issued by the Federal Reserve. Punchbowl News first reported on the bill's publication. A House Financial Services subcommittee will hold a hearing on stablecoins on Wednesday, featuring Dante Disparte from Circle Internet Financial, which issues USDC; the Blockchain Association's Jake Chervinsky; Columbia Professor Austin Campbell and New York Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris. That hearing will come a day after the full Financial Services Committee meets to hear from Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler. A spokesperson for Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), the chair of the committee, told CoinDesk the bill published on the site had been circulating among lawmakers since last fall. (It had not previously been shared with the public.) A spokesperson for Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the committee, did not respond to a request for comment by press time. UPDATE (April 15, 2023, 21:33 UTC): Adds response from a spokesperson for Rep. Patrick McHenry. Clinics saw a spike in vasectomies after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade last year - Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch via AP When Americas Supreme Court overturned the historic Roe vs Wade ruling that made abortion a federally protected right, it triggered a fierce debate over womens freedom and led to a total ban on the procedure in 13 states. Campaigners on both sides had predicted precisely such an outcome, but there was another unexpected side effect. America is now undergoing what urologist Esgar Guarin, of the SimpleVas clinic in Iowa, dubs a vasectomy revolution. Across the country, more and more men are choosing to have the operation because they no longer have a back up option. Within the first 48 hours of the overturning of Roe v Wade, our clinic saw a 300pc increase in the traffic to our website. Then we had a 100pc increase in the number of vasectomies that we do in the clinic, Guarin says. The full force of the boom lasted four months, but even today the clinics vasectomy procedure numbers are still up by 50pc on levels seen before the Supreme Court decision. If maintained, this surge is likely to have long-term consequences and not just for the men involved. It could further exacerbate a decline in the US birth rate that is already putting long-term growth at risk in the world's largest economy. The birth rate has fallen pretty dramatically since 2008, says Alison Gemmil, a demographer at Johns Hopkins University. Women are having children at older ages. We expected this decline because of the great recession, because when the economy is bad, people dont have children. But then the economy got better and the birth rate kept declining, says Gemmil. Since the pandemic, it just seems like there is something different that is changing peoples ideas about having children. It is not just linked to the traditional indicators of whether the economy is doing good or bad anymore. Guarin also operates a mobile clinic, a big box with sperm printed across itself and a big sign on the back that says honk if you have had your vasectomy. Story continues Each month, he drives 700 miles around the state of Iowa. In November, he drove to a series of Planned Parenthood centres between Iowa and Missouri locations that previously carried out abortions conducting 110 free vasectomies. They had been relying on the contraception that their partners were using. They came and said things like, I am doing this because I cannot rely on the termination of a pregnancy, which was my last option, says Guarin. As yet, there is no official data, but widespread anecdotal evidence shows that American men are racing to get vasectomies. In the week in May 2022 that the decision to overturn Roe v Wade was leaked, Google Trends data shows searches for vasectomy in the US surged by 115pc. In the week when the decision was formally announced, searches were up by 285pc compared to the same point a year earlier. It is clear that demand has been maintained. Searches in April this year were up 25pc from their pre-pandemic level. For a research paper published in the International Journal of Impotence, a group of urologists at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio tracked vasectomy procedural billing data from 2018 to this year at a large midwestern healthcare organisation which encompassed 13 community hospitals across urban and rural settings. The number of vasectomy procedures jumped when the Roe vs Wade decision was leaked, then rocketed after it was formally announced. By August 2022, the healthcare organisation was doing 218 procedures a month. This was more than double the monthly figure in 2018. These figures incorporate patients who had initiated consultations before the ruling, but the decision likely pushed them to schedule the procedure, the report said. The trend is expected to continue. They noted a 35pc year-on-year increase in consultation requests and a 22pc increase in consultations. Crucially, the researchers reported a major demographic shift in the men who were seeking out the procedure. Previously, men getting a vasectomy were older and already had children. Today, those getting the snip are younger and much more likely to be childless. Younger men, especially those under 30, as well as childless men were significantly more likely to seek consultation post-Dobbs compared to the prior reproductive legal climate, the report said. Findings indicate that men are invested in maintaining reproductive autonomy for themselves and their partners. After Roe v Wade was overturned, the median age of a man getting a vasectomy fell from 38 to 35 years. Nearly a quarter were under 30, compared to just one in 10 in 2021. The 2022 cohort were also less likely to be married. The share who did not already have children doubled from one in 12 to one in six. The overturning of Roe v Wade in June 2022 has changed the landscape of family planning for male partners, the report said. The immediacy with which this change was seen indicates that the post-Dobbs generation has already been significantly affected by the legal climate and the population-based consequences of this decision will continue to be seen in multiple ways for decades to come." The surge in vasectomies threatens to deepen the wider slump in America's birth rate. In 2021, the number of births was the third lowest in 40 years. If the 2007 fertility rate had continued in the years after the financial crisis 8.6 million more children would have been born in America by 2021, says Kenneth Johnson, professor of sociology and senior demographer at the Carsey School. There is also a secondary vasectomy revolution, which is separate to Roe v Wade. At his New York practice, consultations have doubled in the last six months, says Marc Goldstein, professor and director of male reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. Here, abortion is legal. But men have a different motivation. What Im seeing is very similar to what we saw during the great recession of 2008, he says. Back then, there was a marked increase in demand for these activities and a decrease in demand for reversals, and this was clearly related to economics, people felt they just couldnt afford to have more children. The patients who are coming to me today are almost all couples who have decided that this is not a world into which they want to bring children into, says Goldstein. Half say they cannot afford to, he adds. Others cite climate change. Im seeing men in their early 30s who have never had children but have decided that this isnt the world theyd ever want to bring children into, says Goldstein. Goldstein himself uses a method known as the no scalpel vasectomy. I brought it back from China, says Goldstein. It was a technique developed during the era of the One Child Policy an era that created a demographic timebomb. To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base 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. So when we looked at Viva Energy Group (ASX:VEA) and its trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw. What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)? Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Viva Energy Group is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.18 = AU$875m (AU$8.6b - AU$3.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022). Therefore, Viva Energy Group has an ROCE of 18%. That's a relatively normal return on capital, and it's around the 15% generated by the Oil and Gas industry. View our latest analysis for Viva Energy Group roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for Viva Energy Group compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Viva Energy Group. What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Viva Energy Group. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 18%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 82%. The increasing returns on a growing amount of capital is common amongst multi-baggers and that's why we're impressed. On a separate but related note, it's important to know that Viva Energy Group has a current liabilities to total assets ratio of 43%, which we'd consider pretty high. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, it can be beneficial if this ratio is lower. Story continues The Bottom Line All in all, it's terrific to see that Viva Energy Group is reaping the rewards from prior investments and is growing its capital base. And a remarkable 162% total return over the last three years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist. If you'd like to know more about Viva Energy Group, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them doesn't sit too well with us. While Viva Energy Group 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. 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 When Rappahannock High School received materials to construct a robot for the second annual High School Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren, physics and math teacher Preston Ailor noticed students became frustrated. They were unable to code the robot for motion and some were ready to give up before sophomore Ricardo Alvarez stepped in. The next thing you know, Ricardo sits it on the floor and it is running around the classroom like a pet, Ailor said. He is just a wizard with it. Alvarez put his wizardry on display, helping Rappahannock land the top spot at the Innovation Challenge held March 31 to April 1 at the University of Mary Washingtons Dahlgren Campus. Designed to engage students with STEM learning, the challenge welcomed 22 teams from 19 schools across the Fredericksburg region, from New Kent to Stafford and throughout the Northern Neck. The two-day competition had students programming robots to complete simulated missions to maneuver a course and retrieve an object crucial to national security. It was hosted by Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, UMW, MITRE Corporation, the Fredericksburg Regional Military Affairs Council and King George Economic Development Authority. NSWCDD Technical Director Dale Sisson Jr., said the goal of the event is to encourage future leaders to serve their nation. It is our job to make sure we remain the strongest Navy that the nation and the world will ever see, Sisson said while addressing the audience. To do that, we must have a strong pipeline of talent. So I applaud you all for taking your time to come here and show off your skills. Students assembled 10-inch long, 8-inch wide and 5-inch tall robots that had eight minutes to navigate a maze, take photos of intelligence objects, recover an object and transfer it to an exfiltration zone in the competition called Special Technical Object Recovery Mission (STORM). Rappahannock scored 210.3 points to earn the first-place prize of $3,500 and hold off defending champion Fredericksburg Christian School, which finished second, earning $2,500. One of two teams from King George High School placed third, taking home $1,500. I think coding is very important for a small, rural school like ours, Ailor said. Our entire school is the size of some of these schools graduating class. So it is pretty neat that we have these hidden gems. Interest in the event increased significantly from the challenges debut one year ago when 12 schools and 14 teams participated. New this year was Caroline High School, which competed with an all-female team. Fresh off a six-week coding course, Melanie Squires, Olivia Monahan and Karianah Carroll plucked through a tangle of wires, faced down a faulty expansion plate and wrangled moody motion sensors to complete the critical mission. We worked through a lot of challenges just trying to experiment with the robot, Squires said. We are completely new to this, but I feel like we have come a long way. Virginia Del. Margaret Ransone emphasized the importance of STEM learning and expertise and praised the events more than 100 participants during Day 2 opening remarks. You are really making a huge impact on the future of [NSWCDD] and the future of this country, Ransone said. UMW President Troy Paino echoed those sentiments, telling the crowd that one of the things he likes best about his job is the sense of making an investment in the future. I feel that in this room here today, Paino said. This is just the beginning of what is possible. You are our future, and I am excited. U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and several other local, state and federal officials were on hand. Spanberger said the challenge is a chance for students to gain deeper knowledge of the possibilities at NSWCDD and within the Navy. This competition is certainly fun for the students, but hopefully it is giving them a glimpse into what opportunities exist in engineering, support for our military and research and development, Spanberger said. Michael Clark, NSWCDDs K-12 STEM lead, added that it was inspiring for students to have engineers from NSWCDD and MITRE Corporation in classrooms to help them prepare for competition. Our hope is that by offering unique and exciting opportunities like the Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren, those students will understand without a doubt that a career in STEM is fun, rewarding and achievable, Clark said. Hopefully this will encourage more and more students to follow a STEM career path and ultimately do great work for our country. The long legal road to ban Germany's right-wing NPD party Nearly 14 years after Germany's first attempt to ban the right-wing NPD party failed on legal grounds, the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe will issue a new ruling on the matter. GALLERY The Federal Constitutional Court announces it will issue a verdict on January 17, 2017. Karlsruhe (dpa) - A timeline of key events along the way:- MARCH 2003: Judges in Karlsruhe drop the first case to ban the NPD, which was pursued by the federal government and both chambers of parliament in the face of rising violence by right-wing activists.Revelations that intelligence officials held leadership positions within the NPD raised questions about the states own possible role in abetting NPD activities, thereby contaminating the evidence to be considered.- AUGUST 2007: A new proposal to ban the NPD is drafted after a group of youths chase down eight Indians in the eastern German town of Muegeln.- APRIL 2008: SPD state interior ministers say that before a ban on the NPD can be sought, intelligence-gathering links to the party must first be "shut down" and new information collected. The centre-right CDU/CSU rejects any new attempt to seek a ban.- MARCH 2012: State interior ministers agree to systematically gather evidence against the NPD, ruling out the use of liaison officers in the NPD leadership.- NOVEMBER 2012: The NPD asks the Constitutional Court to review the partys allegiance to the constitution, arguing that accusations that the party is unconstitutional violated its rights. The court rejects the case in March 2013.- DECEMBER 2012: Parliaments upper chamber, the Bundesrat, approves starting new proceedings to ban the NPD. The state of Hessen abstains in the vote.- MARCH 2013: The coalition government of the CDU/CSU and FDP decides against joining the Bundesrats motion. In April, the lower house Bundestag also rejects seeking a ban.- DECEMBER 2013: The Bundesrat files a new ban motion.- MAY 2015: Germanys 16 states provide the Constitutional Court with new evidence that the activities of secret informants had been shut down.- MARCH 2016: In three days of hearings in Karlsruhe, lawyers for the Bundesrat and NPD, experts and politicians debate the issue. Judges appear to place greater importance on the political influence exerted by the NPD.- OCTOBER 2016: The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg rejects a complaint filed by the NPD that it is being stigmatised as unconstitutional in Germany.- NOVEMBER 2016: The Federal Constitutional Court announces it will issue a verdict on January 17, 2017.- DECEMBER 2016: The tabloid Bild reports that the Berlin government, in an internal assessment, does not expect the Karlsruhe judges to approve the NPD ban. Fitch Ratings has upgraded Saudi oil giant Aramco's long-term foreign- and local-currency issuer default ratings (IDR) to 'A+' from 'A' with stable outlook. This follows the upgrade of Saudi Arabia (A+/Stable). Saudi Aramco is the world's largest oil producer and Saudi Arabia's national oil company. Its financial profile benefits from strong pre-dividend free cash flow (FCF) generation, conservative financial policies and a net cash position. Its business profile is characterised by large scale production, vast reserves, low output costs and expansion into downstream and petrochemicals, said a statement from Fitch Ratings. Its upstream operations focus on a single country and compared with global oil and gas majors, its operations are skewed towards crude oil production, it stated. Saudi Aramco's rating is constrained at that of its majority shareholder Saudi Arabia, given the close links between the company and the sovereign. Fitch in its review, stated that Aramco's standalone credit profile (SCP) at 'aa+'. Saudi Aramco's short-term IDR of 'F1+' is equalised with that of the sovereign. Sovereign Constrains Rating: Saudi Aramco's rating is constrained by that of Saudi Arabia in accordance with Fitch's Government-Related Entities (GRE) Rating Criteria and Parent and Subsidiary Linkage (PSL) Rating Criteria. This reflects the influence the state exerts on the company through strategic direction, taxation and dividends, as well as regulating the level of production in line with Opec+ commitments. "We assess status, ownership and control, and support track record as 'Strong' as Saudi Aramco is majority-owned by the government of Saudi Arabia. Historically, the company's robust financial position has not necessitated support from the government, but we expect that support would be forthcoming if the need arises," it added.-TradeArabia News Service Fredericksburg may be the sweet spot right now and with it we are losing the sweetness of Fredericksburg. I moved here in 2010 and loved the culture as it resembled the small-town community I grew up in Missouri, where people waved to others because, well thats the community thing to do. Similarly, waves were common here in Fredericksburg years ago. I remember running along the Canal Path with my hand near permanently raised as I returned waves to others in our community. Things have noticeably changed since then. As I ran the Canal Path recently, I kept count of those who returned a wave or provided some sort of gesture acknowledging me (nod, smile, etc.). A staggering 3 of 44 people returned a gesture. Whats more, I was yelled at one evening at St. Claire Brooks Memorial Park as I attempted to run in the grass to pass two walkers taking up the entire path with their small dog running chaotically on a retractable leash. Basic community courteousness seems to be lost. If we cant extend a wave to our community members, how can we rely on our community to come together in times of need? A smile, wave or nod costs nothing but goes so far. Id love to see The Free LanceStar partner with local community businesses, parks and recreation, and law enforcement to initiate Lend a Wave awareness to help bolster and revive the community culture that was once so lively in Fredericksburg. Ryan Smith Stafford ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) A contract worker at a northern Michigan paper mill has died from a fungal infection that has forced the business to temporarily close for deep cleaning. The death was announced Friday in a release by public health officials in Delta and Menominee counties which said the worker died as a result of blastomycosis infection. The person's name and a date of the death were not released. Company officials on Thursday said the Billerud Paper Mill in Escanaba, which employs more than 800 people, will close for up to three weeks for scrubbing after authorities confirmed at least 21 cases of blastomycosis among workers since March and dozens more probable cases. The fungal infection is related to a fungus that grows in moist soil and decomposing wood and leaves, according to the public health department in Delta County. Blastomycosis does not pass from person to person, the department said. Common symptoms are cough, fever, shortness of breath, joint pain and weight loss. The mill will undergo deep cleaning in high traffic areas through the mill as well as other steps, including vent inspections, filter replacements and tests on raw materials, said Kevin Kuznicki, president of Billerud North America. Billerud said in a statement that an industrial outbreak of the fungus has not been documented anywhere in the U.S. The health department in early March first publicly disclosed a number of unusual pneumonia infections among mill workers. About 76 people have been classified as probable blastomycosis case, according to health officials. Of the 97 total cases, about a dozen have required hospitalization. All 97 of the cases are either employees, contractors or visitors of the paper mill, the health department said. The mill produces paper for magazines, catalogs, books and other products. Billerud is based in Sweden. Editors Note: This is one in an occasional, ongoing series of articles exploring the mental health, outreach and behavioral support efforts to aid students at Fremont Public Schools. With educators seeing an increase in students mental health needs and how this affects their school success, the Tribune talked with three leading Fremont Public Schools administrators to learn about a Multi-Tiered System of Support used in the past decade. The Tribunes news team decided to explore the mental health needs and behavioral interventions of students in the district in mid-February, after principals from several Fremont Public Schools campuses gave their campus status reports to the FPS Board of Education on Monday, Feb. 13. That night, the principals at Fremont High School, Milliken Park Elementary School and Bell Field Elementary School all provided their regular updates of campus activities, statistics and how they are meeting goals set by the district. One common theme among those campus updates on Feb. 13 from Myron Sikora, FHS; Chris Raasch, principal of Bell Field; and Susan Farkas, principal of Milliken Park was the mental health needs of children and challenges facing students. In subsequent FPS Board of Education meetings in March and April, principals from other district campuses have given their reports to board members, echoing much of what the three principals detailed on Feb. 13 that mental health needs are increasing. That mental health element, district officials have said, includes a need for a focus on the whole student, a process which involves identifying problematic issues from a students personal life that impacts their success in school. During the Feb. 13 meeting, Farkas was candid about the issues she faces as a principal. Our students are dealing with anger, sadness, mental health issues, parents (being) deported, parents (being) incarcerated, parent death, ADHD, family difficulties, trauma and significant behaviors (and) violent outbursts, Farkas wrote in her report to board leaders. Sikora reported to district officials that other school staff are increasingly seeing, students exposed to trauma at home. We have continued to see an increase in the number of students reporting struggles at home, adolescent trauma and under or undiagnosed mental health issues, Sikora wrote in his report. Sikora said the high school has utilized outside therapists for counseling for 90 students per week, and FHS school social worker Shayla Linn, works with students and families to connect them with mental health supports and other outside resources. On April 11, Johnson Crossing Academic Center Principal Brent Harrill also explain his campus and the challenges faced by administrators and teachers. Among those were a six-fold increase in the number of students seeking mental health therapy from 2021-22 school year to the 2022-23 school years, as well as a chronic absenteeism rate of more than 23%. Those challenges have led district leaders down a path which will see more emotional support and mental health care offerings beginning in spring 2023 at the high school with a program called SSET, or Supporting Students Exposed to Trauma, which will allow school social workers and guidance counselors will receive training to improve mental health outcomes and care. District has large at risk population The Fremont Tribune interviewed FPS Superintendent Mark Shepard; Kate Heineman, district executive director of teaching and learning; and Joel Kerkman, director of district special education, about the FPSs use of the multi-tiered systems of support method to handle student wellbeing and discipline in a new manner. Kerkman said part of the reason the district has opted for the MTSS model with the three tiers of support is because administrators are acutely aware of the demographics of the district and resulting needs from those snapshots of students personal lives. In the campus progress reports to the Board of Education, principals include a range of data on students, including breakdowns of family structures if a student has two parents, one parent, or may be in an alternate situation such as residing with a non-parental relative; the number of students involved in therapy or in need of social worker assistance; and survey results on parental involvement and other issues, such as trusting in adult figures. Before we even got to this point, and we started through some other mental health grants in 2020, we were aware of the needs of our students. We have a lot of at-risk students in our schools. We know their living situations, we know what theyre coming into school with because they share that (information), Kerkman said. Weve had a lot of professional development, so we could help teachers implement trauma-informed methods in the class, to help students. Also, we helped build capacity of teachers to help build support for students experiencing trauma. Teachers, counselors and administrators were trained to give specific intervention-based methods, such as SSET. That is Supporting Students Exposed to Trauma, Kerkman added. That is a small-group intervention that goes approximately 10 weeks. They involve the parents in that, too. Kerkman said parents of students suffering from trauma have been very receptive to the assorted programs and interventions designed to help students facing challenges in mental health, home or community trauma and behavior issues that may blossom from those factors. FPS campuses and administrators utilize the three-tiered Multi-Tiered System of Support model, which features the lowest tier Tier 1 for most students; the mid-tier Tier 2 which is about 10-15% of students who need more attention and collaboration; and the most intensive level Tier 3 which is about 1-3% of students. The tiered model ranges in intensity for students from more informal practices and monitoring to more intensive plans where teachers, counselors and others have many more interactions and meetings with students and often engage in mentor plans. Involved in the process are teachers, administrators, counselors, school psychologists, social workers and even if needed outside the district therapists and mental health professionals. Heineman said teacher involvement in MTSS is crucial, and the district has worked diligently to train teachers and get them the tools needed to help students with any manner of needs be in therapy assistance, social worker aid or in trying to rectify behavior issues. For teachers, Tier 1 is basically about building relationships with every student in your classroom and continuing to establish that as the year goes on, or the semester goes on if youre at the high school level. All of those build strong relationships to make the foundation successful, Heineman explained. The grants (the district has received) has provided us with support for additional learning for our teachers in trauma-informed practices, or recognizing adverse child experiences, so we could kind of really make good, informed recommendations. So if a teacher comes to the Tier 2 or Tier 3 administrative team and says, Im really concerned about this student because this is what I am also seeing, then they have that awareness as to what to do next. Heineman and Kerkman said outside grant funding has allowed the district to provide additional, important mental health training and seminars sessions which have bolstered the knowledge needed to identify students in need, assess what may help the student and direct them to the correct resources within the district, they said. (One) was a full-day of mental health training. It focused on how to identify signs of mental health issues in students. How do you talk to them if they come up to you and say, this is what I am going through. It is kind of like mental health first aid how do I respond and how do I make that student feel when students reach out, Kerkman added. That gives the teachers the map of, where do I go, who is on my building team, what are the next steps. Each FPS campus has MTSS teams Heineman discussed the team make-up, stressing how crucial teamwork is and also the collaborative efforts needed to provide care and support at all levels for students. Having that (team system) in place, teachers have the tools in place at the Tier 1 level to recognize what is next and the system is in place at each of our buildings as to what that next level is, she said. MTSS is built on shared leadership. That is the idea behind it. It is driven by your needs and your community and your complexities, whatever they may be so you can adapt it and change it as times require. That is why were able to adjust successfully to the flood (of 2019) and the pandemic. Each school in the FPS footprint has a Tier 1 team as well as a Tier 2/3 team, Heineman explained. Every building has a Tier 1 team. That is very heavily comprised of teachers, classroom teachers, building administration, counselors. Then, every building also has a Tier 2/3 team, which becomes more of a specialized team, she said. (Tier 2/3) has teachers on it, but also includes special education personnel, your counselors and psychologists. It includes social workers and administrators, speech-language pathologists, literacy coordinators. Each building has one of those two teams. Beyond the campus-level teams, Heineman said there are also district-level teams for each tier. That is kind of the hub, where we keep the system rolling and dealing with needs in the individual buildings. In FPS, some of our schools began dealing with the state of Nebraska (with tier models) in its very infant stage. As it continued to evolve and become more evidence-based, and find more and more successes with (the model) across the country, then you started to see the School Climate Grants be offered through the U.S. Department of Educations, Heineman added. Then you really saw it ramp up from there. MTSS also became a big emphasis in the last 10 years. It has really become the model for all things behavior, academic and support, she said. It has become an all-encompassing model to recognize the whole child, a whole person, rather than separating the child into academic (person) separate from behavior or separate from outside needs. A Go Fund Me account has been established for a Saunders County deputy and his wife who were in a head-on collision on April 9. Deputy Tom Janecek and his wife, Angela, were in an accident outside of Missouri Valley, Iowa, said Saunders County Sheriff Chris Lichtenberg in a press releases. The accident could be due to a possibly impaired driver that crossed into their lane of travel. Lichtenberg said the Iowa State Patrol handled the accident and is investigating. Both of the Janeceks were airlifted by medical helicopter. Tom Janecek was taken to Nebraska Medicine Hospital and Angela to CHI Health Creighton University Medical CenterBergan Mercy Hospital with critical injuries that will require several surgeries, the news release stated. The Janeceks family has set up a Go Fund Me site through which donations can be made to help to pay monthly bills and expenses going forward. The link to that site is https://gofund.me/bf85ee94 Janecek has been with the Saunders County Sheriffs Office for 20 years, working as a road deputy and DARE officer for the schools in Saunders County. Angela has been in the nursing field for 19 years and also promotes suicide awareness and prevention. The Saunders County Sheriffs Office is asking the public to donate to the Go Fund Me page and keep both the Janeceks in their thoughts and prayers. Saturday HomeStore open, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 701 E. Dodge St., Fremont. The HomeStore sells donated items at discounted prices. Proceeds support the mission of Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity. Junkin Market Days, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Two Rivers Building, Washington County Fairgrounds, Arlington. Junkin Market Days is an indoor market featuring local vendors as well as vendors from several different states. The two-day event will include boutique clothing, home decor, jewelry, furniture, candles, gourmet foods and one-of-a-kind finds. General admission tickets are $5 and can be purchased online at junkinmarketdays.com. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont. Alcoholics Anonymous womens heart-to-heart group, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Fremont Eagles Club open, noon to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business. The kitchen will be open from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The menu will include steaks, shrimp, chicken tenders and appetizers. Taxi Driver will be playing from 8 p.m. to midnight in the clubs ballroom. The cover charge is $8. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Spaghetti and meatball dinner, 6:30 p.m., Fremont Izaak Walton Park, 2560 W. Military Ave., Fremont. The all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatball dinner also comes with a lettuce salad, garlic bread, dessert, coffee or juice. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under. Twenty free games of bingo with prizes are included with a paid meal. Everyone is welcome. Anyone with questions may call Kim at 402-620-1732. Spiritual 12-Step Recovery Program, 7 p.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont. Narcotics Anonymous The Lie is Dead meeting, 8 p.m., LifeHouse, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Sunday Alcoholics Anonymous Happy Sober Sunday Group, 9 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont. St. Marys Catholic Church Pancake Breakfast, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Cedar Bluffs Auditorium. Pancakes (all you can eat) will be served along with sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy, coffee, milk or orange juice. Cost of the breakfast is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 4-10. There also will be a bake sale, lucky chance and silent auction. Proceeds will help repair stained glass windows at St. Marys. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Narcotics Anonymous Seekers of Serenity meeting, 10:30 a.m., LifeHouse, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511. Fremont Eagles Club open, noon to 6 p.m., 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Narcotics Anonymous Freedom Works Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Alcoholics Anonymous Sunday speaker, 7:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Monday TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), 9 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 850 N. Broad St., Fremont. Weigh-ins begin at 8 a.m. Visitors (preteens, teens and adults male and female) are welcome. The first meeting is free. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont. Lightkeepers Womens Group, 10 a.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Fremont Eagles Club open, 3 p.m. to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business. There will be a trustees meeting at 4 p.m. Fremont Planning Commission meeting, 5 p.m., Fremont Municipal Building, second floor, 400 E. Military Ave., Fremont. The meeting is open to the public. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont. Celebrate Recovery, 6:30 p.m., Fremont Church of the Nazarene, 960 Johnson Road. Keene Memorial Library Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., Fremont Municipal Building, second floor, 400 E. Military Ave. The meeting is open to the public. Fresh Hope Mental Health Support Group, 7 p.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont. Narcotics Anonymous Freedom Works Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 854 meeting, 7 p.m., Fremont Eagles Club. Alcoholics Anonymous 12x12 meeting, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont. Lainey Paquette is in a new job thats right up her alley. Actually, her job is on Sixth Street. But Paquette is in a position to help businesses along several streets in downtown Fremont. Thats because Paquette is the new executive director of MainStreet of Fremont. MainStreet works to support and promote businesses in this area and each year offers activities to attract people to the historic downtown district. Paquette started her job on March 16 and has begun work on the nonprofit organizations planned activities for 2023. Originally from Omaha, Paquette graduated from Millard South High School in 2016 and is active in Meadows Church in Papillion. One of our core values is community. Thats always been a big thing for me so that was one of the reasons this job is a good fit, Paquette said of MainStreet. Im very excited to work with different people in the community, including business owners. Paquette previously worked in retail at HyVee, provided childcare and was a preschool teacher. In July 2021, her dad and stepmother, Loren and Karen Paquette, bought the Country Traditions quilt store, now Nebraska Quilt Company. Lainey then began working in the downtown quilt store. Lainey moved to Fremont in March 2022. Its been a really fun time, she said. I do live downtown so its awesome to see the different events happening. Paquette said she looks to build on the foundation of Melissa Powell, the former MainStreet executive director. Im getting acquainted and trying to meet the other business owners and managers, she said. Paquette and the business owners are preparing for the Spring Gallery Walk planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 22, in downtown Fremont. During this event, businesses in the district will feature artists and their works. Attendees can get a map of participating businesses at some locations or via mainstreetfremont.com. Its a great time to explore businesses that maybe you wouldnt normally go to, Paquette said. The Concert in the Park Series is set to start June 1 with the band, High Heel, in John C. Fremont City Park. Plans are to have six bands play on Thursday nights through June and on July 13, the latter of which will help launch the John C. Fremont Days festival. A two-day Hispanic Festival is set for August, followed by the Fall Gallery Walk in September. Also on the schedule are Halloween Hysteria on Oct. 19, Friendsgiving (which features a pop-up bar) on Nov. 22 and the Christmas Walk on Nov. 25. All of these events are a great time to come explore downtown and to get a good sense of community with each other, Paquette said. Sam Heineman, president of MainStreet board of directors, expressed his appreciation for Paquette. Were really excited that Lainey is aboard, Heineman said. She brings a passion for downtown, lots of positive energy. She is very organized and has a background in marketing. Heineman spoke of Paquettes other experience along with her interest in the job. She worked downtown for a year and a half at Nebraska Quilt and also lives downtown, so shes very invested in seeing a thriving and vibrant downtown. Shes going to be a wonderful addition, Heineman said. Paquette is looking to the future. Im excited to be able to talk to the people involved in MainStreet and get their feedback and help grow the businesses and MainStreet even more than it has been, she said. There is no viewing, but the family will receive friends at the Ludvigsen Mortuary Chapel in Fremont on Sunday, April 16, 2023, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The memorial service will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 17, 2023, at First Lutheran Church in Fremont. Burial will be in the Scribner Cemetery at a later date. Memorials are suggested to St. Judes or First Lutheran Church Early Learning Center. More criminal defendants with untreated psychosis languishing in Colorado jails will maim and kill themselves if the state doesn't reduce a growing backlog of nearly 350 people waiting for treatment at the states primary mental hospital, court-ordered monitoring reports predict. And court documents and budget requests show that problems at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo are likely to get worse before they improve. We see wait lists and wait times increasing exponentially throughout 2021, even if pandemic-related restrictions ended immediately, concluded a report issued on May 24 by two experts monitoring the states mental hospital system for U.S. District Court Judge Nina Wang. Furthermore, without significant increases in admissions to the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo, we foresee serious injury and/or death occurring within this population of severely, acutely ill who have been court-ordered to treatment, the experts wrote. As court orders for psychiatric treatment for defendants nearly tripled in four years, new infection-control protocols to protect from COVID-19 restricted the states ability to admit patients to the hospital for those services, according to documents. A crippling workforce shortage, with more than 300 open positions, is a major contributing factor, forcing the Pueblo mental hospital to close three of 24 units in recent months, according to Robert Werthwein, director of the states Office of Behavioral Health, part of the Colorado Department of Human Services, which oversees the states two psychiatric hospitals. At the same time, state and federal regulators are demanding new construction to mitigate suicide risks at the hospital. The improvements required to fix life-threatening problems identified by regulators at the facility will further delay admissions for treatment, court documents state. As a result, more criminal defendants suffering acute psychosis are stacking up in jails, unable to proceed to trial until they receive court-ordered mental competency evaluations or return-to-competency services from the state hospital, according to a court filing last month by the expert monitors. The Colorado Department of Human Services has allowed conditions to regress back to the era before it signed a consent decree in April 2019, to resolve a federal lawsuit accusing the department of violating the due process of inmates, the report from experts Neil Gowensmith and Daniel Murrie states. One man described as catatonic, psychotic, delusional and with bleeding genitals due to his bizarre behaviors has been on the departments priority admission list for more than one month, and his total wait is now beyond six months, their report said. Another detainee has been on the same priority-admission list for weeks, even though he is described as high acuity aggressive disoriented and threatening to staff. Between April and June, two inmates in county jails awaiting hospital admission killed themselves, the experts found. One was 42-year-old Michael Pyle, who was arrested and incarcerated on Jan. 22 at the Adams County Jail after he rammed a Thornton Police Department car and threatened an officer with a gun. His actions prompted a high-speed chase through the Denver suburbs, court documents show. Pyle had terrorized his family, telling his mother that he believed his uncle had the "devil's altar" in his basement, his uncle, David Knipstein, said in a restraining order he filed in court after the arrest. Knipstein described in the document his nephew displaying "violent, erratic behavior." Anne Pyle believes her son would be alive if he had been transferred to an inpatient bed at Pueblo hospital sooner and treated for his mental illness. But he spent about five months in the Adams County Jail, waiting for a bed at the hospital to open, before hanging himself on May 27. "If he had only been able to get treatment, everything could have turned out differently," she said. "He had so much to offer and was such an incredible person." Michael Pyle had been in the Pueblo mental hospital before, his mother said. He was diagnosed with several disorders and placed on medication. He received counseling, was released, got a good job and "seemed to be functioning well," she said. When street riots started last year during the pandemic near his downtown Denver apartment, he "started spiraling downhill," Anne Pyle said. "He told me he thought he needed to be in a hospital again, and he started trying to check himself in somewhere," she said, crying. It was near Christmas last December, and Michael couldn't find anywhere that would take his Medicaid insurance or doctors to give him a referral, Anne Pyle said. "I think he gave up," she said. "His only option was to get in trouble with the police." While Pyle was at the Adams County Jail, a judge ordered Pyle to undergo mental health treatment at the Pueblo facility, so he could be restored to competency to stand trial. "He was told he would be transferred to the Pueblo hospital," his mother said, but the wait stretched on. "It's appalling," Anne Pyle said. "We should be ashamed of ourselves for the lack of mental health treatment, the shortage of beds and cuts in funding. I'm angry with the system and the legislators." 'Public health crisis' Suicides and self-harm are among several consequences of admittance delays, and more such incidents are likely to occur, given the current conditions, the experts said in their memo to state health officials. Twice as many mentally ill inmates are waiting twice as long now than in the past, a circumstance that Gowensmith and Murrie labeled a public health crisis. Some individuals have such severe psychiatric illness that they have covered themselves with urine and/or feces, eaten feces, cut or mutilated themselves, refused to shower for weeks, refused to eat for days, attempted suicide and at times been victimized or injured by staff or other inmates, their May report found. Some have also attacked staff or other inmates, when acting on paranoid delusions or hallucinations that are symptoms of their untreated psychotic illness. Untreated psychosis is a life-threatening illness with mortality rates around 7%, they noted. Patients are entering the hospital from jails in more pressing mental distress, said Sallette Thompson, a psychologist who has worked at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo for two years. I think the acuity has increased for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is COVID, which has increased stress on everyone, she said. Certainly, its going to hit more vulnerable populations in a larger way. Exacerbating the problem are demands from federal and state regulators for new construction at the hospital to mitigate suicide risks, which the two experts predicted in their August court report will further slow admissions to the state hospital. The Joint Budget Committee, the legislative body that crafts the state budget, agreed last week to allocate the Office of Behavioral Health emergency funding of $4.1 million for mandated suicide mitigation efforts at the Pueblo hospital. The agency asked for the money after federal and state regulators warned that the states license needed to keep the Pueblo facility open was in jeopardy, following a July suicide attempt, as first reported in The Gazette. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The survey by state regulators after that suicide attempt which left a 20-year-old criminal defendant from Kersey with loss of brain function from trying to hang himself from the door to his room found pervasive, life-threatening conditions in seven buildings housing patients at the hospital. The regulators demanded a plan to correct issues severe enough to have caused, or are likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment, or death to a patient. The directive hit as the number of people waiting in jails around the state for court-ordered mental competency evaluations or restoration services continued to mount. The backlog has grown to nearly 350, Werthwein, of the Office of Behavioral Health, told the states Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force on Sept. 23. Thats up from what Werthwein said to The Gazette on Sept. 9 was a waiting list of around 300. Among those being delayed in a jail is an actively psychotic pregnant female, Werthwein said. Behavioral health right now in this state is the worst Ive ever remembered, he said. Its bad, people are really struggling. Staff shortages continue to be a stumbling block for resuming full operations at the Pueblo hospital, Werthwein said. Pueblo hospital staff who have joined the labor union, Colorado Workers for Innovative and News Solutions, or WINS, which represents 31,000 state employees, participated in negotiations to raise the minimum wage to $15 for all state jobs and for an annual 3% cost of living raise for the next three years, said Thompson, the hospital psychologist and a union member. State officials and the union reached the agreement last week. Lower wages have caused an exodus of staff to leave the hospital, Thompson said. I hope if we can fill some of these positions, well be able to address the (jail) backlog better. We do this work because we love our clients theyre funny and interesting and they want all of the same things we do, she said. For a lot of us its a calling, not just a job. Upgrades necessary to maintain federal funds Details about the survey by state regulators that found life-threatening conditions at the hospital in Pueblo were referenced in the Office of Behavioral Healths emergency budget request. The Colorado Department of Human Services declined to make the results public, as did the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which conducted the survey of the facility. In rejecting The Gazettes request to release the findings, officials said the state health department was still investigating the July suicide attempt of Chase Falk. However, a provision in the states open-records laws allows the release of state agency investigative records if doing so is in the interest of public health, welfare or safety. Some details of the survey could be gleaned from an analysis of the budget request submitted to the Joint Budget Committee. About $800,000 is needed to install new cameras, or the hospital will have to add 154 additional staff to keep patients safe, that analysis found. It further determined that more than $3 million is needed to address suicide hazards in patient rooms. Several hospital employees told The Gazette that mitigation devices on doors to rooms were supposed to prevent patients from self-harm but apparently weren't functioning properly. Falk's was at least the third suicide attempt this year inside the hospital, an employee said. An adolescent girl used shards from a broken mirror and a man used a razor to harm themselves. The Joint Budget Committee staff also said the survey found that the psychiatric hospitals current incident management systems are outdated and inadequate in regards to data collection and regulatory compliance. The Joint Budget Committee expected a parallel request for more money for additional employees, said Colorado Sen. Bob Rankin, a Republican from Carbondale and member of the Joint Budget Committee, given that the mandatory improvements will change how the facility operates. The hospital which has seen state staffing plunge from 1,388 in 2020 to 1,158 as of Friday, with 304 positions vacant should beef up hiring, even if the new cameras are installed, the survey determined. Since the hospital will no longer be allowed to lock patients in their room due to suicide risks, an additional 27 safety specialists need to be hired, even as records show the hospital struggles to keep past staffing adequate, according to the analysis by the Joint Budget Committee staff. They were locking the doors of the patients for safety, but they have to have the doors unlocked, which means more cameras and surveillance by human beings, Rankin said. Im sure another request will be coming along later. The upgrades are required for the hospital to continue to receive federal funding, Rankin said. We did not have an option, but its the right thing to do, he said, noting that adding more mental health beds has been a longstanding need in Colorado. Colorado Department of Human Services officials pointed out to the legislative budget-writing committee that past suicide mitigation requests for the hospital in Pueblo had been rejected in the past two previous fiscal years. Greater health risk than COVID The mandate to reduce suicide risk comes at a time when the states mental health system is already in distress. Colorado remains under a two-year-old federal court consent decree that found the state violated due process by not providing mental health competency evaluations to criminal defendants on a timely basis. Not complying has cost the state $17 million in federal fines since March 2019, according to the Department of Human Services. Gowensmith and Murrie, the two experts monitoring Colorados compliance with the consent decree for the federal judge, urged state health officials in their May memo to reconsider infection-control protocols at the state hospital, which they said had slowed admissions. Months after that memo, in August, the experts reported to the federal judge in a court filing that despite their urging, state health department quarantine mandates that had left 90 beds at the state hospital empty, had not been relaxed. At that time, the waitlist for admission to the Pueblo hospital topped 300 criminal defendants. In our view, the untreated, severe psychiatric illness harming certain detainees waiting in jails is now a greater public health risk than the risk of spreading COVID-19 to or from these same individuals, they stated in one court filing. While judges order severely mentally ill inmates to be admitted to the psychiatric hospital within 35 days, some are now waiting more than six months for a psychiatric bed and not receiving treatment for their conditions in the meantime, the May report found. Department leaders had made substantial progress until June 2020 in meeting the goals of reducing the number, length of wait and the suffering of the criminal defendants, the report stated. However, the pandemic has twice halted admissions, from November to mid-December of 2020 and from early April into May, increasing the waiting list from 124 at the end of October 2020 to nearly 350 now. Many of these individuals need urgent inpatient mental health care, the report said, yet safe and reasonable options are virtually non-existent. Forced medications are not allowed in most county jails, private hospital beds contracted by the Department of Human Services at extra expense are full, and other private hospitals refuse to admit such patients, citing safety concerns, the report said. The Department of Human Services may consider applying for emergency staffing assistance from a program that was reactivated last week, said agency spokeswoman Madlynn Ruble. The Staffing Shortage Fusion Center, led by the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management through the Colorado Unified Coordination Center, again is making short-term workers available to long-term care centers, hospitals, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and other licensed care facilities where shortages due to COVID-19 are impacting patient care. Healthcare contractors, National Guard members, volunteers from the Colorado Volunteer Mobilizer program, nonprofit organization representatives and a Colorado Hospital Association program fill the slots. Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo has not used Fusion in the past but will explore it as an option to address current staff shortages, Ruble said in an email. Officials at Colorados primary mental hospital failed to protect a 20-year-old patient who suffered loss of brain function when he attempted to kill himself at the facility nearly three months ago, allowing violations in protocols meant to prevent such tragedies, state regulators determined. Among the host of problems, state regulators found that a clinical care associate at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo violated requirements for safety checks of patients and their rooms the day of the suicide attempt. Employees told The Gazette a contract health care worker was fired over the incident, although the state denied requests for termination information. Another patient found Kersey resident Chase Falk hanging in his room at 2:03 p.m. on July 27 and alerted hospital staff, who rushed in to untie sheets Falk had fashioned as a noose, the regulators found. No heart rate could be discovered. Falk was transported to a Denver-area hospital, where he was in a coma, said his father, Carl Falk. "They worked on him for 17 minutes before they got a pulse," an emotional Falk told The Gazette. "He never regained consciousness, and they froze him for three days in ICU. They had to work hard to get him back, and I'm super thankful." The survey conducted by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in the wake of the suicide attempt found peril for other patients and wide-ranging problems so severe that federal regulators in September threatened to kick the Pueblo hospital out of the Medicare program by Dec. 14. Risks discovered included telephones used by unsupervised patients that posed a suicide risk due to 14-inch cords, and, more generally, the lack of a hospital-wide, data-driven quality assessment and performance improvement program. Terminating the Pueblo hospital from Medicare reimbursements would cripple the hospitals ability to bill for its psychiatric services. The loss of Medicare would also come at a time when Colorado is already struggling to adhere to a two-year old federal consent decree that found the state violated due process in the evaluation and treatment of mentally ill criminal defendants struggling with psychosis. Not complying with the terms of the consent decree has cost the state at least $17 million in federal fines since March 2019. A major stumbling block to adhering to the consent decree is the backlog of nearly 350 people jammed in county jails around Colorado waiting for admission to the states Pueblo facility, where court-ordered mental competency evaluations or restoration services for criminal defendants take place. Whether Colorado can avoid having the Pueblo hospital kicked out of the Medicare program remains an open question. In response to the survey, the Joint Budget Committee, a legislative group that crafts the state budget, in late September allocated $4.1 million in suicide mitigation funds for the Pueblo hospital to bring the facility into compliance with federal standards. The money will pay for new surveillance cameras, address suicide risks in patients rooms and pay for other upgrades. Officials with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in a September letter to Colorado officials said the Pueblo hospital still would have to pass another unannounced survey inspection by the state health department to stave off termination from the Medicare program. Madlynn Ruble, a spokeswoman for the states Department of Human Services, said that an unannounced survey has not yet taken place, though she said, all immediate jeopardies have been removed. We have requested and received funding to make environmental modifications for suicide mitigation, Ruble said. We expect surveyors to return to verify their implementation and clear all findings. The previous survey that took place after Falks suicide attempt began in July and concluded in August. Officials with the state health department declined to release their agencys survey findings, as did the Colorado Department of Human Services, which operates the Pueblo psychiatric hospital. In declining to release the report, the two state agencies said the suicide attempt was still being investigated, even though state law allows public release of state agency investigative records during an ongoing investigation if doing so is in the interest of public health, welfare or safety. The Gazette obtained a copy of the surveys findings from authorities with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who disagreed with the determination from the state agencies that the findings werent a public record. The document makes clear that state health officials found issues that put other patients beside Falk in peril. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. In addition to failing to adequately check on Falk the day of the suicide attempt, staff at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo also allowed him to stockpile extra bed sheets and a large trash can he used in his attempt to take his life, the review by the states health department found. Other widespread instances of unauthorized linens were discovered in other patients' rooms, posing additional suicide risks, the regulators found. An employee has told The Gazette that Falks was at least the third suicide attempt this year inside the hospital. An adolescent girl used shards from a broken mirror and a man used a razor to harm himself. Suicide attempts are not common at the Pueblo hospital and occur at a frequency lower than other community settings, said Robert Werthwein, director of the Office of Behavioral Health in the state Department of Human Services. "We serve at any one time 500 people with serious mental illness," he said. "In the course of a year, it could be up to 1,000 people." The Department of Human Services would not provide statistics on numbers of suicide attempts inside its two psychiatric hospitals. Falk said he is frustrated at the lack of answers and apparent mishaps in preventing his son's suicide attempt. "We're like 'Why did you let this happen?'" Falk said. Despite being told he would receive a copy of an outside investigation into what happened that day that his son tried to take his life, Falk said he's now been told the hospital has a "no contact" order in place with the family, so he has been unable to obtain any information about the case. He also claims his lawyer was threatened if they continued to pursue the matter. While state regulators were examining conditions at the hospital, a patient escaped from the facility three days after Falks suicide attempt, according to the survey. The patient walked past four staff members and a kitchen employee and through an unlocked door, the regulators reported. The patient escaped from the hospital grounds for more than three hours before police escorted him back to the facility, the survey noted. Escapes from the facility also occur infrequently "from time to time," Werthwein said. "When they think of escapes, people think of scaling a wall or digging a tunnel, but in some units, depending on the security level, people can walk off on their own accord," he said. His department did not provide requested numbers of escapes from the facility. An employee said another had occurred in February. Patients also were being locked regularly in their rooms, a violation of seclusion and restraint policies, the survey also said, stating the facility failed to ensure a safe patient care environment in multiple areas due to a lack of required patient wellness checks and environmental safety checks. While the clinical care associate made rounds the day of Falks suicide attempt, his actual patient checks were cursory and insufficient to ensure safety, the state regulators found. Surveillance video showed he did not enter patient rooms during the rounds and stood before patient doorways for only one to two seconds. He failed to detect the trash can and bed sheets used in his suicide attempt, according to the surveys findings. Falk wrapped the extra sheet around his neck and put it into the door and closed the door. He stood on top of the upside-down trash can to hang himself. Protocols required staff to observe the patients face, neck, chest rise and fall, skin tone color, physical condition, emotional state, body language and tone of voice and document the observations. Falk said the description of what occurred doesn't make sense since his son is "almost as tall as the doors." And "that type of suicide takes planning it seems like it would take more than 15 minutes just to tie the sheets together," Falk said. Staff also regularly transported patients through an underground tunnel system, which had multiple pipelines, construction supplies, water leaks and additional unlocked doors to other tunnels that could allow for escape and criminal activity, according to the survey. The survey noted that nothing was done after reports of unlocked doors that would allow for escape from the facility. The lack of any follow-up contributed to a patient escaping from the hospital, according to the survey. In June, contracted electrical workers left a 15 to 20-inch metal pipe in the hallway, but no measures were taken to prevent such hazards from occurring again, the survey noted. Another patient in July hid a rusty, metal wire in his room, but when staff discovered the wire no interventions or investigation occurred. In another instance, a patient fashioned a weapon by filling a sock with rocks, but there was no evidence that incident was ever investigated, the regulators further reported. State officials pledged in response that they would hire a quality-improvement specialist. They said the specialist would monitor reporting on adverse events and ensure follow-up occurs. Some members of the media are calling it the Super Bowl of libel law. Its Colorado-based Dominion Voting Systems defamation case against Fox News, which goes to trial in Delaware Monday. Dominion sued Fox Corp. and Fox News in 2021, accusing them of ruining its reputation by broadcasting false claims that the company's voting machines were used to rig the outcome of the 2022 election in favor of Joe Biden. Dominion supplies its voting systems to dozens of Colorado counties among more than 1,900 local governments across the country. The trial is considered a test of whether Fox abandoned ethical journalism in an effort to cater to what its audience wanted: the false storyline that the election was stolen from Donald Trump. Foxs argument is that coverage of the vote-rigging claims was simply news reporting, protected by the First Amendments guarantee of press freedom. Their lawyers say the presidents lawyers were making the claims and Fox was just repeating their statements, as journalists do every day. The case is a fascinating moment in the history of journalism because it tackles a larger question for our internet age: are journalists responsible for telling the truth? In a flood of disinformation, infinite news choices and cat videos, is anyone responsible for telling the truth? When people can shop around endlessly for what they want to hear rather than reckoning with one single truth, where is the common ground we need for a functioning civil society? I spoke to attorney Steve Zansberg, Colorados resident expert on First Amendment Law, who explained to me some of the background of press law at play in the case. Fox is arguing that they are protected by something called the doctrine of neutral reportage that says the press has to be allowed to state what the president of the United States is saying, whether it is true or not, because the public is entitled to know when public officials or even celebrities say things. Say that Joe Biden says that Kamala Harris tried to murder Jill Biden with a knife, and we know for a fact that Kamala Harris was overseas, and Jill Biden wasnt in the White House, Zansberg said, The public is entitled to know that the president of the United States has lost his mind, and is spouting these crazy untruths. Zansberg says, however, the key word of the doctrine is neutral. You have to be neutral, you cant adopt the insanity and the falsity and put it forth as your own view, Zansberg said. Youre no longer just repeating what someone says, and identifying it as so, youre embracing it and saying it is true. The primary question jurors will be asked is whether Fox embraced the lie. If a media outlet knowingly spreads information they knew to be false or recklessly disregarded the truth, that likely meets the standard of "actual malice" required for Dominion to prevail in a defamation case. Fox never added the caveat to their reporting, as so many news outlets did, including ours, that said there was no evidence to support Trumps allegations. Fox News personnel were saying these things in their own words, not just in a dispassionate interview, Zansberg points out. I cant find another news network or news outlet whose major stars got on stage at rallies for presidential candidates, took the podium next to Donald Trump and urged his rally attendees to vote for this guy and do whatever they can to get him elected. Name me another news personality that you have ever seen get on stage at a political rally alongside a political candidate and then continue to claim being a news reporter. Fox stars Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro were invited on stage and spoke from the podium at Trump rallies. Tucker Carlson has appeared with Trump on occasion as well. We have to be able to draw lines and say there are differences between news reporters and the notion of neutral reportage and folks who are just spouting, Zansberg argues. And behind the scenes, these Fox stars are saying 'I dont believe a word of this. But we have to go with this or were going to lose everyone to OAN (One America News) network, and other media outlets.'" A Fox spokesman disputed that characterization. Dominions lawsuit is a political crusade in search of a financial windfall, but the real cost would be cherished first amendment rights," a Fox spokesman said in an email. "While Dominion has pushed irrelevant and misleading information to generate headlines, FOX News remains steadfast in protecting the rights of a free press, given a verdict for Dominion and its private equity owners would have grave consequences for the entire journalism profession. If Fox knew the claims were false, as multiple statements gathered by Dominion lawyers show, and continued to report them as true, then they are in trouble. Its pretty clear cut, Zansberg concludes. So why hasnt Fox settled the case yet? Why is it going to court? Probably because showing actual malice is a rare and difficult thing, thanks to an earlier libel case, New York Times versus Sullivan. In that 60-year-old case, The Times was sued over a full-page ad from a civil rights committee that accused Southern officials of mistreating Martin Luther King Jr. and other peaceful protesters. Some of the statements in the ad were false. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which unanimously ruled in 1964 that public officials must establish actual malice before recovering damages, establishing a high bar for defamation to protect the profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials. The Times won, in other words. Some protectors of the freedom of the press worry that a Fox loss could open the floodgates of suits against journalists and erode the protections of the Sullivan ruling, chilling aggressive accountability and investigative reporting. But Zansberg doesnt think so. Assuming the jury unanimously finds, by the requisite clear and convincing evidence, that Fox News personnel spewed knowing falsehoods about Dominions voting machine equipment and is therefore liable, no member of the news media who does not do the same has anything to fear for seeking out the truth and reporting it, he said. The type of 'honest mistakes' that happen literally every day in breaking news coverage will not be subject to financial exposure as a result of such a verdict. But could this revisionist Supreme Court revisit the Sullivan decision? Justice Clarence Thomas has been on a tear lately, saying that the Sullivan ruling was made up out of whole cloth, much like Roe v. Wade. Thomas has said he thinks Sullivan is responsible for the spread of falsehoods online and in cable news and should be overturned. But Zansberg doesnt think there is an appetite from enough of the justices four is required to take such a case to do so. Only Thomas. My dearest hope is that the trial this week will prompt Fox and other media outlets to rededicate themselves to objectivity, truth-telling, and neutral reportage, and keep faith that their business models will follow. If not, I fear were in for even more difficult times ahead. An icon of the Fox empire himself warns us of what might come. In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, when armed soldiers were still on the grounds, it was none other than James Murdoch, the younger son of Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox, who gave an interview saying, The sacking of the Capitol is proof positive that what we thought was dangerous was indeed, very, very much so. Those outlets that propagate lies to their audience have unleashed insidious and uncontrollable forces that will be with us for years. Hong Kong secured over 160 ship calls from 16 cruise lines in 2023, signifying a full resumption of the citys cruise scene, said Hong Kong Tourism Boards MICE & Cruise General Manager, Kenneth Wong. With the mask mandate lifted, Hong Kong is shining anew as one of the most exciting harbour cities and desirable destinations for cruise travelers from all over the world. The speedy recovery of the cruise industry in Hong Kong can be credited to the trust and relationships we have built with cruise lines, he added, during Seatrade Cruise Global, the cruise industrys preeminent annual business-to-business event, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The elegant Silver Spirit of Silversea sparked the start of the cruise season in Asia with its debut return to Hong Kong in mid-January. Adam Radwanski, Silverseas Managing Director Asia Pacific, said: Hong Kong constitutes one of the most important ports in Asia for Silversea Cruises and our discerning guests, who appreciate the enriching experiences, the welcoming people, and the spectacular cityscape that awaits them on each call to the destination. In January 2023, Silversea became the first international cruise line to return to Hong Kongs waters in almost three years facilitated by the invaluable collaboration of the local government, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and the port authorities. This is a strong representation of our long-term commitment to Hong Kong. With four ultra-luxury ships sailing in Asia Pacific waters in 2023, Silversea is investing heavily in the region and has seen tremendous growth within this market. We look forward to building on our close collaboration with Hong Kong for years to come, as we continue to offer our guests unique experiences in this iconic destination. The visits and deployments from Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and the year-round homeporting of Resorts World Cruises highlight the citys potential for accommodating a variety of cruise products, as well as the flight networks availability for development of fly-cruise turnaround itineraries for short-haul and long-haul markets. Growing potential in source markets Flights connecting destinations and hubs around the world have ramped back up, including the resumption of United Airlines nonstop service to and from Hong Kong, joining Cathay Pacific as the dominant air carriers from the U.S. To accommodate the vast growth in aviation, the Hong Kong International Airport is implementing an expansion plan for the three-runway system which when the project is completed, will be able to handle 30 million more passengers a year by 2030, said Kenneth Wong. Since the beginning of the popularization of the global cruise industry, Hong Kong has been a standout setting for cruise lines to develop new products and entice new clientele from the enormous Mainland market of 86 million people who zip in from cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area via High Speed Rail and the iconic Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the longest sea crossing in the world. New offerings for travelers to experience and enjoy The Hong Kong Tourism Board launched a large-scale Hello Hong Kong global promotional campaign focused on showcasing the citys reopening with its legendary vibrancy and exciting new developments, events, and activities, all of which were introduced by Kenneth Wong at the Seatrade Cruise Global luncheon. Along the harbour of Hong Kongs West Kowloon Cultural District is the new Hong Kong Palace Museum, with an exclusive collection of more than 900 priceless treasures from the Palace Museum in Beijing, and M+, Asias first truly global museum of contemporary visual culture. Possibilities abound for international travelers arriving via cruise ship. The Peak Tram to panoramic views from Victoria Peak has been given a makeover, with new sixth-generation tram cars and a renovated terminal with full-immersion video experience. Brighter future with extensive support from Hong Kong Tourism Board The Hong Kong Tourism Board is working and communicating closely with cruise operators for continued top-level industry productivity and efficiency. New initiatives introduced by Kenneth Wong at the Seatrade Cruise Global luncheon, include multiple aspects of support, such as itinerary planning facilitation, port operating costs subsidy, and consumer demand-stimulating campaigns, to ensure cruise line deployment is an unprecedented success. Kenneth Wong added: All signs point to a strong international cruise comeback and a bright future. We expect a robust cruise agenda as lines and visitors return to what has always been a leading Asia cruise hub and tourism capital. TradeArabia News Service Friday marked the end of the second week of Letecia Stauchs jury trial, where the prosecution entered into evidence a video of Stauch assaulting an El Paso County detective while being taken to jail from South Carolina. The video was taken in early March after El Paso County detectives flew to Myrtle Beach, S.C,. to arrest Stauch for the murder of her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch, on Jan. 27, 2020. Click or tap here to watch live coverage from the trial. Follow @ZachNDupont on Twitter for more updates from the courtroom. Following her arrest, detectives had to drive Stauch back to Colorado from South Carolina, and according to former El Paso County detective Jessica Bethel, the drive was uneventful until they reached Kansas. In the video, Stauch can be seen hitting a female detective with a Monster energy drink who is sitting next to her in the back seat of the van, then attempting to reach across her lap. Bethel testified that she believed Stauch slipped her handcuffs, and was lunging for her partners firearm during the interaction. As the assault takes place, "Hey Soul Sister" by Train can be heard playing loudly over the car radio. Within seconds of Stauch striking the female detective, Bethel and a third detective, who was driving the car, detain Stauch in her seat. Bethel testified that shortly after the assault, Stauch used her foot to open the door to the van, which she alleges was another attempt to escape law enforcement custody. After being detained again by Bethel, Stauch can be heard claiming numerous times that she wasnt trying to escape and that she only hit the detective because she wouldnt listen to Stauch when she asked her to turn on the cars air conditioning. Bethel testified that after the assault, Stauch was placed into a local county jail briefly before continuing the drive to Colorado, where Stauch would be placed into custody at the El Paso County jail. While speaking with prosecutor and 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, Bethel claimed she believed Stauch was sane and very calculated during the assault of the detective. During cross-examination, attorney Will Cook presented Bethel with a copy of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), which Cook referred to as the bible for psychiatrists diagnosing mental disorders. Cook asked Bethel if her determination of Stauchs sanity was made using knowledge from the DSM-5, which Bethel confirmed it was not. At several points in the trial on Wednesday, where Bethel spent the full day testifying, Stauch could be seen reading the DSM-5 at the defense table. Friday morning began with the prosecution playing the final portion of the over four-hour-long interview Stauch had with El Paso County detectives on Jan. 29. The first three hours of the recording played on Wednesday showed Stauch telling detectives that a man named Eduardo the code to the garage to help fix her carpet, and that the alleged intruder assaulted her, raped her, and took Gannon. Several people over the course of the trial, including forensic nurse examiner Amanda Van Nest, testified that Stauch had told them this story. As detectives continued to ask questions, Stauch struggled to recall specifics from the alleged attack, saying numerous times that she "doesn't remember," or "doesn't want to talk about" certain topics brought up by detectives. Stauch claimed she didn't remember certain events from the assault because she hit her head a number of times and "blacked out." During Van Nest's testimony on Tuesday, she said Stauch had no injuries consistent with having hit her head when she examined Stauch on the same day the interview occurred. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Over three hours into the interview, Stauch told detectives that she would like to leave, and after briefly disappearing from the room, Stauch returned and was seen arguing with a new detective about having her phone taken. The male detective in the recording told Stauch that they were keeping her phone because the Sheriff's Office had applied for a search warrant, and that she was no longer allowed to leave the building. "This is unconstitutional," Stauch complained to deputies. The remainder of the interview was played Friday morning, and in the recording Stauch can be heard having a verbal altercation with a male detective, asking him to leave the door open because she was having a hard time breathing, which the detective refused to do. Youre being detained right now, the male deputy informs Stauch. Eventually, Stauch claims her chest pain had become so bad that she needed an ambulance to take her to the hospital. When medical personnel arrives, Stauch claims she is having a very difficult time breathing, despite responders saying her vitals looked fine, and that she would like to go to the hospital. The video ends when Stauch leaves the room to go to the hospital. Later on in the day, the prosecution called experts from the Colorado Springs Police Department to testify about various different pieces of evidence. Colorado Springs firearms analyst Stefanie Happ testified that the bullet recovered from Gannon's body matched a 9-mm Smith & Wesson handgun. Such a gun was recovered at the Stauch's home by law enforcement. Colorado Springs crime scene analysts Christian Liewer and Brooke Bell testified to numerous locations that potential blood was discovered when they searched Stauch's home. Some of the locations include the garage, the storage room, Harley Hunt's bedroom and numerous locations in Gannon's bedroom. Bell testified about a burn mark on the floor in the Stauch's basement. Numerous witnesses over the past two weeks have testified that on Jan. 26, Stauch claimed Gannon had knocked over a candle and accidentally burned the couch and carpet below. Bell testified that the burn marks in Stauch's house do not align with Stauch's story. Furthermore, Bell testified that potential blood was discovered in the area where the burn mark was, as well as a significant amount of blood being found on a cut-up piece of carpet in Stauch's storage room. Before Friday's proceedings concluded, a juror informed Judge Gregory Werner that she knew Happ, but didn't realize it until Happ's testimony began. The juror stated she knew Happ because she sang at a funeral for one of Happ's family members last year. Allen did not object to the juror staying on, but defense attorney Josh Tolini did. Werner stated he would consider what to do over the weekend and give a ruling on Monday morning. Allen informed Werner that Stauch, over the course of Friday, had been "flipping off" people in the courtroom. After Werner informed Stauch that if she continued doing that, she would be removed from court and the trial would proceed without her, Stauch could be heard saying "that sounds good," to one of her attorneys. Stauch's trial will resume on Monday for the beginning of its third week. One woman was taken to the hospital early Saturday morning after she was hit by a stray bullet in a suspected drive-by shooting at an apartment complex in southeast Colorado Springs, according to Colorado Springs Department spokesperson Robert Tornabene. Police received calls of shots fired just after 2:15 a.m. Saturday morning on Carmel Drive, near Circle Drive and Monterey Road. Officials said an estimated 20-25 shots were fired in the incident. According to Tornabene, the woman, who lived in the neighborhood, was hit by a stray bullet and sent to a nearby hospital. Tornabene said the woman has no criminal affiliation and has no connection to the incident. The woman's condition was not provided. No suspect information has been released. One person is dead following a house fire Saturday morning in south Colorado Springs, according to a tweet from the Colorado Springs Fire Department. The fire was located at a reportedly abandoned home on East Cheyenne Road, off Nevada Avenue. Crew members on the scene said smoke and fire could be seen coming through the roof. The home was known to have "lots of transient activity" in and around it, police officials said. Officials told Gazette news partner KKTV that the victim was found dead in the home, and the Colorado Springs Police Department's arson specialists will be taking over the investigation. No information regarding the cause of the fire has been released at this time. Reporting by KKTV contributed to this article. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information comes. The Colorado Springs City Council last week formally opposed Gov. Jared Polis' wide-ranging proposed land-use bill they said would remove local authority over land use planning and zoning decisions. "Cities and municipalities should maintain their ability to address the needs of their citizens without a one-size-fits all solution from the state," Councilman Dave Donelson said during the council's regular meeting Tuesday, before the group voted unanimously to pass a symbolic resolution opposing the measure. Colorado Springs is one of more than 50 Colorado municipalities protesting the 105-page bill that proposes requiring communities to adopt "flexible minimum standards" for accessory dwelling units known as "granny flats" and "middle housing" like duplexes, triplexes and townhomes. If municipalities don't adopt such standards, they would be required to use a state-developed model that would include zoning changes. Under proposed flexible standards, accessory dwelling units and middle housing would be allowed as a use-by-right in any single-family residential zones. Middle housing would also be allowed as a use-by-right in areas with frequent transit service. Generally, this means they would be a permitted use not subject to review by the city. Additionally for renters, local governments can regulate short-term rentals for accessory dwelling units and middle housing with "affordability strategies," but the bill does not mandate affordable housing. If the measure passes as proposed, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs would enforce the mandates for local governments that don't adopt the flexible standards. The department has historically had a collaborative relationship with municipalities to help them carry out their functions. The number of local governments of all sizes opposing the bill should tell state legislatures it's not the right option for Colorado, said Kevin Bommer, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League. "What that tells you is you're stepping into territory that in Colorado has historically (been) and should remain off-limits. ... We have the opportunity here to accelerate affordable housing development and tackle all of the issues that contribute to our housing shortage and cost issues," he said. "So let's do that and not have this fight over unnecessary preemption of local authority." Outgoing Colorado Springs Councilman Wayne Williams, who is running for mayor, said the city has already undergone "exhaustive processes" to update its zoning and land use plans in recent years, which included hundreds of hours of public meetings and other resident input. "Having the ability to come in and visit with folks to testify, to provide input, is one of the basic functions of local government. For the state to try to take that over is wholly inappropriate," Williams said. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Outgoing Councilman Tom Strand said the city's symbolic resolution sends a strong message to state leaders because Colorado Springs is the second-largest city in Colorado and the 39th-largest city in the country. Colorado Springs is also one of more than 100 home-rule cities and towns in Colorado, with the power to set local regulations and have more control over day-to-day operations. Without home-rule status, municipalities fall under rules set by the Colorado General Assembly and can't set ordinances that conflict with state laws, according to the 2018 Colorado Local Government Handbook. "We think this is more than a gesture," Strand said. "... I think all of us here treasure the fact that were a home rule city and this legislation would essentially toss that aside and say, 'We obviously know a lot better than you up in our (state) capital.'" Polis spokesman Conor Cahill said in an emailed statement Friday the bill intends to "enhance property rights and cut red tape." It is supported by more than 40 current and former municipal leaders and groups across the state, according to a list he provided. "The overwhelming support for making housing less costly in Colorado comes from the people of the state. The broad coalition to fix our housing crisis is composed of business leaders, organized labor, environmental advocates and housing affordability advocates," Cahill said. "... We need to get this right, because Coloradans expect their elected leaders to do whats right for Colorado and solve the very real housing challenges they continue to face on a daily basis across our state." Williams said the Colorado Springs City Council has taken a number of steps to address the housing crisis, including formulating and adopting a new zoning code in late January that allows for more infill and a greater variety of housing. He said the city has also adopted a fee rebate program for developers to encourage them to build more affordable housing for some of the lowest income earners in town, and Colorado Springs Utilities also earmarks $2 million annually to pay for infrastructure costs for 120 single-family homes or 2,000 apartments. Acute staffing shortages at the two state-run mental health hospitals that have left nearly half the nursing positions vacant mean more individuals than ever are languishing in jails cells in Colorado while they wait for court-ordered mental health treatment to restore them to competency so they can stand trial. As of Thursday, 449 individuals incarcerated in jails in the state were in need of restoration treatment. The wait list reached an all-time high last month, despite state officials promising three years ago that nobody should have to wait in jail for more than 28 days for mental health restoration if theyve been deemed incompetent for trial. Court records show that at the end of February one individual had been waiting for 434 days for such court-ordered services. Among those with issues so acute that the lack of treatment posed a threat to themselves or others, the average wait for restoration services was 76 days that month. The state pledged three years ago that those with such acute problems deemed incompetent for trial would receive restoration treatment within a week. The diminished care caused by the state's inability to promptly treat mentally ill criminal defendants has been linked to suicides and incidents of crime and violence in Colorado jails. The hardest part of my job is the calls I get from parents, who are like, Help. What do we do? How do we solve this, said Leora Joseph, hired last July as the director of the states Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health, which is trying to reverse the growing wait times. The reality is we are having human beings with severe illness, and theyre not being cared for in the way we all think is best, said Joseph, who added that half of those on the waitlist are homeless. Thats heartbreaking. She said the COVID pandemic caused the waitlist to balloon. The pandemic exacerbated staff turnover at the two state-run mental health hospitals at the same time those facilities were forced to temporarily halt the admission of new patients, she said. Now that admission restrictions have been lifted, staffing still hasn't rebounded, Joseph said. As a result of the ongoing backlog, Colorado has had to pay $29.7 million in fines because it has failed to meet the terms of a consent decree state officials signed to resolve a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of jail inmates with untreated psychosis and other mental health disorders. Colorado officials and legislators tried to fix the problem by authorizing the spending of more than $250 million, most of which was funded by federal aid from the American Rescue Plan Act. The promised solutions included the renting of new private psychiatric hospital beds, the creation of a new group home for the mentally ill and money to improve the clinical workforce and address shortages in psychiatric nurses. But the $61 million that went to the new Office of Behavioral Health Administration to bolster clinical staffing still hasnt fixed shortages at the states two state-run hospitals for the mentally ill in Pueblo and Fort Logan. Much of that money went for grants for improving the workforce of community providers, repaying loans for behavioral health care providers, expanding peer support programs and other initiatives. Meanwhile, the state was only able to hire a total of four nurses to inpatient positions at the state hospitals last year. The slow pace of hiring occurred even though the state human services department, which oversees the hospitals, has spent $4.7 million on recruitment, retention and referral bonuses for high-need positions, including vacancies at the hospitals. As a result, roughly 100 beds remain empty. Colorados inpatient capacity has been insufficient for decades and may indeed be at its worst point in modern history given that approximately 100 beds are sitting empty due to staffing shortages and other restrictions, according to a February report from Neil Gowensmith and Daniel Murrie, who were appointed by a federal judge to monitor Colorados compliance with the consent decree. Without adequate staffing, units will remain closed, the waitlist will continue to increase, and noncompliance will worsen, their report stressed. Their report said that while state hospital beds sit empty, acutely ill people remain in jails for months, living in cells soiled with urine or feces, neglecting hygiene, not eating, and so on. Others, languish with acute symptoms of inadequately managed psychosis, they added. Some inmates waiting for restoration services have been attacked by other inmates or picked up new criminal charges, according to their report. Earlier reports from them documented suicides among inmates waiting for restoration services. Those who killed themselves include Michael Pyle, 42, who hanged himself on May 27, 2021 while incarcerated at the Adams County Jail. He had been waiting for five months for a bed to open up at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo so he could receive treatment for mental illness. The state now is offering nurses $14,000 signing bonuses as an incentive to join the workforce at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo and the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Fort Logan. Currently, about half of the nursing positions at the state-run hospital in Pueblo are vacant and about 42% of those positions are vacant at in Fort Logan. Among the staff that are working at the state hospitals, roughly 40% come from temporary nurse staffing agencies, which charge the state a premium to provide staffing. The state pays $120 an hour for contract nursing positions. We have to pay a ton, just to keep things operational, said Joseph. In the last month she celebrated the small victory of seeing three full-time nurses hired for state hospital positions, nearly the same amount hired all of last year. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. To ease the burden on the two state hospitals, Josephs office also last year received $60 million of the federal aid to contract for nearly 100 new private psychiatric beds spread across several providers. But one of those providers the Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health in Larimer County has been plagued with complaints and incidents throughout the duration of its contract with the state. The state paid $6 million to last year for 18 civil commitment psychiatric beds. Federal regulators cited the facility for deficient treatment of a patient who was receiving detox services from alcohol and ended up dying. Regulators also found the facility improperly handled a sexual assault allegation. Officials with Johnstown Heights did not return telephone messages seeking comment. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in November declared an immediate jeopardy existed at Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health for failure to assess detoxing patients pursuant to facility protocol, policy and national guidelines. A detoxing patient at Johnstown Heights in November did not receive appropriate care, treatment and monitoring, significantly declined and subsequently died with transfer to another hospital, according to a confidential December memo from an official with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The memo, which The Gazette obtained through a Colorado Open Records Act request, was sent to Kim Bimestefer, the states top Medicaid official; several officials in the Colorado Department of Human Services and Morgan Medlock, the states new behavioral health commissioner. The memo was forwarded to Joseph. A police report stated that an autopsy determined the death was accidental and found that the patient died of complications of mixed drug interactions of therapeutic medications. The autopsy also cited additional health issues as contributing factors to the death. The memo states that the information about the death should not be shared with the media because federal regulators likely would give the facility time to correct problems to avoid being cut off from continuing to receive patients on Medicaid. It wasnt the first time that federal regulators found problems at Johnstown Heights while the facility was receiving millions of dollars from the state to help fix the states woeful deficiency in inpatient psychiatric bed space, according to the state memo. Earlier, in August 2022, federal regulators at CMS cited Johnstown Heights for another, earlier, immediate jeopardy after the facility failed to ensure patients received care in a safe setting after allegations of sexual abuse occurred. A patient in July 2022 had called police alleging Johnstown Heights staff had done nothing to protect her after she alleged another patient had sexually assaulted her. Instead, regulators found that the staff moved the male patient accused of sexual assault closer to his accusers room. The facility also failed to document the sexual assault allegation despite state regulations requiring the reporting of such incidents, according to the state memo. The memo said the state is requiring Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health to hire a quality improvement specialist consultant and the facility would have to show three months of improved performance. The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment both have launched ongoing investigations into services provided by Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health. The state issued a no-bid contract in January 2022 to pay $2.9 million to Johnstown Heights to handle inpatient, civil commitment psychiatric care for half a year that normally would go to the state-run hospitals. The state extended the contract in July 2022, issuing another no-bid $3.1 million contract to the facility to continue providing 18 psychiatric beds the state could use through the rest of 2022. That state extended the contract days before the botched handling of the allegations of sexual assault that prompted federal regulators to cite the facility as posing an immediate jeopardy to patients there. Officials in Josephs office were considering renewing the contract with Johnstown Heights for an additional year in December after Laura Ferguson, a program manager in the states new Behavioral Health Administration, reported in an email that she had recently investigated the facility and did not find any violations of rule. But Jagruti Shah, deputy director with the Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health in the states Human Services Department, said in an email that her office had backed away from renewing the state contract again after her office independently reviewed the facilitys operations. It was apparent to us based on our informal site visit for our contract, this facility is not equipped to offer services for long term patients, she said in the email to Ferguson. She added in the email that the facility seemed to need assistance in how to follow state law regarding involuntary commitment procedures and forced administration of medications, which both require a court order for ongoing treatment. The patients the state had been sending to Johnstown Heights were redirected back to the state hospitals, Shah said in her email. That move means there will be even less bed space in the state hospitals to address the growing wait list of jailed inmates awaiting restoration services in county jail cells. Despite the problems at the private provider in Johnstown, Joseph said she wants to contract for even more private bed space from other providers and says she thinks the problems in Johnstown were an anomaly. We do quality control, Joseph said. My staff goes and visits with each of these hospitals thats trying to contract with us. We do some due diligence here. She added that her office stays in regular contact with the staff at the private hospitals. Recently, one of the private providers demanded she remove a restoration client because he was being sexually active. The sexually active guy is actually an example of us constantly being in touch with people, right? she said. Were constantly talking. Were constantly in communication because we take this so seriously. Firefighters outside Manitou Springs High School worked to extricate a passenger from a vehicle Friday following a crash that left one person dead. Officers pulled the driver of a second vehicle aside for DUI testing. Alcohol was involved, they determined. This is traumatizing, one student remarked from the sea of onlookers gathered behind police tape. Its scary when you look at it this close, said another, senior Tyler Parratt. Its definitely something we all should know going into prom. Dont drink and drive, dudes. Its not smart. The scene was staged by student actors in a hyper-realistic opening to the high schools Mustang Safety Day. Community partners talked to students and provided resources on a variety of safety topics ranging from tobacco use to sexual violence. The annual event serves as a preface to prom season and reminds students their actions have consequences. Its really difficult to have an event such as this because this is our greatest fear, Principal Anna Conrad said. Our best hope is that nothing like this ever impacts our community, but we would much rather proactively inform our community than reactively work through the potential of a tragic event. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The Manitou Springs Fire Department helped develop a script for the scene, and a student narrator described to the audience what was happening as the scene progressed. Having student actors is intended to make the scene more real for the high schoolers, according to safety director Janie Anderson. Mock car crashes have been a safety day staple since its introduction in the 1990s, according to Fire Department Deputy Chief Keith Buckmiller. This year marks its return to the high school for the first time since COVID halted large in-person gatherings in 2020. Come prom time, you all are indestructible. When I was your age, I was indestructible, too, but it just takes that long for your life to change, Buckmiller said. People dont know that their life will change in an instant, that whether they survive the incident or whether they become a victim of the incident, its over. You cant go back. Students broke into a frenzy of cheers as police escorted the driver away in handcuffs. That is not the reaction you usually get, said Parratt, a pre-EMS student aspiring to work in an ER and trauma centers. Otherwise, the recreation was pretty dang close to what shes seen in her studies. Officials followed up with a debrief in which the student victims shared what it was like to take on their roles in the traumatic DUI incident. There was something so surreal, you guys, about seeing someone so near and dear to you through a windshield. Thats an eye-opener for a lot of high schoolers, said Evan, whose character was taken by ambulance after being paralyzed and extricated from the wreckage. I was thinking if this was real, how would others be told? Like how would I tell my mom? Its so not worth it. Bud Light tweeted for the first time in almost two weeks on Friday night, and many people did not take the return to social media lightly. Prior to Friday, the Bud Light Twitter account's last statement had been made on April 1, shortly after it was revealed that the popular beer brand had hired transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney, a biological man who identifies as a woman, for an ad campaign for the beer featuring Mulvaney's face on the beer cans. On Friday, the account tweeted out "TGIF?," an acronym standing for "thank God it's Friday." WATCH: JOE ROGAN SIPS BUD LIGHT AND LAUGHS OFF ANHEUSER-BUSCH AND DYLAN MULVANEY BACKLASH The beer brand's return to social media was not met well with many users on social media. Bud Light's first statement on social media in almost two weeks came on the same day Brendan Whitworth, the CEO of Bud Light's parent company Anheuser-Busch, issued a statement regarding the backlash of hiring Mulvaney. The statement did not mention Mulvaney directly. "We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people," the statement titled "Our Responsibility to America" read. "We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer." During a recent appearance on a podcast, Mulvaney described being an "easy target," and the reason for being a target for online criticism is because "I'm still new to this." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER "I think going after a trans woman who has been doing this for 20 years is a lot more difficult," said Mulvaney. "Maybe they think there's some sort of chance with me that they can but I mean, what is their goal?" Following the Bud Light controversy, Seth Weathers, the founder of Freedom Speaks Up, a conservative lifestyle brand, introduced a new beer called "Conservative Dad's Ultra Right," which comes in a patriotic-painted can with the promise it is a "100% Woke-Free American Beer." Original Location: Bud Light tweets for first time in almost two weeks after Dylan Mulvaney backlash Washington Examiner Videos QUITO (Reuters) - At least 12 inmates were killed in an Ecuadorian jail amid a new clash between gangs, the SNAI prison agency said on Saturday, in the latest chapter in the South American nation's prison violence. The confrontation occurred on Friday in the prison known as La Penitenciaria, in the city of Guayaquil, one of the country's most dangerous. Ecuador has been plagued by prison riots since 2021, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of inmates, which the government attributes to clashes between drug gangs fighting for territory and control. "Through the use of technology, it was established 12 people died," SNAI told reporters. The entity added that the prosecutor's office and the police are in the prison for the identification of the dead bodies. Last year, a United Nations delegation found that the violence in Ecuador's prisons was caused by years of state neglect of the penitentiary system. President Guillermo Lasso, a conservative former banker facing impeachment hearings on corruption charges he denies, has struggled to address the growing violence in Ecuador, a country used as a transit point for cocaine moving to Europe and the United States. Earlier this month, Ecuador's government amended a decree to allow the civilian use of firearms and pepper spray, citing rising insecurity in the South American country. Friday's clash follows the murder of three female prison officers outside the prison in Guayaquil. This week, SNAI reported that six prisoners were found hanged in one of the wards of La Penitenciaria. Lasso has increased the presence of the security forces and has repeatedly declared an emergency in the prison system in an attempt to control the violence. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Editing by Drazen Jorgic and Nick Zieminski) By Kantaro Komiya and Chris Gallagher TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unhurt after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday. Kishida took cover after a loud explosion was heard while police subdued a man at the scene, Japanese media footage showed. A police officer suffered minor injuries in the incident, the Nikkei newspaper reported, citing Wakayama prefectural police. "Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue," Kishida said when he resumed his campaign speeches. "I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together." The incident echoed the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving modern leader, who was shot with a homemade gun last July while campaigning for a parliamentary election. Abe's killing shocked the nation, where gun crimes are exceedingly rare, and prompted a review of security for politicians, who routinely press the flesh with the public. Masato Kaburagi, a 35-year-old company worker who witnessed the incident, told Reuters security still seemed lax, as it appeared the suspect was first taken down by another bystander. "I never thought something like this would happen so soon after what happened to Abe," said Kaburagi, who attended the rally with his wife and mother. "I don't think I want to go to these political-related events anymore." By-elections in various regions for the lower house of Japan's parliament are to be held on April 23. G7 SUMMIT SECURITY UNCHANGED Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said police have been instructed to boost security, and that the government will do what is necessary to ensure security at a summit Kishida will host next month of the Group of Seven industrial powers in Hiroshima. Japan's foreign ministry said there would be no change to the security plan for a G7 foreign ministers' meeting starting on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa. Matsuno said the government would wait for results from the police investigation before commenting on a potential motive from the suspect. The incident late on Saturday morning occurred at the Saikazaki fishing harbour in Wakayama prefecture, some 65 km (40 miles) southwest of Osaka city. Kishida was being served local speciality seafood just before the explosion, media reported. News video showed Kishida looking behind him in surprise as shouts filled the semi-enclosed area near the waterside. A canister landed near his feet before being knocked away by a security agent. A man identified by the Asahi newspaper as a staffer of the fishery cooperative grabbed a young man in a headlock as police swarmed the suspect and dragged him to the ground. About 50 seconds later, an explosion rang out and a cloud of smoke could be seen near where Kishida had been standing. News footage showed crowds running away as several police officers appeared to pin a man to the ground before removing him from the scene. A 20-30 cm (8- to 12-inch) metal pipe was thrown and landed close to where Kishida was standing, NHK reported, citing an official at the scene. A 24-year old male suspect from Kawanishi city, charged with forcible obstruction of business, has refused to talk until his lawyer arrives, Kyodo news agency said, citing investigators. A representative of Wakayama's prefectural police headquarters told Reuters he could not answer questions about the incident. A woman on the scene told NHK that she saw an object flying overhead and "it gave me a bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast. Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry." (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya, Chris Gallagher, Elaine Lies, Daniel Leussink and Tokyo Bureau; Writing by Rocky Swift; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Simon Cameron-Moore and William Mallard) MANCHESTER, New Hampshire Members of the Granite State congressional delegation greeted Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R-FL) arrival with a blistering critique of his abortion policies. On the eve of his visit to New Hampshire, DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act to restrict abortion after an "unborn child has a detectible heartbeat," typically around six weeks of gestation. The delegation blasted DeSantis for encroaching on women's rights ahead of his address at the state GOP's 2023 Amos Tuck Dinner. DESANTIS DINGS BIDEN AND HAILS NEW HAMPSHIRE AS 'INSPIRATION' FOR FLORIDA "In the dark of night, Governor Ron DeSantis signed one of the strictest abortion bans in the country to rip away the rights of women to make their own health care decisions. This kind of assault on personal freedom has no place in New Hampshire," the state's congressional delegation wrote in a statement. Despite being signed into law, the policy is in limbo due to ongoing litigation of a prior law imposing a 15-week abortion ban. This new bill features exceptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking. New Hampshire's congressional delegation comprises all Democrats. It includes Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, as well as Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas. The Granite State has been pegged as the least religious state in the country by some surveys. Unlike his past signing of a 15-week abortion ban, which featured a triumphant ceremony at a Spanish-speaking church, DeSantis's recent signature came under more muted circumstances. DeSantis tweeted a photo of him signing the bill late at night, which reportedly came within roughly 15 minutes of him receiving the bill. "Governor DeSantis and the rest of the Republican Party have made clear that, if they gain power, they will force through an extreme agenda that strips medical decisions away from women and their doctors, endangering the safety of millions of women in New Hampshire and across the country," the delegation added. DeSantis did not broach the topic of abortion during his wide-ranging, roughly 40-minute speech. He advocated for the Florida legislature to advance anti-abortion legislation during its current session. In the past, he has chided politicians who cower on the issue. "The people that aren't supportive of the life cause they're not people you want to be in a foxhole with on any other political battle," DeSantis previously opined about abortion. "They're the first ones that will sell out to the D.C. establishment when the going gets really, really tough." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Marking his most prominent public appearance in New Hampshire of the year, DeSantis's speech seemingly spurred a record-breaking fundraising bonanza of over $380,000, according to the state party chairman. The Amos Tuck Dinner is the state GOP's largest annual fundraiser. The dinner is named after Amos Tuck, a member of Congress in the 1800s whom many credit with founding the Republican Party during the 1850s in Exeter, New Hampshire. New Hampshire is the first primary election on the GOP presidential calendar and the second contest overall following the Iowa caucuses. Original Location: New Hampshire Democrats blast DeSantis on abortion amid governor's visit Washington Examiner Videos SkyTeam, a global airline alliance, has been named Alliance of the Year in this years Air Transport Awards held recently in Montreal, Canada. It is the third time SkyTeam has been ranked as the number one alliance and the accolade comes in the same month that SkyTeam officially welcomed new member Virgin Atlantic. Over the last 12 months, SkyTeam has established itself as a driving force for greener air travel, having launched The Sustainable Flight Challenge in May 2022. As well as helping customers to travel more sustainably, the alliances ongoing focus on technology continues to make travel more seamless, while customers have two new global airport lounges to enjoy in Santiago de Chile and Sao Paulo. SkyTeam is also the first alliance to have unanimously committed to IATAs 25by2025 initiative to help increase gender diversity in the aviation industry. Announcing SkyTeam as Alliance of the Year, Dr Kostas Iatrou, Director General of the Air Transport Organization said: SkyTeam is taking a holistic approach to global travel, where its commitment to a seamless customer experience is matched by a commitment to caring for the planet. The judges were also impressed by SkyTeams work to increase gender diversity in the aviation industry through its RISE Leadership program and alliance-wide participation in IATAs 25by2025 initiative. SkyTeam CEO and Managing Director, Patrick Roux, said: Across our global network, SkyTeam people work hard day in, day out to deliver a more seamless customer experience - from SkyPriority airport services to new lounges in Sao Paulo and Santiago de Chile. And as well as a focus on transforming the travel experience through technology, we are working to make customers travel with SkyTeam more sustainable through the Sustainable Flight Challenge which is driving new innovations and ways of working to create a greener future for our industry. Launched in May 2022, The Sustainable Flight Challenge is an industry-first initiative that brings global airlines together in a shared mission to develop new ideas and innovations to make air travel greener. The second challenge takes off in May 2023 and has been extended to friends & family airlines close to SkyTeam. Participating flights will be evaluated against set criteria by an independent, diverse panel of industry experts. Kim Thomson, Publishing Director at TTN Middle East, spoke with SkyTeam CEO and Managing Director Patirk Roux at the recently concluded ITB Berlin. Excerpts from the interview: I see that you have in SkyTeam a couple of Middle East airlines, are you looking at other partnerships in our region? We are looking at everything and anything is possible. We have Saudia as well as otehr Middle East carriers who are code sharing some of our partners. For example, Etihad code shares with 11 of our partners. Can you tell me more about your Sustainability Competition? We have several categories we have the most fuel reductions, we have less plastic on board this kind of things, as we also have more use of sustainable aviation fuel. And the other important category is the adoption of sustainability measure. Your SkyTeam has dedicated lounges. You mentioned you have five of these. Do these compete with your airline partner lounges? It is an addition to the airline lounges. The rule with SkyTeam is that members can use each of the partner lounges at their homebase. In those airports where there arent lounges of some of our members, like Sydney, Dubai, St Polo we have lounges for our members. TradeArabia News Service Florida Judge Elizabeth Scherer was disqualified from a death row case on Thursday for showing inappropriate sympathy toward prosecutors during Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz's sentencing hearing. The state Supreme Court unanimously agreed to remove Scherer from the sentencing hearing of Randy Tundidor, who received the death penalty for killing his landlord in 2019. PENCE CALLS FOR SWIFT EXECUTION OF MASS SHOOTERS Cruz, who pleaded guilty to killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, was given a life sentence without a chance of parole. Cruz received the life sentence after a jury failed to give him the death penalty unanimously. The Parkland shooting is one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. "Immediately after sentencing, Judge Scherer left the bench and, while still in her judicial robe, exchanged hugs with the victims' families and members of the prosecution team," the decision said. Judge Elizabeth Scherer reads the verdict in the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. Amy Beth Bennett/AP One of the prosecutors on Cruz's case that Scherer hugged is also prosecuting Tundidor, giving at least an appearance of bias. Judges are expected to remain neutral when it comes to cases. During an off-the-record meeting between prosecuting Broward Assistant State Attorney Steven Klinger and Scherer, the judge reportedly asked Klinger how he was feeling. Klinger responded that "words cannot describe" how he felt, according to the ruling. "Scherer showed a sympathy with the State that would cause a reasonable person to fear not receiving a fair and impartial proceeding," the decision added. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Scherer also engaged in heated exchanges with Cruz's lawyers, accused one of them of threatening her children, and told two members to "go sit down" during Cruz's trial, the state Supreme Court said. Cruz previously moved for a mistrial over the judge's actions, but it was dismissed. Both branches of the state legislature also passed a bill later on Thursday that no longer requires a unanimous verdict to give someone the death penalty. Instead, only eight of the 12 jurors must recommend it, according to the Associated Press. The bill is supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Original Location: Parkland judge removed from death penalty case after hugging school shooter's prosecution Washington Examiner Videos NASHVILLE, Tennessee Former Vice President Mike Pence is expected to tell a room full of GOP donors Friday night that the party needs to look to the future if it wants to win, not rely on candidates who are consumed with litigating past election losses. Pence will be speaking at the Republican National Committee's donor retreat in Nashville on Friday night. A handful of other presidential hopefuls are also expected to be in attendance, including former President Donald Trump. TRUMP ASKS FOR NRA CONVENTION'S HELP IN RECLAIMING OVAL OFFICE Pence is also expected to tell donors that Republicans deserve a better choice on who will lead the country. His not-so-subtle digs at his former boss, who has refused to accept that he lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, comes as speculation grows around Pence seriously considering a 2024 presidential run. A source close to the former vice president said the theme of his speech will be rebuilding the Republican Party to embrace traditional values, such as a strong national defense, limited government, and individual liberty, while also adding new priorities like border security, free and fair trade, and threats from China. Pence is also expected to pitch the 2024 race as not only a contest of candidates but also a conflict of visions, with one being rooted in Republican principles and another embracing a win-at-any-cost mentality at the expense of the values the Republican Party was built on. His speech to donors comes after a bruising day where he was met with a chorus of boos during a 20-minute speech at the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action forum in his home state of Indiana. As he walked onto the stage, the boos, as well as cheers, could be heard. "I love you, too," Pence joked. Friday's RNC event, which has been in the works for months, comes at an inopportune time for Republicans in Tennessee who have been battling a barrage of negative headlines, including the Covenant School shooting, the expulsion of two black Democratic lawmakers, accusations of racism, and calls from small business owners to refuse service to the GOP because of its stance on guns. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER In Indiana, Pence told members of the NRA to "stand your ground," but it's unclear if he will keep that same tone in Nashville. Other prominent Republicans expected to attend the Nashville retreat include Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rick Scott (R-FL), Govs. Bill Lee (R-TN), Brian Kemp (R-GA), and Chris Sununu (R-NH), and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). Original Location: Pence to pitch traditional GOP values and post-Trump future at RNC donor retreat Washington Examiner Videos By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Clashes between Sudan's main paramilitary group and the armed forces on Saturday killed at least 25 people, a doctors' group said, in an apparent struggle for control amid the country's halting moves toward elections after a military coup. The Sudanese Doctors' Union said 183 people were wounded in fighting between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It was unclear whether the victims were civilians. The group said it recorded deaths at Khartoum's airport and the nearby city of Omdurman as well as in the cities of Nyala, El Obeid and El Fasher, which are west of the capital Khartoum. The paramilitary RSF claimed to have seized the presidential palace, army chief's residence, state television station and airports in Khartoum, the northern city of Merowe, El Fasher and West Darfur state. The army rejected those assertions. The Sudanese air force late on Saturday told people to stay indoors while it conducted what it called an aerial survey of RSF activity, and a holiday was declared in Khartoum state for Sunday, closing schools, banks and government offices. Gunfire and explosions could be heard across the capital, where TV footage showed smoke rising from several districts and social media videos captured military jets flying low over the city. Eyewitnesses reported shooting in adjoining cities. A Reuters journalist saw cannon and armoured vehicles deployed on the capital's streets and heard heavy weapons fire near the headquarters of both the army and RSF. Army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan told Al Jazeera TV the RSF should back down: "We think if they are wise they will turn back their troops that came into Khartoum. But if it continues we will have to deploy troops into Khartoum from other areas." The armed forces said on Facebook it would not negotiate with the RSF unless the paramilitary force dissolved. The army told soldiers seconded to the RSF to report to nearby army units, which could deplete RSF ranks if they obey. The RSF leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, called Burhan a "criminal" and a "liar". The military and RSF, which analysts say is 100,000 strong, have been competing for power as political factions negotiate forming a transitional government. "We know where you are hiding and we will get to you and hand you over to justice, or you die just like any other dog," he said in an interview with the station. A prolonged confrontation between the RSF and army could plunge Sudan into widespread conflict as it struggles with economic breakdown and tribal violence, and could also derail efforts to move towards elections. The clashes follow rising tensions over the RSF's integration into the military. The disagreement has delayed the signing an internationally backed agreement with political parties on a transition to democracy. A coalition of civilian groups that signed a draft version of that agreement in December called on Saturday for an immediate halt to hostilities, to stop Sudan sliding towards "the precipice of total collapse". "This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country," they said in a statement. "This is a war that no one will win, and that will destroy our country forever." The RSF accused the army of carrying out a plot by loyalists of former strongman President Omar Hassan al-Bashir - who was ousted in a coup in 2019 - and attempting a coup itself. A 2021 coup ousted the country's civilian prime minister. RSF SAYS EGYPTIAN TROOPS SAFE Eyewitnesses reported fighting in many areas outside the capital. Those included heavy exchanges of gunfire in Merowe, northern Sudan, eyewitnesses told Reuters. The RSF shared a video that it said showed Egyptian troops who "surrendered" to them in Merowe. Egypt's military said the troops were in Sudan for exercises with their Sudanese counterparts. Hemedti told Sky News Arabia the Egyptians were safe and the RSF would cooperate with Cairo on their return. The video showed men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking to RSF members in an Egyptian Arabic dialect. Unconfirmed reports by open-source intelligence analysts said several Egyptian Air Force fighter planes and their pilots were captured by the RSF along with Sudanese weapons and military vehicles. Clashes also erupted between the RSF and army in the Darfur cities of El Fasher and Nyala, eyewitnesses said. International powers - the U.S., Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations, the European Union and the African Union - all called for an immediate end to the hostilities. After a phone call, the Saudi, U.S. and UAE foreign ministers called for a return to the framework agreement on the transition to democracy, the Saudi state news agency reported. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Burhan and Hemedti, according to Guterres' spokesperson, and appealed for a return to dialogue. Guterres also spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt's presidency said. Chad closed its border with Sudan while Ethiopia and Kenya called for restraint. A Saudi Arabian airlines plane came under fire at Khartoum airport and the carrier suspended flights to and from Sudan, the state-owned airline said. Egypt's national airline, Egyptair, said it was suspending flights to Khartoum for 72 hours. Social media video showed frightened passengers cowering on the floor of Khartoum airport and a destroyed U.N. aircraft on the tarmac. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum and Nafisa Eltahir in Cairo; Writing by Nafisa Eltahir, Michael Georgy, Giles Elgood and Cynthia Osterman; Editing by Alex Richardson, Jan Harvey, Frances Kerry and Daniel Wallis) KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) Sudan's military and a powerful paramilitary force engaged in fierce fighting Saturday in the capital and elsewhere in country, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict. A doctors' group said at least three people were killed and dozens injured. The clashes capped months of heightened tensions between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces group. Those tensions had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by an October 2021 military coup. KAMALA HARRIS IN AFRICA AMID CHINA'S GROWING INFLUENCE ON CONTINENT After a day of heavy fighting, the military ruled out negotiations with the RSF, instead calling for the dismantling of what it called a "rebellious militia." The tough language signaled that the conflict between the former allies, who jointly orchestrated the 2021 coup, was likely to continue. The fighting erupted early Saturday. The sound of heavy firing could be heard throughout the day across the capital, Khartoum, and its sister city of Omdurman, where the military and the RSF have amassed tens of thousands of troops since the coup. Witnesses said fighters from both sides fired from armored vehicles and from machine guns mounted on pick-up trucks in densely populated areas. Some tanks were seen in Khartoum. The military said it launched strikes from planes and drones at RSF positions in and around the capital. Smoke is seen rising from a neighborhood in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 15, 2023. Fierce clashes between Sudan's military and the country's powerful paramilitary erupted in the capital and elsewhere in the African nation. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali) Marwan Ali/AP As night fell, residents said they still heard the sounds of gunfire and explosions in different parts of Khartoum, including around the military's headquarters and other other bases. Residents described chaotic scenes. "Fire and explosions are everywhere," said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. "All are running and seeking shelter." "We haven't seen such battles in Khartoum before," said Khartoum resident Abdel-Hamid Mustafa. One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport. There was no formal announcement that the airport was closed, but major airlines suspended their flights. This included Sudan-bound flights from Egypt and Saudi Arabia which turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed. Saudi Arabia's national airline said one of its aircraft was involved in what it called "an accident." Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a SkyUp Airlines Boeing 737. SkyUp is a Kyiv, Ukraine-based airline. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Sudan Doctors' Syndicate said two civilians were killed at the airport, without specifying the circumstances. The syndicate said another man was shot to death in the state of North Kordofan. The BBC said one of its reporters was stopped by soldiers, taken to the military headquarters and beaten. The leaders of the armed forces and the RSF traded blame for starting Saturday's fighting and offered conflicting accounts of who was in control of key installations. Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, commander of Sudan's military, told the Qatar-based satellite news network Al Jazeera that RSF troops first "harassed" the military south of Khartoum, triggering the clashes. Burhan accused the RSF of entering Khartoum airport and setting fire to some planes. He also said all strategic facilities including the military's headquarters and the Republican palace, the seat of Sudan's presidency, are under his forces' control. He threatened to deploy more troops to Khartoum from across the county. The head of the RSF, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, accused Burhan of starting the battle by surrounding RSF troops. "This criminal, he forced this battle upon us," he said. Dagalo told Al Jazeera that he believes that in "the next few days" it would be over. The RSF alleged that its forces controlled strategic locations in Khartoum and the northern city of Merowe some 350 kilometers (215 miles) northwest of the capital. The military dismissed the claims as "lies." The fighting comes after months of escalating tensions between the generals and years of political unrest after the 2021 coup. The tensions stem from a disagreement over how the RSF, headed by Dagalo, should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudan's unsigned transition agreement with political groups. Pro-democracy activists have blamed Burhan and Dagalo for abuses against protesters across the county over the past four years, including the deadly break-up of a protest camp outside the military's headquarters in Khartoum in June 2019 that killed over 120 protesters. Many groups have repeatedly called for holding them accountable. The RSF has long been accused of atrocities linked to the Darfur conflict. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top diplomats expressed extreme concern Saturday over the outbreak of violence. "We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilizations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues," Blinken wrote on Twitter. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell; the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat; the Arab League chief, Ahmed Aboul Gheit; and Qatar all called for a cease-fire and for both parties to return to negotiations to settle their dispute. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates called on those fighting in Sudan to exercise restraint and work toward a political solution in the county. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted in the 2021 coup, warned of a possible regional conflict if the fighting escalates. "Shooting must stop immediately," he said in a video appeal to both sides posted on his Twitter account. Cameron Hudson, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank and a former U.S. diplomat, said he was not surprised by the fighting. "This has been coming for many years," he said. Hudson voiced concern the conflict could become wider and more prolonged, calling on the United States to form a coalition of regional countries to pressure military and RSF leaders to de-escalate fighting. Volker Perthes, the U.N. envoy for Sudan, and the Saudi ambassador in Sudan, Ali Bin Hassan Jaffar, were in contact with Dagalo and Burhan to try to end the violence, said a U.N. official who asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Meanwhile, Chad announced that it is closing its land borders with Sudan until further notice because of the fighting. The clashes centered in Khartoum but also took place in other areas across the country including the Northern province, the conflict-ravaged Darfur region, and the strategic coastal city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, a military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. Original Location: Sudan's army and rival force clash, wider conflict feared Washington Examiner Videos A top lawyer for former President Donald Trump reportedly recused himself from the Mar-a-Lago classified files case after appearing before a grand jury. Despite his recusal, Evan Corcoran is still working for Trump on special counsel Jack Smith's inquiry into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the Washington Post reported. Corcoran was recently ordered to answer questions about a subpoena against Trump's team for sensitive documents that were issued last May, NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATS BLAST DESANTIS ON ABORTION AMID GOVERNOR'S VISIT Typically, legal ethics rules stipulate that lawyers shouldn't work for clients in cases where they could become key witnesses. Corcoran's recusal could be temporary as the rule is not yet mandatory, per the report. Corcoran was a key figure in the Trump team's correspondence with the Justice Department over the May 2022 subpoena. The DOJ's subpoena came months after the National Archives and Records Administration flagged the discovery of classified documents from Trump's presidential record stash at Mar-a-Lago during a January 2022 exchange. At least one of Trump's lawyers, Christina Bobb, reportedly later attested that to the best of her knowledge, Trump's team relinquished all classified material to the DOJ. However, by August of that year, the FBI conducted a raid of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and unearthed more than 100 sensitive files during the raid, court documents revealed. FILE - M. Evan Corcoran, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, leaves federal court in Washington, Friday, March 24, 2023. Corcoran was back in court after being ordered to answer questions before a grand jury investigating the possible mishandling of classified documents at the former president's Florida estate. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Jose Luis Magana/AP Last month, an appeals court sided with Smith and ordered Corcoran to testify before the grand jury working with Smith on the Mar-a-Lago case. Investigators were keen on learning about his knowledge of Bobb's role as custodian of the Trump records and a June 24 call he had with Trump, ABC reported. Smith was appointed to spearhead the DOJ's reviews revolving around Trump on both the Mar-a-Lago debacle and the Capitol riot as well as efforts to undermine the 2020 election. His appointment came last November after Trump debuted his 2024 campaign. At the heart of the Mar-a-Lago investigation of Jack's review are questions about possible obstruction of justice. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Trump has denied wrongdoing on all fronts pertaining to the Smith inquiry. The former president has said that he declassified the files in question while suggesting that a president can declassify content just by thinking about it. As part of Smith's inquiry, investigators have questioned more than one dozen witnesses and combed through a trove of communication records. More than 300 pages worth of classified documents from his presidency days were recovered overall. Original Location: Trump lawyer recuses himself from Mar-a-Lago case after testifying: Report Washington Examiner Videos By Humeyra Pamuk HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday expressed a desire to deepen their ties as Washington seeks to solidify alliances to counter an increasingly assertive China. In his first visit to the southeast Asian country as the top U.S. diplomat, Blinken met with top officials including Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The main topic was the possibility to upgrade bilateral ties. "For President Biden, for Washington, this is one of the most dynamic and one of the most important relationships weve had," Blinken said at a news conference capping a day of engagements in Hanoi. "Its had a remarkable trajectory over the last couple of decades. Our conviction is that it can and will grow even stronger." It remained unclear when an upgrade of formal ties could be agreed, but Blinken expressed hope it could happen "in the weeks and months ahead". Before his meeting with Blinken, Chinh said both sides were looking to elevate ties "to a new height", following a phone call last month between President Joe Biden and the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, a conversation he said yielded "great success". The diplomatic anniversary and the Biden-Trong call could lead to a meeting between the two in July or other high-level meetings, analysts say, although it is unclear what exactly the upgraded ties would entail. Blinken told reporters security was among the key components of the two countries' relations and noted this was growing, with Washington finalising the shipment of a third naval cutter to support Vietnam's coastguard. Washington and U.S. defence firms have openly said they want to bolster their military supplies to Vietnam - so far largely limited to coastguard ships and training aircraft - as the country seeks to diversify away from Russia, which is currently its main supplier. But military deals with the U.S. face many potential hurdles, as Washington's lawmakers might block arms sales over human rights issues. U.S. weapons are also expensive, risk triggering Chinese reactions, and may not easily be integrated with Vietnam's legacy weapons, analysts said. TRADING PARTNER Blinken's visit was part of a wider U.S. strategy in southeast Asia to build a coalition to counter China and deter any potential action by Beijing against Taiwan. Many countries in the region are reluctant to antagonise their giant neighbour, which is not just a military power but also a key trading partner and source of investment. For the U.S., Vietnam is a crucial southeast Asian trading partner that Washington wants to bolster ties with. But for Hanoi, it has been a difficult balancing act, between cooperating with Washington without upsetting Beijing, even though Vietnam has been alarmed by China's increasing claims in the South China Sea. The diplomatic calculus is further complicated by increasingly close relations between Beijing and Moscow, which last year declared a "no limits" partnership shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine although in Vietnamese waters the two powers have opposing interests as Russian firms extract gas in blocks claimed by China. Some analysts expressed doubts about the potential upgrade. "For one thing, there is no need, from Vietnam's perspective, to unnecessarily antagonize China ... Another is that Hanoi wants to avoid appearing openly part of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy designed to counter China," Rand Corporation Senior Defence Analyst Derek Grossman said. Blinken also broke ground on a new U.S. embassy compound in Hanoi after meeting the prime minister, a $1.2 billion project years in the making that he said represents "a significant step" towards strengthening ties. Blinken said progress on human rights was "essential" and a central focus of the relationship with Vietnam. Rights groups have regularly raised concerns over the communist country's treatment of dissidents. Earlier this week, a Hanoi court sentenced a prominent Vietnamese political activist to six years in prison for conducting anti-state activities, his lawyer said. After his meetings in Vietnam, including with Trong, Blinken will travel on Sunday to Japan to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven wealthy nations. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Francesco Guarascio in Hanoi; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and David Holmes) A van driver who allegedly ran a red light and caused a three-way crash that seriously injured a child near Interstate 25 on Colorado Springs' south side Friday afternoon was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, vehicular assault and child abuse, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department. Odette Lopez Cordero, 42, was driving a van that allegedly ran a red light, striking a tow truck that then struck a work truck around 3:35 p.m. Police said the van was traveling westbound through the intersection of Lake Avenue and South Circle Drive and the other two vehicles were exiting the I-25 off-ramp when the crash occurred. A child was taken to the hospital with serious injuries after the crash, according to police, but it is not immediately clear which vehicle the child was in at the time of the crash. Police said they evaluated Lopez Cordero at the scene before arresting her on suspicion of driving under the influence, as well as vehicular assault, child abuse and other charges. Colorado secured its status as an abortion sanctuary state on Friday, when the governor signed a trio of bills bolstering abortion rights. Gov. Jared Polis gave final approval to the bill package, designed to protect and increase access to abortion in the state, just over one year after Colorado enshrined abortion as a fundamental right. The bills became law immediately with Polis' signature. Senate Bill 188 protects patients and providers of abortion and gender-affirming care in Colorado from penalties from other states. Senate Bill 189 expands health insurance coverage for abortion, sterilization and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Senate Bill 190 prohibits deceptive advertising and the use of abortion "reversal" pills in crisis pregnancy centers. "Today is really about freedom. Standing up to protect freedoms that are under attack, sadly, in many other states," Polis said. "That's not the Colorado way. We believe in the ability of individuals to make their own decisions. That's a really important value that we share in our state. These bills further that value." Polis was flanked by 17 state lawmakers during the signing, all of whom were Democratic women and most of whom sponsored the bills. The governor's office was also filled with dozens of abortion advocates and providers, including representatives from Planned Parenthood, Cobalt and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights. The bill package quickly advanced through the state legislature, taking only 36 days since introduction to pass both chambers and be signed into law. Despite unanimous opposition and filibuster attempts from Republicans, the legislature's Democratic supermajority easily carried the bills through. Only two Democrats voted against any of the bills: Sen. Kevin Priola, who switched parties last year, and Rep. Bob Marshall, the first Democrat to ever represent his Highlands Ranch district. In a statement, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch criticized the bills and the Democratic Party as "radical and extreme." The three bills that Gov. Polis signed today do not protect choice, but instead denies it to a new generation of Colorado women, said Lynch, R-Wellington. They deny a new mother the choice to consider alternative options other than to end her pregnancy. ... Those who call for abortion-on-demand have ensured with the signing of these three ideological bills that Colorado will continue to be an abortion destination. The bill's proponents say it's clear the abortion debate has been settled among Colorado voters. A 2022 survey from the Rocky Mountaineer found that 67% of Colorado voters believe that women in Colorado should have access to abortion care. Voters overwhelmingly re-elected Polis and increased the Democrats' control of the state legislature to near historic levels last year, with some observers attributing their victory to their support for abortion. One exit poll from the election found that 68% of unaffiliated voters surveyed said they couldnt vote for a candidate who wanted to ban abortion, even if they agreed with them on other policy issues. "Here in Colorado, the voters were loud and clear," said Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, sponsor of SB 189, during the bill signing. "We support access to the full range of reproductive care. We all value this. It's health care." Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The three bills are the first legislative action Colorado lawmakers have taken on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned national abortion protections in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in June. Since then, 14 states have passed laws banning or limiting abortion, with many more currently trying to enact blocked bans. Some states, including Texas, Idaho and Oklahoma, have passed "bounty hunter" laws, incentivizing citizens to sue anyone who has helped a person get an abortion. This has quickly made Colorado a national hub for abortion access. In the month following the Dobbs decision, the Colorado-based Cobalt Abortion Fund reported that 94% of its clients seeking practical abortion support came from out of state, including 66% from Texas alone. In January, 750 people traveled to Colorado Planned Parenthoods from out of state for abortion care compared to only 1,500 people during the entirety of 2021, according to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. "In Colorado, we've got your back," said Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, sponsor of SB 188. "Let the passage of these three bills, as they are being signed into law today, stand as a testament to folks in this state and across the country that Colorado is a beacon of care. That we will support you." SB 188 prohibits Colorado from recognizing criminal prosecutions or civil lawsuits regarding legally protected abortion care and enshrines into law an executive order directing state agencies to withhold relevant records from such states. The new law also applies to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals. SB 189 requires health insurance carriers that serve employers with more than 100 employees to cover abortion, sterilization and treatment of HIV and other STDs without deductibles, copays or coinsurance. For the small group and individual market, health insurance coverage depends on how it would affect premiums. Lastly, SB 190 prohibits crisis pregnancy centers from advertising abortions, emergency contraceptives or referrals they dont actually provide, classifying it as deceptive advertising. It also prohibits the controversial practice of using "abortion reversal pills" to try to stop a medication-based abortion. For more information about each bill and the respective debates, check out these articles: In January 2021, a federal law went into effect that mandated the nations hospitals provide clear and easily accessible online pricing information so the public can know in advance how much a treatment costs. To backers, the idea was to finally penetrate the murkiness of health-care charges to not only help patients make good choices when seeking care but expose overcharging and abuse. In the more than two years since, though, adherence by many hospitals has been slow and, in some cases, dismal. It is especially troubling in Colorado, where not one of 32 of the states largest hospitals websites analyzed by an advocacy group had fully complied with the federal law, according to the nonprofit PatientsRightsAdvocate.org. The national patient advocacy report found a range of noncompliance issues, with some hospitals only having one deficiency while others had multiple ones. The issues included failure to provide adequate price of a negotiated rate, to incomplete or overbroad descriptions of services which make price comparison difficult. Nationally, only about 1 in 4 hospitals were in full compliance, the organizations review of 2,000 major hospitals found. On Thursday, Colorado lawmakers took a nation-leading step toward backstopping the federal law by advancing a measure that would force the states hospital price transparency and add some enforcement muscle if they dont. In a bipartisan vote of 7-2, members of the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved Senate Bill 23-252. It now moves to the Senate floor for debate. Introduced late last month, SB 252 requires Colorado hospitals to make public and easily accessible by computer a list of standard charges for items and services provided to patients. The standard charges include the billed amount by the hospital or chargemaster price that is sometimes likened to the sticker price before negotiation. It also would require listing the negotiated charge, which is what is paid by insurers or the government, as well as the discounted cash price, which is often dramatically less. Hospital pricing in Colorado has been a hot-button issue for years, as the state has been shown to have some of the highest prices in the nation, as well as among the highest profit margins. Last year, lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a measure that would prevent a hospital from taking some debt-collection actions if it was not in compliance with price transparency requirements. This years legislation is a continuation of efforts to press Colorado hospitals to follow the federal law. Supporters say the proposal is the next step toward transparency, while critics argue that safeguards are already in place and the proposed legislation could confuse consumers. If passed, SB 252 will require the states hospitals to regularly report to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which will monitor compliance. A violation will result in a warning and public posting on the agencys website. If noncompliance continues, the hospital could be referred to the state attorney general as a violation of the states deceptive trade practices law. Coloradans deserve to know what their medical bills will look like before going into treatment or surgery, Sen. Julie Gonzales, the Democrat majority whip from Denver and one of the bills sponsors, said in a statement Thursday night. Weve made great progress in our work to protect consumers and lower the costs of health care, but theres still more we can do. Its time to take the next step and increase medical price transparency so Coloradans arent blindsided with big bills after receiving care. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. She also posted a picture on Twitter of herself and Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, a Republican co-sponsor of the legislation, writing, I joked in committee that I dont agree often with @SenatorKVW, but when we do, its pretty great. At the committee hearing, Cyndy Reddy of Broomfield testified she was hit with a $64,000 out-of-pocket bill for a hysterectomy after thinking it would be covered by her insurance, which it was not. The bill was sent to collections, she said, and debt collectors have hounded her, asking her to list her assets. Only later did she learn that the cash price for the procedure was one-third of the price she was billed. If Id known this would happen, I couldve shopped and saved, she said, according to a transcript of her testimony. Shame on the hospital for not telling me what it would have cost upfront. If you dont have a price, how can patients protect themselves?" said Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairperson of PatientsRightsAdvocate.org. As long as hospitals and insurance companies keep patients in the dark, they can charge whatever they want. She added in an interview she thinks it is no accident that many hospitals have been slow to comply with the federal law. She applauded Colorado lawmakers for being on the forefront of adding state protections. The Colorado Hospital Association said SB 252 could confuse consumers as it creates the potential for conflict between state and federal law, said Cara Welch, senior director of communications for the association in an email on Friday. Skeptical of the PatientRightsAdvocate.org findings, she said Colorado hospitals have a long history of supporting meaningful price transparency that helps patients understand their financial responsibility in advance of receiving care. Welch added that compliance with the federal law falls under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and that agency recently published a blog that looked at 600 hospitals in late 2022 and found substantial progress in transparency. But the blog also acknowledged that, while the majority of the hospitals reviewed are in compliance, about 30% must still do more. It added that its review results cannot be used to determine compliance with all requirements. The CMS report said it has issued about 500 warning notices to hospitals across the nation and requested 230 corrective actions. Only two hospitals, both in Georgia, have received fines from CMS for noncompliance in the more than two years the law has been in effect. Welch stressed no Colorado hospital has been fined by CMS. The states Health Care Policy and Financing Department last month issued its own findings, examining the price transparency at 83 Colorado hospitals. A little over a quarter received a good rating price as of November 2022. Low scores in the departments scorecard typically were a result of not including all insurance plans. This omission, the report said, greatly diminishes a hospital price tools effectiveness. Unfortunately, independent studies indicate Colorado hospitals do not meet the requirements of the federal rule, the report concluded. Firefighters have been battling wildfires across southern Colorado this week amid record-breaking heat and red flag conditions, and now three blazes are at 100% containment. Officials have said the Badger and 403 fires were caused by human activity on private property; the cause of the Rampart fire has not been reported. The Rampart fire grew from 50% containment Wednesday morning to 100% by 6:30 p.m. Thursday. It scorched 20 acres of grasses and ponderosa pine southeast of Woodland Park in the Waldo Canyon Burn Scar. The Rampart fire sparked Tuesday afternoon and caused short-term pre-evacuations near Rampart Range Road, prompting a multiagency response. A cause of the fire has not been reported. Water drops from a single-engine air tanker assisted firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and numerous departments in Teller County and El Paso County, including the Colorado Springs Fire Department who teamed up with local departments to send five engines Tuesday. The Badger Creek fire also sparked this week burning 41 acres southeast of Wilkerson Pass in the Hartsel area of Park County. The fire is 100% contained and no structures were lost, but one firefighter suffered superficial burns that did not require medical attention, according to Park County. Residents of Badger Creek Ranch were forced to evacuate Thursday as the blaze threatened structures in the area, according to a Park County alert, but the area transitioned to pre-evacuations that evening at 8 p.m. Hartsel Fire Protection District, Southern Park County Fire Protection District and air support were on the scene Wednesday. The cause of the Badger Creek fire has been attributed to careless actions by a homeowner on their property, violating a Stage 1 fire ban that is in effect. Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw is said to be pursuing criminal charges. McGraw has also said criminal charges will be pursued in the 403 fire, which burned 1,559 acres in Park County and also reached 100% containment Thursday. The 403 fire sparked late last month after the Sheriffs Office said a resident improperly disposed ashes in their yard. Crews from Park, Teller and surrounding counties have been working to extinguish the blaze over the past two weeks. The U.S. Forest Service has been the lead agency on the 403 fire; it turned back over to local authorities Thursday morning. The Pikes Peak region and other areas of Colorado broke heat records this week , according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo. Cooler weather entered the region Friday. 1st AUD $22,000 2nd AUD $8,950 3rd AUD $4,950 4th AUD $3,275 5th AUD $1,950 6th AUD $1,625 7th - 10th AUD $1,500 I was right on the ground. "Heavy"..... Total prize fund - Australian Dollars 47,250. Being circa 25,500... "Benchmark 58" - does that mean that the top rated is 58 ?? Prize money, prize money, prize money - if only, if only.... Aintree under way - and, as is the case at the top end here, decent prize money on offer. Ladies Day today. There will be some "interesting" photos in tomorrow's newspapers. CONSTITUTION HILL never out of first gear. What fun if they go down the Chase route. But then again, he could win the next 5 Champion Hurdles in a common canter. What would you do if you owned him ?? The Foxhunters providing a well deserved victory for Pointing stalwart Will Biddick. Will used to ride out for us regularly - I think at Whitsbury. Taking a pull after the last. Nerves of steel in the cauldron... And Dysart Enos looking very decent in the Mares' Listed Bumper that concluded the card. And I nearly forgot to mention the mercurial Shishkin - I just can't work him out. He looked beat for all money - but then... Fine sport again today. And then the big race tomorrow. VANILLIER and CAPODANNO working their way towards the top of my list... I'm reading a lovely book called "The Snail". About the great L'Escargot - who raced in that golden age of chasers that ensnared my passion and love of the sport. I have learnt that my great mate Ben Hanbury broke the chestnut in - and rode him to his first victory. I had no idea. I texted Ben - who replied, "Never underestimate my ability !! I am not just a pretty face." President Joe Biden had already said that he would go after the highest judicial body in the country to reverse the situation Ralph/Pixabay The US Supreme Court decided to temporarily maintain full access to an abortion pill widely used in the country The Supreme Court of U.S decided to temporarily maintain, this Friday, the 14th, full access to an abortion pill widely used in the country. In this way, lower court decisions on restrictions on the use of the drug were suspended. The highest US judicial body has issued an administrative stay, freezing lower court decisions until Wednesday, 19, in order to allow the parties involved in the case to submit their arguments. This Friday, the US government had filed a last-minute appeal to the Supreme Court requesting its urgent intervention to preserve access to the widely used abortion pill, in yet another chapter in a legal battle over reproductive rights. The President of the USA, Joe Biden, had already said that he would go after the highest judicial body in the country to reverse the situation. The lower court orders changed the status quo and altered the complex regulatory regime governing mifepristone, Attorney General Elizabeth Prelogar said in a 47-page filing. This disturbing result would deeply harm women, the nations health care system, the FDA (the US drug regulatory agency) and the public interest, she added. In combination with another drug, mifepristone is used in more than half of abortions in the United States, and more than five million American women have taken it since its FDA approval more than two decades ago. The judicial saga began last week, when the federal judge in the texas, Matthew Kacsmaryk, on April 7 ordered a nationwide ban on mifepristone in response to a request by a coalition of anti-abortion groups that challenged the FDAs 2000 approval of the drug. The US Circuit partially overturned Kacsmaryks ruling, claiming that mifepristone, also known as RU 486, should remain available temporarily pending a final decision. Now, the Justice Department has said that the initial ruling by Kacsmaryk, a judge appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump, was based on a profoundly misguided assessment of the safety of mifepristone and also disagreed with the Fifth Circuit ruling. On appeal, the government asked the Supreme Court, where conservatives have a six-to-three majority, for a stay of the Fifth Circuit ruling to preserve status, pending a thorough study of the case. Email special events to news@registerbee.com. The deadline is noon Wednesday. PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY Tarpley Chapel Baptist Church, 16156 Mount Cross Road, Dry Fork, will celebrate the 27th pastoral anniversary for senior pastor Robert Divens Jr. and lady Arleen Divens on Sunday with guest preacher for the 10:45 a.m. worship service Pastor Everett Dickerson, Associate Minister of North New Hope, Danville, and the former Pastor of Blackwell Missionary Baptist Church, Yanceyville, North Carolina. The Voices of Praise of Tarpley Chapel will render the music. An anniversary luncheon will be provided by the Culinary Ministry of TCBC and served from 12:45 to 2:15 p.m. The afternoon worship service will start at 2:30 p.m. with guest preacher Pastor Anthony R. Pass of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Ringgold, accompanied by his choir and congregation. REVIVAL SERVICES Mt. Sinai Glorious Church of God, 716 Jefferson St., will hold spring revival services at 7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday with guest evangelist the Rev. Herbert Holly, of St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Stony Creek and a native of Danville. Cherrystone Missionary Baptist Association Clergy will hold revival services at the Cherrystone Center at 7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Nightly speakers will be: Tuesday, pastor Antonel Myler, of Shockoe Baptist Church; Wednesday, pastor Teresa Harris, of New Chapel Baptist Church; Thursday, pastor Dabble Garner, of Elba Baptist Church. PRAYER & PRAISE SERVICE Cherrystone Baptist Association Women's Ministry will sponsor a Prayer and Praise Service at 4 p.m. April 22 at the Cherrystone Center. The Theme is "Staying the Course in Unity." The ministry is asking each person to represent with a donation. There will also be a raffle for a 65-inch Vizio Smart TV. Raffle tickets are $10 donations. SPRING FLING Fairview Church, 1013 Westover Drive, will host spring Fling from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6. The community is invited for children's games, crafts, inflatables, hot dogs, ice treats and bingo and corn hole for the adults. Admission is free. CHURCH ANNIVERSARY & MORTGAGE BURNING Mt. Sinai Glorious Church of God, 716 Jefferson St., will celebrate the 98th church anniversary and also mortgage burning at 3 p.m. May 7 with guest speaker the Rev. Antonel Myler Sr. of Shockoe Missionary Baptist Church. HEALTH & WELLNESS MINISTRY Shockoe Missionary Baptist Church, 857 Java Road, Java, hosts a monthly Wellness Walking Ministry from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., meeting every fourth Saturday. All ages are welcome to participate. The Health and Wellness Ministry will meet at 9 a.m. before each walking session. For information, contact Kathy B. Ramsey at 434-251-0379 or atbjrk@gmail.com. IN PERSON/ONLINE SERVICES Ascension Lutheran Church, 314 West Main St., worships Sundays at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary and live on Facebook at www.facebook/ascensionlutherandanville. Mount Vernon United Methodist Church offers in-person services at 10 a.m. each Sunday as well as online worship services every Sunday at mtvernonumc.org or www.facebook.com/MountVernonUMC. IN-PERSON SERVICES Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1172 Franklin Turnpike, will have in-house worship services on Sundays at 11 a.m. Masking requested if not immunized. Social distancing except for family members. Free books available anytime in outdoor library located on a post next to the driveway. Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, 406 Gay St., has in-person services at 10 a.m. for hour of power on the first and third Sundays. North New Hope Baptist Church, 123 Old Piney Forest Road, has resumed in church worship services at 11 a.m. and Sunday school at 9:30 p.m. Mount Sinai Glorious Church of God, 716 Jefferson St., will hold services in the sanctuary with Sunday school at 10 a.m. and morning worship at 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to wear a mask and to practice social distancing. The service also will be streamed on Facebook. Mount Freeman Baptist Church, 2100 Laniers Mill Road, hosts in-person service at 11 a.m. Sunday. There will be no Sunday school. ONLINE WORSHIP SERVICES Sacred Heart Catholic Church will livestream worship service at 9 a.m. Sundays in English and noon in Spanish at www.facebook.com/sheartchurch. DRIVE-IN SERVICES Staunton River Baptist Church, Long Island, will hold drive-in services at 10 a.m. each Sunday. ONGOING SERVICES Sacred Heart Catholic Church celebrates Mass every weekend with a vigil Mass at 5 p.m. Saturday and at 9 p.m. Sunday in English and noon in Spanish. Watson Level Missionary Baptist Church holds Sunday worship services each week at 11 a.m. Because of COVID-19, a face mask is required for all attendees and social distancing is mandatory. Calvary Church of the Nazarene, 2450 Franklin Turnpike, from 6 to 7 p.m. every Sunday, will hold Ladies Need Encouragement, an hour of worship and prayer. Participants are asked to bring a Bible and practice social distancing. The event is for ages 10 and up with adult supervision. For more information, call 540-907-8836. Mount Zion Temple, now located at 503 Hughes St., presents The Word Homelitic Institute at 10 a.m. every Sunday. Transportation is provided by calling Bishop David K. Fuller at 434-429-8960. Danville has exciting developments happening, especially with the upcoming Caesars Virginia casino, and Danville Community College can play a role in providing workers for the resort, said the state community college systems new chancellor. Danvilles got some really exciting things going on, said Virginia Community College System Chancellor David Dore, who became its head on April 1. Danvilles at the center of this ... economic development thats going on here. The schools IT and cybersecurity program could see its students finding work at the casino, he said during a visit at DCC on Thursday afternoon. IT and cybersecurity, thats going to uptick some of our students funneling into the casino, Dore said. The two subject areas enable students to become qualified for positions at the casino involving surveillance, electronic security and maintaining computer systems and troubleshooting IT problems. In addition, DCC could offer short-term, non-credit courses in culinary and hospitality, Dore said. The Caesars Virginia project will include a 500-room hotel and restaurants. Offering those types of classes and programs would be part of the schools overall focus on collaborating with industries. That is the model, that we work in partnership with industry, Dore said. When any industry is looking to come to the region, the most important question that theyre asking is, Are you going to be able to provide the talent that I need to be competitive and to be successful? Thursday was Dores first visit to DCC and Danville. When asked his view of DCC, Dore joked, Im not supposed to say its the best campus, because all 23 are the best. There are 23 colleges in the states community college system. Theres an energy here, Dore added regarding the city and DCC. Theres an excitement and theres an energy here, and I hear that from everybody about DCC. Dore (pronounced door-ay) is the 10th person to lead the Virginia Community College System, which was founded in 1966. He succeeded Sharon Morrissey, who was interim chancellor since July 2022, and has worked in community college settings for 27 years. The states community college system serves more than 200,000 degree-seeking and workforce-career training students per year. Its fundamental mission is the same its always been, he said. It has historically focused on serving students coming out of the K-12 system and will continue to do so, he said. However, the community college systems mission now is to broaden and serve the new majority of learners, Dore said. Those are students beyond just coming out of high school, but those who are working learners and learning workers parents, veterans, a much broader population of older students that are looking to skill and re-skill and up-skill for these new, emerging occupations that were seeing here in Danville, he said. Were being called upon to serve a much more diverse population of learners moving forward. During his career, Dore has focused service on diverse and underrepresented populations to foster inclusive learning communities, supporting open access, student success and economic mobility, according to his bio provided by DCC. Dore was previously president of campuses and executive vice chancellor at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. There, he led the colleges five campuses and workforce development initiatives, including the development of the colleges centers of excellence in response to the needs of that states workforce sectors. He also served in higher education leadership positions in Tempe, Arizona, and San Francisco. Dore earned his doctor of education degree at Pepperdine University, and masters degrees from Georgetown University, Boston College and Santa Clara University. He also has an advanced degree in philosophy from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, and a bachelors degree from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Dore was also a 2017-18 Presidential Fellow of the Aspen Institutes College Excellence Program. A drug dealer will serve up to 23-and-a-half years in prison after a multi-agency investigation led to his conviction, authorities said April 10. Dwayne Bullock, 41, of Newton pleaded guilty in McDowell County Superior Court to conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine 400 grams or more and operating a continuing criminal enterprise. On March 6, Superior Court Judge J. Thomas Davis sentenced Bullock to a prison term of 225 to 282 months. In 2017, detectives with the McDowell County Sheriffs Office, Marion Police Department and agents with N.C. State Bureau of investigation launched a probe into the drug distribution activities of Bullock and his associates, the sheriff's office said in a news release on Monday. The investigation concluded on April 18, 2018, with the execution of multiple search warrants in three different counties where detectives seized over 20 pounds of methamphetamine, four ounces of fentanyl and approximately $500,000 cash. The investigation was a multi-jurisdictional effort involving the McDowell County Sheriffs Office, Marion Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation, McDowell County District Attorneys Office, Burke County Sheriffs Office, Morganton Department of Public Safety, Newton Police Department, N.C. State Highway Patrol, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. One defendant in the case still faces an upcoming court appearance, the news release said. Another strong sentence handed down for a drug distributor selling this poison in our community," said McDowell County Sheriff Ricky Buchanan. "This was a great collaborative effort between local, state and federal agencies along with our District Attorney Ted Bell and his staff. We will continue to fight against the distribution of illegal controlled substances with hopes of disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations." According to a check of the N.C. Department of Public Safety's offender database, Bullock has previous convictions for common law larceny, forgery, communicating threats, breaking and entering of a vehicle, possession of a firearm by a felon and other crimes. REIDSVILLE Tri-State Steel this week announced plans for a $1.3 million expansion, a necessity to meet local industrial expansion demand, officials said. Tri-States business has steadily grown over the last 30-plus years, but demand over the last three years has been monumental, company leaders said in a recent press release. In 2020, when most of the nation was forced to shut down due to COVID-19, Tri-State braced for the worst only to find themselves on the cusp of one of the biggest expansions in their companys history, owners said. Despite the economic turmoil and restraints caused by COVID, industrial announcements kept coming in the area. In 2020 alone, Rockingham County welcomed Nestle/Purina PetCare, Farmina, and Ontex. And all of these new industrial clients required steel in their facilities. In order to keep pace with such increased demand, Tri-State recently invested $1.3 million to expand its current warehouse facility, a move that doubles its storage space and increases its efficiency to load trucks by 200%, company officials announced. The warehouse expansion will mean Tri-State can house 160% more material, allowing inventory levels to increase, officials said. Such increased material loading and housing ability have prompted the company to add five more delivery and hire hiring nine new employees to manage the workload, bringing the total workforce to 23. The companys owner further realized that the public needed a way to purchase smaller quantities of steel products for personal and commercial projects. So the company recently opened the Tri-State Steel Retail Store at 2513 Richardson Drive in Reidsville. Founded by Gerald Jerry Scott, Tri-State Steel began operations here in 1988. Reidsville seemed the ideal choice for a number of reasons: its central location in the state, proximity to the Piedmont Triad, inclusion in the North Carolina Core, and a location that made it easy to service southern Virginia, as well as North Carolina. In 1992, Scott welcomed his son, Steve, to the family business. Steve Scott became president of the company in 2008. He went on to purchase the business from his father in 2020. Regardless if the customer is a Fortune 100 company or a local welding shop, Tri-State Steel is always here to give our customers what they need when they need it, said Steve Scott. The new retail space celebrated its grand opening on March 25th and an official Reidsville Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on April 12th. Tri-State Steels goal is to differentiate ourselves in everything we do, Scott said. We care about our people. We care about our customers. We care about getting to the finish line with our customers. We put their needs at the forefront of everything we do, which is why we have invested so much time, money, and energy in creating the retail store which allows us to go back to our roots. We look forward to having those personal interactions with customers and assisting them in our new retail space. " " The Fugate and Combs families of Kentucky (not pictured) had blue-looking skin thanks to a rare genetic trait. HowStuffWorks/Library of Congress In the isolated hollows of rural eastern Kentucky, they were known as the blue Fugates and the blue Combses. Collectively they were called the blue people of Kentucky. For more than a century, these Appalachian families passed along an exceedingly rare genetic blood condition that turned their skin a disarming shade of blue. Embarrassed by their bluish hue, the families retreated even further from society, which only exacerbated the problem. Cut off from contact with the wider population, they married cousins, aunts and other closely related kin, which greatly increased the odds of inheriting the condition. Advertisement As scientists discovered in the 1960s, the mutation that causes the Smurf-like skin is carried by a recessive gene, and it takes two people with that same gene to produce a blue child. "If you took any random person in the population, maybe one in 100,000 would carry this gene, if that many," says Ricki Lewis, a science writer and author of the textbook "Human Genetics: Concepts and Applications," now in its 13th edition. "But if you're marrying your cousin, it's one in eight. The risk skyrockets if you're sharing blood." " " The link between antidepressant use and increases in suicidal thoughts or behaviors among treated youth is unproven. BSIP/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Depression in young people is vastly undertreated. About two-thirds of depressed youth don't receive any mental health care at all. Of those who do, a significant proportion rely on antidepressant medications. Since 2003, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that young people might experience suicidal thinking and behavior during the first months of treatment with antidepressants. Advertisement The FDA issued this warning to urge clinicians to monitor suicidal thoughts at the start of treatment. These warnings appear everywhere: on TV and the internet, in print ads and news stories. The most strongly worded warnings appear in black boxes on medication containers themselves. We are professors and researchers at Harvard Medical School, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and University at Buffalo. For more than 30 years, we have been studying the intended and unintended effects of health policies on patient safety. We have found that FDA drug warnings can sometimes prevent life-threatening adverse effects, but that unintended consequences of these warnings are also common. In 2013, working for the FDA itself, we published a systematic review of the effects of previous FDA warnings on a variety of medications. We found that about a third backfired, resulting in underuse of needed care and other adverse effects. In our more recent study from 2020, we found that the FDA antidepressant warnings have led to reduced mental health care and increased suicides among youth even though researchers have yet to find a clear link between antidepressants and increased suicidality in young people. Further, despite the warnings, monitoring by clinicians of suicidal thoughts at the start of treatment has not increased from its tiny rate of less than 5 percent. Next Saturday, April 22, is Earth Day, the worlds third most widely observed secular holiday (after New Year's and International Workers' Days). Previously, Ive written Earth Day-themed articles encouraging Christians to commemorate humanitys divine inaugural vocation of properly caring for Gods creation. But today, keeping an Earth Day mindset in the background, lets explore the Apostle Pauls intriguing portrayal of creation anxiously anticipating human resurrection in order to be released from imposed slavery. Pauls metaphor for this exciting concept is that of a woman painfully suffering in labor while joyously expecting the arrival of a child. The author of Hebrews probably comes closest to portraying present-day Christian yearning for eternity. The Hebrews writer describes God's faithful people as wandering foreigners on Earth, longing for a better homeland, someplace with a "heavenly ambience" (Hebrews 11:13-16). We can all sympathize with this somber outlook. The difficulties of Christian life wear us down and make us wistfully long (like homesickness) for someplace better than what our present lives offer. If only there could be a better place, without unhappiness, problems, sickness and death. We wish for a future where goodness, justice and righteousness abound, like it does in heaven. Wait a minute. In the eighth chapter of his letter to the Roman church, the Apostle Paul prophesies about the stunning future renewal of all of Gods creation. That might be just what we hope for! Paul forecasts (Romans 8:18-23) the future this way: Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. (New Living Translation) Paul claims that all of those who are in Christ are now Gods adopted children. The Holy Spirit testifies to this present-day reality. As Gods adopted children, we also become joint heirs with his son Jesus in the future inheritance reserved for him (Romans 8:14-17). Above all, God has predestined his adopted children "to be conformed to the image of his Son," Jesus (Romans 8:29). And this hope for resurrection, for the immortal "redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23), is something all of creation also eagerly waits for. Christians today often envision eternity as an otherworldly, spirit-only experience; a soul fleeing the difficulties of earth for a joyous, everlasting, blissful existence in heaven. But Romans 8 forecasts an astoundingly physical, earthy, this-worldly eternal expectation. Matthew and Luke also predict Christian eternal destiny as renewal or universal restoration (of Gods very good creation) in conjunction with human resurrection (Matthew 19:28 & Acts 3:21). Scripture explicitly states that since ancient times, prophets have speaking about the restoration of Gods creation. What the Bible never says is that heaven will be the eternal home of the righteous or that Christians will someday abandon Earth to live with God in heaven forever. The truth is, the idea of eternity in heaven, especially as a soul or spirit doesnt even come from the Bible, but can be traced back to Greek philosophy (i.e., Plato). This misconception is so deeply ingrained in Christian belief that it is exceedingly difficult to correct. Human rebellion and unfaithfulness to the primordial covenant resulted in God cursing the Earth, and thus, all of creation now unwillingly suffers alongside humanity. But the Apostle Paul points out that God intends to free his creation simultaneously with the forthcoming resurrection of humanity. Resurrected humans will once again become fully capable of wisely presiding over creation, just as God always intended. The great New Testament theologian, N.T. Wright, encourages todays Christians to celebrate the pending promise of Gods removal of the curse on creation (Revelations 22:23) by participating in activities demonstrating proper care for our world. Wright says people who live this way are genuine human beings modern-day participants in humanitys original, divine vocation. Movie buffs might say, Back to the Future! Earth stewardship is an essential part of Christian witness. Creation is purposefully designed to be presided over by humans who make Gods glory present through our bodies. Our Bible teaching must develop religious conviction commensurate for the inaugural task God ascribed to humanity. Christians should responsibly prophesy about Earth unwellness and warn against gluttonous misuse of our planets indispensable resources. Our speech and actions should make it obvious that Christians are natural allies with everyone engaged in planet-care endeavors. If it has it been a while since your congregation received a biblical message about caring for creation, ask your minister to preach a sermon about wise stewardship and care for all of creation. Find a way to also tuck in the best-kept secret in the Bible. God intends to someday redeem and renew everything He pronounced very good! Under a legislative proposal to cut in half the statute of limitations on campaign finance violations, prosecuting one of the most famous political scandals in recent Montana history might not have been possible. House Bill 947 would slash the time allowed to pursue campaign finance violations to two years, instead of the current four-year period allowed for those cases to take shape. The bills sponsor, Rep. George Nikolokakos, R-Great Falls, told a state Senate committee earlier this week that the bill would bring the timeline closer to that of some other types of cases, like property damage. In both of the bills committee hearings in the House and Senate, no one testified for or against it other than the bill sponsor. But reached by phone Thursday, former Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl said that timeline would have prevented him from pursuing a high-profile case against former lawmaker Art Wittich, who was found guilty in 2016 of illegally accepting corporate campaign contributions and illegally coordinating with a political group. That is the only case in the history of the office (of political practices) thats been prosecuted to a full verdict before a jury, Motl said. And that wouldnt have been possible had the statute of limitations been reduced from four to two years. Thats because the complaint that led to the successful case against Wittich was filed following a 2010 complaint filed by a Republican candidate against a primary candidate in a separate election. Motl famously received a box of documents after he took office in 2013 that had been discovered in Colorado. They contained information about outside spending groups that tied into that 2010 complaint and also implicated other lawmakers. That complaint was the legal handle that I could use to enforce (violations) against all the others, Motl explained. The case also led to successful settlements or court judgments against more than a half-dozen other lawmakers and candidates who received illegal campaign services from the spending groups. The office of political practices is complaint-driven, meaning the commissioner needs a complaint to initiate action against someone who potentially broke campaign law. There was a backlog of cases when he took office, Motl said, including a number of cases from 2010 and 2011. Under the proposed two-year statute of limitations, he wouldnt have been able to pursue any of those. Even under the current four-year time frame, Motl added, he ran out of time to pursue all the campaigns that were implicated in the case. He filed his lawsuit against Wittich in 2014. I identified the complaints and got them filed within that one year (after taking office) and I still missed a bunch of people, he said. There are a bunch of legislators who also got similar treatment that I didnt learn about until we had done discovery. The case against Wittich, in particular, garnered national attention and helped stoke support for Montanas 2015 Disclose Act, which created stricter campaign finance requirements. Motls prosecution of the case wasnt without controversy, however, with some of Wittichs fellow Republicans arguing the Democrat-appointed commissioner unfairly targeted the lawmaker. The jury found Wittich guilty in a 10-2 decision that was later upheld by the state Supreme Court. He was fined $68,000. HB 947 would also reduce the amount of time candidates need to retain campaign materials, to bring that in line with the proposed statute of limitations. Nikolokakos also told lawmakers that reducing the timeline for bringing those complaints could help limit the potential for political shenanigans. A long statute of limitations gives political opponents an opportunity to file complaints long past elections, usually for purposes of nuisance or retribution, he said during the bills first hearing, at the end of Match. Motl disputed that characterization, saying he wasnt aware of it being abused in the past. The bill was a late-comer to the session, flying through the House amid a flurry of last-minute debates, votes and bill hearings leading up to the transmittal deadline for legislation that deals with money. While it primarily deals with policy, it also appropriates $500 to the political practices office for website updates. HB 947 passed the House one day before the deadline on a nearly party-line vote, with Republican support and Democrats opposed. It cleared the Senate State Administration Committee on an 8-2 vote after its hearing Wednesday, with one Democrat joining all seven of the committees Republicans to send it to the floor. CHARLESTON An event related to the national Womens March movement is scheduled to be held at noon Saturday, April 15, at Morton Park. Silver Damsen, director of the Lincoln Ave Progressives, said such events will be held nationwide in response to an April 7 ruling by a Northern District of Texas judge. The judge issued an order suspending the Food and Drug Administrations approval of the mifepristone abortion pill, which has been on the market for 23 years, saying the the pill is unsafe and its approval process was rushed. It is a legal mess that this can happen, and that is one of the reasons to protest, Damsen said, adding that the judges ruling could potentially affect even states that have legal abortion. Damsen said local action with Womens March will be a sign-holding event facing Lincoln Avenue/Illinois Route 16. She said some signs will be provided, but participants are also welcome to make their own signs. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. A few storms may be severe. Low near 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 74F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. The Bristol Casino reported another solid month, generating more than $13.8 million in adjusted gross revenues for gaming during March. The Virginia Lottery issued its monthly casino report Friday, showing the future home of Hard Rock Bristol generated slightly more in March than the $13.73 million reported in February. The 30,000-square-foot temporary Bristol Casino is slated to give way to a 100,000 square foot gaming space when the full Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol opens in mid 2024. Meanwhile the Rivers Portsmouth Casino, the states first permanent casino, registered $23.6 million in adjusted revenues during its second complete month of operation. The Bristol Casino added 18 new slot machines this winter and slots reflected an increase in play, hitting $11.89 million in adjusted revenue, compared to $11.19 million during February. Revenues from table games slipped just below $2 million for the first time since the casinos partial opening month of July 2022, at $1.97 million. This despite the addition to eight new table games during the winter, which brought the facilitys total to 28 table games, according to the report. The Bristol Casino generated more than $2.48 million in taxes, including nearly $830,000 in additional funds for the regional improvement commission with over $1.63 million directed to the state gaming proceeds fund. Unlike the other Virginia host cities, Bristols share of gaming tax revenues are to be equally divided with 13 other regional cities and counties mirroring the footprint of the Virginia Department of Transportations Bristol district. In just under nine months of operation, the Bristol Casino has generated about $7 million to be divided among the various governments in Southwest Virginia. Rivers Casino Portsmouth has over 1,400 slot machines and reported $15.95 million in adjusted revenues. Its 81 table games generated over $7.67 million, bringing its March total to $23.6 million, according to the report. The Portsmouth facility generated $4.2 million in total taxes with $1.41 million going to its host city and $2.8 million to the state gaming proceeds fund. A marker memorializing the 1902 lynching of Mr. Wiley Glynn is set to be unveiled in Coeburn, Virginia, on April 22 at noon. Preston Mitchell, the co-chair of the Wise County/city of Norton Community Remembrance Coalition, recounted the events that led up to Glynns lynching in the Bondtown area of what is today Coeburn. Wiley Glynn was lynched in 1902, allegedly assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Toms Creek, and he was held by a group of citizens in Bondtown, Mitchell said. While he was being held in a holding building while the authorities and wives were being told. He, apparently, broke out and ran and was shot several times. His body was drugged up on the railroad tracks there and remained for a couple of days, He said. This is the third marker that the Remembrance Coalition has placed so far. The first marker was placed in Pound Gap, Va., in honor of Leonard Woods, and the second one, which was stolen and is set to be replaced, honors Dave Hurst, a 25-year-old African-American coal miner, who was lynched in Dunbar, Va. in the 1920s. The Wise County Board of Supervisors agreed to replace the marker, which will be placed in what used to be the old Appalachia Elementary School, now owned by Mountain Empire. Mitchell explained that this location is only a couple miles down the road from where the stolen marker had been placed. That area has a fence that is lit, has a caretaker, and its near the original site. So, were looking forward to moving forward with that, Mitchell said. The Wise County/City of Norton Community Remembrance Coalition began in 2018 as a part of the nationwide effort by the Equal Justice Initiative to tell the story of lynchings across the United States. In 2019, the Virginia General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution through which they expressed support for the initiative and wrote a letter of apology to lynching victims, encouraging communities to tell their stories. I think its important that we tell the truth about history, even the stain of history if you will. Because its only then, I think, that we can heal from the systemic racism that were still battling, Mitchell said. The unveiling of the Wiley Glynn marker will take place in on April 22. The keynote speaker will be Rev. Solomon Jones of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Coeburn. A reception will follow the event. Mitchell and Tina McDaniel will be at the Bristol, Va. Public Library on Monday night, April 17, to give a presentation about the 1891 lynching of Robert Clark, which occurred in Bristol, he said. In May, at the ripe old age of 16, Marlee Merritt will receive both his high school diploma from his home-school program and an associate degree from McDowell Technical Community College, where he has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average while taking a full complement of college transfer classes in MTCCs Career and College Promise (CCP) Program. Passionate and fascinated by old-time bluegrass and folk music, he plays guitar, banjo, fiddle, upright bass, mandolin and piano, performing regularly at fundraisers and festivals with his peers at Academy for the Arts in Asheville. Who is Marlee? Marlee is no ordinary 16-year-old. He is polite, well-mannered, and he speaks with the intellect, confidence and poise of a young doctoral student. After finishing Calculus II with McDowell Techs Jennifer Culp, for whom he has the highest praise, he asked his parents for a Calculus III textbook for Christmas, even though he wasnt taking any more Calculus classes at the college. He has a thirst for knowledge that far exceeds the average college student. For fun, Marlee enjoys reading literature. Im a bit of a bookworm, he said. He especially enjoys major fantasy novels, such as J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, clocking in at over 1,200 pages, and similar works of fiction. For a little light reading, he studies Apologetics Why we believe what we believe, according to Marlee. He attends Grace Community Church and enjoys participating in both the youth worship team and praise team and attending youth group, one of his major social outlets. Most of my friends are people I know from church, he said. He also has a couple of furry friends, in the form of a miniature horse and a small pony, not much bigger than the miniature horse, as well as a house cat. He doesnt appear to count the birds who nested in his moms porch flowers or the huge black snake that slithered up the porch banister in an attempt to eat the birds. His academic and future professional interests are wide-ranging, and he is still contemplating what he plans to major in and what career he might pursue, although he is leaning slightly toward a major in biology and a career in the health care field, with pediatric physician coming in high on his list of career possibilities. Ultimately, Marlee has one goal: I just want to take the gifts God has given me and develop them to the best of my ability so that I can find ways to give them back to others through service. College at 14 Merritts parents, Angela and Steve Merritt of Old Fort, knew for a long time that Marlee was bright and hardworking. In the online Christian home-school program that Angela used for a substantial portion of his instructional program, Marlee frequently completed his grade-level work much faster than was expected. At 14, Angela wasnt sure where else to turn to keep him motivated and moving forward academically. Thats when she reached out to Betsy Ruiz, McDowell Techs CCP student success coordinator, who also advises home-school students and parents interested in the CCP program. They were intrigued with the flexibility and options that the program could offer Marlee, as well as the efficiency of dual enrollment. College classes Marlee could take in the CCP program would count toward his high school credit requirements as well; no need to take Algebra at the high school level and repeat it in college, for example take the college class and be done with it. The question of whether to enroll in the CCP program was a no-brainer for the Merritts, and Marlee started right away. Practically speaking, Marlee saw little difference in his daily schedule and activities over what he had been used to in home school. All of the classes he has taken through McDowell Tech have been online, just like he had experienced in his online home-school program, albeit at a more advanced level at the college. Home-schooling, said Marlee, provided him with a lot of one-on-one interaction with his instructor, and instructors in his online college classes have been just as accessible, some more so. Online discussion forums have also given him more interaction with fellow students at the college level. Hes never mentioned his age, and no one seems to have noticed. Flexibility, options, efficiency and cost savings Marlee and his parents are profuse with praise for McDowell Tech, the CCP program, Marlees college instructors and Ruiz. Mrs. Ruiz gave us so many options, said Angela Merritt. Weve been able to customize the program to what we needed, and Marlees been able to move through things at a quick pace. Ive recommended it (the CCP program) to many people. It was nice to get two years of free college, said Steve Merritt, but it was really nice to have dual enrollment. Thats put him ahead two years and gives us so many options. Being ahead, if he wants to take half a load of courses (as he goes on to a four-year college), or if he wants to take a year off to pursue his music, he can do that, or pursue other things. It has created so many options for him. It (dual enrollment) sets people up for success, added Angela. The Merritts also noted that the flexibility of online classes has allowed Marlee to deal with emergencies or schedule other things he wants to do, since he can work ahead and create a window of time to fit in personal pursuits. Marlee has traveled a time or two with his mom and dad, who is a pilot flying frequently into Tel Aviv, Israel. This past Christmas, he and his parents also went with a group from their church on a tour of the Holy Land, which was Marlees early graduation present. And when Marlee got sick and spent two weeks in the hospital and another week recuperating at home, he did not get behind because he had worked ahead and completed a history essay online from his hospital bed. I love learning and soaking up knowledge, said Marlee. Ive been able to get two years of free college education under my belt and its paid for. Im a step ahead, all around. Its a win-win for me. He concluded with praise for several instructors: Jennifer Culp (math), Chuck Bowling (biology), Kelly McFarland (English) and Chip Cross (economics). The CCP program is designed to allow a great deal of flexibility for high school students to take free college classes, and can be especially helpful for the home-school students and their parents who may need more options than they have available to them in other places, said Dr. Brian S. Merritt, MTCC president (no relation to Marlee or his parents). Marlee is an exceptional student who has taken full advantage of our CCP options. Whether a student wants to be work-ready more quickly, or wants to pursue additional higher education, the CCP program is a great and free option. " " Charles Cholmondeley (L) and Ewen Montagu, two of the British intelligence officers involved in the planning of Operation Mincemeat, are shown in front of the vehicle transporting the body of Glyndwr Michael for pick up by submarine. Wikipedia/Public Domain In November 1942, Winston Churchill delivered a speech to the British House of Commons that laid bare the Allied strategy for defeating Nazi Germany and its Axis sidekick in Europe, Italy. The Allies would first take Northern Africa, then invade Europe through "the underbelly of the Axis, especially Italy," said Churchill. (He didn't call it the "soft underbelly," by the way that's a misquotation.) If Adolf Hitler wanted to know precisely where the Allies were going to attack, all he had to do was look at a map of the Mediterranean. The Allies would almost certainly launch their invasion from Northern Africa, and the closest Axis target by far was Sicily, the southern Italian island. Advertisement And that's exactly what happened. In July 1943, British and American troops carried out a wildly successful amphibious invasion of Sicily, encountering limited resistance from the Italian forces. Within months, Italy surrendered. But if Hitler knew back in 1942 that the Allies were going to invade Sicily, why was it left nearly defenseless? Because of a brilliant and risky top-secret plot known as "Operation Mincemeat." Born from the mind of Ian Fleming the James Bond creator who worked in British naval intelligence during World War II Operation Mincemeat dared to fool the Fuhrer into believing that the Allies were going to invade Greece instead of Sicily. All it took was a dead body, some falsified documents and a lot of luck. " " In this Henry Mosler painting, Betsy Ross and her sewing circle piece together the first American flag in Philadelphia. Harold M. Lambert/Getty Images If you grew up in the United States, chances are you've heard the story of Betsy Ross and the first American flag. It's a charming tale that's won its place in many hearts and imaginations, just like other stories about the nation's founding. However, much as we might want to believe it, some historians have come to question the historical accuracy of the Betsy Ross flag story. Before we discuss the controversy, let's go over the famous yarn for those who haven't heard it or who are a little fuzzy on their grade-school history. Legend has it that one day in 1776, George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross (a relative of Betsy's) called on Mrs. Ross, an upholsterer and seamstress. The men identified themselves as a congressional committee and asked for her help sewing a flag. Washington reached into his coat pocket and took out a folded paper with a crude sketch of his vision for the flag. The design had 13 red and white stripes as well as 13 stars (each representing the 13 colonies and soon-to-be states). When asked if she could do it, Ross famously replied, "I do not know, but I will try" [source: Betsy Ross House]. Supposedly, Ross suggested one important alteration to Washington's design: Instead of six-pointed stars, she recommended five-pointed ones. The men agreed, and she set to work sewing the first American flag. Advertisement An easily recognizable flag was a practical necessity for the new nation -- especially in battle when communication was slow and difficult. At the outset of the conflict with Britain, the colonies had been using the Union Jack (the British flag) within the design of their own flag. This prompted confusion among British troops when colonists flew their flag outside Boston [source: Crews]. Beyond these practicalities, colonists fighting for independence were ready to distance themselves from their British oppressors. So did Betsy Ross, the humble seamstress from Philadelphia, have a hand in sewing and designing the all-important flag and symbol for the fledgling United States? -- Europes first Jupiter probe, JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer), which explores the planets icy moons, launched on Friday. Hungarian research institutes and companies participated in its preparation. The spacecraft launched at 14:15 CET on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle from the European Spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana, to arrive at Jupiter in July 2031 after a nearly 8-year journey. JUICE will examine the largest planet in the Solar System, its environment and three icy moons (Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) in more detail than ever before and, among other things, will investigate possible signs of primitive forms of life and the existence of the physical and chemical conditions necessary for the creation of life announced the Hungarian participants of the mission. JUICEs main target will be Ganymede, around which it will orbit, and at the end of its mission, in 2035, it will crash into its surface. Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System and the only one with its own magnetic field, and under its icy surface there is presumably a layer of liquid water, an ocean. The European spacecraft, whose development began in 2015, is scheduled to enter a gradually decreasing altitude orbit around Ganymede in 2034. It has previously flown by Europa twice, Ganymede 12 times and Callisto 21 times, approaching the outermost Galilean moon as close as 200 kilometers. On board the European Jupiter probe, 10 different sets of scientific instruments have been placed, as well as a radiation measuring device. The PRIDE (Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment) experiment also involves researchers from the Astronomy and Earth Sciences Research Center of ELKH. During the experiment, the specialists will follow the movement of the spacecraft with high precision using terrestrial radio telescope networks in the celestial reference system designated by distant quasars, which will help to learn the gravitational field and internal structure of the icy moons. Among the on-board instruments, the magnetometer (J-MAG) and the particle environment package (PEP) were developed and tested by ELKH Energiatudomanyi Kutatokozpont and SGF Kft. employees. The staff of the ELKH Wigner Physical Research Center take on a role in the processing and interpretation of the magnetometer data. Admatis Kft. from Miskolc made a multi-layer foil-based thermal protection covering for one of the PEP units. According to the article on the urvilag.hu specialist portal, during its wandering in the solar system, the spacecraft performs gravitational swing maneuvers near the Earth and Venus as well. It will first return to the vicinity of the Earth next August, when for the first time in the history of space exploration it will gather momentum for its further journey next to both the Moon and the Earth. They finally got it in space, which no one has ever done before For the first time, a photo of a dust storm outside the Solar System has been reconstructed using the James Webb Space Telescope. According to the writing of the astrophysicist Sandor Frey, who participated in the mission as a member of the CSFK, many technological challenges had to be overcome during the construction of JUICE. Such is the strong magnetic field and the radiation environment found at Jupiter, from which sensitive instruments must be protected as effectively as possible. At such a distance from the Sun, solar energy production also causes difficulties, so a giant solar panel with a total surface area of 85 square meters was placed on the spacecraft. The temperature at Jupiter can be minus 230 degrees Celsius, and when flying past Venus it can be plus 250 degrees Celsius, which also posed a great challenge when designing the equipment. So far, two (American) spacecraft have orbited Jupiter, Galileo (1995-2003) and Juno (since 2016). Based on Galileos measurements at the time, it is assumed that there is liquid water in the deeper layers of the icy moons. The discovery of Ganymedes magnetic field is also the result of this probe. The main results of Juno, which is still operational, are related to Jupiters atmosphere and the planets inner core. The results of the two American space probes raised new questions that JUICE may be able to answer. The spacecraft was built within the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA) program at a cost of around 1.6 billion euros. Institutions from many other ESA member countries also joined the work of JUICE, and the American, Japanese and Israeli space agencies also contributed to the program. For the first time, it was possible to capture a dust storm outside the solar system The dust storm was detected on the exoplanet VHS 1256 b, located 40 light-years from Earth. The featured image is an illustration. CHICAGO - Police fatally shot a man who turned to them while holding a gun during a foot chase Saturday morning on the West Side. The shooting happened in the 3800 block of West Flournoy Street shortly after 10:15 a.m. During an afternoon news conference, Chicago Police Deputy Chief Rahman Muhammad said Harrison District officers were patrolling the area, involved in an escalation mission following a gang killing that occurred nearby a week ago, when they saw several people. One of these individuals was seen leaning into a vehicle, officers exited their vehicle and approached and the individual then fled on foot through a gangway, Muhammad said. As police gave chase that man turned toward the officer, brandished a handgun, and an officer shot him, Muhammad said. Officers immediately called for EMS and began rendering aid but the unidentified man shot died at Mount Sinai Hospital, officials said. Officers were trying to ensure that a gang conflict did not escalate, when the shooting, which he called a tragic incident, happened, said Muhammad. An officer was also transported to an area hospital for observation and a gun was recovered on-scene. Fire officials said one person was initially taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, but had no information immediately available on the persons age or gender. The shooting is being investigated by COPA with the full cooperation of the police department and the officers involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for the next 30 days, Muhammad said. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability asked anyone with information on the shooting to contact their office at 312-746-3609. Photos: Tornado collapses northern Illinois theater roof Mike Mills spent some of the most formative times of his professional music career in Winston-Salem. But he didnt see much of the city beyond the walls of Drive-In Studio, a garage-turned-recording studio on Belews Creek Road. It was there in 1981 and 1982, with Winston-Salems Mitch Easter as producer, that Mills and his bandmates in a little-known outfit called R.E.M., recorded a batch of songs that set them on a path to eventual stardom. By 1987, Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed them, Americas Greatest Rock and Roll Band. On Saturday, Mills will return to Winston-Salem to play some of the bands songs with the Winston-Salem Symphony in a concert billed as R.E.M. Explored. Ward Stare will conduct. The performance will include a mix of R.E.M. songs and Mills piece Concerto for Violin, Rock Band and Orchestra. A bass player, vocalist and composer, Mills was in his early 20s when he recorded those first tracks in Winston-Salem. The songs included Radio Free Europe, and several that would make up the bands first EP, Chronic Town. We didnt see much of Winston-Salem in those days, Mills said a few days ago from his home in Athens, Ga. In those days, even when we were working at Mitchs, we had a very tight budget. Ive seen a lot more of it since. Winston-Salem natives have played important roles in Mills professional life. Besides Easter, who also co-produced R.E.M.s first two full-length albums, Murmur and Reckoning, Mills has worked with Chris Stamey on a series of Big Star tribute concerts and with Peter Holsapple, an auxiliary musician for R.E.M. for several years. Mills has clearer memories of R.E.M. playing at Fridays, a pizza joint in Greensboro. There werent as many places to play in Winston-Salem, Mills said. Winston was a little behind the curve. It just didnt have as many people. But all of that area of North Carolina was really formative for R.E.M. We were always happy to come up there. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, R.E.M. broke up in 2011, leaving behind a trail of hits including Everybody Hurts, Losing My Religion, Man on the Moon and Stand. A few years ago, Mills childhood friend, violinist Robert McDuffie, asked Mills if he would write a concerto. At the time, I had a little free time, and thought, Well, thats an incredible challenge, recalled Mills, the son of a dramatic tenor. A composer of many R.E.M. songs, Mills worked with arranger David Malamud on the concerto. For the orchestral treatments of R.E.M. songs, he turned to Malamud and Carl Marsh for arrangements. They are a combination of our popular songs, which are really good songs, and a few of my personal favorites, Mills said, mentioning Try Not Breathe and Supernatural Superserious. The orchestral versions of the songs take them into new territory, however they dont stray so far afield that fans wont recognize them, said Mills, who will play bass, electric guitar and piano during the concert. Before launching R.E.M. Explored, Mills checked in with his former bandmates, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Bill Berry. I told them that this was something Id like to do and asked them if they were OK with it. And of course, they said yes. I think were thrilled to have each other branch out and do the things we love to do, Mills said. Were still friends, and theyre nothing but supportive of this. Though R.E.M. has no plans for new music, the band will be releasing some outtakes from Up, which was released 25 years ago. There will be some fun, little surprises when Up is released, Mills said. And speaking of anniversaries, Murmur, the album that arguably launched indie rock, turned 40 on the day Mills was interviewed. Social media was abuzz with people paying homage to a record that many Gen X-ers rate high atop the list of Records That Changed My Life. Not surprisingly, given his membership in a band that was among the coolest in the 1980s, Mills was low-key about the anniversary. It just means Ive been lucky enough to stay alive for awhile, he said. Services Ardmore Baptist Church, 501 Miller St., Winston-Salem, will have services at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. Pastor Tyler Tankersley will begin a new Eastertide sermon series called The Shema, The Lord is Our God. Sundays sermon is titled Listen. The 10:45 service will be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook. All Together Ardmore classes and groups will meet at 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, go to www.ardmorebaptist.org. Mount Carmel United Methodist Church, 4265 Ebert Road, Winston-Salem, will have worship at 10 a.m. Sunday. Sunday school is at 8:45 and childrens church starts at 9:30 a.m. There will be a New Beginnings dinner church for all ages from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month for all ages. Everyone is invited for a free meal, a message and music in the church fellowship hall. Victory on the Frontline Church and Event Center, 4307 Welcome-Arcadia Road, Arcadia, Sunday morning starts at 9:30 with a lite breakfast. Sunday school for all ages starts at 10. Sunday worship service with Pastor Michael Duffield begins at 11. Victory@pm starts at 6 with Preacher Don Faulkner. Wednesday evening choir practice is at 6, the fellowship meal is at 6:30. The Just As I Am casual and family service with Pastor Mike Duffield is at 7. The Annual Big Spring Victory Community Yard Sale will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Spaces are still available to rent for both days. A lot of vendors and exhibitors already have reserved space. Bathrooms and concessions will be available. For more information, please call 336-577-2873 or email mktvfl@att.net. Green Street United Methodist Church, 639 S. Green St., Winston-Salem, will have an in-person service at 8:45 a.m. Sunday. The 11 a.m. service is held in-person and is streamed online via Facebook and YouTube and is a blended service featuring jazz and blues musicians as well as hymns, spirituals and elements of social gospel. The 8:45 a.m. service is a quiet, contemplative space including prayer, scripture, preaching and communion. Masks are optional in the building for services with some exceptions. For more information, go to www.greenstreetumc.org. Trinity United Methodist Church, 3819 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, invites you to worship with us at 10 a.m. each Sunday. The Rev. Doug Miller is the lead pastor. During worship there will be special music, busy bags for children plus a kids message each Sunday. There are two Sunday school classes for adults. One is at 9 a.m. and the other is at 11 a.m. You are invited to the Connection Cafe which consists of a continental breakfast at 9:15 a.m. in the fellowship hall. For more information, call the church office at 336-765-0150. Parkway United Church of Christ, 1465 Irving Street, Winston-Salem, worships at 11 a.m. Sunday. The sermon series on Touchstones for Building Trustworthy Community will continue. For more information, go to www.parkwayunited.org, or call 336-723-1395. Lewisville United Methodist Church, 6290 Shallowford Road, Lewisville, will have contemporary worship at 9 a.m. Sunday in the fellowship hall. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. and traditional worship is in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. For more information, go to lewisvilleumc.org. Unity Moravian Church, 8300 Concord Church Road, Lewisville, will have adult Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. and worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday. The service at 11 is in-person and live streamed. A nursery is provided. Childrens church is offered during the worship service. For more information, go to www.unitymoravianchurch.org or call 336-945-3801. Mount Tabor United Methodist Church, 3543 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, offers two Sunday services: 9 a.m. modern worship in the Alspaugh Worship Center, and 11 a.m. traditional worship in the sanctuary. Both services are available online at http://youtube.com/MountTaborUMCVideoStreaming and the Mount Tabor United Methodist Church Facebook page. Persons not fully vaccinated, immune-compromised or uncomfortable without a mask, are encouraged to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing. For more information, visit www.mttaborumc.org or call 336-765-5561. Winston-Salem Friends Meeting, Quaker church, meets at Fairview Moravian Church, 6550 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem. Sunday morning live services begin with Unprogrammed (silent) Worship at 9:15, First-Day (Sunday) school for adults at 9:30, and Meeting for Worship at 10:30. Cheryl Bridges will bring the message Sunday. We are a community of seekers who meet together to worship God. We seek to express our faith through action, focusing on peace and social justice. We seek to find the Light of God in ourselves and in others. We seek to treat all persons with equality and integrity. For more information, email mary.simmons51@icloud.com. New Philadelphia Moravian Church, 4440 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, will meet in-person at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday and will live stream its 9:30 service on Face-book.com/newphiladelphiamoravianchurch. You do not need a Facebook account to view the service. If you are unable to view the live stream, a recorded version is on the churchs YouTube page. Ardmore United Methodist Church, 630 S. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, has a traditional service at 10 a.m. and a contemporary service at 11:15 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. Neill Shaw and the Rev. Katy Medinas-Lockley welcome all and lead the worship service. Both services are streamed on Youtube. For more information, go to ardmo-reumc.org or call the office at 336-723-3695. Lewisville Baptist Church, 125 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Lewisville, invites all to celebrate Jesus Christ at 10 a.m. Sundays. Services are live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Sunday school is at 9 a.m. There will be midweek activities for all ages at 6 p.m. Wednesdays. For more information, go to lewisvillebaptist.com. Olivet Moravian Church, 2205 Olivet Church Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall and an inside worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The worship service will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, call the church office at 336-924-8063. Salem Creek Friends Meeting (Quakers) meets in the parsonage of Fries Memorial Moravian Church, 271 N. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem. The unprogrammed meeting for worship starts at 10 a.m. each Sunday. For more information, email clerk@salemcreekfriends.org. Burkhead United Methodist Church, 5250 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, invites you for worship at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday a.m. Sunday school classes begin at 9:15 and 9:30. The service is also available on the website and the Facebook page. The next Third Thursday Health and Wellness event is at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Bring your lunch and learn about relaxation techniques. Enjoy a brief seated yoga and meditation class free of charge. For more information, go to www.burkheadumc.org or call 336-765-6590, ext 3. Konnoak Hills Moravian Church, 3401 Konnoak Drive, Winston-Salem, will have a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The church receives a drive-thru food offering for Sunnyside Ministry each Sunday. Drop off non-perishable donations from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Primary needs are canned vegetables, crackers, pasta, rice, cereal, dry/powdered milk and bread. For more information, call 336-788-9321. Clemmons First Baptist Church, 3530 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, will have Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. An in-person worship service and live streaming at 11 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. David Pace will bring the message. For more information, call 336-766-6486 or go to cfbctoday.org. First Waughtown Baptist Church, 838 Moravia St., Winston-Salem, front doors open at 8 a.m. Sunday for in-person worship, Sunday school will be at 8:15. This weeks lesson is Jesus Cooks Breakfast (Devotional Reading Psalm 30; Background Scripture John 21:1-14). The worship service begins at 9:45 with devotion and announcements followed by the message delivered by Senior Pastor Dennis W. Bishop. Completed waiver forms and masks that cover the nose and mouth are required and are available in the church lobby. People who prefer to worship virtually can find the service on YouTube, www.youtube.com (First Waughtown); Facebook, www.facebook.com/FirstWaughtown/; and the First Waughtown website, www.firstwaughtown.org. Services posted online are a one-week delay. Home Moravian Church, 529 S. Church St., Winston-Salem, will have in-person and live stream worship at 10 a.m. Sunday. Bible discussion via Zoom and in-person will be held after the service using the adult programing link on the churchs website. Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, 1905 N. Jackson Ave., Winston-Salem, will be having in-person services each Sunday morning at 11. Everyone is invited to the special Easter service Sunday. COVID protocols are practiced. Paul W. Hart is the pastor. New Friendship Baptist Church, 4258 Old Lexington Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 9:15 a.m.; and there will be one worship service beginning at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call the church office at 336-788-3112. Clemmons Presbyterian Church, 3930 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, will observe Palm Sunday with a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The services are in-person and live streamed on YouTube at youtube.com/ClemmonsPresbyterianChurch. For more information, go to www.clemmonspresbyterian.org or call 336-766-4631. Kingswood United Methodist Church, 6840 University Parkway, Rural Hall, will have in-house Sunday school at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. Sunday in the sanctuary. The Rev. Bruce Updyke will lead the service which includes live music. Masks are optional for Sunday school and the worship service. The service will also be available on Kingswoods Facebook page. Visitors are welcome. For more information, email bruceupdyke@yahoo.com or call 336-969-5437. Rural Hall Christian Church, 280 Bethania-Rural Hall Road, Rural Hall, will hold the following in-person services on Sundays: The BLEND at 10 a.m. with Christian classes for all ages and congregational worship at 11 a.m. Youth ministries will continue at 6 p.m. Sundays, unless otherwise announced. For more information, go to RuralHall-Church.org and the churchs social media pages. Shallowford Presbyterian Church, 1200 Lewisville Clemmons Road, Lewisville, offers a service in-person and livestream via YouTube at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Masks are optional. The outdoor Labyrinth is open for walking every day from dawn to dusk. For more information, go to spcnc.org or call 336-766-3178. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4055 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, the 10:30 a.m. service Sunday will be held in-person, and also livestreamed at uufws.org/virtual-worship-service. The Rev. Ed Brock will present The Future has Arrived. The Forum will be at 9 a.m. Corey D. B. Walker, Ph.D., interim dean, School of Divinity, and Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities and Director of the Program in African American Studies, will speak on environmental justice. The Forum will be in person, and also live streamed at https://uufws.org/virtualforum. For more information, go to www.uufws.org. St. Philips Moravian Church, 911 S. Church St., Winston-Salem, is worshipping regularly in the brick church in Old Salem at 11 a.m. Sundays. All are welcome for traditional Moravian worship in the historically African American church. Bible Fellowship Baptist Church, 4950 Warner Road, Pfafftown, will have services at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. The topic at 11 a.m. will be Discovering the Beautiful Son of God, based on the Gospel of John. The topic at 5 p.m. will be Unusual Things in the Bible. There will be Bible study at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The topic will be Doing the 52, studying 52 chapters, 52 verses, in 52 weeks. For more information, go to BFBCnow.org or call 336-462-4844. Faith and Family Baptist Church, 105 Nathan Ave., Winston-Salem, schedule of services: Sunday worship services are at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday school is at 9:45 a.m. and the midweek service is at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The church live streams all services at www.facebook.com/faithandfamilybaptist. A Facebook account is not required to access the video, scroll down for the live stream. Archive services are available there if you are unable to watch live. For more information, contact Pastor Robert Hutchens at 336-782-3747. Liberty Baptist Church, 1548 Old Hollow Road, Winston-Salem, is open for all services and also broadcasts all services on Facebook Live on Pastor Gary Styers Facebook page. Masks, gloves and hand sanitizer are provided. The entire facility is sanitized each week. For more information, go to www.libertybaptistnc.org. Rural Hall Moravian Church, 7939 Broad St., Rural Hall, has in-person Sunday School for all ages at 10 a.m. Sundays, followed by worship service at 11 with the Rev. Andrew Craver. Worship services are also available via online streaming at https://www.youtube.com/user/RHMoravian. For more information, go to www.rhmc.org. St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 357 Old Hollow Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 10 a.m. and a worship service with Pastor Emily Schlaman Larsen at 11 a.m. Sunday in the sanctuary or in your car (tune to 88.7 FM). Masks are optional. The nursery is open. Weekly sermons are available on YouTube for people who prefer to join worship remotely. Search for: St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Winston Salem NC. For more information, go to www.standrewsnc.org. First Christian Church, 2320 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, will have an in-person worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday. Childrens worship and youth worship are available. A noon-day prayer service will be held at noon Wednesday. Worship services are also available by online streaming at www.wearefcc.church. For more information, go to www.wearefcc.church or call the church at 336-722-2714. St. Paul United Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, will live stream its 11 a.m. worship service Sunday at www.facebook.com/stpaulumcws/live. Facebook does not require an account for access to the page. Additional information regarding prayer services and Bible study may be found on the churchs website at www.stpaulumcws.org or by calling the church at 336-723-4531. Fundraiser Friedland Moravian Church, 2750 Friedland Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, will have its spring barbecue from 4 to 7 p.m. April 22. The meal includes pork, chicken, barbecue slaw, Moravian slaw, hush puppies, and homemade desserts. Eat-in and take-out are available. The cost is $14 for adults, $6 for children 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. Proceeds will benefit youth missions. For more information, call 336-788-2652. Special events The Forsyth County Sunday School Union will meet at 1:30 p.m. Sun-day at New Bethel Baptist Church, 1016 N. Trade Street, Winston-Salem. The teaching initiative for 2023 is Think, Act, Believe Like Je-sus. For more information, contact Marcus Neal at 252-266-4374. St. Paul United Methodist Church will have online GriefShare, a support group for people experiencing grief due to the death of a loved one. The 13 sessions will begin April 15 and end on July 8. The interactive sessions feature biblical teaching on grief and recovery topics. Sessions are free. For more information about how to participate in these virtual Saturday morning GriefShare sessions, call St. Paul UMC at 336-723-4531. Holy Saints International Fellowship/Southern District will host its spring fellowship service at 3 p.m. April 23 at Vessels of Honor Church Ministries, Inc., at 3608 Ogburn Ave., Winston-Salem. Bishop Melvin Wilkins and Greater New Generation Worship Center will be the guest speaker. For more information, call Pastor Clara Cremedy at 336-624-9351 or email claracremedy@yahoo.com. Mount Carmel United Methodist Church, 4265 Ebert Road, Winston-Salem, will have its MAD (Music Arts Drama) Camp from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 26-30. It is for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Before and after camp care is also available. A Friday night performance and autograph party will conclude the camp at 7 p.m. June 30. Children with special needs are welcome. For more information visit us at www.mtcarmelumc.org. Information for the Religion Calendar should be emailed to news@wsjournal.com by 3 p.m. the Wednesday before you want it to run. It can be mailed to Religion Calendar, Winston-Salem Journal, 418 N. Marshall St., #100, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. SAN DIEGO Whenever the national conversation turns to race, Republicans stumble, stammer and stall. Now, once again, many of them are having trouble finding the right words to defend the petty and blatantly racist actions of Republican lawmakers in the Tennessee legislature. Conservative commentator Todd Starnes went overboard when he described the GOP lawmakers as patriots who stood up to foul-mouthed insurrectionists and professional racist agitators. Both political parties lie about race; Democrats seem to be more skilled at it, while Republicans are more transparently dishonest. Republicans profess to be colorblind, but they see color clear as day when they attack affirmative action or imply that a Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court has an ax to grind against white people. They criticize tribalism, even as they rally their tribe of angry white people in MAGA caps who feel marginalized by diversity. They sneer when theyre accused of racism by the left, but then they say or do something racist that proves the left is right on the money. Right-wing radio hosts whine about how unfair it is that the media portrays conservatives as racist. The way they see it, Republicans are victims. Its unfathomable to these hosts that conservative Republicans could say or do anything that could be described as racist. They dont know much about history. In 1968, Republican presidential nominee Richard Nixon with the help of Southern segregationists built his campaign on states rights and law and order. Those code words signaled that Nixon would allow Southern states to continue to drag their feet on civil rights. Two decades later, Republicans gave us the racially charged Willie Horton ad that helped George H.W. Bush win the 1988 presidential election. A convicted murderer, Horton had raped a woman while on a furlough from a prison in Massachusetts. The Bush campaign used the story to depict Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, who as Massachusetts governor oversaw the furlough programas an out-of-touch liberal who was soft on crime. The related commercial was created for a pro-Bush PAC by GOP political strategist Lee Atwater. (While dying from a brain tumor three years later, Atwater apologized for threatening to destroy Dukakis and make Willie Horton his running mate.) Given the GOPs checkered past with regard to race, you would think that Republicans especially in the South - would tread lightly in a situation with racial overtones. Not in Tennessee. Angry and frustrated by the March 27 shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville that killed six, including three children, a trio of Democratic legislators who would come to be known as the Tennessee Three joined a protest on the floor of the legislature to demand stronger gun laws. Citing a violation of decorum, Republican lawmakers voted to expel two of the Democratsstate Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. However, they did not oust the thirdstate Rep. Gloria Johnson. Jones and Pearson are Black men in their 20s, precisely the demographic that Republicans have spent six decades turning into boogeymen. Johnson is a 60-year-old white woman. Not one of those Republicans could add this up and avoid playing into the hands of those who portray their party as a hotbed of intolerance and exclusion? Instead, all Republicans could think about was how they had been disrespected and how their benefactors in the gun lobby might see them as weak. Rep. Gino Bulso, a Republican from the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, insisted that the Tennessee Three had effectively conducted a mutiny. Most Americans dont see it that way. A new USA Today/Ipsos Poll found that three-fourths of Americans believe that legislators have the right to peacefully protest. A slim majority, 51%, describe the expulsions an anti-democratic abuse of power, while 42% see them as an appropriate way to discipline the lawmakers. Meanwhile, the Nashville Metro Council has voted to reappoint Jones to his state House seat on an interim basis. The Shelby County Board of Commissioners later reinstated Pearson. Both men will have to run in special elections to officially get their old jobs back. So this ugly storm battering the Volunteer State wont be over for a while. For that, the people of Tennessee can blame the Republicans in their state who either didnt see it coming or didnt care. Its hard to decide which is worse. The prevalence of suicidal ideation is unknown and limited information exists about depression and anxiety among physician associates/assistants (PAs). We set out to understand the degree of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in PAs and PA students. In total, 728 PAs and 322 PA students took an online survey. Risk of depression and anxiety were present at higher levels in PA students compared with employed PAs. PA students indicated higher levels of suicidal ideation compared with clinically active PAs. One-third of those with suicidal ideation did not reveal it to anyone; among those who did, 16.2% feared the results of disclosure. This study establishes that PAs and PA students are at risk for suicidal ideation and often bypass help. The COVID-19 pandemic may have led to elevated rates of emotional distress, and longitudinal studies are needed to understand the basis for such ideation and if it is transitory. City of Lincoln hosting Earth Day celebration at UNL Innovation Campus The city is hosting an Earth Day celebration 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the University of Nebraska Innovation Campus, 2021 Transformation Drive. Organized by the Lincoln Earth Day Coalition, this free family event will feature a StarTran electric bus, Lincoln Electric System electric vehicles, local food vendors and a plant sale. There will be a bike ride at 9 a.m. Additional activities include a clothing swap, live music and more than 60 energy, water, waste, conservation, educational and sustainability-related booths There are engaging activities planned all day long for families and friends to support environmental stewardship and learn about sustainable living, said Lincoln Earth Day Coalition member Brittney Albin. The celebration will close a portion of North 21st Street from Transformation Drive to Salt Creek Roadway. Free vehicle parking will be available in the parking lot north of Nebraska Innovation Campus. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Nebraska Innovation Campus building. Motorist killed after crashing into cow, tree A motorist died near Valparaiso early Friday morning after crashing into a cow on Nebraska 79 before careening off the roadway and into a tree, according to the Saunders County sheriff. The motorist, who authorities did not identify, crashed into the cow sometime before 5:15 a.m. Friday while driving north on Nebraska 79 between County Roads E and F, about 3 miles north of Valparaiso, Sheriff Chris Lichtenberg said in a news release. The drivers 2006 Buick Rendezvous then left the roadway and crashed into a tree. A passerby called authorities to the scene at 5:14 a.m. The driver and sole occupant of the Buick died at the scene, Lichtenberg said. Lichtenberg asked anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact the sheriffs office at 402-443-1000. Its unclear if the cow survived the collision. Lancaster Election Commissioner announces voting precinct correction The Lancaster County Election Commissioner announced Friday that 20 residential households were accidently left in the wrong voting precinct following redistricting in 2021. The households should have been moved from 10E01 to 10E10 when redistricting adjusted boundary lines for two precincts near 56th Street and Pioneers Boulevard, Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen said He said the error was corrected for Lincolns general election, but it allowed eight voters to incorrectly cast ballots in the Lincoln Public School Board District 2 race last week. The error didnt substantially impact the primary results. Since the error has been corrected and they live in District 5, there will not be a Lincoln School Board race on their ballots next month. The election office mailed notices of the changes to the 30 voters from the 20 households Thursday. The voters will receive the notices and new voter registration cards in the upcoming week. Man arrested for alleged shootout Nearly two weeks after police found two cars riddled with bullet holes near the Railyard in the early morning hours of April 2, investigators have arrested a 34-year-old Lincoln man for his alleged role in the incident, according to police. Police found Louis Benson sitting in one of the vehicles damaged by gunfire at 2 a.m. that morning, when officers were called to the 600 block of Canopy Street for a report of gunshots, Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said. Investigators recovered more than 70 spent shell casings at the scene some of which were later matched to a Glock handgun found in the car with Benson, who has a previous felony conviction barring him from possessing a firearm, Vollmer said. Police arrested the 34-year-old Thursday afternoon on suspicion of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and took him to the Lancaster County jail. Vollmer said Benson could face additional charges for allegedly firing the gun that morning. And, he said, police are seeking additional suspects in the shootout. Fake handgun found in Beatrice students backpack Authorities and Beatrice Public Schools officials said a fake handgun was found in a backpack at a Beatrice school. Beatrice Middle School administration and the school resource officer were made aware of a potential weapon located in a students backpack on Thursday. A statement from the district said that administration immediately responded and located a fake handgun inside a backpack that was located in that students locker. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that there was not an imminent threat. The safety and well-being of our students and staff will continue to be our highest priority, the statement said. We appreciate continued efforts in reporting all safety concerns to appropriate school and law enforcement personnel. Weapons or look-a-likes violate Beatrice Middle Schools code of conduct as well as state law and administration have issued consequences associated with the situation, the statement said. 1-80 still closed after semi-truck collision A section of Interstate 80 remained closed Friday morning near North Platte after two semi-trucks collided Thursday, spilling hazardous materials. The crash occurred in the eastbound lanes at about 2:30 p.m. at mile marker 187 near Maxwell and scattered barrels across the median and the roadway. Some of the barrels burst open and leaked a corrosive material, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. Area hazmat, including the Nebraska Hazardous Incident Team, were called to help clean up the wreck. State Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said one driver had minor injuries while the second driver was uninjured. The North Platte Fire Department and Nebraska State Patrol are continuing to investigate the incident. I-80 was still closed in both directions as of 8 a.m. Friday morning while cleanup activities continued. Woman found dead in train car IDd NORTH PLATTE The Lincoln County Sheriffs office has identified the body of the woman found dead on a Union Pacific Railroad locomotive at Bailey Yard. Bernadette Lopez, 42, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was found by U.P. officials at 9:25 a.m. Sunday. Preliminary results of the autopsy revealed Lopez died from hypothermia seven to 10 days prior to finding her. The locomotive came into Bailey Yard from Cheyenne on April 8, which means she likely died in Wyoming. The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office investigation is closed and the case will be turned over to the Cheyenne Police Department. Man arrested in connection with death of Kearney man A 24-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of a Kearney man whose body was found near Cunningham Lake in March. Camron Rogers is suspected of tampering with evidence in the homicide of 56-year-old Patrick Weber, according to a press release from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office. Rogers was taken into custody after the Sheriffs Office and the Bellevue Police Department carried out a search warrant on a residence in the 8200 block of South 48th Street, according to the release. Webers body was found near 66th Street and Rainwood Road on March 20 after he was reported missing from Kearney on March 4, The World-Herald previously reported. He hadnt communicated with family or returned to his job after he had reportedly traveled to Council Bluffs on Feb. 27. He checked into a hotel near Interstate 80 and the South Expressway, Council Bluffs police said on March 15. The police at the time were asking for information from the public. The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the dismissal of a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a 71-year-old Niobrara man killed in 2019 when the Spencer Dam collapsed sending a torrent of water and ice headed straight for his property. Kenny Angel's wife, Linda Angel, sued the Nebraska Public Power District, which owned the 92-year-old dam, and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, which along with NPPD was responsible for its operation and maintenance. The lawsuit alleged the agencies were to blame for the dam's failure March 14, 2019, and his death. Kenny Angel's property was just a third of a mile downstream from the dam and he is believed to have drowned when floodwaters washed away his home and business. His body never was found, but a judge declared him dead later that year. NPPD ultimately reached a $2.5 million settlement with the family. And last year, Holt County District Judge Mark Kozisek dismissed the case against NDNR, citing the Safety of Dams and Reservoirs Act and state statute 46-1639. Under the state law, he said, the Legislature's granting of immunity applies to any action brought for the recovery of damages caused by a total failure of a dam caused by the agency's control and regulation of the dam. The Angel family appealed to the Supreme Court. At oral arguments in Lincoln last month, Omaha attorney Mike Coyle asked the justices to send the case back to Holt County District Court so the family could have its day in court. He argued that if the dam had been rated correctly as a high-hazard dam, dam operators would have had to have had an action plan. Instead, on the night of the failure, they "had absolutely no idea what to do," Coyle argued. And he argued that immunity didn't apply because the dam existed before the act, which the Legislature adopted in 2005. But, in Friday's decision, Justice William Cassel said: "We disagree." "The Legislature knew that hundreds, if not thousands, of dams had already been constructed in Nebraska by the time of the acts passage in 2005," the justice wrote. "If the Legislature wished to exclude from immunity any negligent conduct concerning control and regulation of a dam occurring prior to the effective date of the act, it could have done so." Cassel said the dam's failure occurred over a decade after the act became law so it applies. "The March 14, 2019, failure of the dam resulted in a tragic loss of life and property. But the act imposes responsibility for that loss upon the dams owner and operator NPPD and immunizes the department from liability for that loss," he said. Cassel said the policy choices underlying the result were selected by the Legislature, and it is not the court's role to substitute different policies. "While we sympathize with the Angels for their losses, we conclude that the act provided the department with immunity for the claims asserted against it," he wrote. Close Nebraska's losses from 2019 flooding, blizzard exceed $3.4 billion Nebraskas disastrous weather in 2019 caused more than $3.4 billion in losses, according to a recently released federal report. Read more The Spencer Dam collapse A 92-year-old dam that collapsed March 14, 2019 amid had been classified by state inspectors last year as having a significant risk of causing damage. A man who lived in a home below the dam, Kenny Angel, was swept away in the collapse and is presumed dead, and a quarter mile section of U.S. Highway 281 was washed out. Read more Spencer Dam: What went wrong? A four-member team from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, a national nonprofit organization, will conduct an independent review of the Spencer dam. The review will focus on what can be learned about the dam collapse to guide future dam construction, according to Lori Arthur, a spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Department. Read more Offutt Air Force Base couldn't stop the floodwaters Even the U.S. Air Force couldnt stop the Mighty Missouri River from flooding Offutt Air Force Base. Between March 16 and 17 sandbagging efforts were called off as flood waters began to rise. Read more Offutt Air Force Base flooding repairs close to $1 billion Six months after what 55th Wing officials describe as historic and disastrous flooding swamped one-third of Offutt Air Force Base and destroyed 137 structures, the expected costs of rebuilding continued to mount. Lt. Col. Chris Conover, who spearheaded the recovery and reconstruction project, said in September that the figure stood at $790 million in September. He warned the cost most likely would rise further perhaps even hitting $1 billion. Read more As the Platte River swelled into Fremont, the city became an island The Platte River swelled into Fremont, turning the city into an island. Shelters in Fremont alone counted up to 1,100 people, with more evacuees expected from Snyder, Nebraska. And those numbers dont capture the swaths of people riding out the flood in hotel rooms or crashing on the couches of family and friends. Those who decided to evacuate left by plane, train line and automobile. There were departures by boat, by airboat and by massive military vehicles with jacked-up frames capable of cruising through waterlogged roads. Read more Hundreds gather in Fremont for flood-risk briefing Hundreds of people filled Christensen Field Arena in Fremont to hear a National Weather Service update on this years flood risk Feb. 4. The crowd received a nuanced, but somewhat reassuring, explanation from National Weather Service hydrologist Dave Pearson. Read more Paradise Lakes community residents deal with mixed messages Before the water even reached the community, Paradise Lake residents were sent mixed messages. Law enforcement officials went door to door encouraging residents to evacuate, Paradise Lakes residents received a different message from their landlord: Your homes are safe. Read more Paradise Lakes community's imminent demolition The Bellevue City Council voted to condemn the community and told residents that they had until the end of July to take action on removing their homes. The remaining structures were expected to be razed by a city-hired company in early August. Jim Ristow, Bellevues city administrator, said in August that officials are now taking a cautious approach moving forward because they dont want taxpayers to be on the hook for the estimated $1.2 million needed for demolition. Paradise Lakes owner, Howard Howdy Helm, has told the city that he cant afford the cost of demolition. Read more Floods cut off access to Plattsmouth water treatment plant The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sought bids to close the breach in the south bank of the Platte River that had stranded the citys water treatment plant during the March flooding. For months, the plant was accessible only by boat. Now, the water is gone, but Plattsmouth officials have wondered for how long. Read more Plattsmouth's water treatment plant back up and running Plattsmouth notched a major victory in September when its flood-battered water treatment plant got back up and running, ending months of water rationing. But the citys ongoing battle with the waters of the Platte River isnt over. Read more Winslow: a town considers relocating Winslow floods. One in 1996 brought water inside town and into basements, but it was nothing like the surge of water that clobbered Winslow in mid-March, when historic flooding struck parts of central and eastern Nebraska. So the residents of this little village where the population that hovered around 100 before disaster struck are pondering a pivotal question about its future. Go should they stay or should they go? Read more Winslow: A town ready to relocate A group of state and federal officials who met in Winslow in January said plenty of hurdles stand in the village's way. Those obstacles include state law, the likely millions of dollars needed to put in new streets and utilities in Winslow 2.0 and its dwindling population. "We all want what's best for Winslow, I want to make that abundantly clear," said Molly Bargmann, a recovery supervisor for the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. "We want to get to yes, but there's a lot of no's right now." Read more Camp Ashland hit hard by flooding On St. Patricks Day weekend 2019, a violent chute of water raged through a gash in the levee that for decades protected the Nebraska National Guards main training site from the Platte River. Floodwaters surged into classrooms, barracks and offices, wrecking furniture and tools and leaving a muddy watermark 5 feet high on inside walls. Nebraska National Guard receives full funding for repairs to Camp Ashland The Nebraska National Guard learned in January that it will receive full funding, totaling $62.3 million, to fully rebuild the Camp Ashland training site, according to a statement released Wednesday by the states adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac. Read more Floods came to Nebraska farmland and left tons of sand behind Tons of sand, sediment and silt some in dunes as high as 10 feet were scattered across the eastern half to two-thirds of the state by the March flooding. In some areas, washed-out cornstalks are 3 to 4 feet deep. Tree limbs are in piles and topsoil was washed away. Read more A King Lake family returns home in time for Christmas Trish and Salvador Duran hosted Christmas this year for their extended family, an act of hospitality that once seemed impossible after almost 4 feet of floodwater swept into their house in King Lake in March. King Lake is an unincorporated area, a secluded neighborhood of 1 square mile that sits next to the Elkhorn River and not far from the Platte River, east of Valley and north of Waterloo. During historic flooding in March, the Elkhorn spilled out of its banks, sending water into almost all of the 111 homes in King Lake. Read more Pacific Junction in Mills County, Iowa was hit hard when levees failed Pacific Junction, with a population of less than 500, was hit hard by levee failures in March that sent floodwaters streaming into town, filling every structure with feet of water. It wasn't until mid-April that the last batch of residents could return to their homes and businesses and start clearing out flood-soaked possessions. Read more Flooding has taken a toll on Mills County, Iowa; even when it comes to caucusing Mills County Democrats worried all month whether many of the 470 former residents of this flooded town would attend a caucus Monday. Last March, the Missouri River inundated all 210 homes and businesses here, and a caucus day drive through town showed the extent of damage 10 months later. Most local homes, storefronts and gathering spaces remain boarded up. Only about 20 households have moved back so far, officials say, and the only evidence of the presidential race was a single campaign sign in front of the rebuilt home of Rick and Cherry Parham. Read more Flood of 2019: The aftermath and the recovery As Nebraska and Iowa brace for the possibility of spring flooding here's a look back at the devastating floods of 2019. Nebraska's losses from 2019 flooding, blizzard exceed $3.4 billion Nebraskas disastrous weather in 2019 caused more than $3.4 billion in losses, according to a recently released federal report. Read more The Spencer Dam collapse A 92-year-old dam that collapsed March 14, 2019 amid had been classified by state inspectors last year as having a significant risk of causing damage. A man who lived in a home below the dam, Kenny Angel, was swept away in the collapse and is presumed dead, and a quarter mile section of U.S. Highway 281 was washed out. Read more Spencer Dam: What went wrong? A four-member team from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, a national nonprofit organization, will conduct an independent review of the Spencer dam. The review will focus on what can be learned about the dam collapse to guide future dam construction, according to Lori Arthur, a spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Department. Read more Offutt Air Force Base couldn't stop the floodwaters Even the U.S. Air Force couldnt stop the Mighty Missouri River from flooding Offutt Air Force Base. Between March 16 and 17 sandbagging efforts were called off as flood waters began to rise. Read more Offutt Air Force Base flooding repairs close to $1 billion Six months after what 55th Wing officials describe as historic and disastrous flooding swamped one-third of Offutt Air Force Base and destroyed 137 structures, the expected costs of rebuilding continued to mount. Lt. Col. Chris Conover, who spearheaded the recovery and reconstruction project, said in September that the figure stood at $790 million in September. He warned the cost most likely would rise further perhaps even hitting $1 billion. Read more As the Platte River swelled into Fremont, the city became an island The Platte River swelled into Fremont, turning the city into an island. Shelters in Fremont alone counted up to 1,100 people, with more evacuees expected from Snyder, Nebraska. And those numbers dont capture the swaths of people riding out the flood in hotel rooms or crashing on the couches of family and friends. Those who decided to evacuate left by plane, train line and automobile. There were departures by boat, by airboat and by massive military vehicles with jacked-up frames capable of cruising through waterlogged roads. Read more Hundreds gather in Fremont for flood-risk briefing Hundreds of people filled Christensen Field Arena in Fremont to hear a National Weather Service update on this years flood risk Feb. 4. The crowd received a nuanced, but somewhat reassuring, explanation from National Weather Service hydrologist Dave Pearson. Read more Paradise Lakes community residents deal with mixed messages Before the water even reached the community, Paradise Lake residents were sent mixed messages. Law enforcement officials went door to door encouraging residents to evacuate, Paradise Lakes residents received a different message from their landlord: Your homes are safe. Read more Paradise Lakes community's imminent demolition The Bellevue City Council voted to condemn the community and told residents that they had until the end of July to take action on removing their homes. The remaining structures were expected to be razed by a city-hired company in early August. Jim Ristow, Bellevues city administrator, said in August that officials are now taking a cautious approach moving forward because they dont want taxpayers to be on the hook for the estimated $1.2 million needed for demolition. Paradise Lakes owner, Howard Howdy Helm, has told the city that he cant afford the cost of demolition. Read more Floods cut off access to Plattsmouth water treatment plant The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sought bids to close the breach in the south bank of the Platte River that had stranded the citys water treatment plant during the March flooding. For months, the plant was accessible only by boat. Now, the water is gone, but Plattsmouth officials have wondered for how long. Read more Plattsmouth's water treatment plant back up and running Plattsmouth notched a major victory in September when its flood-battered water treatment plant got back up and running, ending months of water rationing. But the citys ongoing battle with the waters of the Platte River isnt over. Read more Winslow: a town considers relocating Winslow floods. One in 1996 brought water inside town and into basements, but it was nothing like the surge of water that clobbered Winslow in mid-March, when historic flooding struck parts of central and eastern Nebraska. So the residents of this little village where the population that hovered around 100 before disaster struck are pondering a pivotal question about its future. Go should they stay or should they go? Read more Winslow: A town ready to relocate A group of state and federal officials who met in Winslow in January said plenty of hurdles stand in the village's way. Those obstacles include state law, the likely millions of dollars needed to put in new streets and utilities in Winslow 2.0 and its dwindling population. "We all want what's best for Winslow, I want to make that abundantly clear," said Molly Bargmann, a recovery supervisor for the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. "We want to get to yes, but there's a lot of no's right now." Read more Camp Ashland hit hard by flooding On St. Patricks Day weekend 2019, a violent chute of water raged through a gash in the levee that for decades protected the Nebraska National Guards main training site from the Platte River. Floodwaters surged into classrooms, barracks and offices, wrecking furniture and tools and leaving a muddy watermark 5 feet high on inside walls. Nebraska National Guard receives full funding for repairs to Camp Ashland The Nebraska National Guard learned in January that it will receive full funding, totaling $62.3 million, to fully rebuild the Camp Ashland training site, according to a statement released Wednesday by the states adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac. Read more Floods came to Nebraska farmland and left tons of sand behind Tons of sand, sediment and silt some in dunes as high as 10 feet were scattered across the eastern half to two-thirds of the state by the March flooding. In some areas, washed-out cornstalks are 3 to 4 feet deep. Tree limbs are in piles and topsoil was washed away. Read more A King Lake family returns home in time for Christmas Trish and Salvador Duran hosted Christmas this year for their extended family, an act of hospitality that once seemed impossible after almost 4 feet of floodwater swept into their house in King Lake in March. King Lake is an unincorporated area, a secluded neighborhood of 1 square mile that sits next to the Elkhorn River and not far from the Platte River, east of Valley and north of Waterloo. During historic flooding in March, the Elkhorn spilled out of its banks, sending water into almost all of the 111 homes in King Lake. Read more Pacific Junction in Mills County, Iowa was hit hard when levees failed Pacific Junction, with a population of less than 500, was hit hard by levee failures in March that sent floodwaters streaming into town, filling every structure with feet of water. It wasn't until mid-April that the last batch of residents could return to their homes and businesses and start clearing out flood-soaked possessions. Read more Flooding has taken a toll on Mills County, Iowa; even when it comes to caucusing Mills County Democrats worried all month whether many of the 470 former residents of this flooded town would attend a caucus Monday. Last March, the Missouri River inundated all 210 homes and businesses here, and a caucus day drive through town showed the extent of damage 10 months later. Most local homes, storefronts and gathering spaces remain boarded up. Only about 20 households have moved back so far, officials say, and the only evidence of the presidential race was a single campaign sign in front of the rebuilt home of Rick and Cherry Parham. Read more Public service, to Annie Mumgaard, is a bit like being a good documentary filmmaker. When you have the voice, you should use it for good, says Mumgaard, who for years produced and directed documentaries at NET. Although shes no longer behind the camera, Mumgaard now sees herself as still using that voice -- once used to weave stories -- to advocate for others as a member of the Lincoln Board of Education. Mumgaard, a Democrat, is running for a third term on the nonpartisan board in the May general election, saying she can offer continuity during a time of change in education. We have a new superintendent. We have a new paradigm of how the world operates, Mumgaard said in an interview this week. It just became clear to me that the biggest thing I could offer was kind of a steadfastness. Mumgaard, the parent of a Lincoln High School senior, is now the virtual learning coordinator at the University of Nebraska State Museum of Natural History at Morrill Hall, where she leads virtual field trips for students across the state. Before that, Mumgaard, who earned her broadcast journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was a storyteller. For a time after college, she worked in the video production studio for the American Red Cross and later in the University of Nebraskas communications department. Then, she came to NET, where she helped make documentaries, including American Experience: Monkey Trial, which earned Mumgaard and director Christine Lesiak a Peabody Award in 2002. Mumgaard, 60, never thought about getting into politics before longtime board member Ed Zimmer declined to run again in 2015. But she knew if there was one office she was qualified for, it was the school board, pointing to her background as a journalist. Teacher who had an impact Mrs. Brown, Belmont Elementary, fifth grade: I was a bit of a daydreamer, for which I was often chastised. One day I guess I was doing "nothing" but looking out the window. Mrs. Brown came up behind me, put her head next to mine and said "I wish I could see what you see." I believe in the power of people learning from storytelling and through storytelling." A respect for public service was also instilled into Mumgaard, who grew up in Lincoln, and her nine siblings from a young age. My father was an associate professor, which means he made little to no money at the university. My mother stayed at home because of the 10 kids. And so we never had a lot but we were definitely raised with (the message of) you share, you work together, she said. I would really say that there was a sense of you are to give back to your community. During her two terms on the board, Mumgaard has emerged as a vocal advocate for the marginalized and underrepresented, many of whom live in her north Lincoln district. She's praised the district's work to advance educational equity, including through LPS' All Means All Equity Plan, a roadmap for closing racial disparities across the district in a number of key areas. "We have a ways to go," she said. "And there are a lot of people who I think would like to torpedo it ... that's what I would work hard on in the next four years that it continues to be strengthened." A lot has changed during Mumgaard's eight years on the board as evidenced by a notebook she keeps. Its pages are filled with notes from public comment over the past few years. One page lists the number of speakers who were pro- or anti-mask during a particular meeting. But she's also learned a lot about what it takes to be a public servant, too, experience she hopes to continue to bring to the Lincoln Board of Education. Eight years ago I was like, Well, I guess Im supposed to look for problems and fix them, she said. And now, I realize Im not supposed to look for problems and fix them. Im supposed to be here to help run a steady and solid program that when we find has problems, we address them." The Nebraska State Board of Education approved the contract for its next education commissioner on Friday, but not without some discussion prompted by one board member's concern about outside work. Board members unanimously voted on Friday to approve the three-year agreement with Brian Maher, who was selected in March on a 5-3 vote after public interviews with two other candidates. The contract approval stalled for a while at the board meeting after member Elizabeth Tegtmeier questioned why Maher is allowed to do consulting on the side while working full-time as commissioner. "We did not discuss him having that opportunity to be our full-time employee at the expense of the taxpayers but also get paid and consult somewhere else," Tegtmeier said. Patti Gubbels, board president, said the opportunity to work on the side has been part of the contract of previous commissioners. The contract states Maher can take other opportunities such as speaking engagements or lecturing, as long as they don't interfere with his duties as commissioner. After discussion with their legal counsel, the board members voted to amend the contract so Maher would have to get approval for outside work from the full board instead of just the board president, which was the previous wording in the contract. Maher, who is set to begin July 1, will receive a $300,000 annual salary more than the former commissioner, Matthew Blomstedt. Blomstedt's salary was $242,019 before he resigned. Maher will also be reimbursed for travel and professional development expenses. During the first year of his term, Maher will also participate in a performance assessment with the state board. "(Maher) wanted to leave education and the NDE in Nebraska better than he finds it," said Patti Gubbels, board president. "And that wasn't said with an attitude of, 'I am here to fix things.' It's an attitude of we have a great educational system in Nebraska now and there is always room for us to be better." Top Journal Star photos for April 2023 With the Lincoln city election set for May 2, debates across the country on voting rights and continuing assaults on democracy, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith, an exhibition at the Nebraska History Museum, could not be better timed or more resonant. Developed by the National Museum of American History and adapted for travel by the Smithsonian Institution, the exhibition fills the museums third floor, tracing the countrys history of democracy from the 1700s through the 2016 presidential election through a combination of videos, text panels, reproductions of paintings, political cartoons, and documents and artifacts from campaign torches from the 1800s to a Trump/Pence bumper sticker. Arranged chronologically, the exhibition opens with a 1747 map of North America, the canvas to be covered by the democracy of the republic that would be born there some three decades later. A picture of Englands King George I and an 18th century-like wig of human hair set the stage for the American Revolution, one of its opening moments captured in a reproduction of Paul Reveres famous engraving of the Boston Massacre. A wall-sized Declaration of Independence and arguments made at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which can be read by visitors on large cards, and a video of how the constitution was created provide the history lesson of the first portion of the exhibition. Then, it moves into voting, delineating the history of the ballot literally, with examples from the 1800s, a piece of a voting machine and a ballot box, along with the expansion of voting rights, moving into campaigning from the 1800s onward. As a collector of pre-1980 political material, particularly campaign buttons, I was drawn to the cases that display buttons, bumper stickers and other ephemera dating back to William McKinley. The cases include some pieces like a Hillary Clinton button depicting her as a World War II Rosie The Riveter, and it was heartening to see a half-dozen buttons from my collection in the cases. A wall of video monitors playing campaign ads, from Dwight D. Eisenhowers cartoon of a trumpet-playing GOP elephant on the march to dueling clips from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race, is particularly engaging and enlightening. The videos show the changes in tone and presentation of political advertising while playing some of the most famous, and infamous, ads, including Lyndon B. Johnsons Daisy Girl, Ronald Reagans Morning in America and George H.W. Bushs Willie Horton. Campaigning and voting, of course, arent the entirety of democracy, and the exhibition devotes sections to lobbying, with political cartoons lampooning lobbyists and politicians, and on Petitioning with Your Feet, which includes a collection of protest signs from across the decades. In its final section, the exhibition asks questions that have largely remained unchanged since the nations founding: queries like How Diverse Should the Citizenry Be? and Do We Need a Shared National Identity? Theres no attempt to definitively answer those questions. But the displays about immigration and the process to obtain citizenship, with the rights and responsibilities of citizens, suggest that the answer to the first is diversity should be unlimited. An 1837 copy of Mason Locke Weems The Life of George Washington, the first biography of the Father of Our Country, and a discussion of Uncle Sam seem to answer the second with a resounding yes. And the entirety of American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith shows how the national identity as a bastion of democracy thats now under siege has broadened why it should be preserved. The Cooper Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to RISE Academy to support the position of a Lincoln reentry specialist to provide in-prison programming and reentry services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men and women in Lincoln. RISE is the largest nonprofit organization in Nebraska focused solely on providing comprehensive and habilitative programming in prisons and reentry support. RISEs holistic and rigorous in-prison programming provides incarcerated men and women with the skills and tools needed to be successful upon their return home. Participants learn how to navigate trauma, build resiliency, manage emotions and behaviors, and become prosocial, positive community members through developing a growth mindset and paving a path of self-sufficiency through career planning and entrepreneurship. To learn more, go to https://www.seeusrise.org/. In addition, the Cooper Foundation Board of Trustees awarded grants in its first quarter meeting March 31 totaling $206,000 to 16 diverse nonprofit organizations. Grant recipients are all located in Lincoln unless otherwise noted. Cooper Foundation grants awarded in March ARTS University of Nebraska-Lincoln, International Quilt Museum - $9,500 Support for the New Deal exhibit, catalog, and online learning programming. COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT Give Nebraska - $6,500 Toward the 2023 campaign. EDUCATION Lincoln Literacy - $10,000 Operational support for Bridgeway to a Better Life continuum of services through English language learning and workforce development. ENVIRONMENT Solidago Conservancy - $12,500 General operating to support land conservation efforts targeting the Salt Valley Greenway in Lincoln and Lancaster County. HUMAN SERVICES Bridges to Hope - $15,000 To support staffing and capacity-building efforts to develop Hope Village, a tiny home project to serve formerly incarcerated and homeless populations. BraveBe Child Advocacy Center - $12,500 Support for expanding the nursing staff. Clyde Malone Community Center - $20,000 Toward the youth program director position. HopeSpoke - $15,000 General operating support toward mental health and behavioral health programs for children and families. Legal Aid of Nebraska, Omaha - $10,000 To support the UPLIFT Project to empower Lincolns low-income communities through legal education, advocacy and representation. Midland University, Fremont - $10,000 Support for campus-wide mental health initiative for students and employees at Midland University. Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition - $15,000 General operating support for this Native American-led organization that provides education, advocacy and culturally informed services and trainings focused on protecting Indian childrens rights and preserving cultural connections. RISE Academy, Omaha - $10,000 Toward the lincoln reentry specialist position. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Law - $25,000 Toward the position of resource navigator for the Tenant Assistance Program to provide support to tenants at eviction court in Lancaster County. Wellbeing Initiative - $10,000 General operating support for trainings, services and mental health programs built around peer support. Willard Community Center - $15,000 General operating support. YWCA of Lincoln - $10,000 General operating support. The Cooper Foundation, established by Joseph H. Cooper in 1934, has granted over $27 million to benefit Nebraskans. The Foundation makes quarterly grants supporting the arts, civic and community engagement, education, environment, the humanities, and human services primarily in Lincoln and Lancaster County. For information about grant guidelines and deadlines, visit ww.cooperfoundation.org. Felix Olschofka, associate dean for operations and professor of violin at the University of North Texas (UNT) College of Music, has been named director of the University of Nebraska-Lincolns Glenn Korff School of Music. He begins his appointment July 3. Im excited to have Felix become the next director of the Glenn Korff School of Music, said Andy Belser, dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. He is a forward-thinking leader and a consummate musician. His deep understanding and experience in innovating curricula, developing youth engagement programs, and overseeing building projects make him an ideal candidate to lead the school into an exciting new era. German-born and raised, Olschofka has been at UNT in Denton, Texas, since 2010. He formerly served as director of graduate studies from 2018-2020. He holds bachelors and masters degrees from the Music Conservatory Hanns Eisler Berlin in Germany, a performance certificate from Indiana University and a doctorate from the University of California San Diego. I am thrilled and honored to serve as the next director of the Glenn Korff School of Music at this exciting juncture, Olschofka said. The schools excellent reputation attracts world-renowned artists, scholars and immensely talented students who make this such a special place. I look forward to collaborating with the faculty, staff, alumni and community members to establish new priorities, opportunities and aspirations in continuing to move the music profession forward. As a soloist, concertmaster and chamber musician, Olschofka has toured throughout Europe, Asia, North America and South America. He founded the UNT International Summer Music Institute in 2014 and serves as both director and faculty for this two-week workshop for highly talented pre-college and college students. His previous teaching engagements include serving as associate professor at San Diego State University and teaching at summer festivals such as Round Top Music Festival, Bay View Music Festival, Summit Music Festival and the CICA International Music Festival. Olschofka is a winner of numerous awards and competitions. He was awarded two first prizes in the prestigious German Youth Music Competition (solo and chamber music category), second prize in the International Chamber Music Competition Charles Hennen in The Netherlands, and a grant from the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation. His former students are members of world-renowned orchestras such as Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony and Houston Symphony, and prizewinners at national and international competitions such as the Boyer Music Competition, Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. Olschofka replaces Sergio H. Ruiz, who returned to the faculty last summer. Alan Mattingly has served as interim director of the Korff School during the 2022-2023 academic year and will resume his full-time duties as professor of horn and assistant director on July 3. Nebraska State Treasurer John Murante is encouraging families to upgrade their savings by creating a college savings plan they can commit to. Assisting with those efforts is a new mascot named Nester, and a video series called Ask Penny, to help families navigate saving for a loved ones future. The rising costs of higher education make it imperative that families either start planning or develop a strategy to increase contributions to their NEST 529 College Savings account, said Murante. We are proud to bring two dynamic tools, Nester and Ask Penny, to families designed to motivate and inspire families to save funds for the expected financial needs of higher education. Nester, NEST 529 mascot Nesters name was chosen from among more than 2,000 entries following a statewide contest. Almost 60 students submitted Nester as the name for the mascot. After a random drawing, Addison S. from Wahoo was selected as the winner and received a $529 contribution to her NEST 529 account. Nester can be seen throughout the state beginning this summer. I want to thank everyone who submitted ideas for my name, squawked Nester. Saving for your future education doesnt have to be scary or difficult. The earlier kids and their parents start to save for a higher education, the more money theyll have when its time to head off to college. Im here to help you, and your family, focus on achieving your goals and dreams. Ask Penny video series Penny, the host of NEST 529s new series, Ask Penny, helps answer questions, offer suggestions, and goes over savings strategies so you can prepare for your loved ones college costs. Penny is a great resource as families consider saving for a childs future. Find the videos on NEST 529s Facebook page, NEST 529s Instagram or at NEST529.com/AskPenny. The Nebraska state treasurer serves as the program trustee. All investments, including the portfolio structure offered through the NEST 529 program, are vetted and approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. The City of Lincoln encourages residents ages 16-20 to apply for paid summer internships through the Mayors Youth Employment Program. Those interested must apply at lincoln.ne.gov/yep by 5 p.m., Sunday, April 30. This experience allows interns to explore their interests and career options, develop workplace, social and leadership skills, and build their resumeall while getting paid, said Calvin Doerr, Mayors Youth Employment Program coordinator. The program provides jobs with city agencies, training and help toward a career, including tuition assistance and/or reference from a supervisor. Participants earn $15 per hour and receive a $200 bonus for completing the internship. Participating city agencies are subject to change before the start date. Interns may not be assigned to desired departments due to capacity. Examples of opportunities include: City Clerk: Interns will assist with the day-to-day operations of the clerk's office, including data entry, filing and record-keeping. Finance: Interns will assist the Lincoln finance department in gathering information regarding audits and grants. Parks and Recreation: Interns will be assigned to one of the recreation centers day camps. They will work with kids and plan day camp activities. Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Communications: Interns will create social media content for LTU. Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Watershed: Interns will assist with dry and wet weather water monitoring. This includes maintaining equipment, collecting and processing water samples, and data entry. Information Services: Interns will shadow developers and project managers working on high-impact city and county software projects to build design and critical thinking skills, or help city and county software projects by working with staff to test products and provide feedback to development teams. Lincoln City Libraries: Interns will teach early reading and English as a second language. Lincoln Water System: Interns will assist with dry and wet weather monitoring. This includes, but is not limited to, maintaining remote monitoring equipment, collecting and processing water samples, and data entry/analysis. The Mayors Youth Employment Program welcomes all youth, including those for whom English is a second language, individuals with disabilities, those who may have had involvement in the juvenile justice system, and more. Individuals chosen for an interview will be contacted via email. All other individuals will be referred to other opportunities. Applicants and interviewees are not guaranteed an internship. For more information about the program, visit lincoln.ne.gov/yep. For available Lincoln-Lancaster County positions, visit jobs.lincoln.ne.gov. Dont feel dismayed if you have no idea whats going on at our southern border. Since I began covering it two decades ago, the notion of illegal immigration has always been confusing, and its gotten even more muddled in recent years. Lawmakers playing partisan politics want to confuse you. Democrats and Republicans regularly warned of a border crisis during the Donald Trump administration, though for different reasons. Trump used the bully pulpit to amplify the shrill cry. His core campaign call to build the wall! withered in the hot desert sun once he became president. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon faces charges of running a We Build the Wall crowdfunding scam to enrich himself and associates. Democrats, for their part, accused Trump of putting kids in cages, even though President Joe Biden is now using the same holding facilities. Just two months ago, George W. Bush consigliere Karl Rove was preaching to the conservative choir when he bemoaned the record number of desperate people crossing the border. At a Feb. 7 hearing by the House Oversight Committee, emboldened Republicans, flexing their new majority muscle, mixed apocryphal hyperbole and statistical stew to hype the border crisis to hysterical levels. Committee chairman James Comer of Kentucky mused: It sounds like the cartels are taking advantage of historically high flow of illegal immigration to overwhelm border patrol agents resources, place migrants in peril, and undermine border security by introducing deadly narcotics, criminals and terrorists into our country. Never mind that the number of border-crossers designated as possible terror threats by U.S. Customs and Border Protection peaked in 2019 under President Trump and tumbled to less than one-quarter of that number last year under President Biden. Never mind that study after study has shown that the crime rate among undocumented workers is considerably less than the rate among U.S. citizens. During President Barack Obamas eight years in office, Republicans regularly accused him of being soft on illegal immigration and causing a border crisis, even as he deported twice as many undocumented visitors as his predecessor, George W. Bush, during the same number of years. His record earned him the moniker deporter in chief and angered Hispanic advocacy groups that had supported him. Even our most reputable news outlets contribute to the confusion. For example, an October 2021 New York Times article carried the headline Illegal Border Crossings Soar to Record High, but the first sentence read: Migrants were encountered 1.7 million times in the last 12 months, the highest number of illegal crossings recorded since at least 1960. This unfortunate juxtaposition conflated the total number of all border breaches with the much smaller number of undocumented immigrants apprehended by Border Patrol agents or other law enforcement officers, many of whom wanted to be caught and classified as political refugees from violence at home. The number of runaways those who elude capture is much higher. The 11 million or 12 million figures, often reported as the number of undocumented workers in the United States, is just a guess. No one knows, partly because the businesses that employ illegal aliens help to shield them because of their willingness to do manual jobs for low wages. High-tech companies also protect the thousands of skilled newcomers, many from India, who overstay their special visas and then melt into the general population. Immigration advocates put their number at almost half of all undocumented workers. Theyve been a major boon in Silicon Valley and other cutting-edge hubs. The notion of a border crisis is almost as old as our nation. What it really means is ethnic prejudice and fear of foreigners. There was a border crisis in the 1840s when the Irish flooded into the country in huge numbers. Yet they would come to dominate politics in Boston, New York and other cities while seeing one of their own elected president in 1960. There was a border crisis in the 1850s when waves of Chinese immigrants arrived, drawn by the California gold rush and fleeing economic turmoil at home. Yet they almost singlehandedly built the first Transcontinental Railroad and opened popular businesses. There was a border crisis in the early 1900s when millions of Jews came to escape persecutions in Eastern Europe. Yet they would come to dominate fields from filmmaking to academia. There was a border crisis in the 1940s when Japanese immigrants were rounded up and held in internment camps during World War II. Yet today, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Suburu employ tens of thousands of Americans at factories in eight states. There was a border crisis after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks when FBI agents began to question Muslim immigrants elsewhere. Yet Arab Americans today head major universities. The original border crisis started long before Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of Independence. The British immigrants who arrived in the early 1600s went on to found a great nation after slaughtering the Native Americans who preceded them, a tragic tale of conquest that illustrates the morally murky precept, famously repurposed by Winston Churchill, History is written by the victors. Suppose that over a month or two, prices doubled. Would that be a crisis? Would it be a crisis if the number of people out of work doubled? Or the number of drug overdoses doubled, or car crashes or burglaries? So how is it that a doubling and more of illegal immigration isnt a crisis? Even after two years of unprecedented levels of border-jumping, the Biden administrations point man on immigration, the not-yet-impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, mulishly refuses to use the word crisis to describe the massive jump in illegal immigration that started immediately after the presidents inauguration in January 2021. Of course theres a border crisis. The number of Border Patrol arrests on the Mexican border ran at 70,000 monthly at the end of the Donald Trump administration. That more than doubled to 170,000 in March 2021 because the new president canceled most of Trumps border-control policies and the numbers have stayed high ever since. President Barack Obamas Homeland Security secretary, Jeh Johnson, has said that 1,000 border arrests in a single day overwhelms the system and constitutes a crisis. Thats almost quaint when you consider that this past February, agents arrested nearly 5,000 daily. And when Title 42 a COVID-related measure that allows Border Patrol to expel border crossers without a hearing ends in May, the numbers could double or even triple. Of course theres a border crisis. Its not just a crisis for the Border Patrol. For instance, the hospital in the border town of Yuma, Arizona, is on the brink of financial collapse because of the cost of uncompensated care to migrants it is required to provide. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is proposing to cut services to New Yorkers because hes had to spend more than $800 million on border crossers whove made their way to the Big Apple. A Democratic city councilman in New York complained: Where is it written that we have to take care of migrants indefinitely and that the taxpayers are on the hook to care for non-citizens? Sure sounds like a crisis to me, though the only solution offered by big city politicians is to slosh more state and federal money their way rather than stopping illegal border jumpers in the first place. And then theres the fentanyl crisis, an outgrowth of the border crisis. While most seizures of the poison happen at legal border crossings, known as ports of entry, we have no idea how much more of this drug is coming across between the ports of entry, but its a lot. Precisely because the Border Patrol is overwhelmed by illegal immigrants responding to Bidens de facto invitation to come, no one is watching whole stretches of the border. Cartels no doubt use large groups of illegal immigrants as a diversion, ensuring they can import their venom undisturbed. The Trump administration faced a similar, if smaller, border crisis in early 2019 but didnt lie about it. With the end of the so-called family separation policy, smugglers learned that any border jumper bringing a kid with him was virtually guaranteed to be let go. So the number of family units soared. The DHS responded quickly and decisively, most notably with the "Remain in Mexico" policy, and the crisis ended. In contrast, the Biden administration actually caused the current crisis. And to the extent it acknowledges a challenge," it identifies the problem merely as one of disorder and chaos. In other words, the number of undocumented people isnt the problem, just the messy way theyre getting into the country. Thats why the administration has created various unlawful programs to admit foreigners with no right to come here through ports of entry: So they wont be counted in the arrest statistics. Or they just fly them directly into the interior of the country, bypassing the border altogether. Over two years, Biden has released an estimated 2 million illegal immigrants into the country, few of whom will ever leave, effectively creating his own lawless immigration system. That means the border crisis is creating not only a spending and fentanyl crisis, but also a brewing constitutional crisis. Of course theres a border crisis. RACINE A woman is dead after an altercation with an acquaintance led to a shooting early Saturday morning, according to police. Racine police and fire departments responded to a report of a woman down in the roadway of the roundabout at the intersection of State and Spring streets around 5 a.m. Saturday. According to a news release, officials found a 36-year-old woman dead from an apparent gunshot wound upon arrival. As of Saturday at 2 p.m., police did not identify the victim. The Racine Police Department said this appears to be an isolated incident between the victim and the suspect who, as of Saturday, is still at large. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing. Wisconsin State Patrol was also at the scene, assisting RPD and RFD. Racine police investigators are interested in any additional information that the public may have about this incident. The road reopened mid-day on Saturday. Witnesses or anyone with information are urged to call the Racine Police Department Investigations Unit at 262-635-7784. Mugshots: Racine County criminal complaints, April 14, 2023 Today's mugshots: April 14 These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted. Treanna L. Lawson Treanna L. Lawson, 2600 block of Anthony Lane, Racine, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, felony bail jumping, obstructing an officer. Jeffery W. Vaughn Jeffery W. Vaughn, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, felony bail jumping. Julie A. Cerka Julie A. Cerka, 32800 block of Center Street, Burlington, misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments). Tony R. Epps Jr. Tony R. Epps Jr., 1200 block of Franklin Street, Racine, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (4th offense, general alcohol concentration enhancer), felony bail jumping. Dwight D. Rouse Dwight D. Rouse, 4400 block of Kennedy Drive, Racine, obstructing an officer. Henry Whilliam Smith III Henry Whilliam Smith III, Green Bay, Wisconsin, felony failure to report to jail. Robert L. Smith Robert L. Smith, 1300 block of Virginia Street, Racine, theft (business setting between $5,000-$10,000), theft from a financial institution (between $5,000-$10,000), fraud against financial institution (between $500-$10,000), fraud against financial institution (less than or equal to $500). 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 Father Tom posed with his family after Thursdays Mass. From left, back row, are nephew Michael Nickel, niece Chris Boyce and nephew-in-law Michael Schroeder. From left, middle row, are niece Judy Schroeder and nephew Tim Nickel. Kneeling in front beside Father Tom is niece-in-law Mary Nickel. KEARNEY In 1942, when he was just 14 years old, Thomas Mullowney boarded a train in Kearney and headed 1,000 miles east to Pontifical College Josephinum in suburban Columbus, Ohio. On Thursday, the Rev. Mullowney celebrated his 70th anniversary as a Roman Catholic priest. At 95, he is the oldest priest in the Catholic Diocese of Grand Island. Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt celebrated Mass at Mt. Carmel Home, where Mullowney lives. The chapel was crowded with friends, family, 10 priests from the diocese, and parishioners from Prince of Peace and St. James Catholic churches. What a treasure he is to all of us here at Mount Carmel, Christina Hansen, the activity director, said. She and Sister Mary Florence, Mt. Carmels spiritual care coordinator, presented him with gifts at the end of Mass. What I have done is so God-making good, so joyful. Its my life, Father Tom, as hes known, said earlier this week. What I have had is not a job. It was receiving a call to serve God. An initial skeptic He accepted that call somewhat blindly more than 70 years ago. It all began one morning when, as an eighth grader at the old St. James School in Kearney, he was summoned by the monsignor to a private meeting. I was really scared. I didnt know what this was all about, Father Tom said. The monsignor sat me down in the living room and asked, Have you thought about being a priest? I told him the truth. I said no, he said. I knew what a priest was and what he did, but I didnt really know what I was getting into. I was a young kid, he said. When Father Tom told his parents that evening, they were skeptical. Mary and Vance Mullowney told him to take his time before making a decision. A month or two later, Father Tom decided the answer was yes. My parents asked, Are you sure? Are you sure? It was a big deal for them. I said, I dont know, but I am willing to try, he said. A new adventure That September, accompanied by another boy from Kearney, Father Tom rode the train east to Columbus. At the school, he was greeted by a priest, who showed him his locker and the dormitory. It didnt scare me one bit. I never got homesick. A lot of boys got homesick at first. One boy left after three days. He just couldnt take it, he said. But not Father Tom. He wrote home once a week. His mother wrote once or twice a week. Your father and I are supporting you, she said. That first year, his mother died, so young Tom went home and served as a subdeacon at her funeral Mass. From that point, I relied on my dad, he said. He was ordained in May 1953 by Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicocnani, an apostolic Delegate to the United States at the time. He then rode the train back to Nebraska and began life as a priest. His first assignment was as assistant pastor at St. Marys Cathedral in Grand Island. Two years later, he became assistant pastor at St. Michaels Church in Spalding, Over the next 70 years, he also served parishes and schools in Hershey, North Platte, Lexington, Cozad, Ravenna and Gothenburg. Among his most memorable were his eight years as the superintendent of St. Patricks School in North Platte. Those were tough years, but they were beautiful years. We almost remade the school. We added four or five or six teachers, he said. He hired several other administrators as well. He retired in 1993. In 2014, he moved to an apartment at Mt. Carmel and regularly celebrated Mass there. He now assists visiting priests at twice-weekly Mass. Deep gratitude Father Tom has outlived his three brothers and one sister, but he has nieces and nephews in Kearney and beyond who have been very good to me, he said. Being a priest is just part of my nature. I live basically not for myself but to give to others. I see people in need, I help them out. I just cant stop helping people, he said. I was just thrilled with the thought that the Lord chose me to be one of his servants. I love doing it, he said. At a reception after Thursdays Mass, Father Tom greeted friends and posed for pictures. He told me once, I thought I chose God, but God chose me, his niece Mary Nickel said. The Rev. Art Faesser, retired priest at St. James Catholic Church here, served as a deacon at Blessed Sacrament Church in Grand Island in 1975 when Father Tom was the priest there. I found him to be warm, welcoming, hospitable and affirming, Faesser said. Hes a holy man who is in love with the Lord and finds utter fulfillment in serving the people. Hansen noted that Father Tom made her feel welcome and seen when she began working at Mt. Carmel in 2018. The two became close friends and have talked often about faith and more. Father Tom has taught me so much about what it means to minister to others through love. Many, many times he brought my heart comfort and guidance when I needed it most, she said. He has been that faithful presence for so many of our residents, staff, and families here at Mount Carmel, she added. Hanefeldt, reflecting the joy of the afternoon, noted that Father Tom has been a priest longer than Hanefeldt has been alive. The changes hes seen in the church have been tumultuous, but he has such joy. Knowing him deepens my own priesthood, he said. He feels truly called to be a priest. PRIESTHOOD ASSIGNMENTS 1953-1954 Assistant pastor St. Marys Cathedral, Grand Island 1955-1957 Assistant pastor St. Michael, Spalding 1957-1964 Administrator at Visitation of the BVM, OConnor and mission of Wolbach 1964 Superintendent at St. Patricks Jr.-Sr. High School and chaplain at St. Marys Hospital, North Platte; studied for M.A. at Creighton University 1966 Additional duties of administrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Hershey 1965-1967 Study for M.A. in education at Catholic University, Washington D.C. 1970-1971 Pastor, Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Paul 1971-1973 Pastor, St. Ann Church, Lexington 1973-1981 Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, Grand Island 1977 Also administrative Director, Central Catholic High School. 1981-89 Pastor, Christ the King, Cozad, and Our Lady of Good Counsel Gothenburg, oversaw building of new Christ the King Church in 1984 1989 Pastor, St. Lukes Church, Ogallala 1993 Pastor, Sacred Heart in Shelton; administrator of. Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Ravenna 1994 retired I thought I chose God, but God chose me niece said - Hi Mary Jane, Left to right (back row) Michael Nickel (nephew), Chris Boyce (niece), Michael Schoeder ( nephew-in-law), left to right (mid row) Judy Schroeder (niece), Tim Nickel (nephew), left to right( lowest row ) Mary Nickel (niece-in-law) and Father Thomas Mullowney. Thank you! I will tell you because I know him well that a picture of him and the Bishop would honor him more but Im not trying to tell you your expertise. I dont know if your photographer got any but I think my husband did on our camera. Mary Nickel HILDRETH A Minden man is facing multiple felony charges after being found unconscious in a vehicle with a loaded shotgun in his lap. On April 7, Hildreth Police Chief Dale Casper requested assistance from the Franklin County Sheriffs Office due to a subject passed out in a vehicle in an alley east of Wilcox-Hildreth Public School in Hildreth. When Franklin County Sheriff Bryon Detlefsen arrived on the scene, the person was identified as Logan Aspegren, 33, of Hildreth, according to the arrest affidavit. As Detlefsen approached the passenger side of the running vehicle, he observed Aspegren passed out in the drivers seat. A shotgun was lying with the butt in between Aspegrens legs and the barrel on the dash. The vehicle was locked, and the two officers beat on the window and yelled to wake Aspegren. After several verbal commands, Aspegren rolled down the window and unlocked the doors. Aspegren exited the vehicle and was detained in order to secure the gun and to be properly identified. When Detlefsen removed the shotgun from the vehicle, he opened the receiver and a live cartridge ejected from the gun. Detlefsen located brass knuckles and a knife on Aspegrens person. It was confirmed by dispatch that Aspegren has a criminal background. He was placed under arrest and lodged in Franklin County Jail. Aspegren has been charged in Franklin County Court with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, two counts of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, loaded shotgun in a vehicle, three counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm while committing a felony and theft of $500 or less. Judge Michael Mead set Aspegrens bond at 10% of $250,000. He is scheduled to appear April 24 in Franklin County Court. CAMERON About 2,000 people attended the visitation and funeral of slain police officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel as they were laid to rest Saturday. Hundreds more lined the streets for the procession as the small northwestern Wisconsin town swelled with law enforcement and others who traveled to pay their respects. Breidenbach, a 32-year-old Chetek police officer, and Scheel, a 23-year-old Cameron police officer, were killed a week ago in a shootout with 50-year-old Glen Douglas Perry of New Auburn during a traffic stop. Perry later died at a hospital. At the funeral for the officers, Chetek Mayor Jeff Martin said Breidenbach wore a badge, carried a gun and helped maintain public safety. But like all good officers, she did so much more than enforcing the law, he said. She built bridges into our community with kids and adults alike in our schools, on our streets downtown. Maranatha Evangelical Free Church Senior Pastor Cody Kargus said he was close to both officers. He said both were good Christians and will be remembered for making the ultimate sacrifice: laying down their lives in the line of duty. Last Saturday was the worst day of my life, Kargus said during the funerals. I lost my two friends. And today is hard. I want to thank you for being a supportive family and supportive of our agencies here in Chetek and Cameron. We are going through a horrible time. So your presence and friendship is very important. It is overwhelming. The village of Cameron and city of Chetek are small communities located 8 miles from each other. Each has about 2,000 residents. Both communities police departments have just a handful of officers. Cameron Police Chief Adam Steffen talked about hiring Breidenbach and the kind of woman she was. All she wanted to do was help people, Steffen said. "She was always running around like her hair was on fire, trying to do the right thing. She was hands on. Everything she did she put her all into. "Hunter and Emily performed their job with dignity, respect and professionalism." Mike Breidenbach, Emilys brother said, There is darkness and there always will be. When that darkness comes to call I can thank God that there are such truly special men and women like Emily and Hunter. Audrey Scheel had three words to describe her brother. Confident, strong and fearless, Audrey Scheel said. "When I think about Hunter, picture him in my mind, I see his contagious smile. The smile that Hunter gave to anyone he met along the way." Scheel's family members described him as giving, from touring in Afghanistan to helping his grandpa collect sap and make maple syrup. He was also an avid hunter, friends said. Kargus encouraged people who knew the two officers to reach out to each other for support. It is good to let someone know that youre hurting, he said. Youre not meant to do this alone, and youre not weak for asking for help. Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Justice said Breidenbach and Scheel pulled Perry over to check on his welfare after their departments received notification of concerning behavior and because he had an outstanding warrant. Court records show a Barron County judge issued a bench warrant for Perry on March 30 after he failed to appear during a court hearing requested by the countys child support agency as part of a divorce case. Perry was also charged twice with offenses related to domestic violence in 2020. Breidenbach joined the Chetek police force in 2019 and handled the departments therapy dog, Officer Grizz. Before working for her hometown police department, she worked for nine months with the Stoughton Police Department in Dane County. Scheel joined the Cameron Police Department in 2022 after graduating from the law enforcement academy in December. He also served six years as a member of the Army National Guard. The shooting is being investigated by the DOJs Division of Criminal Investigation. It garnered national attention and an outpouring of condolences via social media from other law enforcement agencies and elected officials like Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Gov. Tony Evers. Evers ordered all flags be lowered to half staff on Wednesday in honor of Scheel and Breidenbach. The officers morning visitation was followed by the funeral service. Both ceremonies were held at Cameron High School with police honors conducted outside the school at its conclusion. Memorial funds for the fallen officers have been set up at banks in the region. Donations to the Hunter Scheel Memorial Fund can be sent to PO Box 457, 101 W. Main St. Cameron, WI 54822. Donations to the Emily Breidenbach Memorial Fund can be sent to Sterling Bank, 427 Second St., PO Box 106, Chetek, WI 54728. Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel laid to rest First responders Law enforcement 2362C5BC-3AAA-42D7-83E0-934010CDE004.jpeg 9559AE4E-DF45-4FDC-BC99-6C736DB5B7DA.jpeg B2EE7510-FCE0-4179-A784-94DE2469097F.jpeg 13250676-EF1A-404B-8AF4-313A9D29E8CD.jpeg 82C7FEE9-70D9-4335-8BB4-2124E059B7D0.jpeg 1ACF534B-9F49-4187-9E6B-4024E2689E9C.jpeg 2B18219E-0E80-40C3-9C83-05E98878F28F.jpeg 7F1B807A-F805-42EF-9707-55414EED870E.jpeg 56634BF7-FEF5-436F-9240-15F267A9C5DB.jpeg EC56631F-160F-4E2E-B5F9-BBB37FFED32F.jpeg E5A6C59C-91F2-4056-BE1E-540FBDD43FA1.jpeg CCED2FF6-841A-4159-A4CB-E6BBA1B09884.jpeg 295739F8-5DCF-48AB-BE6C-A0B194866055.jpeg F412E00C-A026-4FF3-8304-744768F6E373.jpeg Procession held for officers killed in line of duty Firefighters 1 Mayor Martin Procession Remembering officers Firehats Cameron and Chetek first responders Cameron and Chetek coffins Officers Parade of first responders Hopefully you and your family had a great Easter and were able to celebrate with friends and family. Things were slow at our house but we still managed to have a good day with good food and nice weather. Our next holiday will be Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. Today, we celebrate Tax Day. Perhaps celebrate is a misnomer in this case. The official Tax Day falls on Monday, April 17, this year due to the fact April 15 is a Saturday. There was an excellent article on the Internal Revenue Service in the New York Times last week. The IRS is working with computers and equipment from the 1970s. Often they are using a word processing system called WANG. Wisconsin State Government left WANG in 1996 and went to Microsoft. Many of the functions of the IRS are labor intensive, including humans sorting checks and payments from tax returns by hand. Envelopes that cannot be opened by a simple machine require humans to feed them into a gigantic scissor-like device. People who mail in returns that are stapled create another backlog because humans must separate the pages. In brief, the IRS has been starved for resources, funding and employees for years. To score political points, federal legislators, usually Republicans, have expressed outrage that 80,000 new IRS employees are being hired. They claim the revenuers are coming to drag you out of bed, sit you down at your kitchen table in the middle of the night to grill you about your taxes. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. People like to say that government should be run like a business. If you ran your business like the IRS has been forced to run, you would be out of business. You cant use computers that use COBOL language, which went out in the 1970s, you cant use WANG word processing and you have to hire enough employees to get tax refunds back to people in under 10 months. Several election workers and municipal clerks had to explain 2 out of 3 Wisconsin referendum questions to people on Election Day. Two of the 3 were almost impossible to define in simple terms. There must be a simpler way to write referendum questions in plain language. Wisconsin has a Legislative Reference Bureau and a Revisor of Statutes who write bills and referendums that are passed by the Legislature and placed on the ballot. Simple English is always better. So here goes. Question 1: Should the Wisconsin Constitution be amended to allow a Judge to set strict conditions of bail so the person requesting bail will not harm the community while out on bail? Question 2: Should the Wisconsin Constitution be amended to allow a Judge to determine if a person requesting bail is a danger to the community; based on their past criminal record or the current crime they are charged with? Question 3: Should people on welfare be required to work if they have no kids and are capable of breathing? OK. No. 3 is me being sarcastic but you get my drift. Some people are getting their undies in a bunch about Wisconsins Supreme Court election because they say, Wisconsin Supreme Court races should not be political. People should concentrate on interpreting the law and serve as umpires who call ball and strikes. Well, that train left the station years ago under Gov. Scott Walker and the federal Supreme Court nomination process. Just remember Associate Federal Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Roe v. Wade is settled law. Most people in the United States are middle of the road. They are uncomfortable with abortion but do not like a womans right to choose denied. In Wisconsin, most people are uncomfortable with the current legislative districts. Nationwide, most people support the right to own and use a gun but want that gun to be used for hunting and/or self-defense of their home. Finally, congratulations to the village of Lake Hallie on the passage of their two referendums. Law enforcement, road maintenance and responsible fire district debt won the day. Village President Gary Spilde and the village board did an excellent job of communication with village residents and it paid off. MESA, Ariz. It is with deep sorrow and much love that the family of Judy D. Mechura, 80, announce her passing in Mesa, Ariz., on Friday, March 17, 2023. Judy was born on July, 17, 1942 in Eau Claire, Wis., grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and had also lived in Minneapolis, Minn., Hackensack, Minn., and Mesa, Ariz., making many friends and touching lives in her quiet and genuinely kind ways. Judy attended Chippewa Falls High School and Wisconsin State University, Eau Claire. She was married almost 50 years before Bobs passing in 2015. She had retired from Ah-Gwah-Ching State Nursing Home in Walker, Minn., where she was the Business Office Manager for many years. She was actively involved in Business and Professional Women (BPW) in both Minnesota and Arizona Chapters, and volunteered for as well as helped to start multiple non-profit organizations. Judy loved to travel. Over the years, she traveled to Hawaii with BPW, Route 66 with Bob in their custom cruiser, and they took multiple anniversary trips around the Great Lakes. Most recently she went on a four-generation vacation to the Florida Keys Judy, Laurie, Christena, and Valery. Judy was a dedicated member of the Lutheran Church in each community where she lived. Fun fact: Four of the five churches she belonged to were named Our Saviors Lutheran Church. Baptized, confirmed, married, daughter baptized, and now memorial service all at an Our Saviors. She will be lovingly remembered and is survived by her daughter, Laurie J Birkhofer; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sister, Faye B. (Russell) Christensen; sister-in-law, Kathryn K. Christenson; and two nephews. She was predeceased by her loving husband, Robert D. Mechura, parents, Isabelle Christenson, Sigfred M. Christenson, Frank C. Buchanan, brother, Ronald S. Christenson, and one nephew and niece. A Celebration of Judys Life will be held 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 21, 2023, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 612 S. Ellsworth Rd., Mesa, AZ 85208. Bright, springtime attire will encourage the celebratory mood. Memorial Donations can be made in Judys name to organizations that she supported and was involved in for many years. Family Safety Network, PO Box 1162, Walker, MN 56484 or www.familysafetynetwork.net. AZ BPW Foundation, PO Box 32596, Phoenix, AZ 85064 or www.arizonabpwfoundation.org. Two respected city leaders were presented with keys to the city in honor of their dedicated service to La Crosse residents. Andrea Richmond and Scott Neumeister cast their final votes as council members and were honored with speeches at the La Crosse Common Council meeting Thursday. Richmond represented District 1 on the North Side for 23 years. She served with six mayors and was known for being a champion for her constituents. I thank my constituents for their confidence and support in me over these 23 years, Richmond said. Richmond said she had no idea when she first took out candidacy papers that it would turn into a career in public service. Mayor Mitch Reynolds said Richmond is affectionately referred to as the Mayor of the North Side. The folks in Andreas district always know who to call, Reynolds said. Theres just not a whole lot of quit in Andrea Richmond. Many of her colleagues commented on Richmonds perseverance. Council president Barb Janssen said Richmond has been a trailblazer for other women in local government and a role model to Janssen. Council member Chris Kahlow echoed those sentiments, saying Richmond has been a mentor and a friend. As a freshman council member, you welcomed me and made me feel valued and included, Kahlow said. I watched you serve the city with honesty, integrity, compassion and grit. I and your six female colleagues stand on your shoulders. You have lifted us all. The citys parks and recreation department will plant a tree in Richmonds honor at the eagle viewing site on Rose Street. Neumeister served on the council for six years representing District 2 on the North Side. Earlier this month, he was elected to serve on the La Crosse School District Board of Education. We serve for the love of our city and our districts and each other. I appreciate each and every one of you, Neumeister said at the council meeting. Reynolds remarked that Neumeister was an understated, humorous and determined public official. Hes been a fighter and a champion for the people of this district, Reynolds said. Making the case over and over again for improved and equal infrastructure. Many commented on Neumeisters kindness. Kahlow said that it was his humor that helped motivate the council through the depths of COVID-19. You have lifted us out of some dark times when we went through COVID, Kahlow said. With your light-heartedness, you really showed us the humanity in all of us in difficult times. Reynolds presented Neumeister and Richmond with certificates for keys to the city as recognition of their years of dedicated service to the city. Tamra Dickinson was elected to replace Richmond and Erin Goggin will replace Neumeister. The new members will be sworn in April 18. MARION, Iowa For someone considering a Republican presidential campaign such as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott a visit with a group of pastors in Iowa is part of a decades-old courtship ritual in the state that kicks off the nomination process. Born-again Christians are the most influential group in Iowa's GOP caucuses, giving faith leaders particular sway in helping organize voters and shape the results. But in the early phase of the next presidential campaign, Scott's joyful proclamations of his Christian faith face an unlikely obstacle. Like other Republicans eyeing the White House, he is navigating an evangelical community that is faithful to former President Donald Trump, the thrice-married former reality television star who once supported abortion rights and spent decades boasting of his sexual prowess. That history repelled many Iowa evangelical leaders during the last competitive Republican caucuses in 2016, when they helped push Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to victory in the opening contest. As the 2024 campaign begins, however, many of those same leaders are open to Trump, grateful for his judicial appointments that resulted in the dismantling of a constitutional right to abortion. They are unswayed by the controversy swirling around Trump, including the 34-count New York felony indictment handed down against him stemming from a hush-money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who alleged having an extramarital affair with him. I believe, and I think many evangelical Christians understand, politics at that level is a blood sport. Donald Trump is fighting. Thats why he got things done, said the Rev. Terry Amann of suburban Des Moines. So, our role isnt to judge him. Trump has denied having an affair with the actress and has characterized the charges along with ongoing investigations related to other matters in Georgia and Washington as politically motivated. But the evangelical support reflects a broader dynamic taking hold with the GOP base rallying around Trump in the aftermath of his indictment even amid signals that he could be vulnerable with the broader public in a general election. An ABC News/Ipsos poll released last weekend found 50% of Americans thought Trump should have been charged with a crime and about as many 48% said he should suspend his campaign. But just 14% of Republicans said he should be charged. That GOP loyalty to Trump was evident in interviews with more than a dozen Iowa pastors in the wake of Trump's indictment. Each cited Trump's role in helping overturn Roe vs. Wade as central to the long-term rethinking about him since his first campaign. Several also pointed to Trump's recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. I appreciate the fact that, for what seems like the first time in my lifetime, someone did what they said they were going to do, said the Rev. Kerry Jech of Marshalltown. With Donald Trump, what he promised us, he delivered on. Thats one thing I cant get away from." In a new display of pragmatism, Jech and others like him who didn't support Trump in 2016 say the former president is no less imperfect a man now, but that his action on policy they hold dear may erase questions about his moral character. During the 2016 campaign, the Rev. Mike Demastus of Des Moines supported Cruz and called Trump morally loathsome, wicked and a reprehensible man." Today, Demastus calls him the most pro-life president we have ever had, and would consider supporting him in the caucuses, along with others. Even Demastus' qualified support still puts Trump in better position now than his first bid. In a March Des Moines Register Iowa Poll, Trump was viewed favorably by 58% of evangelicals, unfavorably by 39% and 3% were unsure. On the eve of the 2016 caucuses, Iowa evangelicals seemed to have a dimmer view of Trump. The Des Moines Registers Iowa Poll taken on the eve of the caucuses showed Trump with support from only 19% of evangelicals, with Cruz supported by 33%. The awkward position is new for Iowa social conservatives, who have for three consecutive Republican presidential campaigns decidedly backed the more vocally evangelical candidate, though none would go on to win the nomination. Beyond Cruz, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won the 2012 caucuses as a crusading abortion opponent. In 2008, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, posted a surprise victory by cobbling together a Christian coalition of pastors and religious home-school advocates. Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence hope to replicate their success in 2024, should they continue taking steps toward running. In a visit to the state on Wednesday, Scott began his day meeting with a few dozen Christian home-school parents, a vital subset of Iowa's evangelical bloc. It's a strategy pioneered by former Christian broadcasting personality Pat Robertson, whose focus on Iowa's network of evangelical Christian churches helped him finish a surprise second place in Iowa's 1988 caucuses, ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush. The more traditional approach set against Trump's atypical combination of accomplishment and high-drama personal life creates a new dynamic for Iowa social conservatives to weigh. President Trump has stood up for the values that we hold dear, said Brad Sherman, a pastor and Republican state representative from Williamsburg who plans to support Trump in the caucuses. Then we need to pray for him that his personal life comes in line with that. Others say everyone is offered forgiveness. He is no perfect person. No one would say that. He is no King David, said the Rev. Bill Tvedt of Oskaloosa. But even David was tempted. Tvedt also likened Trump to the biblical figure Cyrus, who was not a Christian but is lauded as an Old Testament hero for liberating the Jews from captivity in Egypt. He is more of a Cyrus, a protector, Tvedt said. 5 things the US can do better in the 2024 election All jurisdictions should have paper backups Counties in eight states are still using paperless voting equipment exclusively. We need them to transition to paper-based systems, providing financial resources if necessary. Voting equipment without an auditable paper trail can produce results that are inconsistent with voters choices, either because of hackers or a technical failure. In 2020, more than 90% of votes were cast on paper-based voting equipment, including all of the states President Donald Trump is contesting or that havent been called. Thats an improvement over the 2016 election, when 80% of votes had a paper record. The goal for the 2024 election should be 100%. More audits before official results All states using voting equipment with an auditable paper trail should conduct robust audits before election results are certified. This will ensure all ballots are counted correctly. It will also allow discrepancies to be remedied and reflected in the final results. If any issue threw off the count, election officials would be even more likely to spot it and re-create an accurate count with paper records. All jurisdictions need backup manual processes All areas without backups for each of their election technologies must obtain them. No technology is infallible. Each piece including electronic poll books, electronic voting systems and online voter registration websites has vulnerabilities that can be exploited or could experience technical failures. As we saw with the 2020 presidential election, safeguards such as backup paper poll books ensure that election infrastructure failures only slow down voting, rather than stop it. Bolster the mail-in balloting process Due to the pandemic, far more voters requested absentee ballots this year. Preliminary evidence suggests that relatively few of these ballots have been rejected. Unfortunately, U.S. Postal Service data also show that at least 150,000 ballots arrived the day after the election. To prevent this from happening again, there should be an investigation of USPS processing of election mail. It should determine how many ballots were late to election offices through no fault of the voter. States should also adjust deadlines For the next election, deadlines need to be updated to reflect the realities of mail balloting and provide even more options for returning ballots, including more ballot drop boxes and in-person drop-off locations. These measures would not only improve the administration of mail-in voting, they would counter the misinformation and disinformation surrounding mail-in ballots that weve seen throughout the 2020 cycle. BOSTON A Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused in the leak of highly classified military documents appeared in court Friday as prosecutors unsealed charges and revealed how billing records and interviews with social media comrades helped pinpoint the suspect. Among the revelations: The platform Discord provided information that helped lead the FBI to guardsman Jack Teixeira and he used his government computer to search for the word "leak" after news media reports revealed that classified documents were improperly disclosed. President Joe Biden said the government is working to determine "the validity" of the leaked documents. "I have directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information, and our national security team is closely coordinating with our partners and allies," he said in a White House statement. Friday's new details shed light on how investigators came to zero in on Teixeira, 21. The Justice Department said its investigation is continuing, and the Pentagon, which earlier in the week called it a serious national security breach, said it would conduct its own review of access to sensitive intelligence to prevent a similar leak in the future. Teixeira appeared in federal court in Boston to face charges, under the Espionage Act, of unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information. He did not enter a plea, but a federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed until a detention hearing next week. Teixeira's court appearance was brief. He entered the room in tan jail clothes and sat at the defense table next to his lawyer. At the end, a man who appeared to be a family member in the front row told Teixeira he loved him and the defendant responded "I love you, too." His lawyer did not return a message seeking comment. The court appearance came less than 24 hours after Teixeira was arrested by heavily armed tactical agents on Thursday following a weeklong criminal investigation into the disclosure of the government records, a breach that exposed unvarnished secret assessments on the war in Ukraine, the capabilities and geopolitical interests of other nations and other national security issues. "This is not just about taking home documents. That is of course itself illegal. But this is about the transmission, both the unlawful retention and the transmission of the documents. Everyone knows here that the documents in the end were transmitted," Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday at the Justice Department. Investigators believe Teixeira was the leader of an online private chat group on Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games and where Teixeira is believed to have posted for years about guns, games and his favorite memes. The eight-page court affidavit details several steps in the FBI investigation, including an interview Monday with a Discord user familiar with Teixeira's online posts. The document does not identify or say how the person was located. The source told the FBI that a username linked to Teixeira began posting what appeared to be classified information roughly in December in an online chat that the user said was meant for the discussion of geopolitical affairs and past and current wars. The person provided the FBI with basic identifying information about Teixeira, including that he called himself "Jack," claimed to be part of the Air National Guard and appeared to live in Massachusetts, according to the affidavit. Billing records the FBI subsequently obtained from Discord, which said it was cooperating with the bureau, helped lead investigators to Teixeira, according to the FBI affidavit. The person also told the FBI that Teixeira switched from typing out documents in his possession to taking them home and photographing them because he "had become concerned that he may be discovered making the transcriptions of text in the workplace." That's different from what posters told news media outlets, saying the user they would call "the O.G." started posting images of documents because he was annoyed other users weren't taking him seriously. Known as Thug Shaker Central, the group drew roughly two dozen enthusiasts who talked about their favorite types of guns and shared memes and jokes. The group also held a running discussion on wars that included talk of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The affidavit alleges Teixeira was detected April 6 the day The New York Times first published a story about the breach of documents searching for the word "leak" in a classified system. The FBI says that was reason to believe Teixeira was trying to find information about the investigation into who was responsible for the leaks. The Justice Department has not alleged a particular motive. It's still not known how the information technology specialist allegedly obtained the documents or what safeguards had been in place. Such documents are required to be kept in secure facilities, protocols Teixeira would have violated if copies were taken to his house. The FBI said he held a top secret security clearance since 2021 with access to highly classified programs. Panama, Pandora and Pentagon Papers: 10 of the most groundbreaking leaks in history Panama, Pandora, and Pentagon Papers: 10 of the most groundbreaking leaks in history Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Manhattan Project Soviet Leaks Operation Mincemeat The Pentagon Papers Watergate and the Nixon Tapes The Iraq War Logs (WikiLeaks) Edward Snowden and the NSA The Panama Papers The Dark Side of the Kremlin The Pandora Papers JERUSALEM Orthodox Christians thronged the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Saturday to celebrate the ceremony of the "Holy Fire," an ancient ritual that sparked tensions this year with the Israeli police. In the annual ceremony observed for over a millennium, a flame taken from Jesus' tomb is used to light the candles of fervent believers in Orthodox communities near and far. The devout believe the origin of the flame is a miracle and shrouded in mystery. On Saturday, after hours of frantic anticipation, a priest reached inside the dim tomb and ignited his candle. Each neighbor passed the light to another and, little by little, the darkened church was irradiated by tiny patches of light that eventually illuminated the whole building. Bells rang out. "Christ is risen!" the multilingual worshippers shouted. "He is risen indeed!" Many trying to get to the church built on the site where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected were thrilled to mark the rite of the Orthodox Easter week in Jerusalem. But for the second consecutive year, Israel's strict limits on event capacity dimmed some of the exuberance. "It is sad for me that I cannot get to the church, where my heart, my faith, wants me to be," said 44-year-old Jelena Novakovic from Montenegro, who, like thousands of others, was trapped behind metal barricades that sealed off alleys leading to the Christian Quarter in Jerusalem's walled Old City. In some cases, the pushing and shoving escalated into violence. Footage showed Israeli police dragging and beating several worshippers, thrusting a Coptic priest against the stone wall and tackling one woman to the ground. At least one older man was whisked, bleeding, into an ambulance. Israel capped the ritual to just 1,800 people. Israeli police say they must be strict because they're responsible for maintaining public safety. In 1834, a stampede at the event claimed hundreds of lives. Two years ago, a crush at a packed Jewish holy site in the country's north killed 45 people. Authorities say they're determined to prevent a repeat of the tragedy. Jerusalem's minority Christians mired in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and caught between Jews and Muslims fear Israel is using the extra security measures to alter their status in the Old City, providing access to Jews while limiting the number of Christian worshippers. The Greek Orthodox patriarchate has lambasted the restrictions as a hindrance of religious freedom and called on all worshippers to flood the church despite Israeli warnings. As early as 8 a.m., Israeli police were turning back most worshippers from the gates of the Old City including tourists who flew from Europe and Palestinian Christians who traveled from across the occupied West Bank directing them to an overflow area with a livestream. Angry pilgrims and clergy jostled to get through while police struggled to hold them back, allowing only a trickle of ticketed visitors and local residents inside. Over 2,000 police officers swarmed the stone ramparts. Ana Dumitrel, a Romanian pilgrim, said she came to pay tribute to her late mother, whose experience witnessing the holy fire in 1987 long inspired her. "I wanted to tell my family, my children, that I was here as my mom was," she said, straining over the crowds to assess whether she had a chance. After the ceremony, Palestinian Christians carried the fire through the streets and lit the tapers of the worshippers waiting outside. Chartered planes will ferry the flickering lanterns to Russia, Greece and beyond with great fanfare. Friction over the Orthodox Easter ritual has been fueled in part by a rare convergence of holidays in Jerusalem's bustling Old City. A few hundred meters away from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Muslims fasting for the 24th day of the holy month of Ramadan gathered for midday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, where an Israeli police raid earlier this month ignited Muslim outrage around the world. Earlier this past week, tens of thousands of Jews flocked to the Western Wall during the Passover holiday. In the limestone passageways of the Old City on Saturday, Christians pushed back by police were trying to cope with their disappointment. Cristina Maria, 35, who traveled from Romania, said there was some consolation in the thought that the flame was symbolic, anyway. "It's the light of Christ," she said, standing between an ice cream parlor and a dumpster in the Old City. "We can see it from here, there, anywhere." Photos: Israel steps up Jerusalem home demolitions The Winona Daily News Above & Beyond scholarship program is seeking support from the community to continue offering education funds for college-bound students. Above & Beyond is in its 17th year, fully supported by local colleges and local donors. Above & Beyond scholarship winners for 2022-23 will be recognized at a reception in May. The program partners with the Winona Community Foundation and is seeking non-taxable donations to help boost the scholarships the students receive. WNB Financial supports the scholarship program with a $10,000 challenge fund. To give online, visit www.winonacf.org/donate. Checks can be written to the the Winona Community Foundation and reference Above & Beyond; this can be in the memo line or in the payable to line. Mail to: Winona Community Foundation, 111 Riverfront Suite 2E, Winona, MN 55987. IN PHOTOS: Above & Beyond 2022 celebration Rusty Cunningham Scott Olson, Winona State President Alex and James Arneson, Mabel-Canton High School Sajida Mirzada, Cotter High School Zoey Slaby, Cochrane-Fountain City High School Inyka Johnson, Rushford-Peterson High School Althea Kappauf, Houston High School Brandon Ross, Caledonia High School Ellen Olson, Winona High School Watch Now: Above & Beyond Class of '22 Nancy Brown, Winona Community Foundation President and CEO David Vaselaar, WNB Financial President and CEO Minnesota State College Southeast Saint Mary's Watch Now: Saint Mary's University scholarships Above & Beyond Watch Now: MSC Southeast scholarships Above & Beyond Watch Now: Winona State scholarships Above & Beyond This article appears in the April 14, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. THE MASK OF NANCY PELOSI The Force of Tragedy [Print version of this article] Editors Note: This essay first appeared in EIR Vol. 34, No. 44, Nov. 9, 2007, pp. 4-23. Since the relevant summations by V.I. Vernadsky and Albert Einstein, combined, we now know of the partition of the known universe among four rigorously defined phase-spaces: the ordinary (non-biotic), the Biosphere, the Noosphere, and that still higher order of phase-space, which subsumes the Noosphere. The greatest among the challenges with which this present knowledge confronts us, is typified by the subject of Classical tragedy. Here, at the level of Classical tragedy, physical science, Classical artistic composition, and the subject of statecraft, as known to Aeschylus, Plato, Shakespeare, Lessing, and Schiller, are combined as a single subject-matter: a fourth general phase-space of reality, the true substance of the subject of history. The book Roosevelt and Kennedy has a number of interesting passages on Joe Kennedys fascism. One is from Harold Ickes diary in 1938, Roosevelt related an astonishing exchange. Kennedy had remonstrated with him for criticizing fascism in his speeches. It was all right to attack Nazismnot fascism. Why? Kennedy had said that he frankly thought we would have to come to some form of fascism here. Joe Kennedy, if he were in power, the President went on, would give us a fascist form of government. He would organize a small powerful committee under himself as chairman and this committee would run the country without much reference to the Congress. On the subject of tragedy: since the U.S. general mid-term election of November 2006, when the U.S. Congress had an estimated 70% popularity with the U.S. population, until now, less than a full year later, the estimated popularity of the Congress has fallen below 11%, a fall largely due to the role of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. For similar causes, the U.S. dollar has also fallen, that at a presently accelerating rate. This threatened ruin of the prospects of the Democratic Party which Mrs. Pelosis misconduct has done much to produce, has now imperilled the continued existence of the original constitutional form of our republic. This is, at this present moment, our present national tragedy, and, perhaps also an actually global tragedy. Shades of the fable of the horse-shoe nail: if our U.S. does not escape this self-inflicted tragedy which Pelosis case expresses, the U.S. will not be able to play its indispensable part in contributing to the recovery of the world from the onrushing, global breakdown-crisis now fully under way. On this account, civilization world-wide is also imperilled. The most obvious factor behind the dismal pattern of policy-shaping in which Speaker Pelosis decadence has been a crucial instrument, can be traced from the beginning of 2006, but, as has been shown, more, and more flagrantly since the beginning of 2007, has been consistent with the policies of not only certain Kennedy circles (e.g., Mrs. Maria Kennedy Shriver Schwarzengger), but also with the convergence of Mrs. Pelosis practice with the economic and permanent revolution, permanent war policies of British (Fabian Society) spy Alexander Helphand, his dupe Leon Trotsky, Vice-President Dick Cheney, Samuel P. Huntington, George Shultz, and Felix Rohatyn. The clear intention behind this recent and continuing, assigned role of Mrs. Pelosis image, like a Medusan mask of infamy, is to set up the situation for the election of a Republican candidate, such as an otherwise unelectable, presently leading prospect for this role, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, by default, in 2008. To this effect, former Mayor Giuliani has acquired a circle of special advisors who, when their past performance is considered, represent, combined, a freakish right-wing political zoo, the virtual inhabitants of H.G. Wells Island of Dr. Moreau. Such cases are typical of the true processes of tragedies in real history, as in Classical drama. This point is illustrated by the ruin of Greece in the Peloponnesian War, as in the account of tragedy by Aeschylus, or, by Shakespeare, Friedrich Schiller, and in relevant works, such as The Bravo, of high-ranking American intelligence operative James Fenimore Cooper. Unfortunately, university education being as decadent as what it has become, generally speaking, over the course of the past century or so, our reigning, political class of today has never really understood the swindle used to dupe them in such a fashion, again, and again, and again. The key to understanding how most of our leading politicians, and others, became dupes for that game in which Pelosi is being played, can be discovered by studying what must be fairly described as nothing less bad than the stupidity which todays relevant university graduates have shown, in practice, as their certifiable political and scientific ignorance of the actual subject of real-life Classical tragedy. Some definitions are essential at this juncture. Contrary to induced popular belief, Classical tragedy since Aeschylus, has one clear, unchanging definition in the legacy of the best among the examples of leading poets, playwrights, and other relevant composers, such as Aeschylus, Shakespeare, and Friedrich Schiller. Typically incompetent, current academic views on this subject, have been sometimes associated with the teaching of the subjects of Shakespeare by Romantics such as Coleridge and Bradley. Crude, but relevant, nonetheless, is the witless and vulgar practice of attaching the rubric tragedy to almost any misfortunate occurrence. Contrary to popular illiteracy of today, the civilized use of the term, tragedy, has a precise, very important, and scientifically rigorous meaning, especially for those in the terrible grip of the threat to todays presently real-life consequences. This notion of tragedy, is the subject of a strategic-intelligence assessment which must now be considered by any seriously competent viewer of the present U.S. situation. For purpose of this needed reflection, begin now with two excerpts from Act I, Scene 2 of Shakespeares Julius Caesar. Shakespeare does come to the point quickly, in his fashion. First: Cassius to Brutus: (answering Brutus question concerning the influence of Julius Caesar): Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus: and we petty men Walk under his huge legs, and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves. Men at some times are masters of their fates: The Fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings . . . . Second: Cassius: Did Cicero say anything? Casca: Ay, he spoke Greek. Cassius: To what effect? Casca: Nay, an I tell you that, Ill neer look you i the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another, and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me. . . . There lies, well expressed, with the great perfection in economy, the essence of Shakespeares genius. This was no mere piece of literary fiction. Shakespeare captured what we know today as the real-life outcome of precisely that factor in our presently ongoing national history identified by that pair of references from Shakespeares first scene of the drama. In all Classical tragedy, some voiceless force of will, such as the ghost of Hamlet, grips the ensemble of the parts played by nearly all among the principal players in the drama. Those characters can not free themselves from the grip of that encompassing destiny over their will. So, Shakespeare put the words of wisdom into the mouth of his spokesman from Hamlet, the character Horatio, speaking as the corpse of fallen Hamlet is then being carried from the scene: . . . let me speak to the yet unknowing world How these things came about: so shall you hear Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts; Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters; Of deaths put on by cunning and forcd cause; And, in this upshot, purposes mistook. . . . Of that I shall have also cause to speak And from his mouth whose voice will draw on no more: But let this same be presently performed, Even while mens mind are wild: lest more mischance On plots and errors happen. With those words from the character Horatio, let the just concluded, but, thus, self-recurring dramatic tragedy of our own nations present time be performed for us assembled here, today, word for word, action for action, before our assembled audience which has, once again, heard Horatios words, this time in search of reflective understanding. So, Friedrich Schiller referred to the mind of the common member of the audience for the play, who leaves the performance of tragedy on stage a better citizen than he himself had been before he had entered the theater that time. What is it which had gripped the characters played on stage, such that each performed as under the grip of an unseen wicked will, compelled to act as if by the whim of a higher, unseen, voiceless power? Why, similarly, did so many Democratic members of the Congress submit to Pelosis scornful whips and lashes, when her folly and its consequences were so insistently, repeatedly transparent? What strange, eerie force of compulsion impelled them to submit, again, and again, and again? What is she, the bearer of this mask of anarchy, and in real life this mere, pathetic creature, that they, seemingly strong-willed men and women, should degrade themselves, and their nations fate, so, again and again, as if by the whips of her errant will? To illustrate this point, take the doubly ironical case from Aeschylus Prometheus Bound. Prometheus Bound In Aeschylus Prometheus Bound, Prometheus is condemned, by the Olympian Zeus, to a long period of torture: to be tortured while shackled for the alleged offense of making knowledge of the use of fire available to mortal human beings. The type of society which that Zeus represents, is what was known in ancient Classical Greek times by the name of the oligarchical model of societies, such as the Persian Empire, and the practice of helotry (slavery) by the Delphic tyranny of Lycurgus Sparta. This still-persisting, European model of tyrannical (e.g., oligarchical) rule, is made clear by examining the practices of the Delphi cults, that of Gaea, Pythias-Pythia, and Apollo. That is also the actually historical model of oligarchical tyrannies, including that of Caesarian Rome, and as a persisting pestilence in European culture from that period forward to the present day. This, which was known in ancient Greek times of Demosthenes as the Persian, or oligarchical model, has been the model for all the approximately global forms of imperial rule in European history since that time. These cases include the Roman Empire, Byzantium, the Norman-Venetian medieval system of the Crusades, and Anglo-Dutch Liberal financier form of imperialism which menaces, and ravages our U.S. republic, and other nations, today. The characteristic clearly exhibited by all such oligarchical models of tragedy, is the same expressed by the Olympian Zeus banning the spread of the knowledge of the use of fire to mortal persons. Thus, by such banning of scientific and technological progress, as by contemporary Liberalisms empiricist and positivist cults, the majority of the population is degraded to the mental and social status of something like cattle: forbidden access to knowledge of forms of behavior outside the range of what is prescribed for them by their masters. Here, in this suppression of the scientific and related creative powers of the human minds of the mass of the population, lies the essence of the principled force of tragedy. That, precisely that turn to so-called Liberal economic policies, has been the chief general cause of the downfall of our once-proud economy, and the increasingly savage loss of what were formerly the constitutional rights of the lower eighty percentile of our populations income-brackets. In all competently composed Classical tragedy, there is a silent, invisible power which herds the members of society, by force of will, into a restricted range of allowed choices of behavior. This is as reported, above, from the mouths of Cassius and Casca, or from the mouth of Shakespeares Hamlet, or reported there by the allusion of Horatios concluding remarks. The force of tragedy expressed, is of that silent electric fence quality of control which is of the type expressed, implicitly, on stage, by the devilishly fancied image of the phantom of Hamlets father. So, as the victim of such control over his fears, or rages, is induced to destroy himself, or herself; so, an entire nation, like our own, may be driven, as recently, like a herd of maddened cattle, as by the crafted terror of 9/11, or Hermann Gorings earlier, Cheney-like role in orchestrating the 1933 burning of the Reichstag, into destroying itself, even its entire culture. In the case of Prometheus Bound, the playwright has brought what must have been, in reality, the terribly silent, potent spirit, that Satan-like pagan god Zeus, with his Olympian lackeys, on stage, where the craft of the playwright has forced that Satanic Zeus and his lackeys to speak, and, by this device, thus permits the audience to hear a creature, such as Zeus, who was composed by the playwright as a talking substitute for the performance of the same kind of dramatic function as the silent ghost from Hamlet. In all great compositions of Classical tragedy, such as those works of Aeschylus, Shakespeare, or Schiller, the ghastly power appears on stage, as in the wars crafted by the lying Cheney and Tony Blair now, to reveal the awful truth of the tyranny which reigns over mortal mankind. In real life, the force of great tragedy which may cast its shadow on stage, or in real history, is never actually seen or heard directly by the audience. It is expressed as a silent force which moves, in drama, as might disembodied footprints across the stage of the theater, or, in real life, footprints of an unseen, awesome creature, or a dank, chill wisp of breeze cruelly touching living cheek. It is said to be a spooky feeling. Yet, on stage, or in real life, it is that sense of a ghastly prescience which often impels individuals, or entire societies, to destroy themselves, and one another, as did the doomed characters from Shakespeares Julius Caesar, or Macbeth, or Hamlet. Thus, the successful composition or performance of a great work of artistic tragedy, impels the author, director, and actors, to craft their movements and speech in such a way as to impart that sense of the potent, but unseen, unheard, awful presence of the force of tragic principle to the audience, to create, in the mind of the audience, belief in the eerie existence of the efficient presence: speaking, to chilling effect, as through the voice of the drunk from Eugene ONeills The Iceman Cometh: Hickey, you took the life out of the booze! It is a belief which voicelessly bends the will, as if by an invisible physical principle. The mind of the audience for the drama must be compelled to feel that invisible, unheard presence, which the drama shows must necessarily exist in the guise of an invisible hand, like a silently whispered comma, which controls the action and fate of the characters on stage. Such are the requirements, and goal of the composition and performance of true Classical tragedy. The final, added requirement, is that that choice of unseen, efficient presence must not be merely fanciful, but true. As on the Classical stage, so it is in the ongoing real life on the streets outside. The source of the powerful effect which the able use of that device is sufficient to place in the hands of the capable Classical director and acting company, is no mere fantasy; it is an expression of the same principle we encounter in great and valid discoveries in physical science. Only the illiterate dolt would deny this reality. To wit: The Footprint of Science & Art The principle toward which I have pointed, here, above, is not a phantom of the theatrical stage. Its power to produce a sensed effect, like that of physical blows, on stage, is the same ontological quality of power we meet in the role of efficient discovery of universal physical principles in experimental science. Here lies the key to understanding the same principles efficiency on the Classical stage, or a poem such as Keats Ode to a Grecian Urn, or as presented in the concluding pages of Shelleys In Defence of Poetry. It is, unfortunately, customary, these days, to presume, as empiricists do, that a principle of nature inheres in a mathematical formulation, or, in art, a crude display of emotion, or mere splatter. Actually, a mathematical formulation is, at its best, a mere footprint; the principle is expressed, in actual physical science of such as the Pythagorean Archytas doubling of the cube physically, Theaetetus discovery of the Platonic solids, or Keplers uniquely original discovery of the principle of gravitation, as in Classical tragedy, which appears as if the uplifting experience of the action of the invisible foot. Keplers two principal discoveries of physical principle, of gravitation, each as an expression of the organization of the Solar system, are apt illustrations of this point for our purposes here. In Classical drama, as in the modern Riemannian astrophysics of V.I. Vernadsky and Albert Einstein, the universe we inhabit is a finite, self-bounded universe. There are no visible external boundaries, but the self-boundedness of the relevant physical space-time is clearly demonstrated in action, nonetheless. So it is with those ghosts of well-composed Classical tragedy which haunt the wills of the victims. It is those kinds of boundaries, as typified by the infinitesimal of the Leibniz-Bernouilli calculus, which are the silent and invisible, but efficient footsteps of Classical tragedy. This use of drama is not fantasy; it is the education of insight into the true, underlying nature of the crucial challenge of real life. The Case of the Diodorus Chronicle On this matter of the use of drama to inform the practice of actually making history, the accounts of the Roman (Sicilian) chronicler Diodorus Siculus, say that the Olympians were actually the sons of a victim of parricide, sons, who having murdered their father, set their mother, Olympia, no mere Speaker Pelosi, up as ruler. Diodorus identifies them as representatives of a transoceanic culture which had settled near what we call the Strait of Gibraltar, and imposed their rule on a sedentary race of Berbers. The account identifies the Olympians as, actually, a sea-going culture which preyed upon the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean, as part of those Peoples of the Sea whose residual coastal cities and factories haunted the locales of the Mediterranean coast during the several millennia preceding that approximately 700 B.C. emergence of Mediterranean civilization from a preceding dark age. Out from these ancient mists where the real and fancied intermingle, there had emerged a division within the ranks of those we today refer to as ancient Greeks, a division between the antecedents of the Olympian Delphic cult-faction and what emerged as the Classical Greeks of such as Thales, Heraclitus, Solon, the Pythagoreans, and the other circles of Socrates and Plato. As Plato defines this conflict, in his letters and part of his other locations, the essential struggle is twofold. There is the conflict with the imperial, oligarchical forces of Babylon and later Mesopotamia, and also the conflict of the legacy of Solon of Athens marshalled against the oligarchical (Olympian) forces of Lycurgus Delphic Sparta. The summation of the issue of this conflict, between Prometheus and the Olympian Zeus, is presented by Aeschylus Prometheus Bound. Since that period of European history, the most essential struggle within what we recognize as the history of European culture, has been that between Prometheus and the Olympian Zeus of Aeschylus Prometheus trilogy: a struggle between man as made in the image of the Creator (as in Genesis 1:26-31) and the contrary, pro-Satanic Olympian Zeus, who relegates men and women, as todays oligarchs still do, to the rank of virtual cattle who live, as beasts do, steered through life less by intellect, than by sight, sound, touch, and smell. The invisible, but nonetheless efficient force of tragedy in human existence generally, is that fear of something like Aeschylus Olympian Zeus, which bends the wills of men and women into avoiding the feared displeasure of the powerful, Satanic figure of the fictitious Zeus. It is the mechanism of that induced submissionBut, I have to!which is the fateful hand of tragedy, like the ghost from Hamlet, whose appearance impels foolish Hamlet, and the others, wildly, to their self-destruction, as the fools who crawl before the satanic whims of Cheney today. It is urgent that we stress, that the Zeus of the real-life stage does not exist in that form we put him on stage in a theater. Nor does the ghost which Hamlet seems to believe he sees as his father. They are false faces which the victims imagination places, like masks, upon a very real, and, in this case, evil force of destiny. These are, on the one side, phantoms of the stage; but, they are very real, in the sense that it is the manipulation of these phantoms of the stage which reflects the way in which the superstitious mind is controlled on the streets of real life, as in the U.S. Congress presently. So, by mastering those crucial fantasies placed upon the stage of our public life, we would be empowered to master ourselves. Zeus, like the mask seen as Hamlets father, actually exists as a phantom of the mind, which one is imagined to hear speaking: Do as I say, or else! The entirety of the Iliad is permeated with such stuff. The gods are displeased! You will have bad luck! Sometimes the will of the victim is broken into submission in such ways; sometimes, evil prefers to tease the intended victim, by playing upon that victims superstitions, such that the victim himself, or herself, invents a terrible, magical, fancied judgment upon himself, such that he might be impelled to add the controlling force of a self-destructive delusion adopted as a way to gain good luck, as the tragic figure of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson seems to have chosen today. Real life experience is filled with instances of such pathetic behavior, even, as with Paulson, among the highest ranks of government and kindred places. Such is the force of tragedy in its real-life incarnations. So, sometimes, the force of tragedy has been expressed by those members of the U.S. Congress who cringe into submission when the mask-likeness of Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears in their imaginations. Yet, although Zeus, like Hamlets father, or Speaker Pelosis mask, are fantasies of the fearfully credulous, the controlling impulse which such phantoms evoke, is very real. Consider the way in which those who were the seemingly mighty are fallen before the present of such fears. 1. Sea-Power: An Interlude As a working rule-of-thumb, we must allow the likelihood that human culture, in the form of a social form of culture, has possibly existed on this planet for as much as two millions years. Nonetheless, the presently known pattern of recent habitation of mankind on the planet, dates from less than 20,000 years ago, since, approximately, the onset of the general melting of the glaciation which had dominated the northern hemispheres land-areas for about 200,000 years. (Although archaeology has shown that well-defined human cultures, in the modern sense of cultures, had appeared in some exposed continental areas of Europe, for example, before the great, more recent, net melt of the previous long cycle of glaciation had begun.) Nonetheless, the pattern of human habitation (and climates) of the region of the land-mass north of the Equator, including some from earlier than 20,000 years ago, does show us some extremely important features of the way in which what has become modern world culture had evolved during the recent 10,000 or more years. There is no reasonable doubt, presently, of the validity of the portrait of pre-history presented in Platos Timaeus. For example: One among the crucial events in this recent history of planetary culture, was the massive breakthrough of sea-water, via the Mediterranean, into what had been a great fresh-water lake, now presented in the form of the Black Sea. Thus, the time between the assumption of the existence of a transoceanic, sea-going (maritime) culture, prior to the developments of (very roughly) approximately 20,000 to 8,000 years ago, and the development of colonization, upstream, of important rivers by branches of what had been maritime cultures, is now one of the most important areas of strategic investigation by anthropologists and historians. We are looking, thus, into the origins of certain cultural archetypes from such periods of relatively more accessible kinds of ancient traditions, the more accessible archetypes deeply embedded, like fossil history, in the roots of existing branches of cultures today. FIGURE 1 Extent of Glaciation During the Most Recent Ice Age View full size Source: http://shiro.wustl.edu. There are some points of such investigations for which we do have good answers, or, better said, very useful ones, speaking pedagogically. The preceding references to certain matters of what is to be fairly understood as pre-history, bring us around to the bearing of this interlude on the matter of tragedy. As follows: Dogs, Cats, People & Pre-History The issue here, in this intermezzo, is now language, that of people as distinct from the utterances by domesticated household pets such as cats and, most emphatically, dogs. The subject might be better, and briefly, termed irony, meaning the pre-history of irony. To wit: MIT RLEs Chomsky and Minsky notwithstanding, there never was, and never will be a higher ape which is human. What fellows of that persuasion have never accepted, and, probably, never will, is the fact that what we must distinguish as the mental life of the human individual, and the social processes generated by that distinction, have no basis in the internal characteristics of any animal species. However, experience with the distinction of domesticated animals, especially dogs raised and kept as household pets, which I now reference in this interlude, is most useful for study of the way in which such pets do appear to attempt, and are, yet, unable to simulate actually human behavior. This brings the implications of the 200,000 or more recent years of the existence and activity of our human species to the time before the close of the last ice age, that in a way which is extremely relevant to the subject-matter within which the indicated, pathological case of Speaker Pelosi presents itself. The background for this aspect of the report is, briefly, as follows. Probably, the most significant single outcome of the work of that great Russian polymath, Academician V.I. Vernadsky, was his use of his discovery of the hard proof of the existence of the Biosphere, as a reference-point for the consequent, further discovery, of the Noosphere. The latter, principled distinction of man from beasts (Noosphere from Biosphere), forces our attention, ever more emphatically, to a particular aspect and implication of the same point which I have recently emphasized afresh, respecting Johannes Keplers discovery of the principle of organization of the orbital pathways of the Solar system. I emphasize here, as in relevant other locations, that the effort to define the principles of the organization of the Solar system (in particular) from the standpoint of a reductionist mathematics, confronts us, as in the case of the harmonics of the Solar system, with the proof that neither vision, nor hearing, by itself, affords us a competent view of the universe which we experience. The fact which I have emphasized, in those locations, is that our respective senses, taken each one at a time, do not provide us a reliable interpretation of the experience of each sense-organ. Rather, we must regard our sensory apparatus as akin, on this account, to the useful array of artificial instrumentation which we craft and employ to afford us a kind of sensory experience which is more or less unreachable with the same degree of usefulness through reliance on our native sensory apparatus alone. This, as I have emphasized in relevant published locations, is exhibited most dramatically in the case of the design of instruments required for investigations of the type of which Bernhard Riemann has warned us, into the so-called sub-atomic or astronomical domains. Experimental truth is accessed, in all cases, by the faculty of human judgment, which must interpret the meaning of sense-, or sense-like experience through cognitive powers specific to the development of the human mind, not a literal reading of the senses as such. This was shown, most dramatically, for all competent modern physical science, by Johannes Keplers uniquely original discovery of the nested principles of universal gravitation, and of the composition of the Solar system, and related measurement of gravitation within it, as a whole. This experimentally premised judgment on the subject of human sense-perceptions role, must be coupled with a unique fact which sets the human species absolutely apart from all lower forms of life. This is the situation in which the relationship of pet dog to man comes in as a key to discovering the way in which that crucial distinction functions. The crucial statistical fact about the difference between beast and man, even between dogs and their putatively beloved-of-dog owners, is expressed by the categorical functional distinction of the relatively fixed, relative potential population-density of any animal species, as to be contrasted with the willful increase of societies relative potential population-density. Man, unlike the beasts, is capable of willfully increasing societys culturally heritable relative potential population-density. This difference between the characteristic determinations of the relative potential population-densities of all species of animals (e.g., the Biosphere), and that of mankind (the Noosphere), must be traced, as Academician Vernadskys work does, to cognitive processes typical of the human individual (the Noosphere), but categorically absent among all lower forms of life. Look, very carefully, at the manner in which this distinction between man and beast is expressed within the loving relationship between human members of the pack, and those humans moments of sometimes gripping anguish over the short life-expectancies of their pet dogs. That said, the relevant point of fact here, is the seeming expression of human habits among pet household dogs, and the characteristic distinctions between the members of the relationships respective species, especially when this comparison is traced over thousands of years of relevant evidence, especially in the crucial matter of language. Many animal species present us with members of their type which perform what might appear to the suggestible among us as human traits, such as parrots, the talking crows with split tongues, and so on. This acquired behavior can be trained, that to the effect that circus animals, and others of certain species can appear to simulate elements of human behavior; observers of this induced behavior by animals tend, romantically, to project a human quality of intention behind the animals imitation of what seems to be a typically human act. Those observers have blinded themselves to the most characteristic difference between human beings and all animal species. Reflection on the adducible history of human cultures development even during only the recent 20,000 years or longer, shows us something which should have been obvious to us about the essential difference between the actual mental powers of the typical human individual and what are projected, rather recklessly, as kindred mental powers of animal species. The pathological trait which I am attacking here, at this point, is those traits which are, implicitly, the effect of presuming that the images imparted to us, as opinions, by our particular sense-experiences, are literal images from the real world, rather than being, as they are, in fact, only instrument readings. The best selection of evidence for this fact, is the case of Johannes Keplers uniquely original discovery of the principle of general gravitation within our Solar System, by his contrasting the ironical juxtaposition of the faculty of vision to the harmonics associated with the sense of musical hearing. If we trace the actual way in which that unique discovery by Kepler was crafted, rather than the absurd, and frankly fraudulent myth imposed by Galileos radiated influence on the silly Isaac Newton, we should have stumbled across the fundamental difference between the minds of dog and of man in that way. That brings us back to the lessons to be learned, inclusively, from the emergence and development of European culture during the course of the post-Ice-Age developments of the recent, approximately 20,000 years. Where Is Physical Space-Time? The commonplace error of popular opinion about physical space-time, still today, is the assumption that matter, such as objects, are floating in a Euclidean-like, infinitely vast space. That ignorant, but popular opinion, is fostered by those who seek to interpret astronomical space as being self-evidently Euclidean space, whereas, in fact, no crucial, physical-experimental evidence has ever actually been presented for the existence of Euclidean space, or, Cartesian space-time. Rather, the idea of specifically Euclidean space was a piece of, literally, what is termed, technically, as Sophistry: as a Euclidean scheme concocted decades after the death of the leading scientific minds of ancient Greece, such as Plato. The argument of the Sophists was, that the set of definitions, axioms, and postulates upon which the entire edifice of Euclidean geometry was erected, was not only submitted without proof, but premised on the assumption that proof were neither required, nor desirable. Indeed! That swindle persists, available from some in leading academic circles, if at high prices to the student, still today. As Johannes Kepler demonstrated, and as Albert Einstein emphasized, Euclidean-like, infinitely extended space-time, never actually existed. What we know, is that what we discover, experimentally, to be universal physical principles, such as universal gravitation, bound physical space-time, defining thus a finite, rather than an infinite space, a physical space-time which is self-bounded by what are discoverable, experimentally, as principles, as Kepler proved gravitation, without allowance for, or need of external spatial boundaries: presenting us, thus, with an implicitly expanding universe. This was already implicit in the discoveries of Kepler, discoveries which, essentially, echo ancient sources of scientific thought, such as the Pythagoreans and their Egyptian forerunners. Not only do we know this today, but the root of such knowledge is traced to as far back as ancient calendars, from tens of thousands or more years ago, including calendars whose internal characteristic corresponds to the implied practice of ocean-going maritime cultures of a type which might be attributable to a time no later than the 200,000-year interval when massive glaciation dominated most of northern Eurasia and North America. That was a time which the oceans were about 400 feet lower than in modern times: a time of glaciation toward which long-term climactic trends are pointing, again, for todayunless we find some way to manage that long-term trend to our advantage. These conceptions which I have just so summarized, are not accessible to the lower forms of life, nor to Sophists past or present, but only to those with honorable standing within mankind, and that only in the fashion which I have just indicated. As the case of the antiquity of the Zodiac attests most simply, mankinds increasing power of conception of the universe, is a product of specifically human characteristics, characteristics of the specifically human processes of cognition which are entirely absent in the lower forms of life. The Indispensable Thesis The specifically characteristic increase of the relative potential population-density of the human species, when contrasted with the relatively fixed characteristic of the animal species, has the effective form of equivalence to a biologically-determined, characteristic up-shift of the characteristic nature of a non-human species, the equivalent of a change of species-nature in the evolution of among those lower forms of life which are the animal species. The typical expression of this kind of up-shift within the bounds of a single human species, is not merely cultural in form, but also a distinction which is efficiently an expression of a fundamental physical principle, in effect. The most notable among the corollary facts of this matter, is that there are, in fact, no equivalents of human creative behavior to be found among the animal species. It were fair to suggest, that the best animal behavior, as among well-treated dogs as household pets, does resemble, outwardly, superficially, those aspects of human behavior which, apparently, have nothing to do, functionally, with the actually creative powers of the human individual mind. The distinction which must be enforced as a matter of definition, on this account, is that which is implicitly clear from Academician Vernadskys distinction of the Noosphere from the Biosphere. In other words, human creative powers have no discernible basis in the processes manifestly specific to the animal brain. History, as I have treated it here, points to the answer to the issues which I have, thereby, thus posed. That point which I have just made, might bestir a frenzy among some readers stricken with anxiety at this point, readers who will not have thought through the crucial facts which I present here. To assist such perplexed fellows, it were sufficient for the purposes of my account thus far, that one should think of the human individuals animal-like aspect as plugged into, as if by resonance, a higher principle within what we may otherwise regard as the physical universe, and that it is that connection, so to speak, which supplies the factor of the manifest higher qualities distinguishing the human individual essentially from the beast. On more familiar sorts of theological ground, we are dealing here with the subject referred to as the human soul. The commonplace problem of conception arises when we attempt to equate a human soul with an animal soul. The more appropriate way of approaching these issues, is to compare the difference between the human and the animal soul, in terms of reference to the differences of phase-spaces, among the abiotic, Biosphere, and Noosphere, and to, thus, emphasize the point, for purposes of comparison, that, contrary to the wilder superstitions spawned in Silicon Valley, life itself has never been shown to be an extension of the abiotic domain. (I leave further treatment of that limited subject-matter to the theologians; the cognitive exercise itself should do them good, or plunge them into a frenzy.) To restate that point with the relatively greatest economy of utterance, we can state that the mortal body of the human individual has manifestly predominant characteristics of an animal-like body, excepting that relatively immortal aspect of the human personality, such as discovery of universal physical principles, or comparable discoveries in Classical modes of artistic composition, which outlive efficiently, as social principles, the decease of the mortal vehicle which that creativity had formerly inhabited. This creativity is not manifest in any species of animal life. This provided the physical-experimental basis for Academician Vernadskys discovery of the Noosphere. To prepare, now, to present the indispensable thesis of this report, consider the following points, as restated here, made in my relevant earlier reports. The relevant, general, leading achievement of Academician V.I. Vernadsky to be considered here, is that he defined a principle which stands out from his own, and his associates study of that crucial distinction of universal physical principle, which separates the chemistry of living processes and their specific products from the chemistry of non-living processes. This separation defined the Biosphere. On the foundations of the discovery of the Biosphere, Vernadsky achieved a second, comparable scientific revolution, the concept of the Noosphere. The discovery of the Noosphere requires a brief explanation, as follows. In defining the chemistry of the Biosphere, Vernadsky and his collaborators referenced the distinction of the special chemistry specific only to living processes and their products, from chemical products which are already specific to the work of non-living processes. Thus, the total mass of the Earth is divided, first, between the percentile of that mass which is termed as being ostensibly of pre-biotic origins, and that which is represented either by the mass of living processes, or peculiar to products of the chemistry specific to living processes. So, in a comparable way, Vernadsky also took into account the increasing percentile of the total mass of our planet represented by products which are only of specifically human noetic actions, relative to biomass. This divided the total mass of the planet among a corresponding set of three preliminary categories: the abiotic, the biotic, and the noetic. Among the three: biomass is never generated by abiotic processes as such; the mass of products of specifically human noetic creation, has never been shown to be produced by any living process other than the human mind. This defines the universe as we know it empirically, as composed of three distinct, component phase-spaces. However, the noetic principle of human reason, as distinct from the biological human individual, is also existent as, ontologically, a universal, a fact whose emergence defines an ontologically fourth domain, that expressed as the higher order of phase-space, a universal, all-encompassing, anti-entropic principle, which subsumes that Noosphere to which the other three are subject. Hence, from this universal anti-entropic ordering of the universe which our human experience inhabits, we have the obligatory notion of the willful personality of The Creator as reported in Genesis 1. Therefore, as Nicholas of Cusa, Kepler, Fermat, and Leibniz show, we know that the belief in universal entropy is worse than merely absurd; that latter belief is inherent in empiricism and its derivatives, inhering, for example, in that intellectually and morally depraved, reductionist notion associated with the arguments of Euclid, Claudius Ptolemy, Galileo, de Moivre, DAlembert, Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, Cauchy, Clausius, Grassmann, Kelvin, Maxwell, Ernst Mach, Boltzmann, Bertrand Russell, et al. From these considerations, certain poetically dramatic conclusions of crucial historical importance for our nations, and the worlds political life, must be drawn. This brings us to the intended core of the subject of this report. To wit: 2. Oceans & the Heavens Above The existence of tragedy, or, better said, of The Tragic Principle, is to be located, as to its source, in the essentially underlying features of those specific, pathological beliefs which have assumed the form of ostensibly traditional, axiomatic assumptions, assumptions respecting the underlying principles of organization of events in the universe generally, or of certain societies and cultures specifically. As I shall show in this present, concluding chapter of this report, the origin of the existence of such paradoxical, even though customary states of mind, can be brought to the surface by putting our emphasis as we do here. View full size EIRNS/Elizabeth Mendel Therefore, here, we must emphasize the urgency of discovering the necessity, for sake of the progress of cultures, of precisely those inherently ambiguous features of Classical irony, such as the ironies of Dante Alighieris Commedia, of the Decameron, of the life and works of Francois Rabelais, of Cervantes Don Quixote, the histories and tragedies of Shakespeare, or works such as Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels, Percy Shelleys In Defence of Poetry, and the work of Friedrich Schiller. These are cases which are inherent in the need for driving forward of what might be termed the history of the principled features of the evolution of cultures. There can be no truthful physical science without assigning the primary role to the principle of Classical poetry. There is neither truth, nor progress without irony. Irony is the essence of creative genius, the essence of reason. A literal mind is a littering mind. I repeat now: as a matter of contrasts, the case for physical science is presently a relatively simpler challenge than the remainder of societys intellectual tasks. A competent treatment of the subject of The Tragic Principle must begin with a more difficult challenge: attention to implications of what I have pointed out here earlier, as the essential differences between the characteristics of our pet dogs and the known characteristics of what is fairly termed the realities of human cultural evolution. The recommended, most efficient approach to this problematic, historical feature of cultural evolution in general, is that path of investigation which begins, typically, with the most essential implications of Platos Timaeus and Critias. The choice of that approach to Platos arguments on that account, here, is recommended for the specific reason of Platos implicit emphasis which I have also already placed, in the earlier chapters of this report, on the maritime-cultural origins of European civilization. It is important to emphasize, that in order to get into a cultures mental life, it is virtually indispensable that we find material evidence, comparable to the paradoxes which provoke fundamental discoveries of principle in experimental physical science, so-called. This approach lays open, and emphasizes the crucially significant cases among the ironies of communication, as in Classical poetry and drama, rather than the merely literal assertions of some desiccated literary and associated record. As has been said in other words, grammarians are often, essentially, embalmers of the creative mind. Therefore, there is the essential role of irony in conveying the actual idea-content of important statements. The importance of irony in communication, is the determining consideration on which I am insisting here. Therefore, what may be fairly termed European culture for the purpose of this investigation, begins approximately, as I have indicated, at about 700 B.C. In other words, we choose a point of functional alliance, against the ancient maritime tyranny of Tyre, by the maritime cultures of Egypt (e.g., Cyrenaica), the Ionians, and the Etruscans. That is a period to be considered in the light of those fabulously ironical, standard bedside readings which are the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey. However, although we must rely chiefly on the ancient European and related history following approximately 700 B.C., we must take into account certain special features of still more ancient evidence, chiefly evidence bearing on maritime cultures and the reflections of maritime cultures in astronomy. To that end, we must rely in large degree on the authority located in the products of the greatest, most fertilely ironical composers in the domain of both plastic and non-plastic forms of art, especially what is properly classed as Classical art. Pedants, on the other hand, miss the necessity of those ironies strewn in the wake of the creative faculty. When poets would speak truth with irony, pedants truth is lies. Therefore, on the subject of European culture: Attention to the known astronomies, including the evidence embedded in calendars, as by Bal Gangadhar Tilaks Orion, affords us an excellent quality of hypothetical insights into the general pre-history of modern physical science and closely related topics, when that evidence is taken together with the development of physical science under the Pythagoreans and Platos other circles. The subject of the principled features of artistic cultures, as viewed from the standpoint of attempts at an account of cultural evolution, is a more sophisticated challenge. Here, on the latter issue, what is crucial, is what I have emphasized, above, on the difference between a mans and a dogs view of culture. On the matter of the important issue of linking what we can conclude, more readily, respecting the pattern of development of physical science leading into a Riemannian physics of Vernadsky and Einstein today, we should focus our investigation, clinically, on the case of the cultural evolution discernable in the evidence bearing upon the qualitative features of that evolution of ideas in European societies and their relatives. On that account, we are obliged to seek a common basis in reflections on one of the greatest sources of the wonderful ironies on which the rise of European civilization in its best aspects is to be located: the evolution of the maritime cultures from which crucially significant genetic-like, modern European language-cultures are shown to be largely descended, as I will emphasize the relevance of those links here. The rudiments of such an endeavor should be seen as follows. Man or Beast? In any societies which are self-controlled by a practice tantamount to policies of zero technological growth, there is virtually no efficient recognition of crucially significant ecological difference, respecting the general characteristics of social practices of cultures, between essential humanity and human bestiality. Among frankly beastly views on the matter of cultures, we should include those which we might recognize as defective in this respect: cultures with dominant pro-malthusian practical and ideological characteristics, such as that proposed currently by former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore. Intellectually and morally defective cases such as those, have converged, and would presently continue to tend to converge, as experience has shown repeatedly, on expressions of a value akin to such products as the practices of slavery, cannibalism, and Nazism. That decadence of pro-malthusian cultures inheres in their policy of practice itself. The physical reasons for such a degeneration should have been obvious to any thinking person of even modestly decent education. To get such ordinary issues out of the way now, consider the following, essential, scientific fact of the matter. With the continuing development of the composition of our planet Earth, there are ongoing changes in the composition of the mass of the planet, the outer (upper) strata most notably, such as that the continuing action of the abiotic, biotic, and noetic processes, which transforms the planets composition, that of its outer strata most immediately. Therefore, it is impossible that any societys intended, or merely habituated zero-growth social process could be continued without a resulting, quasi-malthusian deterioration, even a general collapse, of its potential relative population-density. This would be more quickly evident for the case of a relatively dense population, but would be implicitly the case for any density of population. In the case of an increase of the human population above the level of the relatively few millions beyond the potentials in available habitats of the higher apes, there would be the kind of evident lowering of the potential relative population-density which animal ecology presumes, a lid on the relative potential population-density of that species, in principle, due to the changes in the environment this habitation would produce. The crucial fact respecting the intrinsic potential and consequent characteristics of human population, is that man is not merely an animal, but is able to make the kinds of exemplary kinds of principled changes in its own species behavior which we should associate with the effects of scientific and technological progress. It is notable that improvements in performance of this type correspond to, and supersede the upward evolution of species, as from marsupials to mammals, in the animal kingdom. The primary source of increase of the potential relative population-density of a human culture (e.g., society, nation) is the adoption and implementation of those forms of principled changes in culture which generate a qualitative up-shift in the relative potential population-density (and the potential standard of living, including life-expectancy) in that society. This critical approach to the matter now before us here, brings us to the historically expressed actual distinction between man and dog. My use of relative potential population-density, since my strict adoption of that formulation in 1953, reflects my decision to define the specific potential of any immediately considered population-level in terms of a specifically Riemannian view of Leibnizs introduction of dynamics. The specific difference between man and beast, is expressed in respect to the relatively fixed relative potential population-density of all lower forms of life. The human species retains the potential quality which distinguishes it from beasts; but, in the relevant cases, that quality has been often suppressed by the characteristics of certain dominant cultures, thus defining the current state of the society as degenerate (e.g., scientifically, technologically stagnant). In all cases in which an implicitly willful increase in the potential relative population-density of society is not occurring, we have a case in which the current characteristic of that society is, like that of the U.S.A. and most of Europe today, in a critical state of moral and species degeneration. The task, here and now, is to focus on that issue of principle, not only for principles of physical science, but art. Therefore, the subject now is dynamics. The Role of Dynamics The principle of dynamics, which was introduced formally to modern European science by Gottfried Leibniz, during 1692-1695, was already, in principle, the method of his modern predecessors, such as Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa (e.g., De Docta Ignorantia), of much of the work of Cusas follower Leonardo da Vinci, of the collected work of Cusas follower Johannes Kepler, and, implicitly, Fermat. However, dynamics was also the method of the leading scientific accomplishments of Classical Greece, implicitly including Thales and Heraclitus, but most emphatically the Pythagoreans and the circles of Plato. In ancient Classical Greeces science, what is appropriately distinguished as the forerunner of the best of modern physical science, was a branch of astrophysical motion, called Sphaerics, rather than what the customary illiteracy of the contemporary classroom would usually recognize only as geometry as such. The characteristic of action under Sphaerics was expressed by the term dynamis, which Leibniz translated into modern usage as dynamics. The work of Sanskrit-Vedic scholar Tilak, as in his Orion, as examined for the manner in which he treats evidence from modern Nineteenth-Century European astronomy, is to be read in the light of Tilaks work on Vedic calendar material, that from central Asia during an interval dating probably between 6,000 and 4,000 B.C. Then, on that condition, we are to recognize a view of what is to be recognized, implicitly, as astrophysics (rather than mere astronomy), which is in a certain significant agreement with implications of the design of the Great Pyramid of Egypt and the Egyptian science of Sphaerics. Strictly speaking, all competent approaches to physical science are premised on the same conceptions which the Pythagoreans, Platos other circles, and their Egyptian predecessors, adopted as equivalent to the notions of Sphaerics. In other words, as I have emphasized within preceding sections of this present report, what is actually worthy of being held up as competence in the development of European science, is a product of a quality of ancient maritime cultures, cultures dominated by the influence of astrogating transoceanic navigators such as those from centuries within the last phase of the most recent general long period of glaciation. The notable characteristic of those transoceanic cultural roots is of very long, astronomical cycles which are nested, in turn, within long cycles of as long a span as, for example, 25,000 years, and still much greater. These are not simply perpetually repeating cycles, but are reflections of a direction of the astronomical scale of the anti-entropic evolution of the astrophysical domain (in particular). FIGURE 2 The Platonic Solids FIGURE 3 On this account, the differences between the recent vogue in classroom doctrines, and the approach to physical science by the Pythagoreans and Plato, reflect problematic features which inhere, axiomatically, within what often passes for modern science instruction. The infamous hoax of the Roman Claudius Ptolemy, and the decadence of European science associated with the influence of the Philosophical Liberalism of Paolo Sarpi and his followers, are relevant illustrations of this fact. Most notably, Sphaerics and its derivatives define physical science as in accord with a universe typified by certain crucial contradictions within the kind of notion of a spherical universality inherent in the notion of the Platonic Solids produced by Platos associate Theaetetus. Euclidean geometry and its by-product, the arbitrary, axiomatically Euclidean notions of modern Liberal (Cartesian) mathematics, can then be recognized immediately for the inherent incompetence of both Euclidean and Cartesian geometries, and their modernist and neo-modernist offshoots. We are obliged, on that account, to rely, instead, on the outlook of the great followers of Cusa: Kepler, Fermat, and Gottfried Leibniz. This confronts the thoughtful reader here with two profoundly interesting hypotheses which bear, directly and most forcefully, on the thesis-topic of this present report. First, we must regard post-Ice Age civilization, notably the civilization of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, during the recent six thousand or more years, as a relatively recent outgrowth of a pre-existing civilization, which, for our purposes here, we must date from developments during a period of emphasis on the leading role of maritime cultures during the approximately 200,000-year term of the preceding great glaciation in most of the northern latitudes. We must compare that span of glaciation, with the presently oncoming new period of glaciation. We must also take into account the fact that the lapsed time since the closing phase of the last great period of glaciation, is about one-tenth of the interval of time of the immediately preceding glaciation itself. That reflection has many kinds of more or less important implications. History & Strategy Move Upstream Foremost, once again, is the fact that the rise of European civilization within a period of cultural evolution over a span since about 20,000 years ago, has been dominated by the cultures derived from implicitly transoceanic maritime cultures. It was the establishment of coastal settlements by maritime cultures, which has dominated all credible surviving evidence of global development of cultures and economy since that time. This is, most emphatically, a time about 4,000-2,000 years ago when the post-glacial melt had begun to settle into approximately stable present sea-levels. We must also point out the so-called riparian hoaxes, which trace the development of civilization downstream, in contrast to the reality that civilization proceeds upstream, as from the mouths of riparian sites, up the principal rivers adjoining those sites. The movement of cultures has been actually upstream, from transoceanic maritime cultures, into coastal settlements and upstream. The extraordinary importance of Cyrenaica in ancient Egyptian, Greek, Ptolemaic, and later Mediterranean culture, is an included type of feature of this history. Indeed, the advantage of maritime over land-based powers held during the entire sweep of European history prior to the victory of President Abraham Lincoln over Londons Confederacy puppet, and the hysterical geopolitical reaction of the British Empire to the eruption of transcontinental railways, still to the present geopolitical date. These cited strategic features of known and implied history of the recent 20,000 and more years, put the emphasis on what I have written in the treatment of sea-power earlier in this present report. However, in dealing with language, its uses, and its evolution, we must place the emphasis on what may be usefully described as a land-based languages contrary sort of geopolitical directions of development, on both the oceanic and upstream progress, and the contrary, downstream-driven motion (e.g., the example of the land-driven Persian Empire versus the sea-driven, Mediterranean-centered, cultural flows). When we are intelligent enough to abandon that mechanistic method of shaping of world-outlook, typical of land-based ancient cultures, to adopt a dynamic outlook like that of the Pythagoreans and their relevant predecessors, instead, the internally driven impulses of cultures shift from a fixed cultural outlook, to emphasis on exploration and development as the driver of cultural impulses. The crucial role of both ancient Classical Greek cultures emphasis on its character as a maritime culture, and the relationship of the maritime culture, in Egypt, centered in Cyrenaica, in effecting the fall of Tyre, and thus, the collapse of the Persian empire, should reenforce our attention to the opposing vectors of an ancient maritime culture and an ancient land-based culture of, for example, the rather typical Asia type. It is to be emphasized, that it was maritime culture which shaped, and vectored the principal currents of the history of Europe and the so-called Middle East. In the medieval period, it was chiefly the rise of the imperialist financier power of Venice, which shaped the history of Europe; the same Venetian drive was key, in modern times, to establishing an imperial form of Anglo-Dutch Liberal power in the Anglo-Dutch, maritime provinces of northern Europe, and the consequent leading power of the neo-Venetian empire of the heirs of Paolo Sarpi since most periods of modern history since the February 1763 Peace of Paris. It was the establishment of the U.S. republic as a continental economy, with the introduction of development shaped by transcontinental railway systems, which has been the chief pivot of the challenge to the Anglo-Dutch Liberal imperialism, since the U.S. victory, under President Abraham Lincoln, over Londons Confederacy puppets. This U.S. development, has been, understandably, the British Empires chief concern since the failure of Lord Palmerstons geo-political enterprises against the U.S. republic, through the time of the present threat of a third world war steered from former Prime Minister Tony Blairs London presently. Only a competent economist, such as one of my skills and inclinations, could clearly understand these matters of global grand strategy. Unfortunately, I have discovered no competent rivals in this section of the economics department, so those who wish to understand the present global strategic situation must, like it or not, make do with the assistance available from me. The same considerations so summarized just now, are crucial for understanding culture as a subject of strategy, as I am treating that aspect of geopolitical grand strategy here. The Principle of Cultural Evolution Therefore, competent grand strategy requires dumping the customary ideologies of the present universities and kindred locations, that for the purpose of adopting an approach to strategy and economy which is premised upon the implications of Gottfried Leibnizs re-introduction of emphasis on the ancient principle of dynamics. Notably, I must say, once more, that, in dynamics, no a priori definitions, axioms, or postulates are tolerated. The modern term for Sphaerics would be Bernhard Riemanns physical hyperspace, the method of anti-Euclidean, physical geometry known to us as that which came to be adopted for competent physical science in general by both V.I. Vernadsky and Albert Einstein. Against that background in respect to matters of physical-scientific evidence, our introduction of the essential principles of social cultural development, here, must place the emphasis on Heraclitus (and Platos) notion that there is nothing in the universe except change. Now, that much said, think of a correlation between that Platonic concept of change and the implications of a transoceanic cultures view of the concept of up-river. In general, all notable major developments in known cultures are never focussed on that equals-sign-like reading of the verb is, which is the hallmark of a stagnant culture, a concept which seeks to send cultures to the dogs; but, rather, the transitive verb of the true pioneer, become, which defines the essential distinction of man from beast. This has been the characteristic difference, in trends, between a self-developing human culture, up-river, so to speak, and a relatively stagnant, land-locked, or down-river one. Look more closely at the case of the U.S.A. The founding and development of what became the U.S.A., was a transoceanic maritime development, which was continued by the leading settlers as an up-inland process, in which up-river pioneering development was aimed at production of materials transported by waterways, development of highways, and railroads (chiefly). Even the mid-Eighteenth-Century development of industry in England was directed largely by Benjamin Franklin. Earlier, prior to the crucial Seven Years War and the February 1763 Peace of Paris which implicitly established the British Empire as that of Lord Shelburnes British (Anglo-Dutch Liberal) East India Company as a neo-Venetian style of empire-in-fact, the leading impulse for progress in Europe had been exemplified by the 1439 session of the great ecumenical Council of Florence, in which the role of Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa was crucial, in defining the principle of the modern sovereign nation-state, and laying down the foundations of all competent currents in modern physical science. The characteristic of this insurgency of modern Europe against the tyrannies of the feudal and Venetian heritages, was what became known as the principle of progress. This notion of progress was an echo and continuation of the great maritime tradition associated with the notion of the Pythagorean- Platonic legacy of the Greek civilization of Solon of Athens. The conflict including, on the one side, the quality of republicanism expressed by the 1439 session of the Council of Florence, and the birth of modern science and of the modern sovereign conception of a republican nation-state such as our U.S.A., has been the expression of a continuing conflict between the republican tradition of the development of what became our unique design of a U.S. constitutional republic, and the relics of feudalism in a Europe besieged internally by the legacy of Venetian financier usury and the dead hand of feudal aristocratic traditions, continued under such guises as parliamentary systems. Over the period since the rise of Anglo-Dutch Liberal power over the interval 1688-1815, the driving intent for progress in civilization globally, has been expressed in sundry forms of imitation of the principles of the U.S. Federal Constitution, as Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton typify our American legacy. This was more clearly manifest during the 1865-1877 aftermath of the U.S. defeat, under President Lincoln, of Lord Palmerstons use of his tools, the Confederacy and also the New England-centered tradition of the British East India Company, in the effort to divide and destroy the U.S. republic. It was this defeat of British imperialism, under Lincolns leadership, which excited continental Eurasias efforts to bring the kinds of progress witnessed in the U.S. onto the continent of Eurasia. It was the development of transcontinental railway systems, that done in imitation of the U.S. industrialization unleashed by President Lincoln, which prompted the British Empire, under Lord Palmerston-trained Prince of Wales Edward Albert, to organize what became World Wars I and II, the so-called Cold War, and the Blair governments use of lies and other fraud to draw a U.S. government, mentally sick in its head, into the presently raging threat of the greatest global catastrophe in all modern history. That is to emphasize, that there is no inherent fault in land-based, as opposed to maritime society. The fact of the matter is, that, until recently, maritime cultures have expressed a more hospitable inclination toward innovative daring in development. However, this changed with the emergence of the commitment of leading nations to transcontinental railway systems, especially that impulse as unleashed by the effects of the victory led by U.S. President Lincoln over the British imperial effort, in concert with the governments of France and Spain, to destroy the existence of the republics in the U.S.A. and Mexico. The world is currently gripped by the great, global sucking-sound of the presently, hyperbolically accelerating, greatest, global financial collapse in all known history of mankind. Now, the principles of global development are clearly posed as the intention on whose success the avoidance of an already onrushing, planetary new dark age now depends, and that rather immediately. Either the British empire, in its present form, is eliminated, or civilization is eliminated globally, that for a considerable period of time to come. There are alternatives. There are immediately accessible remedies; but the existence of some form of civilization for some time to come, depends upon scrapping present habits in favor of urgently required innovations of a type which the memory of the late U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt suggests for now. So far, here, I have posed the challenge before us. Now, I must clarify the historical basis in principles, for the remedies required. It should have been already obvious, in what I written here thus far. The distinction between the two, thus contrasted social outlooks, is as follows. The Human Equation From the standpoint of those developments in science and technology available to us presently, we have passed over from a perspective of conquering the space between, and within continents, to the prospect of conquering the space among planets, and beyond. Indeed, the presently perilous world political-economic situation is such, that unless we make that available shift in emphasis for statecraft, the world were probably condemned to enjoy an already onrushing plunge into a generations-long, new dark age. The penalty would be, not the failure to develop space-exploration sufficiently, as such. The penalty would be the effect of the attitude thus expressed. Failure to maintain the outward improvement of mans knowledge and mastery of nature, would have a reverberating, destructive effect on the attitude of policy-shaping as that expressed attitude of hostility to outreach would affect the conditions of life back here, on Earth. Failure to move upstream, has always been a factor of ruinous decadence in relevant societies as far back as we can determine. The only effective remedy for that threatened and already onrushing state of our planetary affairs, is to examine more carefully that principle of advantage which had been, for a very long time, the advantage of maritime over land-locked modes of culture. To this end, it is essential that we examine certain peculiarities of historical-clinical importance in the way certain conflicting uses of languages may be defined. This task can be considered in terms of the crippling effects which fixed-rule games, including the gaming habits of the traditionally fanatical chess nut, and the effect of including games such as computer point-and-shoot games, or those others considered by von Neumann and Morgensterns The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, tend to produce in the addict. Progressive cultures, such as cultures with a maritime characteristic akin to Sphaerics, can be regarded as cultures whose use of language is more or less constantly producing the needed higher forms of grammatical structure which progress always demands, higher forms in which the most significant net emphasis is on conceptions associated with hypothesis employed in the manner typified by the Pythagoreans and Platonics. So, progressive cultures of the type usually traceable to a maritime, upstream orientation, adapt themselves to the need to impart the communication of newly discovered hypothetical states. In the past history of the roots of European cultures, science and poetry are the typical channel of expression of these improvements in the powers of the individual human mind. For example: there is a contrary direction, as typified by the kinds of downgrading of the customary uses of the English language under corrupting influences such as those associated with the exemplary New York Times style-book, and, a correlative of that, the mentally crippling restriction on the use of the comma. This and related tendencies to popularize (or, if you prefer, vulgarize) the use and form of language, as degeneration is typified by the popularization of Mark Twain, have usually appeared in the form of an attempt, as with the pseudo-language called Esperanto, to make the users of language and related practice of art, as relatively more and more stupid (i.e., popular), and the content of what passes generally for literate communication bent more and more to the trivial. Take the clinically relevant experience of an organization which I had participated in founding and leading, the Fusion Energy Foundation (FEF). During the interval of approximately a decade, between its founding and the suppression (by aid of corrupt U.S. government and other instrumentalities), FEF was a significant component of the U.S.A.s and international science communitys activity. During that interval, FEF was a joint effort of two generations, my own and that of the Baby-Boomer age-group. By the close of the 1980s and the beginnings of the 1990s, the senior figures of science and related endeavors began to disappear through normal attrition of the aging process. A notable side-effect of this, was the virtual vanishing of scientific rigor among the same persons from the Baby-Boomer age-interval who had shown intellectual promise and fruitfulness during the course of the 1970s and 1980s. This change was essentially a reflection of the wave of intellectual decay which had overtaken most of that relatively younger generation. In a large degree, this trend is the effect of the corrosive impact of the moral and intellectual decadence of the so-called Baby-Boomer generationon both sides of the Atlantic. This should be recognized as a disease which must be checked and reversed, if we are to have a viable civilization again. However, my emphasis on this matter here, is not merely to lament the decadence of the presently reigning trans-Atlantic political class. My mission here is to put the emphasis on something we had lost, something we had lost, in part, because we had overlooked the crucial implication of this change: something we must regain. That brings this report back to the matters with which the report began. Astrophysics & Culture As I have emphasized at several crucial points in this account thus far, there is a special quality of relationship expressed by the mind which uses astrogation as a means for mastering the navigation of the seas. This is a connection which is congruent, not accidentally, with the role of water and its streams, lakes, and oceans, within the Biosphere as a whole. The relationship of the waters of the oceans and seas to the flow of life in the upstream lands of the Biosphere, is the principal medium in which the struggle of mankind for self-development is principally situated, in a fundamental way. It is the challenge, as expressed in the discovery of principled conceptions of the relations of the oceans and the heavens above, which has always been the principal feature of the most forward and most effective thrust of the work of the creative powers of the human mind. This development coincides with the emergence of new degrees of freedom which are indispensable for mankinds increased power in nature. This progress in the powers of the human species, occurs not only as an expression of the opportunity for such discoveries; it is a reflection of both increasing challenges which demand development, but when society responds to that challenge, the rate and extent of realization of potential progress is promoted, especially in societies which embrace that challenge as their destiny. These challenges are expressed, chiefly, as, on the one side, the challenges to societys members. On the other side, it is expressed as the challenge of need for those altered relations among the members of society on which the societys categorical response to its challenge depends. Similarly, in the matter of space exploration, the challenge itself is of greater immediate importance to our species than the successes themselves. When we consider the twofold challenge so outlined, the development of the social forms of behavior within society which reflect such challenges, represents a relatively greater amount of the work of development of society than scientific progress as such. On this account, hypothesis as such plays a greater role than successful discovery. The subjunctive and conditional, ideas expressed in the language of hypothesis, are more important than the indicative. Hence, the crucial importance of Classical poetry, and its expression in the form of the methods of musical composition traced from the impact of the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. This aspect of the creative functions of the individual mind within society, thus defines the essence of net progress in the way in which languages are developed for us. View full size NASA/Hubble Space Telescope The response to the challenges confronting the relevant capacities of the beasts to respond, are approximately fixed by the degree of development of which that species of beast is capable. With mankind, it is different. Our development, as I have emphasized that here, has the effect of transforming us, as if to become a higher species than we had been earlier. Thus, since the beast has no ability to create a language in this way, they could never develop a kind of use of language which is the general, characteristic tendency of the human species universally. For reasons which I have indicated here, the process of development of human cultures has been the richest in effects where man lives among the oceans, reaching upstream. This process of development into relatively higher states of mind, as physical-scientific progress illustrates the point, finds its deepest roots in the oceans of maritime culture, and in the streams it must climb on that account. The result of this process is changes in the composition of the human mind, changes which would be the result of emergence of a more advanced species in the animal kingdom. So, in place of the relatively fixed potential population-densities of the animal species, mankind is a self-evolving species, in which it is the mental life, rather than changes in the biological composition of the living individual person, which is the location within which progress and evolution of the power of the species occurs. So, unlike the relatively fixed potential relative population-density of the beasts, it is from the evolutionary development of those specifically human mental powers, as in the upstream progress of a maritime culture, that each generation inherits the specific powers of its immediate predecessors. We are creatures of the seas, striving upward toward the stars. We are creatures of the fourth and highest domain, above the abiotic, the merely living, and the merely individual. We are, by anointed destiny, not beasts, but, as Genesis 1:26-31 specifies, creatures in the willful likeness of the Creator. This editorial appears in the April 14, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. EDITORIAL The Global Majority and a New Birth of Freedom [Print version of this editorial] April 7Someone once said, The philosophers have merely interpreted the world. The point is to change it. Where, however, does the power to change the world come from? The principle of agape, as expressed in the words, Greater love than this, no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends, is the power that drives change. But how is that power to be conveyed to an entire society, such that it becomes the fabric of the constitution of the state? In this Easter season, convergent with Passover and Ramadan, Pope Francis has once again called for a ceasefire in Ukraine. In Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Oman and other Southwest Asian countries, not only a mood, but a practice of reconciliation is occurring, for example toward the suffering and illegally occupied state of Syria. The eight-year Yemen war may be about to end, perhaps as a result of the China-brokered negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia that blind-sided the U.S. This is the diplomacy of agape, diplomacy that can only be carried out by those with the courage to change their axioms, as the soon-to-be assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin had insisted only months before he gave his life in 1995 in the cause of peace. Republican statecraft since Dante Alighieri has viewed the purpose of language to be the empowering of a people to impart and receive, in the words of P.B. Shelleys In Defence of Poetry, profound and impassioned conceptions respecting man and nature. A democratic republic can not long survive unless most members of the nations electorate, as well as its statesmen and other policy-influentials, share a common use of a literate language developed to communicate profound and scientifically rigorous thought respecting the consequences of choices of public policy. Until such a condition of the general electorate is achieved, every republic continues to be threatened from within by the danger that the irrational passions of an underdeveloped popular majority might wreck those institutions of government and policy on which the progress and survival of that nation depends. Lyndon LaRouche, Religion, Science and Statecraft: New Directions in Indo-European Philology, available here. The advanced deliberations and resultant policy recommendations required to wrest control from the grip of the doomed semi-literates of the trans-Atlantic zombie dollar sector, before they bring aboutincluding accidentallya thermonuclear obliteration they might not even suspect, must be put on a fast track. The world cannot wait. A system of conferences and public discourse that can override the antics of Foggy Bottom and Vauxhall Cross, headquarters of the State Department and MI6 respectively, must be employed by free thinking citizens and representatives of institutions. Deliberations, informed by the profound and scientifically rigorous thought of which LaRouche speaks, must not be secret, but available to each and every citizen anywhere in the world who recognizes not only how directly he or she is affected by world events, but also, how those events may be altered by even one individual fortified with the whole armor of truth. If hundreds, or even scores of such discussions, both going into and coming out of the upcoming April 15-16 conference are now provoked by our movement, whether in the form of interventions, street discussions, or blog posts and virtual programs, that can become the process by means of which the democratic republic might yet still be saved. That agapic principle of bringing the democratic republic back to life through creative nonviolent direct action, must first be reintroduced into an Anglosphere now dominated by thought-control and proto-dictatorship, like in the 1930s, in almost every Western nation. That can only be done by the vigorous calling to public account of the masters of the universe who have failed, and by providing the solutions they refused to devise or adopt. A world town hall discussion will take place Saturday-Sunday, April 15-16, sponsored by the Schiller Institute. Titled, Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet, it will convene more than a thousand participants from many nations. Their united voices and actions can incite a shift from the march of folly toward a Malthusian dead end in economics, science and culture, to a narrow path out of the dark wood of self-inflicted poverty, violence and despair now epidemic in the once-prosperous developed world. To aid in the organizing for this conference, please pre-register today at the Schiller Institute site. Also, before next week, and in the spirit of the Passover/Easter/Ramadan season, here is a spiritual exercise proposed for all. Pick a nation not your own, and with which you have little familiarity. Then ask, and try to answer: How would a new security and development architecture change this country for the better? Then you are thinking and working in the complex domain that will indeed ensure not only others, but your own durable survival as well. Argentine and Brazilian Presidents Coordinate, So the IMF Cant Be Allowed To Asphyxiate Argentina April 14, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)In a well-crafted flanking move, undoubtedly coordinated with his Brazilian counterpart, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said, in a speech before the Industrial Design and Innovation Exhibition in Buenos Aires yesterday that the IMF will not asphyxiate us, we cannot allow it to asphyxiate us. He was referring to remarks that my dear friend Brazilian President Lula da Silva, had made the same day in Shanghai to officials of the BRICS New Development Bank, in which Lula denounced the IMF for asphyxiating Argentina, and holding a knife to its neck. Fernandez reported hed spoken with Lula by phone a week earlier, adding that yesterday he had read about his remarks on Argentina in Shanghai, at the investiture of Dilma Rousseff as the new president of the BRICS New Development Bank. Thank you Lula, he said. Ive told the IMF this a thousand times, but your words will help them understand it more.... They will not asphyxiate us. We cannot allow them to asphyxiate us, especially given what we are living through today. The Argentine President added that he fully supported Lulas presentation to the NDB officials, according to the A24.com website. Fernandez also said that in his phone call, he had given Lula a detailed report on the severity of Argentinas economic crisis, including the effects of the worst drought since 1929, which has devastated key export crops such as soy and corn, causing losses of between $17-$20 billion in revenue. This, in turn, has affected the governments ability to accumulate foreign reserves, to pay for needed imports, and to implement the terms of the current onerous Extended Fund Facility with the IMF. Thats why Finance Minister Sergio Massa is currently at the spring annual IMF meeting in Washington seeking to renegotiate the terms of the $45 billion agreement, in order to ease conditionalities, Fernandez reported. The government has no intention of printing money like crazy or taking other extreme action, Fernandez said, adding he understands efforts must be made to lower deficits and be fiscally responsible. But, he warned, the government will not abdicate its responsibility to protect its citizens, provide them with healthcare, job opportunities, and aid the unemployed. We will not renounce the idea of a strong state, as neoliberals demand, he said, despite the crisis. The IMFs response? At a press conference yesterday, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva dispelled any idea that the Fund intended to go easy on Argentina. With the usual doubletalk, she said she knew how hard the Fernandez government had tried to adopt prudent management and comply with the goals of the current agreement, and that the effect of the drought has complicated the work of politicians. Thats why, she explained, the Fund has generously decided to lower by $2 billion the amount of reserves that the government must keep on hand. The final message, however, was that the Funds program must be implemented with austerity conditionalities and all. We know that we have the governments commitment to keep refining policies in light of existing conditions, Georgieva said. But in the end, the programs success relies on implementation, and implementation continues to be most important, even in these challenging circumstances. In other words: shut up and do as youre told. China among leading countries in nuclear power technologies People's Daily Online) 13:54, April 14, 2023 China is now among the leading countries in nuclear power technologies, highlighted by the successful connection of the countrys first nuclear power unit using Hualong One, a domestically developed third-generation nuclear reactor, to the grid. Aerial photo taken on Dec. 1, 2021 shows nuclear power units under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in Fuqing, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Xinhua) The No. 5 nuclear power unit of the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Fuqing, southeast Chinas Fujian Province, was connected to the power network for the first time on Nov. 27, 2020 and started to generate electricity, allowing China to break some foreign countries monopoly in nuclear power technologies, and has been among the worlds leaders in this regard. It is also the worlds first third-generation reactor put into operation as scheduled, according to Gao Jinzhu, deputy general manager of China Nuclear Engineering & Construction Corporation Limited (CNECC). From the construction of Pakistans Chashma Nuclear Power Plant, the first commercial nuclear power plant China exported, to that of Phase III of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, which is the first nuclear power plant on the Chinese mainland, and Hualong One, Chen has witnessed the ceaseless improvement of intelligent manufacturing in China. As China leads the world in the installed capacity of nuclear power and nuclear power capacity under construction, CNECC has become a world-renowned constructor of nuclear power stations. The company can now construct 40 nuclear power units at the same time, up from two units. Being able to construct nuclear power units using different nuclear reactors and specifications such as Hualong One, heavy water reactors, EPRs, and AP1000s, CNECC has reached an internationally advanced level in nuclear power construction and management. CNECC is the backbone of Chinas nuclear power construction. Sixty nuclear power units built by the company have become operational, and another 23 units are under construction in China. In 2019, a core machine of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) entered the installation phase. A consortium led by ITER Organization and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) signed the Tokamak Assembly Contract 1 (TAC1). It was the first time for a Chinese nuclear power enterprise to successfully participate in international scientific projects in the form of general contracting. Though China was a latecomer, it will become a leader in nuclear power construction in the world, said Chen Baozhi, chairman of CNECC. (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) Xi Jinping and Lula Da Silva Meeting Advances Cause of World Peace April 14, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Todays meeting between the Presidents of China and Brazil, the two biggest developing countries in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, as President Xi Jinping noted, has a significance beyond their bilateral agreements, as useful and important as the latter are. Both leaders spoke of the importance of their relations for overall global peace. According to Xinhua, Xi spoke of the overarching, strategic and global influence of China-Brazil relations, as both nations cooperate to bring about peace, stability and prosperity in their regions and around the world. Likewise, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called China an indispensable force in global politics, economy and trade, science and technology, [which] plays a vital role in promoting world peace and development, and said that Brazil is committed to building closer relations with China from the strategic perspective of shaping a just and equitable international order. Cooperation in various multinational fora were stressed, from the G20 and BRICS, to the China-CELAC Forum for the integration of Ibero-America, with work on bringing about fair international development and finance included. Both parties agreed that the future of all countries is closely intertwined, and that it is necessary to promote tolerance, coexistence, mutual learning and exchange between different civilizations, their Joint Statement asserts. Not everything which had been on the table was achieved, but the relationship between the two countries advanced significantly, in defiance of the crazed Western drive to vilify and isolate China. The two leaders discussed how to help bring about an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, largely in their private meeting. Brazils UOL news service had reported that top diplomats from both countries had been working on a separate joint statement on peace, with discussions back-and-forth on the wording. Ultimately, what was issued was the following number 9 in their 49-point Joint Communique: Both parties stated that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the crisis in Ukraine and that all efforts leading to a peaceful solution to the crisis must be encouraged and supported. Brazil received in a positive way the proposal by China that offers reflections conducive to the search for a peaceful solution to the crisis. China received in a positive way the efforts by Brazil in favor of peace. The parties made an appeal for more countries to play a constructive role in the promotion of a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine. The parties decided to keep in contact on this matter. No MOU on Brazil joining Chinas Belt and Road Initiative came out of this meeting, but a statement in the Joint Declaration explicitly leaves it on the table. The brawl within the Brazilian government before Lulas trip over whether it should finally join was quite public, and there is reason to believe that Brazil had been subjected to threats of financial warfare if it joined. The upshot is in number 13 in the Joint Declaration, that Brazil and China have expressed an interest in examining synergies between Brazils development policies and investment programs, including in South American integration efforts, and Chinas development policies and international initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative. Otherwise, 15 bilateral commercial and partnership agreements were signed, altogether worth $10 billion, according to reports, while 20 new business agreements were signed between Brazilian and Chinese companies, in addition to 20 others signed by Brazilian businessmen already in China in March, when Lula had to postpone his scheduled visit due to pneumonia. WAR IN UKRAINE MOSCOW Belarusian air force crews have completed their training for using tactical nuclear weapons as part of Russia's plan to deploy the weapons to its ally Belarus amid the fighting in neighboring Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday. The ministry released a video in which a Belarusian pilot said the training course in Russia gave the crews of the Belarusian air force's Su-25 ground attack jets the necessary skills for using the weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared last month that Moscow planned to put some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, an attempt to discourage the West from supporting Ukraine. Russia has an agreement with Belarus that envisions close political, economic and military ties. Russian troops used Belarusian territory to roll into Ukraine from the north in February 2022 and have maintained a presence there. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Friday Beijing won't sell weapons to either side in the war, responding to Western concerns. China maintains it is neutral in the conflict, while politically, rhetorically and economically backing Russia as Western nations imposed sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for its invasion. Qin is the highest-level Chinese official to make such an explicit statement about arms sales to Russia. He added that China also would regulate the export of items with dual civilian and military use. "Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude," Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. "China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict, and manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations." The minister also reiterated China's willingness to help find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The White House on Friday welcomed Qin's pledge that China won't supply weapons to Russia. "We will continue to monitor closely," White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said. In Ukraine the battle for Bakhmut is heating up again, analysts and Russian officials said Friday, as Ukrainian defenders resisted a coordinated three pronged attack by the Kremlin's forces and efforts to stop supplies from reaching them. "The Ukrainian defense still holds the western districts of the town but has been subjected to particularly intense Russian artillery fire over the previous 48 hours," a U.K. Ministry of Defense assessment said. Regular Russian units now joined Russian military contractor the Wagner Group in the campaign. UW-MADISON | NEW CHANCELLOR Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin's life was personally changed by UW-Madison nearly a year and a half before she took the reins last summer. In the winter of 2020, research advances made on the Madison campus saved the life of her father, Mnookin told a full auditorium as part of her investiture ceremony Friday. The discoveries allowed her to donate a kidney in California and ship it off on a red-eye flight across the country to Bob Mnookin, who was experiencing kidney disease in Massachusetts. It was a demonstration of the Wisconsin Idea, she said, the principle that the university serves the world beyond campus. That was on full display Friday, as Bob Mnookin led the academic procession into her investiture. It's also on display in the lives changed by other research at the University of Wisconsin's flagship campus, including finding bacteria in a Yellowstone National Park geyser that led to DNA testing and PCR tests used to diagnose COVID-19. "The Wisconsin Idea is both anchor and propeller, keeping us grounded to our mission while creating that multiplier effect that allows us to do truly great things," Mnookin said. Mnookin, UW-Madison's 30th chancellor, joined UW-Madison last August after teaching at UCLA's law school for 17 years, the last six of those while also serving as dean. An investiture, an academic tradition that traces its roots to the Middle Ages, typically takes place within an educational leader's first year. Across the System, the ceremony tends to cap off a week of celebratory events and community service. Mnookin's investiture was followed by a community picnic, where her own brand of ice cream, "Mnookie Dough," made its debut Friday. As part of Friday's ceremony, Mnookin wore a medallion cast in pewter by two College of Engineering students, Dylan Zinkgraf and Teekay Kowalewski with the UW-Madison insignia, which she said she will wear at future commencement ceremonies. University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman led the ceremony, opening by extolling what he said was Mnookin's principled approach and unwavering commitment to making the campus exceptional. "Jennifer Mnookin is the right leader, at the right time," Rothman said. "She brings an incredible intellect and has served as a faculty member and leader at some of the nation's preeminent public universities. "Quite frankly, Jennifer Mnookin is made for this university," Rothman added. Growing forward Mnookin emphasized in her speech that UW-Madison, the state and the world all face challenges they will need to confront head on. To do that, Mnookin >stressed the Wisconsin Idea and the need to create an environment of discourse to openly discuss problems in pursuit of solutions. She argued the university would need continue to grow in order to meet current and future needs. Faculty will need to be able to cross disciplines and work with other campus departments, a concept that also was encouraged by late former Chancellor Rebecca Blank as she sought to increase research grant funding to UW-Madison. It also will require continued growth in research, Mnookin said. Research funding a decade ago was declining but has since rebounded to a cumulative $1.3 billion in research funding, with about half of that coming from the National Institutes of Health. Deeper connections with industry partners and communities will be vital, Mnookin added. "The needs are great, and we must commit to growing our ambitions in the years ahead. To doing still more to multiply, and to amplify, our commitments to education, to research and to service," she said. "To meet our challenges head on, hand in hand with strong and motivated partners, not for ourselves, but for the people we serve and for the good of Wisconsin, the nation and the globe." Gov. Tony Evers, who spent decades in public education and served on the UW Board of Regents as the state superintendent, said he is especially grateful for Mnookin's appreciation for the state and her vision for UW-Madison as an institution that upholds it. "This university is so much more than just a school," Evers said. "Our job here is not to just educate it is to inspire the next leaders, the next big ideas, the next policy solutions that will help people make their lives better, to make sure our government works, and it works well." For California, New York and some other states trying to position themselves as safe havens for those seeking abortions, a federal court ruling this week could be a setback, adding barriers to obtaining one of the two drugs usually used in combination to end pregnancies. A ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Wednesday partially overturned a lower court, which said earlier this month that mifepristone sales should be stopped while its initial approval by the Food and Drug Administration, in 2000, is reconsidered. But the new ruling came with a catch: The drug must be used in compliance with the FDA's prescribing rules from 2000 rather than a series of more permissive regulations adopted starting in 2016. For example, the drug must be taken in the presence of a physician, which rules out mailing it to patients. "That's not good for all of these states that are trying to help other people," said Jolynn Dellinger, a senior lecturing fellow at Duke Law School who has been following the mifepristone litigation. Laws vary widely As with other abortion policies since last June when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision declaring a nationwide right to an abortion, the impact is expected to vary widely. And it's not clear how long this ruling will be in effect. President Joe Biden's administration and a drug manufacturer appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which said Friday it will temporarily keep in place federal rules for mifepristone while it takes time to more fully consider the issues raised in a court challenge. The ruling doesn't affect the other abortion pill, misoprostol, which can be used alone to end pregnancies but is more effective when taken in combination with mifepristone. For the 13 states with bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy and the one with a ban on abortion after cardiac activity can be detected, the ruling will change little in abortion policy. At least 10 other states had restrictions already placed \on medication abortion, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. For instance, in Georgia, it's legal only in the first six weeks of pregnancy; in Kansas, an ultrasound at an office visit is required before it's dispensed; and in North Carolina, it can't be prescribed via telehealth. On the other side, 17 states controlled by Democrats apparently won't be affected by the change; in a separate but closely related case last week, a judge sided with them in their request that mifepristone access not be changed there. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum's office emphasized in a statement that it remains legal in the state to be prescribed abortion drugs by phone and receive them by mail. Besides Oregon and Washington, the other states where the medication access is protected are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont plus Washington D.C. Pre-2016 rules That leaves just eight states where the pre-2016 rules will make much of a difference when they take effect Saturday: Democrat-controlled California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York all states that protected abortion access and welcomed out-of-staters seeking abortions as well as Republican-controlled Alaska and Montana and politically divided New Hampshire and Virginia. California, Massachusetts and New York stockpiled abortion pills in case of restrictions. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he's considering doing so. All four states have policies intended to protect women who travel from states with abortion bans in order to obtain them, though it's states closer to those with bans, such as Colorado, North Carolina and Florida, that have seen the biggest upticks in the number of abortions. On Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new law banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, but it won't take effect unless a court upholds the state's current 15-week ban. Duke's Dellinger said requiring a doctor's appointment to receive abortion drugs could make travel for abortions even more cumbersome, even if supplies of the drugs are available. David S. Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University, said he believes only the visit where mifepristone is taken would have to be in-person, while other required appointments could possibly be conducted by phone in those six states. Julia Spiegel, the deputy legal affairs secretary to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, said the state is still assessing the full impact of the 5th Circuit's ruling, but said it affirms that mifepristone is legal and will remain available in California. "We are preparing for and have been prepared for this moment," she said. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Plantkin said in an emailed statement that the state did not join in the appeal with many blue states because "we were generally not in favor of emergency efforts to interfere with the FDA approval process," even though it disagrees with rulings "that undercut the FDA and medical consensus." He said the office is supporting the federal government's appeal to the nation's top court. A missing diver who was pulled from Lake Mendota on Friday morning has died. The Madison Fire Departments water rescue team and other agencies located the missing diver in Lake Mendota near Shorewood Hills, brought the diver to shore, administered medical care and took the person to an area hospital where he later died on Friday morning, the Fire Department said. The diver was a 63-year-old man, the Dane County Sheriffs Office said Friday afternoon, but the office gave no additional identifying information. At about 9:20 a.m., the Madison Fire Departments water rescue team responded to the lake for a report of a missing diver. With coordinated assistance from Dane County sheriffs marine enforcement boat patrol, the Dane County communication center, Shorewood Hills and UW Police departments, the diver was quickly located, returned to the surface and transported to the shore for medical care and then taken by ambulance to the hospital, the Fire Department said. CAMERON About 2,000 people attended the visitation and funeral for slain police officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel as they were laid to rest Saturday. Hundreds more lined the streets for the procession as the small northwestern Wisconsin town swelled with law enforcement and others who traveled to pay their respects. Breidenbach, a 32-year-old Chetek police officer, and Scheel, a 23-year-old Cameron police officer, were killed a week ago in a shootout with 50-year-old Glen Douglas Perry, of New Auburn, during a traffic stop. Perry later died at a hospital. At the funeral, Chetek Mayor Jeff Martin said Breidenbach wore a badge, carried a gun and helped maintain public safety. But like all good officers, she did so much more than enforcing the law, he said. She built bridges into our community with kids and adults alike in our schools, on our streets downtown. A 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute preceded a procession after the service. Breidenbach became engaged to be married just a month ago. Her fiance said he would miss her fierce sense of humor and her gung-ho, fearless attitude. Maranatha Evangelical Free Church Senior Pastor Cody Kargus said he was close to both officers. He said both were good Christians and will be remembered for making the ultimate sacrifice: laying down their lives in the line of duty. Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Justice said Monday that Breidenbach and Scheel pulled Perry over to check on his welfare after their departments received notification of concerning behavior and because he had an outstanding warrant. Court records show a Barron County judge issued a bench warrant for Perry on March 30 after he failed to appear during a court hearing requested by the countys child support agency as part of a divorce case. Perry was also charged twice with offenses related to domestic violence in 2020. Breidenbach joined the Chetek police force in 2019 and handled the departments therapy dog, Officer Grizz. Before working for her hometown police department, she worked for nine months with the Stoughton Police Department in Dane County. Scheel joined the Cameron Police Department in 2022 after graduating from the law enforcement academy in December. He also served six years as a member of the Army National Guard. The village of Cameron and city of Chetek are small communities located 8 miles from each other. Each has about 2,000 residents. Both communities police departments have just a handful of officers. The shooting is being investigated by DOJs Division of Criminal Investigation. It garnered national attention and an outpouring of condolences via social media from other law enforcement agencies and elected officials, including Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Gov. Tony Evers. Evers ordered all flags be lowered to half-staff Saturday in honor of Scheel and Breidenbach. The officers visitation began at 9 a.m. and was followed by the funeral service at 1 p.m. Both ceremonies were held at Cameron High School with police honors conducted outside the school at the conclusion. Close First responders from across the region attend Saturday's funeral in Cameron for slain police officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel. Police from Rochester, Minn., pay their respects for slain officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel during Saturday's services in Cameron. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel laid to rest Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. First responders from across the region attend Saturday's funeral in Cameron for slain police officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel. Police from Rochester, Minn., pay their respects for slain officers Emily Breidenbach and Hunter Scheel during Saturday's services in Cameron. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. The after-service procession came after a 21-gun salute and bagpipe tribute. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of locals lined the streets in Cameron and Chetek Saturday after about 2,000 people from Wisconsin and Minnesota showed up for the visitation and funerals of Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach, 32 and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel, 23 on Saturday afternoon. Memorial funds for the fallen officers have been set up at banks in the region. Donations to the Hunter Scheel Memorial Fund can be sent to P.O. Box 457, 101 W. Main St., Cameron, WI 54822. Donations to the Emily Breidenbach Memorial Fund can be sent to Sterling Bank, 427 Second St., P.O. Box 106, Chetek, WI 54728. UW-Madison tribal relations director Carla Vigues two sons will grow up differently than she did. Vigue was raised on the Oneida reservation west of Green Bay, but her sons will be urban Indians, defined as a population of people who have ancestral ties to First Nations but who dont live on a reservation. Vigues role as the universitys tribal relations director, which she started in January, will be one way to not only strengthen her sons ties to their culture, but introduce them to other Indigenous cultures. As I get to go out and visit tribal communities, Im hopeful that I can take them along with me and they get to see not just our own community, but other communities in the state. I think thats really important, Vigue said. Each tribe has its own culture. For me, its a motivation that my little boys will be better for this too. As tribal relations director, Vigue is the liaison between UW-Madison and the 12 First Nations of Wisconsin. Vigue started her career at a government relations firm in Washington, D.C., where she connected tribal leaders to lawmakers; she also did public relations for the National Indian Gaming Association, where she educated tribes on how casino revenue revives communities through funding health clinics or schools. After moving back to Wisconsin, Vigue worked with the state departments of Health and Family Services (now known as Health Services) and Veterans Affairs as a liaison to tribal communities, and helped expand health care for children. She also worked as a press secretary for former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and would accompany him on visits to tribal nations. When Vigue saw the job posting for UW-Madison, she knew it was meant to be her next step. Madison is home, she said, and the university already has provided myriad learning opportunities for her children. This is what I was meant to do now, she said. Were coming out of this COVID-19 pandemic, going out into tribal communities and talking to them about what they would like, or what we do, or how we can be better together. Thats what I do, and to do it for this really wonderful university is really amazing to me. Vigue is the second person to hold the title after Aaron Bird Bear, a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes, of North Dakota, retired at the end of 2022. At age 51, Bird Bear decided to retire after more than two decades with UW-Madison in large part because of the short life expectancies seen by other members of his tribe. What inspired you to get into Indigenous advocacy? When I was in high school, we didnt have a ton in our community before gaming. I remember specifically across the street from us was a woman named Loretta Metoxen, and shes our tribal historian. She was well-known in the state everyone knew Loretta, she was a veteran. She passed on about two years ago, maybe three. She knew that I wanted to travel abroad with the French Club. And it was a sort of thing where shes like, Just come talk to us at the business committee, and well see what we can do. They didnt have a lot, but they offered me some assistance so I could go do that. And thats the kind of community I come from, where we just band together and see what we can do for one another and how helpful we can be for one another. Its always thinking about the next seven generations, so its not just about me, but its about the people Im helping to pull up behind me. Do you have a favorite area of advocacy? For me, education is the stepping stone to all the opportunity that Ive had. How do we create opportunity for everyone in the tribal communities? Education is one way we can do that. Having worked for (Doyle), health care and education were his top priorities as well, so those have always been first and foremost. Education is that thing that is your next opportunity to move forward. How does your Oneida background shape your work? The people who supported me throughout my young career and then as I continued to grow in my career, that definitely has a major impact on who I am today. And learning from them and watching how they lead and how theyve carried themselves and how they give back is really important to me. How do you think UW-Madison can improve its relationships with Indigenous communities? Over the past 10-ish years, theres been an organic movement towards making sure that were interacting with tribes in the best way possible and making sure that the students from our Native nations are well taken care of. And thats something I want to build upon. Is it 100% perfect model right now? No, and I think everyone, even (Bird Bear), would probably agree that more has to be done. And so, building on that progress, and then also taking a fresh look, as a new person that came from the outside, of how our relationship with the tribes can be better. How can we be better partners? How can we build a better relationship that benefits both of us and build on the progress thats been made, and making sure that the tribes are heard and that the students feel a sense of belonging here? Are there any initiatives you think UW-Madison should implement? For this first year, I just really want to go out and see what the tribes want: What are you thinking, what would you like to see accomplished on this campus? And just get in and listen and be the person who doesnt come in and just say, This is what we should be doing. I want to come in and say, What can we do? How can we work together? And have them help me decide the path. MOBILE, Ala. The legacy of George Wallace lives on. The Alabama governor was best known for skillfully pandering to the racial animosity harbored by so many white voters not only in the South, but also, as his presidential campaigns showed, throughout the nation. Wallace was especially savvy about exploiting white fear of Black crime, claiming he would restore law and order. After decades of using subtle but racially charged code words, the Republican Party has embraced the Wallace playbook explicitly. Donald Trump showed GOP politicians they could abandon dog whistles for a foghorn, leaving no doubt about whether they meant to widen the racial divide. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas is recklessly following the Wallace playbook with his decision to pardon Army Sgt. Daniel Perry, convicted of murder earlier this month for the shooting death of Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster in Austin. Though Foster was white, he was subject to the same seething rage that consumes many whites who want to portray all BLM protesters as thugs, looters or antifa, no matter how peaceful they are. (Foster may have incited more anger in some white critics than Black protesters because they may have seen him as a race traitor.) According to testimony at the trial, Perry, who was working as a ride-share driver, turned into the crowd of protesters on the night of the shooting, July 25, 2020. Foster was legally carrying an assault-style rifle across his chest and approached Perrys car. Perry shot Foster from inside his car, claiming self-defense, insisting that Foster had raised the rifle to fire. But the prosecution introduced evidence showing Perrys deep-seated animosity toward BLM protesters. Among his text messages and social media comments were the following: I might have to kill a few people on my way to work, they are rioting outside my apartment complex, and I might go to Dallas to shoot looters. The jury also heard testimony from a friend of Perrys who had tried to persuade him not to murder a protester and claim self-defense. Shooting after creating an event where you have to shoot, is not a good shoot, the friend told Perry in a social media message. The jury took that evidence into consideration as they deliberated. It was the messages that gave us his state of mind and what he was thinking regarding the protest, one juror told The New York Times. That wasnt good enough for the governor. He leapt into action even though the appeals process for Perry had barely begun. He tweeted, 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. Abbotts abrogation of a jury verdict stands in dramatic contrast to his practice with pardons. He has been quite stingy with his clemency power in the past, using it for a few people convicted of minor crimes, according to The Dallas Morning News. In 2021, for example, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended 75 requests for clemency, but the governor pardoned only eight Texans. But Abbott couldnt resist pressure from ultraconservatives, including Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, a George Wallace acolyte. Carlson tweeted, Apparently the state of Texas no longer recognizes the right of self-defense, and on his highly rated show, he insisted that Abbott pardon Perry. Perrys defenders also include the notorious Kyle Rittenhouse, who has made a lucrative living from speaking to right-wing groups about killing two unarmed BLM protesters in Wisconsin and getting away with it, claiming self-defense. If you see a pattern here, youre right. Its a pattern that stretches back to the late 19th century, when white vigilantes killed Black freedmen (and -women) with impunity. In the 1960s, bigots got away with murdering white allies of civil rights activists, such as Episcopal priest Jonathan Daniels. While the criminal justice system has made great strides toward equal justice for all in recent decades, Abbott and his cronies clearly want to turn back the clock. Jury verdicts, apparently, wont stand in their way. The Twin Falls Education Foundation will gift over $40,000 to Twin Falls School District educators to meet classroom needs in support of student success. Unannounced, in-person classroom visits are scheduled in the next week during which some of grant recipients will be surprised with notification of their awards. All other teachers will receive written or electronic notifications. Cash for Classrooms, an initiative and program of Twin Falls Education Foundation, provides a financial means to educators to secure needed items for their classroom to enhance and students academic experience. We owe teachers a huge amount of gratitude for their dedication and sacrifice, which often extends to buying needed classroom supplies out-of-pocket, Brent Severe, the foundation's executive director, said in a news release. Our 'Cash for Classrooms' program is about listening to teachers unique needs and providing what is needed to bring learning to life in their classroom. As school and classroom budgets continue to shrink, the financial burden placed on our underfunded teachers is growing at an alarming rate. Teachers requested funds to support the purchase of hundreds of items including lesson enhancements, in addition to more unique requests like yoga blocks, leveled-reading-libraries, student desk chairs, tools for social and emotional support, brass and string musical instruments, PA sound systems, educational manipulatives, essential clothing and headphones with mics, all for, or in support of students. These supplies meet a huge need for our teachers, Twin Falls High School Principal Ryan Nesmith said in the release. The support of this program celebrate our amazing educators and provides them with important tools they need to support their students. We are extremely grateful to Twin Falls Education Foundation for recognizing the need, acknowledging the financial hardship on our educators, and for extending their support, and that of its donors. According to the National School Supply and Equipment Association, on average, teachers spend $485 of their money each academic school year for needed school supplies. It is estimated that public-school educators spent $1.6 billion on educational materials and supplies for their classrooms last year. TWIN FALLS A 29-year-old man faces burglary and grand theft charges after he broke into a business Monday, police say. Brenden Theodore Graham is accused of breaking into Hormones + Weight Loss in Twin Falls, shattering a window to get into the business and then breaking down an office door. Security video shows him ripping a safe away from the wall and carrying it to the rear of the business, police say. The business owner reported a loss of $1,550. Graham, who was also charged with malicious injury to property, was identified partly due a still photo from the video being posted on social media, court records say. He has posted a $2,500 bond and a preliminary hearing has been set for April 20. TWIN FALLS A mental health examination has been ordered for a man charged with the killing of a Mexican national at his home south of town. Court records dont give an explanation for the request, but Magistrate Judge Calvin Campbell approved the motion filed by Rockstahl Law Office on behalf of Juan Jose Hernandez-Quiroga, 41, who has been in custody since November on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, kidnapping and destruction of evidence, all felonies. Hernandez-Quiroga is accused of trying to burn the victim's body in a barrel, then burying the body on his property, according to court records. He is being held without bail. Campbells order calls for at least one qualified psychiatrist or licensed psychologist to evaluate Hernandez-Quirogas mental state, preferably on an outpatient basis, and determine whether he is competent to stand trial. The order was filed on Wednesday, and the best location for the evaluation was to be determined within three working days. If the examiner was to find confinement is necessary, the order allows the defendant to be confined in a jail, hospital or other suitable location for up to 30 days. Three days after filing the request for the mental health evaluation for its client, Rockstahl Law Office filed a motion to withdraw from representing Hernandez-Quiroga due to a conflict of interest. Judge David Epis approved the request Friday and issued an order for a public defender to be assigned to represent the defendant. The case goes back to last spring, when the Mexican consulate in Boise contacted the Twin Falls Police Department to file a missing person report after Jose Israel Gallardo Eslava stopped communicating with his family in April. On Sept. 6, police received an anonymous letter, with a return address of a Twin Falls Mexican restaurant, claiming that a Juan, later identified as Hernandez-Quiroga, and his friends killed a man, records say. The victim was identified as Eslava. Investigators say Hernandez-Quiroga cleaned up his garage to conceal the killing, including patching bullet holes. A status conference has been scheduled for May 19 to discuss findings of the mental health condition. Preliminary hearings set for Hernandez-Quiroga have been rescheduled seven times, some of them due to defense attorneys saying they were awaiting discovery. TWIN FALLS A Twin Falls man who eluded law enforcement when he and others ran into a cornfield near Kimberly last fall has been caught. Jeff Day, 29, was recently arrested in Everett, Washington, on a warrant out of Twin Falls County, according to the Twin Falls Sheriffs Office. No other details were available. Day was one of four people who fled in an SUV in September after police said they were at a house in Kimberly where a stolen vehicle had been seen. The stolen vehicle was towed, and an abbreviated high-speed chase in a different vehicle ended at a cornfield near Red Cap Corner. Four adults ran into the cornfield, sparking a search that involved numerous law enforcement agencies and equipment including a ladder truck. Day, who faces a misdemeanor charge of obstruction, was the lone person who evaded law officers. He was also initially charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, but Deputy Prosecutor Jethelyn Harrington said Friday that the charge would be dropped. He has since filed an amended complaint. Things have not come without a cost for Day, however, as court records say his request to attend his wifes funeral on Thursday was denied. KYIVRussia shelled a block of flats in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing nine people, authorities said Saturday, including a two-year-old boy who was rescued from the rubble but died on his way to hospital. Fridays strike on the quiet neighbourhood came as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill that will make it easier to mobilise citizens into the army and block them from fleeing the country if drafted. Russia also said it was pushing further into the hotspot of Bakhmut, 45 kilometres (27 miles) southeast of Sloviansk, which is one of the cities that will be at risk if Kyiv loses the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. ANOTHER SHELLING. A resident stands in front of a burning building after a shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk on April 14 amid Russias military invasion. It killed at least five people, the local governor said, warning that others could be buried in the rubble. AFP Sloviansk lies in a part of the Donetsk region that is under Ukrainian control. According to Kyiv, it was struck by seven missiles which hit five buildings, five homes, a school and an administrative building. Vadim Lyakh, the head of Sloviansks military administration, said Saturday that nine people died including a woman whose body was recovered from the rubble overnight and 21 were wounded. ADVERTISEMENT Five people were still under the rubble and their identities were established, he said. AFP journalists saw rescue workers digging for survivors on the top floor of the typical Soviet-era housing block, and black smoke billowing from homes on fire across the street. A child died in an ambulance after being pulled out from the rubble, Ukrainian police said on Twitter. Ukraines First Lady Olena Zelenska sent her condolences to the childs family during this indescribable grief. President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier denounced Russia for brutally shelling residential buildings and killing people in broad daylight. The street below including a playground was covered in concrete dust and debris, including torn pages from school books and childrens drawings. Shocked residents I live on the opposite side of the street and I was sleeping a little when I heard this huge boom and I ran out from my flat, 59-year-old resident Larisa told AFP. I was really scared and in a state of shock, she said, adding that the impact of the shelling had broken her windows and sent shards of glass flying throughout her home. I heard a woman screaming, theres a child here, theres a child here She was screaming so much. A resident nearby, who declined to give her name, told AFP the strikes had blown out her windows and dislodged her front door from its frame. No one from our side of the building was injured but maybe someone here was, she said, pointing to a pool of blood next to another entrance of her building. I live on the opposite side of the street and I was sleeping a little when I heard this huge boom and I ran out from my flat, 59-year-old resident Larisa told AFP. I was really scared and in a state of shock, she said, adding that the impact of the shelling had broken her windows and sent shards of glass flying throughout her home. I heard a woman screaming, theres a child here, theres a child here She was screaming so much. A resident nearby, who declined to give her name, told AFP the strikes had blown out her windows and dislodged her front door from its frame. No one from our side of the building was injured but maybe someone here was, she said, pointing to a pool of blood next to another entrance of her building. Russia pushes to take Bakhmut More than a year after Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine, fears are high in Russia that the government is planning a fresh mobilisation drive after a bill was rushed through parliament this week to create a digital draft system. Under the legislation, which Putin signed Friday, a draftee would be banned from travelling abroad and would have to report to an enlistment office once electronic call-up papers were received. Tens of thousands of men fled Russia last autumn after Putin announced a mobilisation to prop up the forces in Ukraine. The strike on Sloviansk, which many residents have fled since Russia invaded, came as Moscow said it was pushing to take more districts of ravaged Bakhmut. The town has become a fixation of military commanders despite having little strategic value, leading to a brutal nine-month war of attrition. Wagner assault units are conducting high-intensity combat operations to conquer the western districts of the city, the Russian army said in a statement, referring to the private paramilitary group. Russian airborne troops were providing support to assault squads and halting the enemys attempts to deliver ammunition to the city and bring in reserves, it added. Separately, an intelligence source said any pullout from Bakhmut would be slow and gradual because there was only a narrow escape path left. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the results of the Philippine Statistics Authority Labor Force Survey (LFS) for February reflected the continuous improvement in the employment sector. In a press statement, the DOLE noted that the survey highlightedthe increase in the number of Filipinos joining the labor force, with a participation rate of 66.6 percent or 51.27 million. The data reflected 2.67 million more than the labor force participation during the same period last year, and 1.548 million above the reported labor force participation in the previous month. The increase in the countrys employment rate by 1.6 percentage points or from 93.6 percent in February 2022 to 95.2 percent in February 2023 translates to 48.8 million employed Filipinos, the DOLE said. The increase in employment may be attributed to employment expansion in wholesale and retail trade (repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles at +701,000 or 6.96 percent); accommodation and food service activities (+580,000 or 34.8 percent); agriculture and forestry (+554,000 or 5.76 percent); other service activities (+362,000 or 13.83 percent); and fishing and aquaculture (+340,000 or 27.45 percent), according to DOLE. ADVERTISEMENT In terms of unemployment, the DOLE saw a significant decrease in the number of unemployed on a year-on-year comparison, from 6.4 percent in February 2022 to 4.8 percent in February 2023. The same trend was observed in the youth unemployment rate, which reported a decline of 5.2 percentage points or from 14.3 percent in February 2022 to 9.1 percent in February 2023. Moreover, the underemployment rate eased by 1.1 percentage points, from 14 percent in February 2022 to 12.9 percent this year, the agency said. The youth employment rate in February was estimated at 90.9 percent, higher than the youth employment rate in January (89.2 percent) and February 2022 (85.7 percent). The LFS, released April 11, likewise showed that wage and salary workers contribute the largest share of employed persons with 60.9 percent of the total employed population 15 years and older; followedby self-employed persons without any paid employee at 27.2 percent; and unpaid family workers at 9.8 percent. Employers in family-operated farms or businesses had the lowest share at 2.1 percent. Among wage and salary workers, employed persons in private establishments made up 46.6 percent of the total employed, followed by those employed in government or government-controlled corporations with a 9.4 percent share. The DOLE said it constantly aligns its initiatives, implementation, and policy directions with the national and sectoral plans while recognizing the current and emerging challenges in the labor market. It also prioritizes the upskilling and reskilling of workers, especially the new entrants to the labor force, to increase their competitiveness and employability. The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) has urged businesses sector to consider hiring senior high school (SHS) graduates. Jose Allan Arellano, CEAP executive director, expressed hopes that private companies would also give employment opportunities to those who have completed senior high school. One of the keys is to ensure proper training of SHS graduates. But the greater solution is encouraging the business sector to expand or create more opportunities, Arellano said. If they are faced with applicants, who are coming straight from SHS and those who have tertiary education, they tend to get the one with better skills and educational background, he said. If there are less opportunities in the business sector and more job applicants, the ones who suffer are those with less experience and years of education. The Department of Education reported that only 10 percent of SHS graduates were employed, adding that 83 percent of these graduates chose to pursue higher education. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The Department of National Defense on Saturday defended the countrys Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States, just as it expressed concern on the remarks of Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian against the Filipino workers in Taiwan. Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the country is not meddling in the internal affairs of China concerning Taiwan, and even described this as the ambassadors illusion. It was also not directed against any country, he added. The Chinese officials statement is also a subtle threat to the country, the DND spokesman said, by tragically leveraging on the plight of our hardworking and peace-loving OFWs there. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had already said the Philippines will not allow its military bases to be used for any offensive attacks. A political analyst and a retired general earlier Saturday described the Chinese officials statements as a veiled threat. ADVERTISEMENT Ret. Gen. Edilberto Adan said it was also very disturbing and a form of coercion. Political analyst Renato Cruz de Castro said he does not see anyconnection to how the OFWs in Taiwan would be affected by the EDCA sites. De Castro onded that a threat that OFWs in Taiwan faces is when China launches a major military offensive in the island. This is when the additional military bases could be used for evacuation. I hope he is not referring to that, because that is already an indication of something that China might do probably in the next 4 years, he said. Thats why we have the EDCA sites because they will be used for evacuation in case it will happen. Thats one of the reasons why we prepared those EDCA sites, air bases. That can be used in massive evacuation. The Philippines observes the One China Policy and maintains the ASEAN principle of non-interference in approaching regional issues, Andolong said in a statement. Amid the tensions in the Cross Straits, however, the department deems it prudent to prepare for any contingencies to ensure the safety of Filipinos overseas, especially those based in Taiwan, he added. Huang earlier said Beijing reserves the option of taking all necessary measures should things escalate in the Taiwan Strait, just as it advised Manila to oppose Taiwan independence if it really cares about the 150,000 overseas Filipino workers there. Andolong, however, did not provide in the statement any details on the possible preparation for contingencies for OFWs in Taiwan. The Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier this week though said the EDCA bases could be used by Manila and Washington for emergency situations. Andolong reiterated the EDCAs purpose: to improve the countrys defense capacities. He said the country would continue pursuing peace and mutual respect on top of this. [It] is in line with our efforts to modernize our alliance and enable collective defense and peace, promote our national interest, protect our national sovereignty, ensure the livelihood and welfare of our fisherfolk and communities, and enhance our capability to respond to emergencies and disasters, as well as provide humanitarian assistance, he said. US Embassy in the Philippines Press Attache Kanishka Gangopadhyay, meanwhile, said they have no specific response to Huangs statement. Gangopadhyay said the EDCA is not about any other third country as this is anchored on the alliance between Manila and Washington. EDCA sites will support combined training exercises and interoperability between US and Philippine forces to ensure that were even better prepared for future crises, he said. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Dr. Greg Hodges is officially sworn in as president of Patrick and Henry Community College (P&HCC), after two years on the job. Hodges is only the fourth president of the community college even though it was founded in 1962. On Friday, Virginia Community College System President Dr. David Dore swore Hodges in as the president of P&HCC in front of P&HCC faculty, guests and family. What an ideal choice for president, Dore said. Greg really knows, I think, every inch of this college. It was a truly great day for Martinsville and Henry County when, from this national search that netted over 60 applicants, the chosen one was Dr. Hodges, our native son, Keynote Speaker and Carlisle School Head of School Grace Agnew said. Agnew had been one of Hodges teachers in the Henry County Public Schools system. When I first encountered Greg Hodges, I would have described him as zealous, inspired, driven and passionate about learning, Agnew said. Whatever task given, he completed with unbridled passion. Whatever case that became of interest to him he championed with tenacity. Through the roles Dr. Hodges as assumed He has embraced the mission of Patrick and Henry Community College to give everyonefaculty, students and staffthe opportunity to learn and develop skills so communities are strengthened, P&HCC Associate Professor of English Joyce Staples said. P&HCC Student Amirhossein Poat said that as an international student, he has had the best possible experience thanks to Hodges. I know that his moto is that every student should feel like he or she is family here at P&H, Poat added. Hodges was a first-generation college student when he attended The College of William & Mary to get his bachelors degree in education and theater & speech; masters degrees in Biblical studies and educational leadership; and a doctorate degree in educational leadership and administration for higher education from Trident University. Hodges worked as an elementary school teacher for 12 years before transitioning to higher education at P&HCC. At P&HCC, Hodges has held a wide variety of positions such as: vice president of academic and student success services; vice president of institutional advancement, effectiveness, and campus life; executive director of the P&HCC Foundation; dean of academic success and college transfer; dean of developmental education and transitional programs; assistant dean of arts, science, and business technology; coordinator of P&HCCs quality enhancement plan for SACSCOC reaccreditation; and adjunct professor and full time professor of early childhood education. As an academic leader who is passionate about the transformative power of higher education he has stepped into this new role ready to lead this institution and create opportunities to develop ideas, innovations that drive our economy and our society forward, Agnew said. We are indeed fortunate to have him as our new president and Im excited to see the positive impact he will continue to have on our students, faculty, staff, college and our community, P&HCC Foundation Board Chairman Ron Haley said. Henry County Public Schools went on a spending spree at a regular meeting on Thursday, approving all requests on the shopping list worth over $3.6 million. Top on the list at over $1 million was Bassett Office Supply with $990,000 for new classroom furniture in the elementary schools including new student desks and chairs, teacher desks and chairs and new storage for multiple classrooms. Also approved was over $25,600 for instructional supplies. An additional $150,000 was approved for new furniture and book storage to update the Axton Media Center. The total instructional budget was nearly $120,000 divided among Bassett Office Supply, School Speciality, Quill, Cascade School Supply, Pyramid School and National Art and School for construction paper, pencils, crayons scissors, writing paper and glue. A total of $220,481 in grant funding along with $127,491 of in-kind funding will go to public schools in Henry and Patrick counties and the city of Martinsville to serve students in grades 6 through 12 who are not able to function in the regular school environment. The grant funding is provided through the Department of Education. Over $183,000 will be spent for 75 Dell All-in-One computers for Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School and 25 for Laurel Park Middle School. The expense is reimbursable through the Perkins V Grant and may vary based on the final allocation from the Virginia Department of Education. Henry County Public Schools utilizes the PowerSchool student database management system for scheduling, attendance, reporting, student data management and grade book. The board committed $460,000 for annual hosting and support costs. Vista Higher Learning was awarded an estimated $153,000 to provide world language textbooks for the the next six years, over $431,000 will go to Kingmor Supply Inc. in Mount Crawford for two special education buses and more than $442,000 will be used to purchase dell devices and accessories and HS Laptops for carts, computers, servers and licenses. RRMM Architects of Roanoke was approved to design the replacement of all heating ventilation and air conditioning equipment at Rich Acres and Stanleytown Elementary schools for a fee of $396,000. In other matters, the Board: Heard from Spanke Williams and Tammy Pearson regarding the benefits of bowling and the possibility of starting a school-sponsored league at Sportlanes. Heard from Henry County Chief Deputy Wayne Davis as he thanked the Board for approving a plan providing school resource officers in all public schools in Henry County. Heard from Kevin Underwood, a fourth-grade teacher in Henry County Schools, as he asked about being provided with updated information about the upgrading of tracks at the schools. Heard from Rev. Tyler Millner as he asked to Board to summarize its expectations of who they hope to hire as its new superintendent of schools. Recognized April as Month of the Military Child in 2023. Heard the reading of a proclamation from the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) naming April as VSBA workforce readiness month and April 12 and VSBA workforce readiness day. Heard the reading of a proclamation from the Governor naming April as School Library Appreciation Month in Virginia. Heard a presentation from Dr. Wendy Durham, director of K-12 instruction on standards based learning. Standards based learning allows us to reach all students, increases teacher clarity and alignment to standards, involves students in goal setting, sets focused high expectations, promotes changes in students attitude toward learning and gives students hope, said Durham. Were reminded of the following dates: May 4, 5 p.m., VSBA Spring networking forum at the Career Academy; May 11, 5:30 p.m., monthly meeting at the Henry County Administration Building. Early Saturday morning, a group of suspects stole three vehicles and $80,000 worth of keyless remotes from the Marion Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership. The crime fits the pattern of other thefts across the region during the first few months of 2023. Later Saturday morning, employees of the dealership were busy covering up with a plywood the part of the main building where the suspects broke in. General Manager Phil Moore told The McDowell News that someone broke into the building at around 2:30-3 a.m. Saturday. The suspects stole around $80,000 worth of keyless remotes and key storage from the showroom. They also took three vehicles from the dealerships lot: A pre-owned gray Dodge Charger Scat Pack, a pre-owned black Ram TRX truck and a new white Chrysler 300 four-door sedan. Together, the three autos and the keyless remotes are worth around $300,000, according to the dealerships website. Moore told The McDowell News the thefts were caught on camera and that video is now in possession of the Marion Police Department. Similar thefts have occurred this year at other car dealerships in Asheville, Morganton, Hickory, Mooresville and Charlotte for cars valued at more than $1 million. Moore said he believes that the suspects who were caught on camera breaking into the Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership in Morganton are the same ones who did it to his dealership. Moore said hes not heard of the autos stolen at the other dealerships being recovered yet. These guys have a carrier close by, he told The McDowell News. My guess is that they are on a shipping container headed overseas. As for the keyless remotes, Moore and his staff believe the suspects will come back and try to use them on the other autos in the lot and try to steal more. A news release from the Marion Police Department issued later Saturday afternoon stated This is an ongoing investigation and we are asking if anyone has information regarding these events, please contact the Marion Police Department at 828-652-5205 and ask to speak with Inv. Niki Kinman. The other incidents: In March, someone stole $150,000 worth of cars from a Morganton dealership, including a Cadillac Escalade that was worth $100,000 alone, The News Herald reported. Covered in black from head-to-toe, it took the thieves less than 10 minutes to complete the crime on a Monday morning, surveillance video from Morganton Honda showed. Also in March, six high performance cars were stolen from the Mountain Mitsubishi dealership in Hickory. Three Dodge Challengers, a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and a 2022 Cadillac Blackwing were stolen, Mountain Mitsubishi Owner Brian Vonderheide said. The estimated cost of all the cars is more than $450,000. Thieves targeted an Asheville BMW dealership in mid-February, taking off with seven cars stolen straight out of the lot, according to a report from WLOS. In late February, a Charlotte dealership was targeted when thieves stole four vehicles three BMWs and a Maserati from Adams Auto Group. That heist saw $310,000 worth of vehicles stolen from the dealership, according to a report from WSOC-TV. WSOC-TV also reported five Corvettes were stolen from a Randy Marion dealership in Mooresville. The security situation in Mali remains quite volatile, marked by pockets of terrorist violence, with devastating consequences for civilians, the top UN official there said earlier this week. El-Ghassim Wane, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, briefed the Security Council on major developments in the West African country over the past three months. Mr. Wane updated ambassadors on the peace process, and advances in the transition to civilian rule following the coup of three years ago, but began by focusing on insecurity, amid rising humanitarian needs. He said the security crisis in the northeast region of Menaka has worsened, recalling that he had first sounded the alarm last year. Since January, there has been a resurgence in fighting between the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and the militant jihadist group JNIM. The extremists are competing to extend their spheres of influence and control supply lines, he said, while engaging in constant attacks against civilians. Meanwhile, Gao and the central region of Mali have also seen confrontations between ISGS and JNIM. Some armed groups that signed the peace deal have also been involved in fighting against the ISIL offshoot, he added. Given the situation, the adoption and recent launch of the Governments three-year stabilization strategy for the center, was an important step, he said, stating that MINUSMA supported the development of the strategy and will assist with its implementation. In light of the security challenges, Mr. Wane underscored the need for closer coordination between the Malian forces and the UN Mission. He welcomed recent steps taken at the regional level, which he said must be enhanced. FRIDAY, April 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on Friday to pause parts of a recent federal ruling that limits the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone. The temporary stay, which expires at midnight on Wednesday, maintains the status quo while the justices study the briefs and lower court rulings. Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., who oversees the appeals court in which the ruling is at issue, ordered the groups challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone to file their brief by Tuesday at noon. The temporary stay was granted following an emergency application filed Friday morning by the Biden administration asking the justices to intervene. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court partially overruled Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's ruling in Texas last week, which said the FDA approval of mifepristone back in 2000 was invalid. The three-judge appeals court panel said mifepristone could remain available for now, but it blocked mailing the pill to patients, as well as other measures the federal government has taken recently to boost access to the medication. But the government's application brief filed Friday asked the Supreme Court to allow mifepristone to remain widely available while the government pursues an appeal. The government brief was harshly critical of the Texas ruling suspending approval of the drug, which is typically given as the first of two drugs in a medication abortion. "The district court countermanded a scientific judgment [the] FDA has maintained across five administrations; nullified the approval of a drug that has been safely used by millions of Americans over more than two decades; and upset reliance interests in a health care system that depends on the availability of mifepristone as an alternative to surgical abortion for women who choose to lawfully terminate their early pregnancies," the government's brief said. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, representing the FDA, wrote in the brief that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge a drug they neither take nor prescribe and that they had provided no basis for second-guessing the agency's scientific judgment back in 2000, The New York Times reported. In a second brief, filed by Danco Laboratories, which makes the branded version of mifepristone (called Mifeprex), the company said the federal appeals court's ruling had created "regulatory chaos," The Times reported. "Leaving the... ruling in place will irreparably harm Danco, which will be unable to both conduct its business nationwide and comply with its legal obligations," the company's brief said. "The lack of emergency relief from this court will also harm women, the health care system, the pharmaceutical industry, states' sovereignty interests, and the separation of powers." Michelle walked for 45 days across seven countries to reach the United States. The Venezuelan woman left her home country seeking safety and found herself in the Kalispell area in August 2022. While she said the cold has been a little hard to adjust to, shes thrilled to finally live in a secure place. Due to the risk of repercussions in her home country, she withheld her last name. One of the hardest parts of her long journey, however, has been waiting on the federal government. Michelle is one of the clients who participates with the Flathead Valley Neighbors organization, a group that assists immigrants and refugees seeking shelter. Valley Neighbors formed in 2021 and has helped numerous immigrant and refugee families resettle in the Flathead Valley. In particular, it has aided a wave of Venezuelan immigrants who arrived in summer 2022. The pressing nature of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela appeared to speed up the process for the migrants who use the federal governments I-134a form. But since that surge, processing has lagged and many families wait in limbo with no communication about the status of their cases. Its very detrimental to people were trying to support in the middle of a humanitarian crisis, said John Skinner with Valley Neighbors. More than 7 million people left Venezuela in 2022 as the nation's economy collapsed amid increasing government repression. Valley Neighbors now has clients who have waited for 120 days for their I-134a's to be processed. Sixteen potential newcomers to the community are currently waiting without any updates. Its a situation that is especially pressing for the individuals escaping dangerous situations by filing to migrate to Montana. Its truly life-and-death for some people, said Rebecca Miller, another member of the Valley Neighbors group. Miller and Skinner pointed out other states have seen quicker processing for their I-134a applicants, so they hope Montana representatives can help expedite the process here as well. The Valley Neighbors group is also hopeful more Montanans can provide assistance to their organization. The I-134a form requires a U.S. resident to file on behalf of a person seeking shelter here. Currently, Valley Neighbors has a waiting list of more than 25 people who are waiting for someone in Montana to file for them. While Valley Neighbors have successfully relocated several families in the Kalispell vicinity over the years, they are looking to communities like Missoula to help address the dire need for support. Missoulians, Skinner said, can help by filing on behalf of international applicants, and by providing support to those who arrive in Montana. Miller also encouraged Missoulians to contact their state representatives to try to expedite the I-134a process. We would be very, very happy to speak with anyone throughout the state or even the country, said Skinner. Miller explained Valley Neighbors has undertaken this mission because its membership feels a sense of responsibility to those seeking safety and shelter in Montana. It all comes down to any one of us couldve been born on one side of the border or another and could be facing these harsh circumstances, she said, calling the plight of the Venezuelans heartbreaking. Despite the challenges, Skinner was optimistic because Valley Neighbors provides a concrete way to make an impact on the situation. While the average Montanan cant solve all the problems plaguing Venezuela, he noted, an everyday person can make a substantial difference in individual lives by offering their support to the group. To connect with Valley Neighbors, visit valleyneighborswelcome.org. Jennifer Ferenstein rushed to Hellgate High School on April 5 after finding out her son, a sophomore, was inside the school when news of an active shooter threat arrived. It definitely stops your heart, Ferenstein said. You get that, for me personally, rush of emotions and trying to figure out how to sort things out and wanting to immediately go down to the school, and trying to decide how to stop all of my work, and (feeling) like Im embarking on an unwelcome journey. A shooter threat made via Snapchat catapulted Hellgate High School into a nearly four-hour lockdown on April 5. The Snapchat message geotagged the high school as the posters apparent location. The photo caption read school shooter ong. Police spent hours canvassing the school on April 5 and determining where and if the threat was on campus. Eventually, they notified the public that three juvenile girls were detained all off-campus and subsequently referred a possible felony charge to the Missoula County Attorneys Office for one of the minors. Then on Thursday, just eight days after the high school lockdown, Hellgates School Resource Officer was alerted to a social media video involving a juvenile with a firearm in the vicinity of the campus. This video was separate from the April 5 threat. The Thursday post led police to arrest a 16-year-old, according to Missoula Police Spokesperson Whitney Bennett. A firearm was recovered during the arrest. The teenager was charged with violation of conditions of release, carrying a concealed weapon, tampering with evidence, and possession of a stolen firearm. There were no direct threats made to the high school or its staff or students, and the suspect isnt a Hellgate student, Bennett said. Lines of communication Ferenstein recalled getting a flurry of calls, texts and emails from MCPS and also her son, who she was in constant texting communication with during the April 5 incident. Strong communication from Missoula police and the school subdued some of the worry on the end of parents, she said. You want to have confidence in your law enforcement and that everybody is communicating and doing the right thing, she said. I felt relief when I saw the response, the robust response that people had and how seriously it was being taken. Just the threat is enough, you know, to cause so much disruption and pain in people's lives." MCPS officials said in an interview with the Missoulian that they worked to maintain constant communication with staff and parents during the Hellgate lockdown. Text updates were sent every 15 or so minutes, and if significant new information came in between, that was sent out, too. It was a traumatic event, MCPS Superintendent Russ Lodge said. It was a legitimate community crisis. Lodge and MCPS communications director Tyler Christensen explained that each building has a crisis plan and a crisis team thats activated in the event of an emergency. The districts safety team is notified, prompting them to go into collaboration with local law enforcement. Whoever notices a threat first and is directly affected calls 911 immediately. Once police arrive, they take over control of tactical approaches to the situation. MCPS staff and administration also run trainings on a regular basis covering a variety of possible safety situations. Bennett said the Police Department didnt have updated information to share as of Friday about law enforcement response to school threats, but will soon be holding a press conference regarding the recent incidents at Hellgate and to talk about school safety. The April 5 lockdown also triggered soft-perimeter lockdowns (meaning routine classes continued but recesses and building departures werent allowed) at all MCPS properties, something Christensen and Lodge said was done out of an abundance of caution. Growing threat This months two incidents at Hellgate are not the only recent threats of school violence in western Montana. On May 24, 2022, a gunman killed 21 students and teachers and wounded 17 others at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. In the two weeks following that tragedy, five western Montana schools were alerted to threats. St. Ignatius High School, Columbia Falls Junior High School, Big Sky High School, C.M. Russell High School and Helena High School all took reports of possible school violence just days after the Uvalde massacre. Many of these incidents involved guns, with four separate suspects getting arrested. As of Friday, a Washington Post database that tracks school shootings reported that over 349,000 children in the U.S. have experienced gun violence at a school since the 1999 Columbine shooting. That number has climbed from 311,000, which is what the count was shortly after Uvalde happened. Missoula City Council members discussed the Hellgate lockdown at a meeting last Monday. Many thanked Missoula police and MCPS for a swift response to the threat. There is nothing more terrifying than a threat like that in our community, Mayor Jordan Hess said. I want to acknowledge the trauma and the anxiety that an incident like that causes in our community. Our law enforcement trains and trains and trains for situations and critical incidents like this that we hope well never see in our community, Hess added. Ward 1 Representative Jennifer Savage had a child at Hellgate on April 5. She recalled the fear she felt while trying to work while texts poured in about the schools lockdown. Ward 3 Representative Gwen Jones brought up the Louisville, Kentucky, bank shooting that took the lives of five people just days ago, on April 10. Its just an ongoing, agonizing situation here in America that I hope we make some progress on at some point, Jones said. The University of Montana wasnt directly involved in the April 5 threat, but its campus sits just blocks away from Hellgate High School. Unfortunately, these things happen so fast, UM Police Chief Brad Giffin said. Being able to get resources where they need to be quickly is one of the key components. And that's why when you see things (like April 5), you see all kinds of different uniforms, Giffin continued. There's no time to call up a SWAT team. There's not time to do this. You have first responders show up from all different agencies to help. Giffin says his team is part of the countys Active Attack Integrated Response group, and theyre constantly training UM faculty and staff on what to do in an active-shooter situation. We as agencies rely on the civilian population to understand how to make themselves less accessible to a threat until we get there to help them out, Giffin said. He described trainings as force multipliers, meaning the people who are immediately in harms way when a threat presents itself can know how to best defend themselves against a shooter. Strengthening response The integrated response group has staff from all of Missoulas first responder agencies, including law enforcement, fire and medical personnel. The group schedules cycles of training for most of Missoulas first responders so they know how to handle a crisis situation, Missoula Office of Emergency Management Director Adriane Beck explained. The group was established several years ago as a way to establish protocol for getting law enforcement on-scene and victims medically treated as soon as possible in crisis situations, such as with an active shooter, Beck explained. "Stop the bleed" kits (which are available at schools), ballistic gear for fire staff and medical equipment for law enforcement were all purchased with a Homeland Security grant awarded to the group years ago. Following both the Uvalde and Nashville school shootings, students around the country have rallied and begged lawmakers for gun law reform. In Missoula, locals rallied just days after Uvalde. According to Everytown, an organization fighting for gun safety, In incidents of gunfire on school grounds, up to 80% of shooters under 18 obtained the gun(s) they used from their home or the homes of relatives or friends. Ferenstein hopes incidents like Hellgates galvanizes conversations about not only school safety but to also address gun safety and making guns inaccessible to children. Id love to see us have more conversations about what safe storage of guns looks like, she said. And make that the norm. People used to never put on seat belts, but now most people do. The more lethal the consequence of something, it seems to me the more people have to be responsible. A months-long rise in electric rates for NorthWestern Energy Customers could hit 28% under a proposal before Montanas Public Service Commission. Details of the historically large rate increase for residential customers surfaced midweek after opposing parties in the utility's general rate case asked NorthWestern to account for all increases since its rate case became official in August 2022. Commissioners who will decide the matter were concerned by the revelation that residential customers, who as recently as last August paid an average $91.27 a month for power, would be paying as much as $304.32 more for electricity annually, or an additional $25.36 a month under terms now sought by NorthWestern. Natural gas customers would see a slight decrease in base rates compared with eight months ago, a resulting decrease of about $35.76 a year, though gas prices are adjusted monthly to reflect market purchases. Small commercial customers would see bills increase 25% from where prices were before NorthWesterns rate filing, while large customers would see rate increases of 16% to 18%. Attorney Monica Tranel, examining witnesses for 350 Montana, emphasized that of the $81 million in additional electric revenue sought by NorthWestern Energy, residential and small business customers would cover 93% of the amount. NorthWestern Energy has 398,200 metered electric customers and 209,100 metered natural gas customers in Montana. Republican Commissioner Randy Pinocci, attempting to tap the brakes on the increase, suggested NorthWestern and the commissioners approach the Legislature about clawing back millions of dollars from the state Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, a move far beyond the reach of the PSC. Maybe what we could do, working together, to represent the retired fixed income ratepayer, NorthWestern Energy and the Public Service Commission, and perhaps Montana Consumer Counsel, could go to the Legislature and say, Look, stop giving that money to Fish, Wildlife & Parks and let's get that money to say, NorthWestern Energy so they can use it the way they need to,' Pinocci said. Do you think that's reasonable for us to make that goal? For weeks NorthWestern Energy customers have used the public comment portion of the commissions Tuesday meetings to warn against a rate increase that commenters, mostly college students and the elderly, say they cannot afford. Those speaking have referenced a 25% increase in electric rates, which is how NorthWesterns rate filing was interpreted upon its filing late last summer. Rates have risen steeply since the filing became official. Commissioners approved a temporary rate hike last fall, increasing residential customer electric bills 19% in an attempt to hold NorthWestern over while it prepared its case for a much larger increase in annual revenues, a rise of $190 million for both electric and gas customers. In January rates were further increased as a $13.58 million rise in property taxes were passed onto the utilitys customers. The utility began making its case Tuesday in a weeks-long hearing, which started with a stipulated rate settlement reached with Walmart, federal agencies who count themselves as NorthWestern customers, the Montana Consumer Counsel and the Large Customer Group, which includes the states four petroleum refineries. For commissioners, the settlement is an all-or-none proposition. They cannot alter any part of the settlement, but they can reject it and use their authority to set rates. Four of five commissioners have attended hearings daily. Commissioner Tony O'Donnell, of Billings, was online for at least one day, asking the utility whether the settlement would keep NorthWestern's bond ratings high. Per the settlement, the utility would collect $81.9 million more from all electric customers in base revenues than it did in August 2022. Gas customers would pay an additional $18.2 million in base costs, though gas rates are adjusted monthly to cover changes in market price and have fluctuated more than 40% in the last 18 months. There were a half dozen parties in the case who didn't settle with NorthWestern and indicated that they hadnt been approached about the settlement until hours before NorthWestern filed the agreement with the PSC and notified stockholders via the Securities and Exchange Commission. That was April 3. Customer-level details about the full amount that would appear on utility bills didnt emerge until Wednesday. Even parties to the settlement werent clear on what the full consequences were for individual customers. Montana Consumer Counsel Jason Brown, who represents customers of state-regulated monopolies, told Montana Lee Newspapers on April 4 that the details were still being worked out but would emerge by the end of last week. NorthWestern indicated the same. However, the details didnt emerge until late Tuesday when Cynthia Fang, Northwestern vice president of regulatory affairs, took the witness stand and proceeded to present the increased rates in small percentages, as a modest step up from the temporary rates of the past six months. The non-settling parties in NorthWesterns rate case balked. They had been emailed copies of the spreadsheet Fang read minutes before she began. Once it became clear that the temporary rate was being used as a benchmark, the Montana Environmental Information Center asked that NorthWestern revert to August as the starting point, meaning the settlement's proposed base rates would be compared to the last permanent base rates customers paid. Thursday, sparks flew as the non-settling parties accused NorthWestern and the settlers of sandbagging the opposition by introducing new information no one had previously seen or prepared for. I think we have been sandbagged with new information every morning of this hearing, and I guess I can make that a standing objection to new exhibits regarding this stipulation, but I'll offer one specifically related to MCC Six, said Jenny Harbine, attorney for MEIC. MCC Six was the latest disclosure to drop in the hearing in real-time. The non-settling parties had asked for an additional process to learn how the settlement would impact customers. The other non-settling parties are Jetco, Broad Reach Power, Colstrip Energy Limited Partnership, Renewable Northwest, The Human Resource Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, NW Energy Coalition, and 350 Montana. Harbine apologized for the sandbag remark, which other intervenors picked up on. The attorneys had grown testy throughout the day and Commissioner James Brown asked for calm. Fang explained to Pinocci that she didnt think it was fair to characterize the 28% percent increase in rates as something NorthWestern Energy was asking for. A significant amount of the increase stemmed from the utility attempting to recover expenses that customers hadnt paid for during the prior year. There were also property taxes NorthWestern has a legal right to pass on to ratepayers. I do think it is reasonable, and we do hear your concerns about affordability, which is why we've been so actively making sure our customers are aware of all these assistance programs we have available, Fang said. Consumer Counsel Jason Brown has said that NorthWestern has undercollected from residential customers and that the rate increase is warranted. With a $283 million gas-fired power plant under construction near Laurel, NorthWestern promises to be back for another rate increase in a couple years. One thing that stands out about the largest criminal fines in history: All have been levied during the 21st century. "The fines that we're seeing in the past 20 years were unheard of before the dawn of the 21st century," explains Morvillo, the prosecutor turned defense lawyer. "The question governments face is how to deter criminal conduct," says Morvillo. "You can't send companies to jail. So, you impose massive fines, or you go after the individual wrongdoers within a company." That may mean pursuing criminal charges against specific company employees and getting the company to cooperate in the investigation of those employees. Advertisement Morvillo describes the federal government's tactics as a "swinging pendulum." There are periods where the government has focused on eye-popping fines to scare companies into honest behavior. The massive fines paid by companies like Bank of America and Facebook have occurred during these periods. However, the pendulum may now be swinging in the opposite direction. As of January 2023, Morvillo explains, "the Department of Justice has updated its corporate enforcement policies so as to offer incentives to companies that disclose criminal conduct. This means massive reductions in fines, provided that you self-disclose [internal wrongdoing]." In other words, if companies come clean and expose wrongdoers in their own organizations, the Department of Justice may reward them with much lower fines than they may have otherwise paid. If the Justice Department's recent trend holds, we may see lower criminal fines in the years to come. It also leads to potentially greater cooperation between governments and the companies they investigate. Morvillo explains, "The government dangles these deals in front of companies, and those companies' lawyers are incentivized to go in and cooperate as soon as possible." Now That's Criminal According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in a special report on the BP oil spill: "As the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over a period of 87 days, fouling 1,300 miles of shoreline along five states ... the Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles, and contaminated their habitats." Put a price on that. Turkey numbers are down in Oklahoma as the spring season for hunters opens, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports. The Oklahoma season starts Sunday and will last 31 days through Tuesday, May 16. Wild turkey populations have declined in the past several years in Oklahoma, especially in western parts of the state that have had an extreme drought. In Arkansas, the number of young turkeys born last spring and this year has grown so the population of adult, male gobblers should increase in 2024. A turkey is considered an adult at age 2. The turkey hunting season opened in Arkansas with a youth hunt April 8-9. More: Turkey numbers up for hunting season in Arkansas Turkey hunting in Arkansas starts Monday to May 7 in the western Arkansas region including the Arkansas River Valley and the Fort Chaffee Wildlife Management area. In Oklahoma, a five-year, $2 million research project is underway to determine what is causing turkey population declines and what can be done long-term to manage turkey populations, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports. While turkey numbers are down in western parts of the state, the research is focusing on demographic parameters of turkeys at sites in southeastern and southwestern Oklahoma, and genetic variation in wild turkeys across the state. Hunters who normally plan to hunt in western or southwestern Oklahoma might consider pursuing turkeys in other regions where bird numbers are closer to average. This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Turkey numbers are down in Oklahoma As a kid growing up in western North Carolina in the 1970s, Six Flags over Georgia and Disney World were distant dreams, places visited only by a very few lucky classmates who returned with thrilling tales of The Great American Scream Machine or a Polaroid of the family shaking the oversized mitt of the worlds most famous mouse. The rest of us, we had Carowinds, a little more scaled down, a little more blue collar but only a two-hour activity bus ride away. The park, located on the North Carolina-South Carolina line, turns 50 this year. It opened when I was 8 years old and I remember the surrounding hoopla in the pages of the newspaper, which we bought daily from the machine outside the Wee Mart convenience store because the carrier wouldnt deliver to the end of our gravel road. There must have been a complaint form filed somewhere that said mean dogs and mean young uns. By the second or third year the park was open, a trip to Carowinds was undoubtedly the highlight of any school year if your class was lucky enough to go or the subject of a what I did on my summer vacation essay when school resumed in the fall: Me, my brother, my momma, my daddy, Uncle Phil and Aunt Lucy went to Carowinds in July. I stood in two states at the same time and threw a penny in the wishing well and wished it wasnt so danged hot. I think the wishing well is broken. We stood in line for an hour-and-a-half to ride Thunder Road. It is a big roller coaster. My brother ate two hot dogs and cotton candy while we stood in line. Then we got on Thunder Road. One thing I learned on the trip is dont eat two hot dogs and cotton candy while standing in line for Thunder Road. They had to close it down for 20 minutes and bring in a hose. A good time was had by all. The end. The parks amphitheater, the Palladium, played host to plenty of touring rock acts in the 70s and 80s, most notably for me, Jimmy Buffett. I discovered Buffett between my sixth- and seventh-grade year thanks to a bootleg double 8-track of the live album You Had to Be There. This guy, I told my friends, sings about drunken bears, the ocean and cheeseburgers. Weve got to go see him. And we did, finding a slightly older friend with a car and a learners permit to drive us. The car broke down on the way back, but my grandma, who had moved to Charlotte after Grandpa Charlie died, took us in and fed us while my uncle fixed the car. We made it home and we made it back to Buffett every year until he outgrew the Palladium. Park announces event lineup for a special year From the international celebration of Grand Carnivale to the dazzling holiday light displays of WinterFest, there is always a reason to visit Carowinds every season. Around 20 years ago, I took my kid to Carowinds because I believe every 6-year-old child should have the opportunity to stand in line, bake in the blistering sun and listen to his or her father talk about how much better it was in the old days. Six Flags and Disney? They still got nothing on this place, kid. She claims I tricked her into riding a rip-roaring rapids water plunge by saying it was just a lazy river ride. I can neither confirm nor deny. So, in 50 years, Carowinds has been a part of different stages of my life, from kid to dad and all that happened in between. Maybe this year, feeling nostalgic, I will go back and pay tribute by standing in line, baking in the blistering sun and tossing a penny in the old wishing well if it hasnt been replaced by a virtual bitcoin wishing machine. Or, better yet, I can sit back, reminisce and keep that next visit as a distant dream. Burke County Animal Services says a stray dog has tested positive for rabies after it bit someone. Animal Services says on Tuesday, April 4, an investigation was launched after Burke County Animal Enforcement officers were notified that a stray dog bit someone. The person who was bitten is receiving medical attention, it says. Humane traps were set to catch the dog and it was safely trapped, impounded and placed in quarantine for rabies observation at Burke County Animal Services on April 5, according to a release from Animal Services. On April 7, Animal Services staff observed a behavioral change in the dog, who started charging the front of the kennel. The dog was humanely euthanized and taken for testing the following Monday based on a recommendation from the overseeing veterinarian, Dr. Jenni McGrady, the release said. The tests results confirmed on Thursday that the dog tested positive for rabies. The dog was trapped near Crescent Woods Road off N.C. 126 in the Lake James community, which has many stray dogs in the area, the release said. It said animal enforcement officers will be working to trap them in the coming days and weeks. Burke County Animal Enforcement officers have canvassed the community to inform residents of the incident and Animal Services and the Burke County Health Department want to make all residents aware in case they or their pets have visited the area recently, the release said. If someone feels they have been exposed to rabies they should reach out to their medical provider or the Burke County Health Department and ask for the communicable disease nurse at 828-764-9150, the release said. Animal Services says a low-cost rabies clinic will be held soon for pet owners needing to update their pets rabies vaccines. Follow Burke County Animal Services on Facebook for more information. North Carolina law requires that all domestic pets (cats, dogs and ferrets), whether living inside or outside, four months or older, be vaccinated against rabies. Even animals that are confined in outdoor fenced areas should have current rabies vaccinations because wild animals can get into these areas and attack your pets, the release said. Burke County Animal Services says rabies circulates within wildlife populations. Tips to help prevent you, your family and your pets from coming in contact with the rabies virus are: Avoid direct contact with wildlife, dead or alive. Never touch any wildlife with your bare hands. If you find a sick or injured animal, contact animal enforcement at 828-764-9575 and let them handle it. Do not try to rescue or treat the animal yourself. Avoid any animal displaying unnatural behavior. Wild animals are not usually friendly so be very careful if they approach you. Feed your pets indoors. Leaving food outside will attract dogs, cats or other wildlife and bring them into your yard. Animal-proof your trash. Make sure that your trashcan lids are secure and do not leave trash bags outside the cans. Report all stray animals to animal enforcement. Stray animals may not be vaccinated against rabies and run the risk of carrying the virus. For information on Rabies Control & Prevention, and NC Rabies Control Laws, visit the North Carolina Public Health website at https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/rabies/control.html. Burke County Animal Services & Animal Enforcement is a county-operated and tax-funded animal shelter located in Morganton. More information about Animal Services can be found at www.burkenc.org/2444/Animal-Services. Whether you need some new apparel, a snack for the road or a caffeinated beverage to get through the day, Robertson Creative Creations is a family-owned Terry business that provides all three to locals and visitors alike in a historic building in downtown Terry. Randy and Shari Robertson, along with their daughter Franque and son and daughter-in-law Brady and Lizzy, opened their one-stop shop on the corner of Spring Street and Logan Avenue in October of 2019. The space in which they currently operate has served Terry and Prairie County in a number of different ways since it was built in 1912, including as a studio for Wood-N-Woven, another locally owned business; Sassy One Clothing, a womens clothing boutique and hair salon; and drug stores, to name a few. Lizzy noted Robertson Creative Creations was originally Sharis brain child, adding she has taken on various business ventures over time. Ive owned a business pretty much since we moved here, Shari said, noting she owned a hair salon, as well as crafted handmade products for various vendor shows over the years. I just got tired of that, so to say. Another contributing factor leading the Robertsons to open their downtown shop was former owner of the space Glenda Ueland. She really wanted something to be here on the corner, Shari said. The family business consists of custom clothing, a coffee shop, snack bar and displays from many local craft vendors. They display handcrafted items from people throughout the entire Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota region. Were not essentially a Made in Montana (exhibitor), but all of our renters ... (are within) about a 300 square mile range, Brady said. The Robertsons occasionally set up shop at the Prairie County Fair and other special events that occur throughout the year, providing their coffee shop drinks to the community. The Robertsons said they especially appreciate that local residents patronize the local businesses before going out of town to find something they want or need. Between all of us, we wanted to offer something in Prairie County that wasnt here; that didnt exist, Shari said. We want to keep people home shopping and we want to give them that unique gift that they can find (in Terry) ... What I like is people come here first to check to see if we have it before going out of town. Randy also makes every effort to encourage visitors to stay in the area and explore the Yellowstone River, different battlefields or Terry Badlands prior to continuing their trip. (Visitors) will stop in to get a coffee and (Randy) tells them about all of the battlefields that are dotted throughout the area, Brady said. The Robertsons believe one of their greatest challenges as a small family business was remaining open and profitable throughout, and following, the COVID-19 pandemic, something they know not everyone was able to accomplish at the time. An additional challenge the family has faced in its four years being open is determining the best hours of operation for the community without burning themselves out. Its hard when youre a small, family-based (and) owned, Shari said. We havent reached that plateau where we feel we could successfully hire a person to fill those gaps. Although faced with challenges in operating a business in Terry, the Robertson family is proud of the work they have done over the last four years and are thankful to the other businesses in town and members of the community who continually lift them up. I believe all of us in town try to promote everybody because we actually have a lot that we have to offer between all of us, Shari noted. I think were lucky to be in a community that is very supportive of small businesses, Lizzy said. Robertson Creative Creations is located at 118 Logan Avenue and open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hours and location of operation may change depending on special events. For more information about the business, what it offers and where the Robertsons will set up during special events, call (406) 853-0307 or follow on Facebook and Instagram. The following people were recently found guilty or sentenced for a federal crime in a Montana federal courtroom. On April 11, a federal jury convicted David Loren Waldeck, 57, of Port Orchard, Washington of trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine in Lake County last year. Waldeck faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Sentencing was set for Sept. 13. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that on Oct. 24, 2022, Flathead Tribal police officers stopped and arrested an individual on outstanding warrants and learned that a person named David was in Kalispell and coming back to Polson that day with meth and fentanyl to distribute. The police officers then stopped Waldeck later that day and located 4,212 fentanyl pills, approximately 837 grams, or 1.8 pounds of meth, and approximately 489 grams, or a little more than one pound, of cocaine in his vehicle. Kevin Michael Jakub, 38, of Hamilton, who admitted to illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, including a ghost gun, after having been convicted of felonies, was sentenced April 11 in a Montana federal courtroom to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Jakub pleaded guilty in November 2022 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The government alleged in court documents that in January 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a storage unit of Jakubs and recovered two semi-automatic rifles with large capacity magazines, one pistol, three suppressors, various firearm parts and thousands of rounds of ammunition. In July 2022, law enforcement contacted Jakub after receiving a report of him possibly discharging a firearm. Jakub admitted to firing his pistol, and agents recovered a pistol described as a ghost gun, which means it had no identifiable markings. Zachary Paul Potts, 26, of Great Falls, who admitted to illegally possessing firearms while on supervision for prior felony convictions was sentenced in a Montana federal courtroom April 11 to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Potts, 26, pleaded guilty in November 2022 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The government alleged in court documents that in the fall of 2021, Potts was on state supervision for multiple felony convictions when he was stopped while driving a vehicle in Great Falls with a suspended license. During a probation search of the vehicle, law enforcement found a .357-caliber revolver in a backpack and a 9mm pistol under the drivers seat. Potts told the officer he knew about the pistol and that he had used it in the past. The government further alleged that the backpack also contained a small amount of suspected methamphetamine, more than four grams of fentanyl powder, a scale and empty plastic baggies. MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. 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? Its a question the restaurant industry is increasingly trying to answer. Many think robot waiters are the solution to the industrys labor shortages. Sales of them have been growing rapidly in recent years, with tens of thousands now gliding through dining rooms worldwide. Theres 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 schools 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 arent much more than a gimmick that have a long way to go before they can replace humans. They cant take orders, and many restaurants have steps, outdoor patios and other physical challenges they cant adapt to. Restaurants are pretty chaotic places, so its 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 needs only 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 cant really tell it to move or anything, she said. She has also had customers who dont 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 dont 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 Universitys 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 its 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 didnt 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. But not all chains have had success with robots. Chilis 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 didnt 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 havent proved as reliable or cost-effective as human servers. Wang Long, the manager of a Beijing outlet, said his two robots 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. Photos: CES goes to the dogs With spring well on its way, the Muscatine City Council reviewed the process citizens use to hold special events on city property during its in-depth meeting Thursday evening. Kelsie Stafford, program supervisor for Muscatine Parks and Recreation, reported that assisting customers with special events gives the department the opportunity to provide customer service. She said special events supported a vibrant community. We want people to be aware so if they are hosting any event on city property we want them to reach out to city staff, Stafford said. We can make sure everyone on city staff is aware of it and we can post it for public knowledge and make sure everyone has adequate space. Stafford said the first step for a citizen to use city property was to contact city staff and an appropriate application would be given to them. The city currently has 23 venues and 56 acres that can be used for special events. The city employee will work with the citizen to determine which venue is right for the event. Once approved, the event is added to the special event listing. Depending on the event, a pre-event meeting may be scheduled. She said in the past many problems had happened because people had not known there was a process to host an event on public property. Once contact is made, she explained, city staff can guide the applicant through the process. For more information on using city property, contact the parks and rec department. The suspect in the killing of two teenage girls in Indiana will be transferred to another state correctional facility after the suspects attorneys argued his physical and mental health was deteriorating after months in isolation. The Journal & Courier reports a judge ordered the transfer Friday, directing that Richard Matthew Allen be moved to an Indiana Department of Correction facility that will accommodate his physical and psychological needs. The Delphi man has been held in isolation at the maximum-security Westville Correctional Facility since early November for his protection. Allen is charged with murder in the 2017 killings of 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams. Allen has maintained his innocence. Napa police recovered a body from a tent behind the Hampton Inn on the 900 block of West Imola Avenue in Napa at on Thursday morning. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. According to Napa Police Department spokesperson Brett Muratori, officers were dispatched to the transient camp after a report of a person down, where they discovered the deceased male, who has since been identified as 37-year-old Napa resident Jesus Servin Perez. Perezs cause of death is still under investigation and will be determined by the Napa County Sheriff Coroners Division. PHOTOS: 'Every 15 Minutes' simulates a DUI crash's effects for Napa students Every 15 minutes 33 Every 15 minutes 01 Every 15 minutes 02 Every 15 minutes 04 Every 15 minutes 05 Every 15 minutes 06 Every 15 minutes 07 Every 15 minutes 08 Every 15 minutes 03 Every 15 minutes 09 Every 15 minutes 10 Every 15 minutes 11 Every 15 minutes 12 Every 15 minutes 13 Every 15 minutes 14 Every 15 minutes 15 Every 15 minutes 16 Every 15 minutes 17 Every 15 minutes 18 Every 15 minutes 19 Every 15 minutes 20 Every 15 minutes 21 Every 15 minutes 22 Every 15 minutes 23 Every 15 minutes 24 Every 15 minutes 25 Every 15 minutes 26 Every 15 minutes 27 Every 15 minutes 28 Every 15 minutes 29 Every 15 minutes 30 Every 15 minutes 31 Every 15 minutes 32 Caitlan Nesbitt, a fourth-grade teacher at Napa Junction Magnet Elementary School in American Canyon, has been named 2023 Napa County Teacher of the Year by the Napa County Office of Education (NCOE). Nesbitt is in her ninth year of teaching at Napa Junction, which is in Napa Valley Unified School District. Nesbitt was one of seven teachers countywide who were nominated for the honor by Napa Valley Unified School District, St. Helena Unified School District, Calistoga Joint Unified School District and NCOE. The selection process included an essay by the nominee, a letter from the nominees principal and a classroom visit from a team that included Superintendent of Schools Dr. Barbara Nemko and staff from NCOE and the Napa Valley Education Foundation. Each of the nominees was outstanding in their approach to teaching, Nemko said, but Caitlyn Nesbitt impressed the team with her comfortable, comforting classroom, and the atmosphere of support for the students. She also embraces project-based learning and peer tutoring to empower her students to help each other to succeed. Ms. Nesbitt uses small group instruction and rotations every day in order to meet the needs of her diverse learners, said Napa Junction Principal Noreen Montgomery, who nominated Nesbitt for the honorl. The fourth grade had a 17% increase in math scores from fall 2022 to winter 2023, a testament to a teaching method that is working. She facilitates small group instruction and rotations daily in order to meet the needs of her diverse learners. It is evident that a lot of thought goes into each day of instruction because for each small group, she has a different lesson prepared. The other outstanding finalists included Valerie Saribalis-Cole, Napa High School; Christina Lawrence, Browns Valley Elementary School; Lucia Avalos-Gonzalez, Redwood Middle School; Jeffrey Scott, Camille Creek Community School; Madeline Breazeale, St. Helena High School; and Tyrone Sorrentino, Calistoga Jr/Sr High School. As Napa County Teacher of the Year, Nesbitt will move on to compete for California Teacher of the Year this summer. Also eligible to compete at the state level are Napa Countys Classified School Employees of the Year, including Nancy Redmond, NVUSD, Health and Student Services; Claudia Aranda, NVUSD, Security Services; Edgar Cortez, NVUSD, Transportation; Maria Ramirez, NVUSD, Food & Nutrition Services; Beatriz Rodriguez, CJUSD, Clerical & Administrative Services; Dawn Daw, NVUSD, Paraprofessional Services; and Richard Cole, NCOE, Maintenance. The Napa County Teacher of the Year and Classified School Employees of the Year finalists and honorees will be recognized at a community celebration on May 24 at NCOE, 2121 Imola Avenue, Napa, at 4 p.m. PHOTOS: Napa County Ag Day 2023 Music is an art that is highly appreciated worldwide. It has the power to bring people together, inspire, motivate, and create a bond that cannot be broken. However, being a musician and making a living out of it is not always an easy feat. There are many expenses involved in creating, recording, and promoting music. For this reason, many musicians turn to grants to fund their projects. In this article, we will discuss music grants, what they are, and where musicians can find them in the USA. What are Music Grants? Music grants are a type of funding provided to musicians and music organizations to help further their careers. Unlike loans, grants do not need to be paid back. Grants are an excellent source of funding as they give musicians the opportunity to focus on their projects without worrying about finances. However, getting a music grant is highly competitive. Musicians need to research which grants are a good fit for them, find out when the deadlines are, and set aside plenty of time for the application process, which can be intense. Types of Music Grants There are dozens of music grant organizations in the USA that regularly award cash to serious artists. Some music grant organizations exist to help out fledgling artists, while others support more established artists. Depending on the type of grant, the funding could be used to get a new music project off the ground, record an album, or tour. Some organizations place no restrictions at all on how you can use the money. Music Grants in the USA Here are seven of the best music grants available in the United States to get your wheels turning. But definitely check out local opportunities in your own city or state; you never know what you might come across. 1. New Music USA Grants Region: United States New Music USAs mission is to support and promote all kinds of musical creativity in the United States. They offer funding for music projects, support for small ensembles and DIY venues, and even provide composer-in-residence positions in orchestras. Foundation for Contemporary Arts Region: United States The Foundation for Contemporary Arts was created by artists in 1963 to promote the innovative work of their peers. Today, they offer generous grants to nominated artists, as well as emergency grants ranging from $500 to $2,500 that any artist urgently in need of funding can apply for. The Alice M. Ditson Fund Region: United States Since 1940, the Alice M. Ditson Fund has awarded over 2,000 grants in support of contemporary American classical concert music. They offer funding for recording projects, with the specific goal of providing wider exposure for the music of younger, relatively unknown American composers. New York Foundation for the Arts Region: New York The New York Foundation for the Arts has a 32-year history of supporting artists at all stages of their careers. Unlike grants that fund specific projects, the unrestricted $7,000 fellowships are intended to fund an artists vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Region: Delaware, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the US Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation was established to support multi-state arts programming and has since expanded to include initiatives in other parts of the United States. The grants provide support for artists looking to create, tour, build an audience, and develop their careers. 6. Tennessee Arts Commission Region: Tennessee With a mission to cultivate the arts for the benefit of all Tennesseans and their communities, the Tennessee Arts Commission offers How to apply for music grants Applying for a music grant can be a daunting process, but if youre serious about your music career, its worth the effort. Here are some tips to help you navigate the application process: Find grants that align with your goals Not all music grants are created equal. Each grant has its own requirements, eligibility criteria, and focus areas. Take the time to research grants that align with your goals as an artist. Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria before investing time in the application process. Read the guidelines carefully Each grant has specific guidelines that must be followed to the letter. These guidelines will specify what information needs to be included in your application, how to format it, and how to submit it. Make sure you read the guidelines carefully and follow them exactly. Deviating from the guidelines could result in your application being disqualified. Prepare a compelling application Your application needs to stand out from the hundreds of other applications that the grant organization receives. Be concise, clear, and compelling in your writing. Make sure you include all the required information and provide examples of your work that demonstrate why you deserve the grant. Build relationships Networking is an important part of any musicians career, and that includes applying for grants. Attend grant-related events, connect with past grant recipients, and reach out to grant organizations to ask questions and learn more about their programs. Building relationships can increase your chances of being selected for a grant. Finding and Applying for Artist Grants Securing funding is critical to gaining the physical and mental space you need to create your art. But finding and applying for artist grants can be overwhelming if youre not well-versed in the process. Fortunately, getting up to speed is as simple as considering the tips below. Determine Your Artists Values Before you dive into the artist grant search, determine your values. What drives you most? Finding identity? Healing trauma? Discovering joy? These values are not just limited to your work. They also reflect your values as a person. Next, consider what youre willing to do in order to get the grant. Are you willing to relocate for a while? Work with artists in different mediums? Become part of a collective? Create public works? Make a list of what youre curious about exploring, along with a list of deal-breakers (For example, a cross-country move). Knowing what excites you and what doesnt will help you stay focused in the grant application process. Know Where to Search for Artist Grants According to the U.S. Census data, approximately 1.4 million artists report selling their artwork as their primary source of income. Most of these artists are in search of funding for their work. While The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is the most well-known resource for artist grants, states, arts schools, and other organizations offer grant search tools tailored to specific niche areas. To stay focused in your search, choose a couple of databases and artist resources to serve as the hub of your search. For example, if you went to CalArts, you may want to start your grant search on their database and add an independent database such as The Artist Power Center (APC) as a go-to source. 4 Types of Funding Knowing the types of funding that can be tied to any grant is key to a successful application process. These are: Competitive Grants This type of grant is based on merit and is usually awarded by a jury or voting process. Formula Grants This type of grant is non-competitive and uses a predetermined criteria to award recipients. Renewal Grants Renewal grants are awarded with the understanding that they can be renewed based on project expansion, artists needs, etc. Pass-Through Grants The federal government earmarks funds for states and local governments to award recipients based on their proposal relevancy and geographical location. When applying for grants, make sure you understand the funding parameters and criteria. For instance, if youre not a resident of Alameda County and need to be in order to apply for funding, theres no reason to submit your application in the hopes that it will be considered. 4 Types of Grants When applying for a grant, its important to consider your fit as an applicant and how the grant will be a fit for you as an artist. For example, if youre a sculptor, applying for a grant that requires you to produce work without providing the proper facilities to do so may not be the best choice. Or, if youre a musician looking to start a music education program, you may not want to apply for a grant that requires you to produce a body of work. While the perfect grant may be hard to come by, its helpful to think of grants in terms of certain categories. Project-Based Grants Project-based grants are usually government-sponsored or organizational funding for arts programming, public works, and exhibitions. Whether its for a mural, a performance art piece, or an educational event, project-based grants can be awarded to a single artist or a group of artists. In addition, project-based grants may require artists who havent worked together before to collaborate with each other, fostering new connections and creative partnerships. One of the benefits of project-based grants is that they provide artists with the financial resources they need to bring their ideas to life. They can cover the cost of materials, equipment rentals, and even stipends for the artists themselves. This can be particularly important for emerging artists or those who are working in disciplines that may not be as financially lucrative, such as performance art or community-based projects. Another advantage of project-based grants is that they can help artists reach new audiences and expand their networks. Many project-based grants require artists to share their work with the public, which can lead to exposure and new opportunities. For example, a mural funded by a project-based grant may be visible to thousands of people every day, or an educational event may attract community members who are interested in the topic. However, project-based grants can also have their challenges. They often have strict guidelines and deadlines that must be met, and the application process can be competitive. Artists may need to devote significant time and energy to crafting their proposals and navigating the application process. Overall, project-based grants can be a valuable source of support for artists looking to create new work, engage with their communities, and expand their professional networks. By providing funding and resources for creative projects, these grants can help to foster a vibrant and diverse arts ecosystem. Emergency grants for musicians Emergency grants have become increasingly important for artists, especially during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants are designed to provide artists with the necessary funds to address their immediate financial needs, such as rent, food, and medical expenses, in order to allow them to continue creating their art. Emergency grants are usually offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and applicants are required to provide a clear and concise explanation of their financial situation. They may also be asked to provide additional documentation, such as tax returns or medical bills, to support their application. Examples of emergency grants include the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant, which provides funding to visual artists who have experienced an unforeseen emergency, and the Artist Relief Fund, which was created specifically to support artists impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to providing financial support, emergency grants can also offer artists a sense of community and validation during difficult times. Applying for an emergency grant can be a vulnerable process, but it can also be an opportunity to connect with other artists and organizations who understand the challenges of being a working artist. Collaborative & Educational Grants The David Ireland House 2022 Performing Artist Residency is a collaborative grant that provides artists with a three-month residency at the David Ireland House in San Francisco. This program is open to performing artists who work in any discipline, including theater, dance, music, and performance art. The residency includes a stipend, a studio space, and the opportunity to present a public performance or exhibition. Rhythmically Speaking: Seeking Works for Stage and Screen is an educational grant that supports artists who are creating innovative works in the realm of rhythm-based dance. This program is open to artists who are interested in exploring the intersection of live performance and screen-based media. The grant provides funding for research and development, as well as the opportunity to showcase the work in a public performance or exhibition. Robert Moses Kin: Multidisciplinary Teaching Artists is a grant that supports artists who are interested in teaching and collaborating with young people in schools and community organizations. This program is open to artists who work in a variety of disciplines, including dance, theater, music, and visual arts. The grant provides funding for artists to develop and implement educational programs, as well as the opportunity to showcase their work in a public exhibition. Conclusion Music grants are an excellent source of funding for serious musicians who want to take their careers to the next level. While the application process can be intense, the rewards are worth it. Take the time to research grants that align with your goals as an artist, and follow the guidelines carefully to prepare a compelling application. With perseverance and a little bit of luck, you could be awarded a grant that helps is you achieve your musical dreams. What is a music grant? A music grant is a type of financial assistance that is awarded to musicians, composers, and other music industry professionals. These grants can be used to fund various aspects of a music career, such as recording music an album, touring, or attending a music school or workshop. How do music grants differ from loans? Unlike loans, music grants do not have to be repaid. They are essentially free money that is awarded to individuals or organizations for a specific purpose related to music. Loans, on the other hand, require repayment with interest. Are music grants difficult to obtain? The difficulty of obtaining a music grant can vary depending on the grant program and the applicants qualifications. Some grant programs may have a highly competitive application process, while others may be more open to a wider range of applicants. Its important to research each grant program thoroughly and determine if you meet their eligibility requirements before applying. What should I include in my music grant application? Most music grant applications will require a detailed project proposal, a budget plan, and a biography or resume highlighting your experience in the music industry. Its important to follow the application guidelines closely and provide as much information as possible to demonstrate your qualifications and the importance of your project. How can I increase my chances of being selected for a music grant? There are several things you can do to increase your chances of being selected for a music grant. First, make sure you meet all of the eligibility requirements for the grant program you are applying to. Second, carefully review the application guidelines and make sure your application addresses all of the required components. Finally, try to showcase your unique talents and experiences in your application to make yourself stand out from other applicants. Canada is deeply concerned about Azerbaijan's establishment of checkpoint in Lachin corridor Relocation of 28 patients from Artsakh canceled because of Azerbaijans deployment of checkpoint General Singh Rana: India and Iran are working to expand military cooperation NATO Secretary General calls on Georgia to redouble reform efforts Entry of humanitarian goods from Armenia to Artsakh has been somewhat restored Rasmussen: There must be political and economic consequences for Azerbaijan State minister: Humanitarian goods, fuel imports to Karabakh completely disrupted Foreign Minister of Iceland: Free movement through the Lachin corridor must be restored Biden and Harris have started raising campaign donations Thomas de Waal: There will be new conflict between Karabakh and Azerbaijan digiPOS digital terminal from Ardshinbank: cash register in your smartphone Marukyan: US, France, Russia, EU ready to guarantee implementation of peace treaty to be signed with Azerbaijan? Israel ambassador expresses solidarity with Armenian people Aliyev promises Europe more Azerbaijani natural gas Azerbaijanis put You are entering the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan road sign near Hakari bridge Armenia economic activity index up 12.2% in first quarter Bob Menendez: It's time to halt security assistance to Baku Explanation made regarding Armenia v. Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan v. Armenia court cases Armenia opposition MP: Russia is taking steps on the spot, Azerbaijan internal troops are also there Pelosi: Last year our delegation had solemn honor to visit Armenian Genocide Memorial Armenia flag hoisted over Italys Reggio Calabria city hall Biden to run in 2024 US presidential race Karabakh MP: Negotiations to reopen Hakari bridge are in progress with Azerbaijan 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 Armenias Pashinyan to Israels Netanyahu: Our relations have positive prerequisites for moving to new qualitative level 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 The first group of international delegates arrived at Goa's Dabolim Airport early Saturday to attend the Second Health Working Group G20 Meeting from April 17 to 19. The group consisted of Francoise Vanni, Stephen Murphy, Dylan Pulver, Stephanie Seydoux, Alain Labrique, Derrick Muneene and Garrett Mehl from Switzerland, as well as Elise Anthony and Steven Posnack from the US. Delegates were warmly welcomed with a musical performance and taken to a reserved lounge where they were served Goan snacks such as Ragi chips, cashew nuts, and tender coconut water. They were then taken on a bus to the Grand Hyatt Goa. The airports in Goa have made arrangements and taken steps to ensure that the arrival process is efficient. Additionally, services such as a money exchange counter and SIM card counter are also available at the airports. Other delegates are expected to arrive in Goa over the next few days at either the Dabolim Airport or the Mopa international airport. The first meeting of the G20 summit in Goa is the Health Working Group, where participants will discuss health policies and initiatives. The summit is an important event, and this meeting of the Health Working Group could impact future global health policies significantly. The Group of Twenty or G20, is the premier forum for international cooperation comprising the world's most-powerful 19 economies and the European Union (EU). The group was established with the goal to solve major global issues which are related to the stability of International Finance, the international economy, migration due to changes in climatic conditions, and sustainable development. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, United States of America, and the European Union (EU) form the G20 group. Representatives from guest countries and international organisations have also been invited to attend the Summit. (ANI) The Delhi Police has arrested three fraudsters, including a former employee of Paisabazaar for duping an ICICI Bank's customer. According to Delhi Police, complainant Harish alleged that he got a call on February 21, from a person claiming to be from ICICI Bank who asked him to help activate his ICICI Bank credit card. During the call, Harish was asked for the OTP and after some time he received a message of a transaction of Rs 1,45,000 on his mobile. Harish is a resident of Kali Bari, Mandir Marg, New Delhi. A case was registered and a team was constituted to solve the case, police said. During the course of the investigation, the team worked on the technical aspects of the case and money trail. The team zeroed in on one suspect -- Vivek Bind. However, his address couldn't be ascertained and the team worked on the ground and gathered information from sources about the suspect, police said. According to the police, a raid was conducted in Patel Nagar area of Delhi on April 13 and the team apprehended 23-year-old Vivek Bind, a resident of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The accused disclosed that he is a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) graduate and was working in Paisabazaar, an online marketplace for financial products. While in Paisabazaar, he used to obtain data on different bank customers who applied for credit cards or who had got credit cards recently. Then, he along with his two associates/roommates, namely Vishal and Jackey, used to call these customers unofficially on the pretext of helping them to activate their cards, police said. Accordingly, they would ask for the complete login credentials from the customers and after logging into the account, would get the money transferred to their bank accounts using CRED App. The accused's accomplices -- Vishal and Jacky Yadav -- were also arrested from Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. Twenty-two-year-old Vishal is a resident of Baliya in Uttar Pradesh and was working with ICICI Bank's home loan department. He used to transfer money from phished credit card to his bank account, using the CRED app on his mobile. While Jacky (19) is a resident of Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh and is currently unemployed. He used to log in to the credit card account on his laptop to transfer money from it, police said. (ANI) New Delhi [India], April 15 (ANI/GPRC): A commemorative event was held in New Delhi to mark the 29th anniversary of the horrific genocide against the Tutsi community in Rwanda in 1994. The event was organized by the High Commission of the Republic of Rwanda in India, New Delhi, under the joint aegis of United National India and Gandhi Mandela Foundation Kamaladevi Complex, at India International Centre, 40, Max Muller Marg, New Delhi. The chief guest at the event was Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Government of India. Other notable guests included Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative, Rwandan Ambassador to India Mukangira Jacqueline, and Nandan Jha, Secretary General of the Gandhi Mandela Foundation. The program commenced with the presentation of a bouquet to the chief guest, followed by the national anthems of India and Rwanda. The guests paid tribute by lighting 29 candles while the song Quibuka played, and observed a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims of the Tutsi genocide. In her speech, Meenakshi Lekhi highlighted India's own history of genocides and emphasized the promotion of development and human values. She also mentioned Prime Minister Modi's visit to Rwanda in 2018 and India's support for peace and goodwill in Rwanda during the years 1994 to 1996 through the Indian Army and the United Nations Army. An exhibition of paintings created by school students depicting the brutality of the Rwandan genocide was displayed through a video, accompanied by a performance of Mwakire indababo by students and a touching message from children of the Rwandan the community. A documentary film titled "The Genocide Against Tutsi" was also screened, with representatives from over 50 countries in attendance. Nandan Jha, General Secretary of the Gandhi Mandela Foundation, expressed deep sorrow for the loss of over 1 million lives in just 100 days during the genocide and emphasized the importance of remembering the victims and working towards preventing such atrocities in the future. Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative, conveyed the UN Secretary-General's message on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi Community in Rwanda, emphasizing solidarity and the promotion of peace, tolerance, and understanding among all communities. Jacqueline Mukangira, High Commissioner of Rwanda, expressed gratitude to the Government of India and highlighted the close relationship between India and Rwanda. She also shared the tragic details of the genocide, including the loss of her own family members. The International Day of Reflection on the Rwandan Genocide is commemorated by UNESCO every year on 7 April, marking one of the darkest chapters in human history. The Gandhi Mandela Foundation plays a significant role in organizing the event, promoting the values and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela for global peace, non-violence, and unity. The Foundation, certified by the Government of India, is headquartered in New Delhi and focuses on promoting individual liberty, civil liberties, and human rights worldwide. This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC) CPI Rajya Sabha Member Binoy Viswam has asked the Union government as to how Ernst & Young (EY), which has been fined overseas, has been selected as the consultant to restructure the government-owned non-life insurers. In a letter to Union Finance Secretary Vivek Joshi, the CPI leader has also claimed that Saurabh Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services, has pressurised the General Insurance Public Sector Association (GIPSA) to select EY through a tender process for rejigging the government-owned insurers. Viswam in his letter said: "Saurabh Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), for the reasons best known to him only, has pressurised GIPSA to select a consultant, i.e., Ernst & Young, through a tender process in the name of having profitable growth and efficiency in the PSGICs (public sector general insurance companies), for which a huge amount of public exchequer has been paid to this consultant." "But the question of serious concern is that how a consultant having a dubious character, which has been fined $100 million in the US for cheating on Certified Public Account Exam (CPA), has been selected by GIPSA, and not objected by the DFS," Viswam wondered. "A recent media report reveals that the said consultant has been very heavily fined of around 5,00,000 euro and the German audit watchdog banned Ernst & Young over the Wire Card scandal from taking new audit work of the companies of public importance," Viswam added. Viswam also told Joshi that the public sector general insurance industry at present is facing unrest due to organisational restructuring and unilateral imposition of key performance indicators (KPI)/closure and merger of offices in the name of restructuring. "Several media reports also confirm that the PSGI industry, which is worth more than one lakh twenty-five thousand crore (1,25,00,000+ crore) is being ruined," the letter noted. Viswam also raised the issue of GIPSA and DFS bypassing the orders of the Chief Labour Commissioner, Government of India, to have bilateral discussions with the stakeholders and started unilaterally implementing the recommendations of EY. The Rajya Sabha member said that more than 1,500 offices have been closed/merged by the managements of the four government-owned non-life insurers, resulting in denial of excess of general insurance policies to the general public of the country, especially in Tier II and III cities. Viswam urged Joshi for his immediate and effective intervention to ensure the sanctity of the authorities viz. Chief Labour Commissioner, and also to restore justice to all the working class and the policyholders of the general insurance industry. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in) --IANS vj/arm ( 445 Words) 2023-04-15-20:12:03 (IANS) Taking to Instagram, she wrote, "Of all the names that people gave me, Mountain girl is my most favourite. Happy Himachal day to everyone." https://www.instagram.com/p/CrDAEochVVj/?hl=en She also dropped a beautiful video in which she is seen spending memorable moments amdist snow-capped mountains. One of the clips shows Kangana playing in the snow. She also gave a glimpse of Himachali food prepared by her mother. Meanwhile, on the work front, Kangana will be seen headlining 'Chandramukhi 2'. Helmed by P Vasu, 'Chandramukhi 2' is the sequel to the blockbuster hit Tamil horror comedy film 'Chandramukhi' which starred Rajinikanth and Jyothika in the lead roles.In 'Chandramukhi 2' Kangana will portray the role of a dancer in the king's court, who was known for her beauty and dance skills. Kangana will also be seen in the upcoming period drama film 'Emergency' which also marks her first solo directorial film. 'Emergency' revolves around the life of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and features Kangana in the titular role of the late politician. Apart from Kangana, the film stars Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, Vishak Nair and Shreyas Talpade in prominent roles.She will also be seen in 'Tejas' in which she will be seen portraying the role of an Indian airforce pilot. The official release date of the film is still awaited. In the upcoming months, audience will also see Kangana in 'Manikarnika Returns: The Legend of Didda', and 'The Incarnation: Sita' in her kitty. (ANI) Sushmita Sen is happy to be back in Jaipur where she will unleash her 'Aarya' avatar one more time. The actor will resume the shoot of season 3 of the Disney Plus Hotstar series "Aarya'' which came to a halt as Sushmita suffered cardiac arrest in February. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, the actor hosted a live session for her fans and followers on her way to a Jaipur hotel by car. Sharing an inside detail of the flight, the former Miss Universe said, "I was seated next to Pankaj Udhas Sir in the flight. The energy this man has... I was shameless to ask him, Sir do line gaa dijiye (Sir, please sing a couple of lines) It makes me feel that I am surrounded by good people and good energy..." https://www.instagram.com/p/CrDQjv7oxP4/ Sharing the video, Sushmita captioned it, "Shubho Noboborsho!!! here's to new beginnings with endless possibilities!!!I love you guys!!! #duggadugga #yourstruly" The actor told that she received a warm welcome at the airport. She exchanged greetings with the people who joined the sessions. The actor also wished a very happy Bengali new year to all her viewers irrespective of their caste, creed and language. "Back to life... It's good to be back", said Sushmita in all ecstasy. The actor also recited a Shayari as one of the viewers requested her. Sushmita is celebrated for her inspiring and positive attitude towards life. The actor repeatedly said during the live session that she felt blessed and privileged as her fans constantly sent her good wishes during her tough time. Sushmita suffered a cardiac arrest in February and following that she has undergone angioplasty. The 'Aarya' actor informed her fans through social media that she was diagnosed with a 95 per cent blockage in the main artery. Since then, the actor has been updating with her health details on Instagram. In one of her live sessions, Sushmita requested the younger generation to get their hearts checked at regular intervals. Fans have always found the actor inspiring for her unconventional personal and professional choices. Recently she was seen shopping with ex-boyfriend Rohman Shawl and younger daughter Alisah. They were also seen together in a work-out session. Meanwhile, Sushmita completed the dubbing for 'Taali'. The series is based on the life of transgender Shreegauri Sawant. She was one of the petitioners in the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) case of 2013, in connection with which the Supreme Court recognised a transgender person as the third gender. (ANI) Days after four influential Naga organisations urged the Central government to "honour its word" in the Ceasefire Agreement (1997) and Framework Agreement (2015) and "resolve the Naga political impasse accordingly", Central government envoy on the Naga political issue A.K. Mishra has held separate meetings with the NSCN-IM and other Naga bodies. Sources in the know of things said on Friday that Mishra, a retired Intelligence Bureau officer, held separate meetings with a high-level 20-member delegation of the NSCN-IM led by its Secretary General Thuingaleng Muivah and the Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) on Thursday at the Chumoukedima police complex in Dimapur. NSCN-IM leader Rh Raising Thangkul said that they have reiterated to solve the Naga political issue on the basis of the Framework Agreement, signed in August 2015. Like previous occasions, Mishra and other leaders of the NSCN-IM and the NNPG did not disclose any details of the closed-door meeting. In the meetings, Mishra was accompanied by Intelligence Bureau joint director Mandeep Singh Tulli and Nagaland's intelligence officer Don Jose. However, an NNPG leader on the condition of anonymity said that they expressed their displeasure on the delay of the decades-old unresolved Naga political issue. The Centre has been in talks with the NNPGs since 2017. Four influential Naga organisations, including the powerful Naga Hoho, last week urged the Central government to honour its word in the Ceasefire Agreement (1997) and Framework Agreement (2015) and "resolve the Naga political impasse accordingly". The four Naga bodies -- the Naga Hoho, the Naga Mothers' Association, the Naga Students' Federation, and the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights, in a joint statement had said that the government must "stop its militarisation and military operations". "The Naga political conflict cannot be solved militarily and must be solved politically, as admitted by no less than three Indian Army Generals and others," the statement noted. The Centre has been holding separate negotiations with the dominant Naga outfit NSCN-IM since 1997 and the NNPG, comprising at least seven groups, since 2017. A Framework Agreement was signed with NSCN-IM in 2015 and Agreed Position with NNPGs in 2017. The stalemate continued as the NSCN-IM remained firm on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas. --IANS sc/pgh ( 384 Words) 2023-04-14-19:34:03 (IANS) A man, who allegedly snatched a mobile in Bihar's Bettiah on Friday, was brutally thrashed by a mob after he could not escape the spot, police said. Residents of Bettiah are facing the problem of mobile and chain snatching for the past few months. On Friday, two snatchers, travelling on a bike, tried to snatch a mobile phone of a person in Muharram area under the town police station. The local residents chased them, and in a process, the bikers met with an accident at Muharram Chowk. While the man driving the bike escaped, but the snatcher, who was riding pillion, was caught and brutally assaulted, as per the video going viral on social media. "After hearing the incident of a robber who was brutally assaulted by local residents, we immediately went there and rescued him. The accused was an active member of the snatcher gang. One of the robbers managed to flee from the spot. We are making efforts to identify his location. He will be arrested soon," said Rajiv Kumar, SHO of the town police station. --IANS ajk/vd ( 193 Words) 2023-04-14-20:36:01 (IANS) Sources said that Tewatia was lodged in central jail number-3 of Tihar. "The incident occurred around 5 p.m. and an investigation has been initiated into the matter," said an official. In December last year, Tewatia was arrested by the Crime Branch for his involvement in a sensational case of carjacking in the national capital. The 30-year-old Prince Tewatia was previously also involved in 16 cases, including murder and attempt to murder. Tewatia had come out from jail on parole for a month and had to surrender on October 27 but he did not. Instead, he along with his associates planned to take revenge from rival gangsters at whose direction one Kunal had attacked him with a blade and caused injuries to his face while he was in jail, the police said. Tewatia had then allegedly threatened an SUV owner with a loaded pistol and robbed his Fortuner car at gunpoint. He was first arrested by police in 2010 for murder. While appearing for his case in Court, he produced a fake birth certificate so that he could be treated as a juvenile but was caught and a forgery case was registered against him on the court's orders. --IANS ssh/pgh ( 236 Words) 2023-04-14-20:56:04 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday appealed to his supporters to avoid chanting his name as the next Prime Minister of the country. Addressing a gathering of JD-U workers at the party headquarters here, Nitish Kumar said that such slogans would derail the work he is doing at the moment. "I request all of you with folded hands to avoid chanting my name as the Prime Minister of the country. I am working on uniting the opposition parties in the country to fight against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Such an act may hurt our aim. So please avoid chanting my name," Nitish Kumar said. The reaction of the Chief Minister came after his party workers gave him a grand welcome at the head office of JD-U on Friday, throwing rose petals on him after his tour of Delhi where he met key opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Arvind Kejriwal, Sitaram Yechuri and D. Raja. Nitish Kumar also appealed to the people of Bihar not to vote for the BJP. "The BJP has done nothing for the people of the country. We had demanded special status for Bihar, but they did not accord that. They only believe in framing the leaders of the opposition parties in false cases. "They have nothing to do with the common people. If you vote for them, you would destroy yourself, and if you vote against them, your state and the country will progress on the development path," the Chief Minister said. --IANS ajk/arm ( 272 Words) 2023-04-14-22:48:06 (IANS) The mobile tower, belonging to GTAL company, was installed in the house of Manisha Kumari, located in Shramjivi Nagar area under Sadar police station in the city. The mobile phone tower was found missing when company officials reached the house of Manisha Kumari to inspect it. A generator set, shelter, and stabiliser were also missing from the place. Company official Shahnawaz Anwar lodged an FIR against unknown persons in Sadar police station of the district. During investigation, Manisha Kumari told police that some persons, claiming to be employees of GTAL, came a few months ago and said that the mobile tower is not functional and hence, they are removing it. They had removed all the equipment, loaded it onto a pick-up van and taken it away. The value of equipment was estimated to be Rs 4.5 lakh. This is the second time when a mobile tower was stolen in Bihar. Earlier, a mobile tower was stolen from the Sabji Bagh area of Patna in a similar fashion. --IANS ajk/vd ( 194 Words) 2023-04-14-23:22:02 (IANS) Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Revanth Reddy on Friday said that under the leadership of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge party will defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the centre and Telangana Chief Minister KCR in the state. While participating in the Jai Bharat Satyagraha meeting, Revanth Reddy said," Congress party will get glory under the leadership of Mallikarjuna Kharge. After he became president, we won in Himachal Pradesh. We are going to win in Karnataka tomorrow. The Congress party will come to power in the upcoming Telangana elections. We will oust Modi in the centre and KD (referred to as KCR) in the state". TPCC president Reddy in his address mentioned that the Congress party will adopt and develop the Adilabad district if it comes into power in Telangana. "When sabha was held in Indravelli with the intention of organizing a huge sabha, lakhs of people turned up and Adilabad district stood by us. To those who left the party recently, even if some dry leaves fall, new shoots will come. This sabha is proof that Congress will get its former glory in the Adilabad district. Adilabad is the 23rd most backward district. As the President of PCC, I give my word to the tribal children of Adilabad on behalf of the Congress, as soon as the Congress party comes to power in Telangana, it will adopt the Adilabad district and develop it," he said. He further stated that Telangana Chief Minister KCR has never cared for Dalits in the state and is always interested in stealing the votes in the name of BR Ambedkar. "KCR is like a tiger in the guise of a goat who is hunting Dalits. He is trying to steal the votes of Dalits in the name of Ambedkar. The statue of Ambedkar which was announced on the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar has been unveiled on his 132nd birth anniversary. KCR always does drama for the sake of Dalit votes. KCR sacked the then-Dalit Deputy Chief Minister on corruption charges. Now the names of his son, daughter and nephew are being heard in scandals and they are facing investigations by CBI and ED. Why are they not dismissed from their positions?" he said. Revanth Reddy also mentioned that if the congress party comes to power in the state it will waive the loans of farmers and will provide 2 lakh government jobs in the state. "Congress government will be formed in the new year. When Congress comes to power, we will waive the loans of Rs 2 lakhs to the farmers. Under the Arogyasree scheme, the government will pay medical expenses up to Rs 5 lakhs for the poor. We will provide gas cylinders for women for Rs 500. We will also fill the 2 lakh government jobs," he said. The Congress party on Friday organised the Jai Bharat Satyagraha meeting at Mancherial, Telangana. AICC Chief Malikarjun Kharge participated in the meeting alongside the AICC in charge of Telangana Manickrao Thakre and CLP leader Batti Vikramarka. (ANI) 'Poila Boishakh' marks the beginning of the traditional New Year for the Bengali-speaking people across the world who celebrate the occasion with much fervour. 'Poila Boishakh,' which falls on Saturday this year marks the first day of the first month (Baishakh) of the lunisolar Bengali calendar. According to Bengali Sakabdi, the first day of the year is considered to be the most auspicious day. 'Poila Boishakh' is observed by Bengalis all across the world irrespective of geographical location but the occasion has a special significance for Bengalis in Bangladesh and in Bengali-speaking areas of India including West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. To celebrate 'Noboborsho' (New Year), homes are cleaned and decorated to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. The front door is decorated with alpana, which is a painting done with a mixture of rice and flour. On the New Year, people wearing new dresses go to temples to pray and get blessings from God. The auspicious day is marked by various cultural and art performances. People visit their relatives and greet each other saying "Shubho Nobo Borsho" (Happy New Year). Traditional food is prepared at homes and restaurants, especially in Kolkata, serve authentic Bengali cuisine that offer a gastronomic delight. Shopkeepers start the day by performing Lakshmi-Narayan and Ganesh pooja wishing for a prosperous year ahead. They start new account books of our business in the name of god. As a custom, priests draw a Swastik symbol with vermilion on trader's accounts book to bring good fortune in business. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended his good wishes on the occasion of Poila Boishakh Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Shubho Nabo Barsho! May the year ahead bring joy and exceptional health. The Bengali culture and heritage are admired all over. As a new year commences, I pray for everyone's happiness and good health. Shubho Nabo Borsho." Late on Friday West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Kalighat Temple in south Kolkata and prayed for divine providence, according to a tweet posted by the All India Trinamool Congress. "She extended her heartfelt wishes for a healthy, energetic & blessed year ahead. Let's embrace the new year with optimism & resolve to create a brighter tomorrow for our beloved state," the AITCofficial tweeted. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, Raj Bhavan opened its doors to the public on Poila Boishakh. "Bengal has walked in the new dawn during this 'Nobo borsho'. The youth power has been unleashed and the youth will see that peace and harmony are established in society. Bengal will regain its glory," said West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha offered prayer at Mata Tripura Sundari Temple on the occasion of Poila Boishakh in Udaipur on Saturday. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered prayers at Kalighat Temple in Kolkata on the occasion of Bengali New Year. Poila Boishakh connects all ethnic Bengalis irrespective of religious and regional differences. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended greetings on the occasion of 'Poila Boishakh' and wished happiness and good health to all. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Shubho Nabo Barsho! May the year ahead bring joy and exceptional health. The Bengali culture and heritage are admired all over. As a new year commences, I pray for everyone's happiness and good health. Shubho Nabo Borsho." 'Poila Boishakh' marks the beginning of the traditional New Year for Bengali-speaking people across the world who celebrate the occasion with much fervour. 'Poila Boishakh,' which falls on Saturday this year, marks the first day of the first month (Baishakh) of the lunisolar Bengali calendar. According to Bengali Sakabdi, the first day of the year is considered the most auspicious. 'Poila Boishakh' is observed by Bengalis all across the world irrespective of geographical location but the occasion has a special significance for Bengalis in Bangladesh and in Bengali-speaking areas of India including West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. To celebrate 'Noboborsho' (New Year), homes are cleaned and decorated to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. The front door is decorated with alpana, which is a painting done with a mixture of rice and flour. On the New Year, people wearing new dresses go to temples to pray and get blessings from God. The auspicious day is marked by various cultural and art performances. People visit their relatives and greet each other saying "Shubho Nobo Borsho" (Happy New Year). Traditional food is prepared at home, and restaurants, especially in Kolkata, serve authentic Bengali cuisine that offers a gastronomic delight. Shopkeepers start the day by performing Lakshmi-Narayan and Ganesh pooja wishing for a prosperous year ahead. They start new account books of the business in the name of God. As a custom, priests draw a Swastik symbol with vermilion on trader's accounts book to bring good fortune in business. Late on Friday West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Kalighat Temple in south Kolkata and offered prayers, according to a tweet posted by the All India Trinamool Congress. "She extended her heartfelt wishes for a healthy, energetic and blessed year ahead. Let's embrace the new year with optimism & resolve to create a brighter tomorrow for our beloved state," the AITC official tweeted. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, Raj Bhavan opened its doors to the public on 'Poila Boishakh."Bengal has walked in the new dawn during this 'Nobo Borsho'. The youth power has been unleashed and the youth will see that peace and harmony are established in society. Bengal will regain its glory," said West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha offered prayer at Mata Tripura Sundari Temple on the occasion of 'Poila Boishakh' in Udaipur on Saturday. (ANI) Six people were killed and eight sustained serious injuries after the SUV in which they were travelling in met with an accident on the national highway 730 in Ikauna in the Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, police said. Shravasti Superintendent of Police, Prachi Singh, said that during the time of the incident there were 14 people in the car and six of them died on the spot. Eight of the injured have been referred to Bahraich District Hospital, she said. The vehicle collided with a tree in the Ikauna police station area. Police used an earth-moving machine to remove the vehicle from the spot. The vehicle's passengers were on their way from Ludhiana to attend a condolence meeting when the SUV met with the mishap. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident. Wishing peace to the departed soul, the Chief Minister has expressed condolences to the bereaved family members, according to a press release. The Chief Minister has directed district administration officials to take the injured to the hospital immediately for their proper treatment and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured added the statement. (ANI) He visited the shrine and offered prayers for the peace, prosperity and good health of the people. 'Poila Boishakh' marks the first day of the first month (Baishakh) of the lunisolar Bengali calendar. 'Poila Boishakh' is observed by Bengalis all across the world irrespective of geographical location but the occasion has a special significance for Bengalis in Bangladesh and in Bengali-speaking areas of India including West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam. The auspicious day is marked by various cultural and art performances. People visit their relatives and greet each other saying Shubho Noboborsho. To celebrate the new year, Bengalis clean their house and decorate their front door with 'alpana', which is a painting done with a mixture of rice and flour. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed happiness over the trial run of the Kolkata Metro under the Hooghly River. Kolkata Metro's first rake arrived at the Howrah Maidan and it was operated through a tunnel under the river Hooghly on a trial basis, officials informed on Wednesday. Taking to Twitter, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "Train travels underwater! Trial run of train through another engineering marvel; metro rail tunnel and station under Hooghly river." In response to the tweet by Railway Minister Vaishnaw, the Prime Minister tweeted: "Great news for Kolkata and an encouraging trend for public transport in India." "Kolkata Metro created another history on April 12, 2023. After a long wait Country's first Metro has run under the mighty river Hooghly on Wednesday. For the first time in India Metro has completed the river journey," an official statement said. "This is a historic moment for Metro Railway as after overcoming many hurdles we have succeeded in running rakes beneath the Hooghly River," Kaushik Mitra, the chief public relation officer of Kolkata Metro, said. "This is a revolutionary step in providing a modern transport system to the people of Kolkata and its suburbs. This is indeed a special new year gift from Indian Railways for the people of Bengal," he added. The trial run on the 4.8 km underground section from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade will begin soon. Once launched, Howrah will become the country's deepest Metro station (33 meters below the surface). The Metro is expected to cover the 520-meter stretch under the river Hooghly in 45 seconds. This tunnel under the river is 32 meters below the water level. Officials said that the operationalization of commercial services on the stretch could be expected in the year 2023. With this, another feather is being added to the crown of Kolkata Metro, the first metro railway in the country. Kolkata Metro, which started its journey in 1984, is being expanded to cover the whole city and its outskirts. The underwater metro, which will be running through the Hoogly river will connect the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata. The completion of the project will bring great relief to lakhs of commuters as it will connect the busy Howrah and Sealdah railway stations as well as the north-south line of the Kolkata Metro at Esplanade. Earlier in 2022 Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) said that the East-West Metro Corridor project, India's first underwater metro service, is expected to be completed by December 2023. (ANI) The examination in 13 regional languages in addition to Hindi and English will be conducted from January 1, 2024 onwards, mentioned an MHA statement. In addition to Hindi and English, the question paper will be set in Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Urdu, Punjabi, Manipuri and Konkani. The decision will result in lakhs of aspirants taking part in the examination in their mother tongue and regional language and improve their selection prospects. The historic decision has been taken at the initiative of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give impetus to the participation of local youth in the CAPF and encourage regional languages. Constable GD is one of the flagship examinations conducted by the Staff Selection Commission attracting lakhs of candidates from across the country. States and Union Territory governments are expected to launch wide campaign encouraging local youths to use this opportunity of taking the examination in their mother tongue and participate in huge numbers to make a career serving the country, said the MHA. "The Ministry of Home Affairs under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah is fully committed to encourage use and development of regional languages," added the MHA statement. (ANI) Former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda on Saturday said that he will stand with Left parties in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While talking to ANI, Devegowda said, "I will stand with left parties in 2024 Lok Sabha elections" The JDS had on Friday released their second list of candidates for the poll scheduled on May 10. According to the list the party has decided to field H P Swaroop from Hassan constituency instead of Deve Gowda's daughter-in-law Bhavani Revanna. The CPI said that it is planning to contest the poll in Karnataka on the "ears if corn and sickle" symbol. "In the Karnataka election, CPI will contest on the symbol 'ears of corn and sickle' that used to be the party's election symbol ever since 1952... The CPI will strive hard to retain it," Viswam said in a tweet on Friday. Meanwhile, the JD(S) chief said that he has written to the Prime Minister requesting him to consider reintroducing the Women's Reservation Bill. He said that it would be the "first best thing" after the opening of the new Parliament building. Taking to Twitter, he said, "I recently wrote to the Prime Minister requesting him to consider reintroducing the Women's Reservation Bill. I took it up first in 1996. It will be the first best thing to do as we move into a new parliament building soon." Deve Gowda said in the letter, "When the Election Commission announced polls in Karnataka recently and released the number of eligible women voters in the state, it was not a surprise that there was recently 50 per cent of the total electorate." He added that the statistics are not different that other states of India. This made me revisit the idea of women's reservation in legislative assemblies and Parliament. Therefore, I urge you to consider passing the Women's Reservation Bill before the 2024 General elections. Suitable modifications can be made to the draft of the bill presented in 1996 and 2008. Adhering to the principles of social justice will be key to the success of this great move for gender justice, he further stated. To accord one-third reservation to women in legislative assemblies and parliament is an idea whose time has come, he said. It will be a symbolic gesture to bring in this bill and pass it as we transition into a new and very modern parliament building. Our mothers and sisters deserve better from us, he further said. On March 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went for a surprise visit to the New Parliament Building, sources said. They said he spent more than an hour and inspected various works. He observed facilities coming up at both Houses of Parliament and also interacted with the construction workers. In July last year, the Prime Minister unveiled the National Emblem cast on the roof of the New Parliament Building. He also interacted with workers The National Emblem is made of bronze with a total weight of 9,500 kg and is 6.5 m in height. It has been cast at the top of the central foyer of the New Parliament Building. A supporting structure of steel weighing around 6,500 kg has been constructed to support the Emblem. The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of the New Parliament Building in December 2020. The new building is an intrinsic part of the vision of 'AatmaNirbhar Bharat'. The Central Vista project is poised to strengthen governance infrastructure by building new facilities for India's Parliament and an efficient and sustainable Central Secretariat to house all the ministries of the Government of India. The Central Vista Development and Re-development Master Plan include the construction of a new Parliament building, the redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue and the construction of Common Central Secretariat Buildings. The New Parliament Building will have extensive usage of wooden structuresfor the creation of interior as well as exterior decor, rooted in traditional motifs and elements. It will also have hand-knotted carpets from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh. (ANI) Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday extended greetings to the people on the occasion of the traditional Bengali new year 'Poila Boishakh' saying the state has entered a new dawn and "Bengal will regain its glory." 'Poila Boishakh' marks the beginning of the traditional New Year for Bengali-speaking people across the world who celebrate the occasion with much fervour. Talking to the reporters, the Governor said, "Bengal has walked in the new dawn during this 'Nabo Borsho'. The youth power has been unleashed and the youth will see that peace and harmony are established in society. Bengal will regain its glory". Bose on the occasion, also flagged off the NCC Walk Cycle Warriors and Heritage Walk. The doors of the Raj Bhavan have also been opened for normal citizens to visit the place during the occasion. Earlir in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also extended greetings on the occasion of 'Poila Boishakh', and sought a commitment to inclusive welfare and development. Taking to Twitter, Mamata Banerjee said, "On the occasion of Poila Boishakh, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all fellow residents. I wish the dawn of the New Year brings an abundance of hope, happiness, & health in your lives. Today, let's commit to the inclusive welfare & development of society. Shubho Nobo Borsho!" The West Bengal CM also visited the Kalighat temple in Bengal and offered prayers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended greetings on the occasion of 'Poila Boishakh' and wished happiness and good health to all. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Shubho Nabo Barsho! May the year ahead bring joy and exceptional health. The Bengali culture and heritage are admired all over. As a new year commences, I pray for everyone's happiness and good health. Shubho Nabo Borsho." 'Poila Boishakh,' which falls on Saturday this year, marks the first day of the first month (Baishakh) of the lunisolar Bengali calendar. According to Bengali Sakabdi, the first day of the year is considered the most auspicious. 'Poila Boishakh' is observed by Bengalis all across the world irrespective of geographical location but the occasion has a special significance for Bengalis in Bangladesh and in Bengali-speaking areas of India including West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. To celebrate 'Noboborsho' (New Year), homes are cleaned and decorated to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. The front door is decorated with alpana, which is a painting done with a mixture of rice and flour. On the New Year, people wearing new dresses go to temples to pray and get blessings from God. The auspicious day is marked by various cultural and art performances. People visit their relatives and greet each other saying "Shubho Nobo Borsho" (Happy New Year). Traditional food is prepared at home, and restaurants, especially in Kolkata, serve authentic Bengali cuisine that offers a gastronomic delight. Shopkeepers start the day by performing Lakshmi-Narayan and Ganesh pooja wishing for a prosperous year ahead. They start new account books of the business in the name of God. As a custom, priests draw a Swastik symbol with vermilion on trader's accounts book to bring good fortune in business.(ANI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a postal department assistant engineer in Odisha's Sambalpur for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 1.22 lakh for releasing a balance fund to a contractor. According to CBI, the arrested person Suvashish Pal is posted as Assistant Engineer (Civil), Postal Civil Sub Division, Sambalpur. The bribe was allegedly demanded for releasing the balance payment of Rs 3.77 lakh towards the annual maintenance contract (AMC) given to the complainant. Another contractor Debendra Kumar Puhan was also arrested, who received a bribe amount of Rs 18,500 from said Assistant Engineer on behalf of the Executive Engineer, Postal Division, Bhubaneswar. CBI registered a case against the accused on the allegations that the complainant was issued the work order in December 2021 for the work of repair and maintenance of Postal Staff Quarters at New P & T Colony, Rourkela and in pursuance of which, he has completed the works amounting to Rs 19.47 lakh. It was further alleged that against the said contract, Rs 1.77 lakh was withheld for the delay in execution and Rs 2 lakh was withheld for test check. For releasing the withheld amount of Rs 3.77 lakh, "the Assistant Engineer allegedly demanded bribe of Rs 1.5 Lakh for himself and another Rs 18,500 for Executive Engineer from Complainant," said the CBI statement. It was also alleged that upon negotiation, Pal agreed to receive the bribe of Rs 1.22 lakh for himself and Rs 18,500 for Executive Engineer, the agency said. CBI laid a trap and caught the accused for demanding and accepting the said bribe. Searches were conducted at the premises of the accused, including at Bhubnaswer, Sambalpur, Patna, etc, which led to the recovery of certain incriminating documents. The arrested accused will be produced before the Competent Court at Bhubaneswar. (ANI) The Governor, who commanded the North Command of the Indian Army during his service, also interacted with the troops of ITBP and the Indian Army. He made the visit during the second day of his tour of the border district of Shi Yomi. Earlier on March 22, the Inspector General of North Eastern Frontier Headquarters, ITBP, Abdul Ghani Mir called on Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt General KT Parnaik (Retd) at Raj Bhavan in Itanagar. The ITBP top official discussed security arrangements in the Line of Actual (LAC) with Governor Parnaik The Governor shared his experiences with the ITBP Head in the State and emphasized the need to secure our borders as well as integrate with the population He advised the IG, and ITBP to keep his troops motivated and alert while fostering good relations with the Army, Civil Administration and population to create a harmonious atmosphere. The Governor also enquired about the welfare of the ITBP personnel posted in the remote posts in Arunachal Pradesh. He said that for their welfare, the State government is taking up various projects like connectivity, communications and sustenance, in order to facilitate a high state of border guarding. (ANI) According to police, an incident of firing was reported on Friday evening from the Bindapur area where the 60-year-old was shot dead. According to police sources, two assailants with their faces covered had reached Matiala's office and opened fire at the BJP leader. They fired 10 rounds at Matiala before fleeing. The BJP leader was declared brought dead at the hospital where he was rushed, sources said. According to them, the assailants had reached the victim's shop on a motorcycle. A third person stayed with the bike while the two suspects carried out the attack after which they fled on the bike. Matiala's niece and one more person present at the time of the attack was able to survive the attack because they managed to hide below a table, police said. A police case has been registered and an investigation has been launched. They have taken possession of the deceased's body and a postmortem has been conducted. The police are also scanning through the CCTV cameras in the region According to police sources Matiala was involved in a property dispute, and police is investigating that as well. Matiala lived in in the Uttam Nagar area with his family. He was also the co-in-charge of the Najafgarh Kisan Morcha. He had also contested the MCD elections on a BJP ticket. Further investigation is underway in the case. (ANI) Delhi police have arrested a man accused of allegedly molesting a woman inside the Delhi metro lift. The accused has been identified as Rajesh Kumar Koli, aged 26 years. The accused was arrested after continuous efforts by the police with help from the Metro station staff, further investigation is still underway, the police said. "A PCR call regarding eve teasing was received at the police station from Okhla Vihar Metro on April 4 evening. The said call was marked to ASI Roop Kishore, who along with HC Pawan then reached Jasola Apollo Metro Station where the victim met them. She then complained to the police that while she was in lift no. 4 one person made his private part touch hers from behind. Hence a case under section 354 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at PS Okhla Vihar Metro Delhi was registered", the police said. The police further said that considering the gravity of the incident, a team was constituted and detailed. The team collected the CCTV footage from various locations in and around the Jasola Apollo Metro Station to check the entire episode and find out the fact as well as the whereabouts of the accused. "One team of PS OVM was detailed to check the CCTV footage of nearby shops, offices and mall as well as parking space of Jasola Apollo Metro station. Whereas, another team of Special staff analysed the CCTV footage inside the metro station. On thoroughly examining the footage, some footage of the accused was identified and the victim also identified the accused. The CCTV of the entire incident was saved and procured for further investigation", informed the police. According to the police, on the basis of footage, the photograph of the accused was also developed and shared with the police in other stations also. The police further added, "The informers were also active and efforts were made by all the staff of PS Okhla Vihar Metro and other teams to identify the accused. On April 14, input was received that the said accused was seen coming towards Jasola Apollo Metro Station and acting upon the information, a joint Team of PS Okhla Vihar Metro and Special Staff Metro kept a watch on each entrance. A boy who was coming towards Metro Station, whose face and body language matched with the photograph of the accused, and was then apprehended in the present case." On verification, the accused do not have any earlier cases to his name, the police said. "However further verification is underway and other details are also being collected from the concerned Police Station and CRO", informed the police. (ANI) Under the umbrella of the Smart City Mission, the Centre and the state government are working together to transform cities of Uttar Pradesh into smart ones, stated an official release on Saturday. According to the release, 'numerous outstanding' efforts have been made over the past six years to ensure that Uttar Pradesh's cities have access to all necessary amenities. The Yogi government's consistent efforts in the areas of water supply, power supply, sewerage, solid waste management, cleanliness, easy transport, roads, parking, street lights, IT, connectivity, digitisation, e-governance, and environment have transformed the cities. The basic amenities have been upgraded in the cities while their cleanliness has also improved. Agra and Varanasi are among the top 10 cleanest cities in the country. Aside from this, technology has played a significant role in strengthening the security of cities. The central and state governments are working on 542 projects worth Rs 10,124 crore to make the cities of Uttar Pradesh "smart". Out of these, 343 projects worth Rs. 4757 crores have already been completed while work is progressing fast on 199 projects. "At a cost of Rs 2,000 crore, the Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC) and Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) will be activated in 10 cities across the state including Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Saharanpur, and Varanasi," it read. The ICCCs, which have proved their usefulness in the Prayagraj Kumbh of 2019 and later during the Covid period, are now useful in maintaining the safety of the state's cities. Monitoring of the entire city has become easier with the help of high-definition cameras installed across the city through ICCC. In addition to receiving real-time updates on cleanliness through this, the police have recently received the most assistance from the Integrated Command and Control Center for the disclosure of crimes and the arrest of criminals. The BJP government has now activated a cloud-based Smart City Central Digital Monitoring System at the state level at a cost of Rs 28 crore, from where all the major cities of the state are being monitored. Also, intelligent traffic management systems are very helpful in managing traffic in cities. ITMS is being used to monitor and take action regarding unnecessary road stops, driving in the wrong direction, jumping red lights, riding without a helmet, and overspeeding. The government is now working to set up the facility of ITMS in seven other cities of UP in light of the encouraging results being received through ITMS in 10 cities of the state. In this, work is being done in Ayodhya, Firozabad, Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad, Mathura-Vrindavan, Meerut, and Shahjahanpur to create an intelligent traffic management system at a cost of Rs 271 crore. Additionally, at a cost of Rs 253 crore, smart parking, smart roads, smart classrooms, and green crematorium are being built in these seven cities. (ANI) In a mass nationwide outreach programme for the minorities, the Bharatiya Janata Party will organise 'Modi Mitra', starting April 29 in which the party's Minority Morcha will connect with people belonging to various walks of life, sources said on Saturday. The BJP will reach out to the Pasmanda Muslim society,apprising them about the policies and plans of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government, sources said. "The Bharatiya Janata Party will strive to take the Sufi community along. A special plan has been drawn up in this regard. In keeping with this plan, the BJP has formed 3 units -- national, state and district levels. We will also connect Sikh and Christian communities in Sufi Samwaad," BJP Minority Morcha President Jamal Siddiqui told ANI. The BJP will organise a big programme 'Sufi Samwaad' in December. "BJP will connect with 51,000 people from every part of the country. Each state will be represented by 1,200 people," Siddiqui said. "From April 29, the 'Modi Mitra' programme will be run for the minority community. As part of this effort, we will reach out to even apolitical people, including lawyers and professors, among others, who command influence in the society. We will reach out to 5,000 people in each Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP will target 65 Lok Sabha seats as part of this effort. (ANI) Police received information of a robbery incident at Jai Ambe Jewellers shop at Gali number 10, Darshan Vihar, Burari area. The team immediately rushed to the spot, said officials. The incident took place around 5:20 PM, the robbers were carrying arms and came on the bike. They took 5-gram gold and around 100-gram silver, said the police. An FIR has been lodged and the Police team is investigating the matter. Further details awaited. (ANI) A 45-year-old man allegedly killed his son and mother in Arunapathi village near Uthangarai on Saturday, said police. The accused has been identified as Dhandapani and the deceased as Subash (son) and Kannammal (mother). According to the police, the accused killed his son for marrying a Dalit girl and murdered his mother who tried to rescue her grandson, in a fit of rage. Detailing the incident, the police said, "In the last week of March, Subash married a Dalit girl named Anusuya and left their home. "The accused Dhandapani used to work in a private company in Tirupur and returned back to his village Arunapati on Friday. He asked his mother Kannammal to call Subhas and ask him to come home with his wife," added the police. The police said, "On Friday at around 4 PM, Subash with his wife Anusuya came to Arunapathi and spent time together." "After having dinner when everyone went to sleep, accused Dandapani allegedly attacked his son and his wife with a knife in the wee hours of Saturday. He also allegedly attacked his mother who tried to save her grandson," added the police. The police said that after attacking all three of them, Dandapani locked the house and fled away. The police said, "Further, after seeing Subash's wife lying in a pool of blood on the side of the road in the wee hours of Saturday, the villagers rushed all three of them to Uthangarai Government Hospital where Subash and Kannammal were declared brought dead by the doctors, while Anusuya is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit." "The bodies have been sent for postmortem and a team of police led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Uthangarai Amala Advin is looking for Dhandapani who is absconding," added the police. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI) Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar, Tourism minister Mangalprabhat Lodha along with other party MPs and MLAs, welcomed Shah at the Mumbai airport on Saturday. The Home minister was in Rajasthan earlier on Saturday where he addressed a public meeting. According to sources, Shah will hold a meeting with BJP leaders of the state unit and discussions will centre around the party's strategy for the upcoming elections. The meeting will take place at Sahyadri State Guest House. There will also be discussions about Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, other civic polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, sources said. Shah is also likely to hold a meeting with CM Shinde to discuss a strategy around the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and the functioning of the state government. The Union Home minister will also attend a grand function in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai where he will confer Maharashtra Bhushan, the state's highest civilian honour, on Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. (ANI) In the ongoing fire service week, Fire Department Dehradun organised a demo show was organised at the Police line in Dehradun on Saturday. Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, Ashok Kumar attends the show as the chief guest. Fire service department employees performed various activities during the demo show, like a fire in oil, a fire in a domestic LPG cylinder, a leakage of chlorine gas in industrial danger, a rescue demo from a multi-storey building by fire service, and making a tricolour from water attracted everyone's heart. The Director General of Police and Chief Guest of the show said that the Uttarakhand Fire and Emergency Service always acts as the first responder, as a result of which it has been possible to save thousands of lives and property worth crores of rupees with the formation of the Fire Service over the years. In Uttarakhand so far, 16237 human and 4319 animal lives have been saved during 38141 fire calls and 5748 rescue calls, besides saving property worth more than Rs 2852 crore from fire. On the occasion, DGP Ashok Kumar said that the death of four innocent children in the recent painful fire incident in Tuni has been very painful. "Once again we have felt the need to be more sensitive towards fire incidents. For this, we all need to make a concerted effort," he said. During the address, the Director General of Police appealed to the people working in industries, commercial complexes, educational institutions and multi-storey buildings as well as building owners of various institutions and establishments to follow fire safety norms to ensure a safe society because investing in fire safety is necessary not only to save property and country's property but also to save your life and that of your family. National Fire Service Week (NSW) is celebrated every year in India between April 14-20. It is observed as a part to pay homage to those brave Fire Fighters, who sacrificed their lives in line-of-duty on April 14, 1944 fire incident. (ANI) Three members of an interstate firearms syndicate have been arrested on Friday, said Delhi police. The accused have been identified as Rajinder (40), Narender Singh (25), and Pradeep Singh (29). According to the police, a team of Special Cell busted the interstate firearms syndicate to cut the supply line of illegal firearms being brought to Delhi NCR, Punjab and adjoining states by Madhya Pradesh. Informing about the recoveries made from the possession of the accused, police said, "A total of 21 pistols, out of which seven semi-automatic pistols of 0.32 and 14 single shot pistols have been recovered from the accused." "Recovered firearms were meant to be supplied to the criminals and arms traffickers in Delhi and Punjab," added the police. Detailing the incident, the police said, "Information was received that gangsters and hardcore criminals of Delhi NCR region have been procuring sophisticated firearms from MP-based arms suppliers. After efforts of more than four months, members of this inter-state firearm syndicate were identified." "Later based on a tip-off received on Friday stating that two members of this arms syndicate would meet one Punjab-based arms trafficker near Modi Mills Flyover for delivering a consignment of pistols, a raiding party was constituted and a trap was laid Near Modi Mills Flyover," added the police. The police said, "Accused Rajinder and Pradeep Singh were spotted coming in a car at about 01.30 PM, they stopped the car, and one of them came out and gave a packet to Narender Singh. Later all three were cornered and overpowered by the members of the police team." "Three pistols and six single-shot pistols were recovered from Rajinder, two pistols and two single-shot pistols from Narender Singh and two pistols and six single pistols from Pardeep Singh," added the police. One car used in transporting pistols was also recovered from them, said Delhi police. Informing about the investigation, the police said that the arrested firearms dealers have disclosed that they had procured recovered pistols from an arms supplier in Khargone in Madhya Pradesh and they have brought the consignment to Delhi. Pistols were to be further supplied in the Delhi NCR and Punjab by them. "Rajinder has been found previously arrested in an Arms Act case in the year 2020 in Jaipur, Rajasthan, whereas Narender Singh was also previously arrested in a case of highway robbery and Arms Act in Patiala, Punjab," added the police. Later the police also mentioned that all three accused had disclosed that they have brought many more consignments of pistols during the last two years and further supplied the same to the criminals in Delhi NCR, Punjab and other northern states. "They have already supplied more than 300 pistols in these states," added the police. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Government on Sunday imposed Section 144 of CrPC in all the districts, in the aftermath of Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf Ahmed being shot dead in Prayagraj, officials informed. Days after Atiq Ahmed's son Asad was killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi, the mafia-turned-politician and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were killed on Saturday while being taken for a medical in Prayagraj. Atiq Ahmed was accused in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case and also in the Umesh Pal murder case which happened in February this year. In the aftermath of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter. "CM Yogi immediately called a high-level meeting and ordered a high-level inquiry into the whole matter. Chief Minister also gave instructions for the formation of a three-member Judicial Commission (Judicial Inquiry Commission) in the matter," officials said. In this regard, Uttar Pradesh Police informed that as many as three people were arrested. "Three people have been arrested. Further details are to be shared later," said an officer after the gangster-turned-politician and his brother were shot dead in Prayagraj. In the aftermath of the incident, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that this incident is a perfect example of the Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi's failure on law and order system in the state. Asaduddin Owaisi took to Twitter and said," Atiq and his brother were in police custody. He was handcuffed. JSR slogans were also raised. The killing of both is the failure of Yogi's law and order system. Those celebrating encounter Raj are also responsible for this murder". Earlier Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that crime has peaked in the state and the morale of the "criminals" has grown by leaps and bounds. "Crime has reached its peak in UP and the morale of the criminals is high. When someone can be killed openly despite being surrounded by a security cordon, one can imagine the state of the general public. Due to this (alleged encounter killings), an ambience of fear is being created among the public. It seems that some people are deliberately creating such an ambience," tweeted Akhilesh Yadav tweeted. (ANI) In the wake of rising covid cases in Tamil Nadu, Madras High Court has made wearing masks & maintaining physical distance in the court premises compulsory from Apr 17. It also advised people to avoid entering the court campus if their cases are not listed. According to the notification issued on Friday by the registrar general of the High Court, P. Dhanbal, this compulsory advisory should be followed Both at its Principal seat in Chennai and at its Madurai Bench. Citing reports of a gradual increase in covid cases, Madras High Court had resorted to the hybrid mode of hearing since 10 April. "All the officers, staff members, advocates, litigants, parties in person, advocate clerks, and all concerned, entering into the Court Halls and court premises, both at Principal seat and at Madurai Bench, are advised to compulsorily wear mak, maintain social distancing and wash their hands frequently w.e.f 17.04.2023(Monday)," said the notification. In the notification it was said that the advisory was issued "with a view to arrest the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the larger public interest". The notification also said that the concerned officers should take all necessary steps to sanitize the Court Halls, Chambers, sections and the entire Court premises. It also advised the officers to make available hand sanitisers in all important places, particularly at the entrance of all Court Halls, Chambers, sections etc. On Friday Tamil Nadu recorded 493 new covid cases with Chennai reporting the highest number of 132 cases in the state. Chennai is followed by Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Chengalpet, Tiruvallur, and Salem with new cases of covid of 43, 41, 31, 26, and 23 respectively. In Chennai, daily test positivity is hovering around 10. As Covid cases have been increasing, the state health department advised the elderly and people with comorbidity to wear masks and maintain social distancing when they are out. (ANI) The US Supreme Court on Friday issued a temporary stay on ensuring that a common abortion pill would remain widely available while the Supreme Court decides whether to grant a formal stay. The interim stay will expire at midnight on Wednesday. In order to give the justices a little more time to think about the pertinent concerns, Justice Samuel Alito granted the government's request for an emergency stay and stated the whole court will make a judgement by Wednesday, The New York Times reported. Notably, the Supreme Court put on hold a lower court's decision to revoke the authorization of mifepristone, one of the drugs used in roughly half of all US abortions. The organisations contesting the Food and Drug Administration's clearance of the pill were required to submit their brief by Tuesday at noon, according to Judge Alito, the court official in charge of supervising the appeals court whose decision is in question, according to The New York Times. The action was taken in response to an emergency application the Biden administration submitted Friday morning requesting the justices to get involved. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had recently permitted the mailing and distribution of mifepristone to patients between seven and ten weeks of pregnancy, but that appeals court nevertheless placed various restrictions on its use. According to Al Jazeera, following the Supreme Court's decision to reverse Roe v Wade last June, which ended the US Constitution's protection of the right to an abortion, the anti-abortion rights organisations have turned their attention to the availability of abortion drugs like mifepristone. Since then, other states governed by Republicans have imposed extensive abortion restrictions.Last Friday, a federal judge in Texas granted an order that would have momentarily halted the FDA's approval of mifepristone while he reviewed legal arguments regarding the availability of the medication. However, the judge postponed his decision for seven days to enable the federal government to file an appeal. A federal court in Washington state issued its ruling less than two hours later, saying the FDA must maintain access to abortion medications in more than a dozen states with Democratic governors. (ANI) Dubai [UAE], April 15 (ANI/WAM): During its first meeting for 2023, the Emirates Food Security Council (EFSC) discussed the action plan for 2023 and the latest developments in the agricultural sector globally, and harmonized local efforts to enhance national food security according to sustainable foundations. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment and Chair of EFSC said: ''Food security is one of the most important strategic directions for the UAE, given the challenges the country faces regarding the scarcity of arable land and water scarcity. Additionally, economic and political changes taking place across the world increase pressures on the food systems in the country and make it necessary to continue working more quickly and more efficiently to enhance national food security.'' ''As count down for the UAE hosting of COP28 has begun, we need to highlight the UAE's model in enhancing its food security with the most sustainable technologies and methods that contribute to reducing climate changes and preserving the environment at the national and global levels,'' she added, stressing that the UAE has a global innovation-enabled model of food security and operated innovative and unique agricultural projects. Considering the latest global developments in the agricultural sector, the meeting discussed the necessary measures to strengthen the food system in the country by securing the country's need for various strategic agricultural and food commodities and facilitating the movement of food trade. The Emirates Food Security Council operates through a mechanism that takes into account the common trends in managing the food security ecosystem in the country, which includes the elements of water security, energy security, emergencies and crises, strategic stocks, local agricultural production, food safety, foreign investment, diversification of import sources, and nutrition. (ANI/WAM) Dubai [UAE], April 15 (ANI/WAM): Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, led the UAE delegation to the Second Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting of the Finance Track of the G20 for 2023, which was held on the sidelines of the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington from April 10-16. The meeting was held to review the progress made by the Finance Track and discuss the views of the G20 members on the priorities and goals set by the Indian presidency for this year. The UAE delegation included Ebrahim Al Zaabi, Assistant Governor for Monetary Policy and Financial Stability at the Central Bank of the UAE; Younis Haji Al Khoori, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance; Hamad Al Zaabi, Director of the Office of Minister of State for Financial Affairs; Thuraiya Hamed Al Hashmi, Director of International Tax Department at the Ministry of Finance; and Fares AlKaabi, Senior Analyst, Research and Statistics Department at the Central Bank of the UAE. The meeting was attended by Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors from G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organisations and institutions. During the meeting, Al Hussaini reiterated the importance of considering the different circumstances of low- and middle-income country groups in order to address global debt vulnerabilities. On climate change, Al Hussaini advocated for greater multilateral collaboration to facilitate coordinated responses to the macroeconomic implications of climate change and to facilitate the exploration of opportunities to address climate risks. "The collaboration between the G20 and COP28, which will be hosted by the UAE at Expo City Dubai in November, will be key to establishing a strong foundation for providing actionable insights to address the macroeconomic effects of climate change", he said. Al Hussaini stated, "As the upcoming COP28 host, the UAE will work to advance collective cooperation between all governments, companies, youth and civil society to devise practical climate solutions, raise ambitions, and enhance sustainable economic growth. The goal is to make COP28 inclusive and effective, uniting all sectors in developed and developing countries to focus on realistic solutions." He also stressed that the UAE is working tirelessly to support the international community in pursuit of an ambitious agenda that focuses on implementation and highlights opportunities and motives. On strengthening the role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), Al Hussaini noted that the UAE welcomed the formation of the G20 expert group to provide advice on enhancing the financing role of MDBs and the MDB ecosystem. During the meeting, the members' discussions focused on economic cooperation to address uncertainties in the global economic outlook and ways to scale up sustainable finance and financing for SDGs. Members also exchanged views on progressing the implementation of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) to advance the international taxation agenda. On the sidelines of the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting, Younis Haji Al Khoori participated in the G20 Finance Deputies meeting that was organised by the India presidency. The meeting sought to discuss the progress made by MDBs in the implementation of the Capital Adequacy Framework (CAF) and the required reforms to boost their investing capacity. At the end of the FMCBG meeting, the Ministers reiterated their countries' commitment to the G20 priorities and agreed to review the progress made during the next meeting, which will be held at a time to be set by the Indian presidency later this year. (ANI/WAM) Bhutan is being "heavily pressurised by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)" to change its stand on Doklam, according to a Delhi-based foreign policy think tank Red Lantern Analytica (RLA). "Bhutan, who even agreed to coordinate its foreign policy with that of India, under agreements like the Friendship Treaty, is now being heavily pressurised by the CCP to change its stand owing to which Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, recently made claims stating that 'China has equal stake in Doklam dispute' as it is not up to Bhutan alone to solve the Doklam dispute and that all three countries - Bhutan, India and China are equal stakeholders," read an RLA statement. Doklam is a disputed area between India, Bhutan and China. The Doklam plateau issue rose to the limelight in 2017 when under the CCP's leadership, Chinese troops with construction vehicles and road-building equipment, began extending an existing road southward in Doklam. China claims the entire Doklam plateau while India maintains the dignity of historical treaties, as per Red Lantern Analytica. According to the think tank, China has been toying with Bhutan's sovereignty and territorial integrity for decades, sometimes by showing large parts of Bhutan as part of China in Chinese maps, sometimes by building heavy infrastructure in Bhutan's territory, but mostly by trying to construct illegal sites in the disputed areas. Though it might look like Bhutan has limited options when it comes to stopping China's increasing encroachment on Bhutan's territory, it is important for the country not to get lured by the cheesy words of the CCP and take a pacifist stand, as taking side with China just might fetch the exact opposite outcome, according to RLA. The think tank said that Bhutan should not fall into the trap of China's dubious claims and reciprocate with gusto which India has always shown in trying to resolve Bhutan's conflicts with China. Bhutan should take its own clear stand on the issue while being uninfluenced by China. According to RLA, the Doklam issue is a sensitive geopolitical issue of which Bhutan is an indispensable part; therefore, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering must take into consideration the interests of both India and Bhutan before caving into the whims and fancies of the CCP. (ANI) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has announced that PTI will stage peaceful protests in the country after Eid-ul-Fitr, ARY News reported. Khan, while addressing PTI workers and supporters, said that PTI will stage a series of protests after Eid-ul-Fitr. He alleged that the rulers planned to start crackdowns on PTI leaders and workers after April 27. The PTI chief said that the Pakistan government has not yet arrested a single person associated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). Khan said that 3,000 PTI workers were arrested by the government. Khan said that PTI would not remain silent on the atrocities. He then appealed to the nation to start preparations for peaceful protests after Eid. He also asked the rulers to take steps for protecting the nation. According to Khan, the economic crisis in Pakistan will not end until the organisation of fresh elections. According to the PTI chief, the Pakistan Supreme Court (SC) is protecting democracy in the country and the nation will have to back the top court and the Constitution. PTI recently launched a white paper to mark the first year of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a multi-party coalition that overthrew Imran Khan-led government via a no-trust vote in April last year, in power and underlined how the ruling coalition had "devastated" the economy and "contravened" the Constitution, Dawn reported. The document spans six chapters and passes a scathing judgement on the PDM government's style of governance, particularly the treatment given to the opposition party by the ruling coalition. It also deliberates on issues related to the economy, Constitution, democracy and rule of law, political exploitation of state institutions, attack on the judiciary, 'chained' foreign policy, and law and order. According to a report in Dawn, the party has dedicated the white paper to Imran Khan, party workers, and the people of Pakistan, who are "fighting and facing torture for real independence" and democracy. The PTI chief also spoke via video link from his residence in Zaman Park on the launch of the white paper. The former premier accused the government of ravaging all the country's institutions, rule of law, and the economy as well as violations of basic human rights. (ANI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday said the global goal of reaching net zero by 2050 requires enhanced descaling of emissions by developed countries. The minister said this will provide space for countries like India to achieve the development required for its people, which will provide necessary defence against the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and pollution. The minister was addressing a plenary session at G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo, Japan. The Union Environment Minister said the IPCC AR 6 Report reemphasises that development is our first defence against climate change, according to a release issued by the Union Environment Ministry. The Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the sixth in a series of reports which assess scientific, technical, and socio-economic information concerning climate change. "The Report reinforces the scientific view that CO2 is the primary GHG that needs to be drastically reduced to achieve the global temperature goal as agreed in the Paris Agreement," Yadav said. According to Yadav, since the advent of the industrial revolution, there has been enormous disproportionate emission of Green House Gases (GHGs) to achieve economic growth and development. He said the over-exploitation of natural resources has also led to widespread environmental degradation. This has come at the cost of altering the balance of nature, putting at serious risk the existence of planet Earth, he added. The minister said that to save the planet from the challenges of climate change, pollution, loss of biodiversity, we need collective action guided by the founding principles of the Rio Conventions. He said we have made some progress collectively through the process of UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD. However, there is an urgent need for greater action to deal with the three challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, he added. The Union Minister said developing countries also need the means of implementation, finance and technology. He said we do hope that the Developed Countries will make good their commitments on finance for combatting climate change and provide for the same for dealing with the environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, as per the official release. Yadav said reaching targets on carbon neutrality and increased ambition will not fly unless they are made keeping equity and CBDR-RC consideration in view as well as unless the developed countries meet their commitments to provide means of implementation. Yadav said our actions have so far focused on creating a policy framework to combat climate change. It is time that governments across the world focus on making this a participative process at the level of individuals. (ANI) High Commissioner of Uganda to India Joyce Kakuramatsi Kikafunda on Saturday termed the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to her country as beautiful and also said that India is going to be the voice of the Global South and it will bring her country's issues to the G20. Ugandan High Commissioner Kikafunda expressed her views on India's presidency of G20 and believes New Delhi can be the voice of Global South. "We believe that they (India) are going to be the voice of the South. India is already going to be a superpower. So we believe they (India) know our issues and they will bring them up and they are ahead of some big countries who have forgotten how it was. But we believe India will bring our voices, our issues or problems to the G20," the Ugandan envoy elaborated. Reflecting on Jaishankar's visit, the Ugandan envoy told ANI, "The visit was beautiful. I actually accompanied him on that visit. Jaishankar had a beautiful visit. Our President doesn't meet other ministers, he meets heads of state, but because of the relationship between Uganda and India, he met the visiting minister. India Opened the University of Forensic Sciences in Uganda for the first time ever outside India and the first one in Africa. So we are very proud and happy about it. It was a very good visit. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was very happy. And the minister left very happy and said that he loved Uganda and he will come back." Notably, EAM Jaishankar was on a visit to Uganda and Mozambique from April 10-15 to further strengthen India's "strong bilateral relations" with the two countries. She also spoke on the bilateral relationship between India and Uganda, "Our bilateral relationships are very good and strong, and they are focused on trade and investment," Kikafunda added. The envoy also mentioned that Uganda sees India as an elder brother and wants the relationship to continue along with development assistance. "We don't want just to trade, we want India to come and manufacture products in Uganda. We want the relationship to continue, also the development assistance, because we take India as our elder brother," she added. Kikafunda was participating in a women entrepreneurs conference hosted by Baroness Verma (Member of the House of Lords of the UK) on Saturday. (ANI) For Bhutan, India is not just a friend, but also the birthplace of Buddhism, a faith that promotes peace and compassion. To the people of Bhutan, India represents the land of eight sacred sites, with Bodh Gaya as the spiritual epicentre. Bhutan and India have shared a long unique bond of friendship, which continues to grow stronger each day. The role of Buddhism in fortifying this connection cannot be overstated, The Bhutan Live stated. A lesser-known symbol of the enduring spiritual and cultural ties between these two nations is the Royal Bhutan Monastery in India. Constructed in 2003 under the auspices of the then-King of Bhutan, this monastery is located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, and serves as a testament to the deep connection shared by these nations. Featuring traditional Bhutanese architecture, the monastery houses a temple with a 7-foot tall statue of Lord Buddha, intricately adorned with Buddhist symbols and scriptures. The monastery's activities include discourses on Buddha's teachings, guided individual and group meditation, peace prayers, and temple offerings. Visitors can enjoy these experiences year-round, as the monastery remains open and requires no entry fee. Additionally, the monastery offers a 15-room guesthouse for devotees. While there is no charge for staying in the guesthouse, a small voluntary donation is appreciated to help maintain its operations. The Royal Bhutan Monastery attracts tourists from across the globe, drawn by its unique beauty and serene atmosphere. It is worth noting that Buddhism arrived in Bhutan from India in the 8th century BC, brought by the renowned Indian saint Swami Padmasambhava. Known as the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, Padmasambhava disseminated Buddha's message throughout the Himalayan region, including Bhutan, Tibet, Mongolia, and beyond, Bhutan Live reported. The existence of the Royal Bhutan Monastery not only serves as a spiritual haven for Buddhists but also has a positive impact on Indo-Bhutan relations. This sacred site exemplifies the mutual respect and cultural understanding that exists between the two countries. The monastery has become a platform for fostering diplomatic, cultural, and spiritual exchanges, further solidifying the bond between India and Bhutan, Bhutan Live reported. As a symbol of unity and collaboration, the Royal Bhutan Monastery contributes to the stability and harmony of the region, promoting a sense of shared heritage and values. This enduring relationship, grounded in mutual admiration, paves the way for continued cooperation and growth, benefiting both nations in various aspects, including trade, education, and tourism. (ANI) United Kingdom House of Lords Member Baroness Verma on Saturday called the attack on Indian High Commission in London "unacceptable", adding that the vandalism of any mission in her country would not be tolerated. "I think first of all it is unacceptable that any mission should be attacked and I'm glad that they've taken some very strong steps to making sure that that message is out there loud and clear. We will not tolerate the behaviour that was seen against any mission and particularly a mission that I'm so closely connected with because of my own roots," Baroness Verma told ANI. The House of Lords member added that the government has taken the incident seriously. "The police have taken it exceptionally seriously and I'm glad that there will be no tolerance of this kind of behaviour from anyone," she said. In March this year, the Indian community in Britain erupted in anger following the vandalism of the Indian High Commission in London and the desecration of the Tricolour by Khalistani supporters. This led to an unprecedented outpouring of support from the diverse Indian community in Britain. Born in Amritsar, Baroness Sandip Verma was part of the UK Parliamentary delegation that called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and held discussions over historical, business, and people-to-people ties between both nations. Talking about the meeting, Baroness Verma said Vice President Dhankhar is an incredibly knowledgeable person. They discussed moving closer ties with new technologies and collaboration with UK and India. "There was a lot of positive talk around, all of the opportunities that are arising in India the trajectory that India is on, which is wonderful to see and the growth pattern for India allows all of us to see how we can have greater stronger relationships. It was a very positive meeting, and I know that my colleagues and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting His Excellency, the Vice President," she added. Baroness Verma made the above remarks at a business conference -- 'Breaking Barriers To Trade: Delhi Chapter' -- an event where women entrepreneurs from India, UK and Uganda, gathered in New Delhi on Saturday. She also expressed her views on the recent telephonic conversation between PM Narendra Modi and UK PM Rishi Sunak and believes both leaders know how to build stronger closer relationships. "I think both value each other's country's contributions. I think we have a wonderfully large diaspora in the UK. It's a living bridge between India and UK and of course, our own Prime Minister in the UK is of Indian origin, but he governs the country. He has to look at the best interests of the whole country. And I think both Prime Ministers understand that and that's why working together working and closely building and strengthening those ties is critical. And I have faith that we will actually genuinely go from strength to strength," she added. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar offered prayers at the century-old Salamanga Temple dedicated to Lord Rama in Mozambique. He also interacted with the members of the Indian community while he visited the temple. "Before leaving Mozambique, offered prayers at the century-old Salamanga Temple of Shree Ramchandrajee. Delighted to interact with our community there. Prayed for their health, well being and success," Jaishankar said in a tweet on Saturday. EAM Jaishankar was on a visit to Mozambique from April 13-15 to further strengthen India's "strong bilateral relations" with the African nation. At the 5th Joint Commission Meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that India and Mozambique have a lot in common, including a shared vision for progress and prosperity between the two countries. He took stock of progress made in a wide spectrum of areas of cooperation, including trade & investment, agriculture, energy, railways, health, education, development cooperation and defence. Jaishankar further stated that the two countries have a robust bilateral trade of about USD 4 billion. "It is a trade in which both countries have an interest in growing. We are looking at discussing new areas in meeting the expectations and aspirations of our people. There are new demands and new opportunities on both sides and surely the Joint Commission should explore that very actively," he said. India and Mozambique share a long-standing and friendly relationship that is deeply rooted in historical, cultural, and economic ties. "Our solidarity goes back to an era where we have both struggled for freedom and before I came to this meeting today, I had the honour of paying homage to your leaders of that struggle at Heroes Square. This relationship, for many decades, has been nurtured by the keenest interest shown by our leaders. It is a matter of pride for us, that every President of Mozambique has visited India. From our side, the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016, gave a new impetus to our bilateral relations. We look forward to receiving President Nyusi in India for the next edition of Vibrant Gujarat when it takes place," said Jaishankar. "A large number of Indian nationals call Mozambique home. There is a community here, for a very long time and certainly, their role in bridging the economic partnership between our countries is very, very significant," he added. "We also have a large Indian investment in this country, today estimated at about USD 11 billion, largely in the domain of energy and mining. And our development partnership which extends to 14 Lines of Credit, to the value of more than USD 770 million, is another example, a very practical example of South-South cooperation," said Jaishankar. Earlier on Friday, Jaishankar took a ride in a 'Made in India' train in the country's capital Maputo. "I had the privilege of riding with the Transport Minister in a train which was made in India and which is today operated by the railways of this country. And that is an example of how, we have been supporting each other in the growth of infrastructure, in responding to the needs of our population, in creating affordable and accessible opportunities for each other's people," he said. Talking about defence ties between the two nations, he said, "Our defence ties have also taken giant strides in the past few years and we are again cooperating very effectively, especially when it comes to dealing with the challenges of terrorism." Today, India-Mozambique cooperation spans a vast range of economic, developmental, people-to-people, and security domains. They also build on a long tradition of political cooperation, and this tradition has been particularly visible in multilateral forums. "We are very glad that Mozambique is today, a non-permanent member of the Security Council and your presence, Minister, gives us a lot of satisfaction at seeing that an important voice of the Global South, sits at the highest councils of the world. Our commonality of world views has again underpinned our foreign policy cooperation and certainly, today as we look at the world we are also exploring, how India and Mozambique, as two important countries in the Indian Ocean, how we discharge our shared responsibility for ensuring peace and security in the Indian Ocean region. I can assure you that India will always be ready to cooperate with Mozambique in this regard," said Jaishankar. (ANI) On Saturday, the 2nd India-Peru Joint Commission Meeting was co-chaired by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) and Ignacio Higueras, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru, in New Delhi. Both sides reviewed their traditionally friendly relations and discussed ways to take forward cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade and investments, health and pharma, traditional medicines, mines & minerals, energy & renewables, science & technology, agriculture, defence, space, capacity building, education, culture and people to people exchanges, added the release. They also discussed regional and multilateral issues of current relevance and took note of cooperation between the two countries in multilateral forums and international organizations. Both sides agreed to exchange visits and organize a series of trade, cultural, educational, and other bilateral events as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, read the release. Notably, Peru has been in peril and gripped by protests and political intrigue since the ouster of its former president, Pedro Castillo on December 7. Peru's security forces imposed a 30-day state of emergency on December 14, banning demonstrations, curtailing freedom of movement and allowing police to search homes without a warrant. Dina Boluarte, who served as Castillo's vice-president, was sworn into office on Dec. 7, the same day Castillo was ousted. She is the country's first female president and was not a high-profile politician before gaining power. She's supported a plan to push up the 2024 elections for president and Congress initially scheduled for 2026. She's also supported judicial investigations into whether security forces acted with excessive force. (ANI) Nicholas Stern, a Member of the House of Lords in the UK, lauded the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the World Bank Event 'Making it Personal: How Behavioral Change Can Tackle Climate Change' praising his LiFE global initiative to tackle climate change. "PM Modi has brought in a whole new story of growth and development. I listened carefully to his speech at COP 26 in Glasgow in November 2021 and what he set out, including LiFE, is what sustainable resilience and inclusive growth looks like," he said. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative aims to encourage the adoption of sustainable lifestyles in India and internationally to tackle the challenges of environmental degradation and climate change. Stern said the clear model by PM Modi gives you cities where you can move and breathe, gives you a fruitful ecosystem and uses energy resources much more efficiently. "It gives you cities where you can move and breathe. It gives you ecosystems which are robust and fruitful. It uses energy and all other resources much more efficiently. Efficiency is productivity, growth and development. Cities where you move. And of course, much more than output. I mean, if you stop killing people from air pollution, that's very good for output. But actually, it's rather important to stop killing people from air pollution in a very direct way. That's part of what development means. So having that picture of a new way of breaking from the dirty, destructive models of the past and building something much more attractive, I think that is absolutely fundamental to everybody working together," said the UK parliamentarian. LiFE initiative plans to leverage the strength of social networks to influence social norms surrounding climate. It plans to create and nurture a global network of individuals, namely 'Pro-Planet People' (P3), which will have a shared commitment to adopt and promote environmentally friendly lifestyles. Stern further said the new model suggested by PM Modi means doing things very differently and is a much better way of growth and development. "This is a story of doing things very differently and building a much better story of growth and development. I think India is out in front of that. The clarity and commitment of Prime Minister Modi is critical. It's absolutely embodied in the G20 leadership as well. This is the growth and development story of this century," he said. However, the House of Lords member said the change needs investment, innovation and behavioural change. "It involves change, involves investment, involves innovation, involves, indeed, behavioural change. But all that comes if you have a very clear understanding of where you're going and why. And a clear understanding there's actually rather an attractive path to follow, much better than the dirty, destructive models of the past," he added. (ANI) United Kingdom House of Lords Member Baroness Verma on Saturday said the UK and India will have a great Free Trade Agreement (FTA) deal and that the negotiations between the two countries are going well. Baroness Verma told ANI, "I think first of all my expectations are we're going to have a great FTA and I think it's a very complicated, complex agreement. And we can't expect things that are so complicated and so complex to be done overnight. But I know from all the conversations we've had, that everybody is working incredibly hard on all of the negotiations, and it's going well." Expressing her views on the next FTA meeting, she said, "I think every meeting is critical. I think every meeting we have is a positive meeting and of course, if you're negotiating at that level, there will be times when it does take a little longer than what people want. But that doesn't mean that the FTA stalled. It just means that we're working through it and I'm very optimistic." Talking about the target for trade between India and UK in terms of numbers, she mentioned both countries should look at maximising the relationship and outcome. "I think we should go for the maximum that we can in each other's relationship of building on what we can as a country work with India and how India can work with us," she added. Verma further said, both countries working closely on climate change issues, sustainability and solutions as the green sector is going to grow from strength to strength. Baroness Verma also talked about India's G20 presidency which she believes New Delhi is going to demonstrate that they have got a very clear vision of what is expected out of their presidency. Notably, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday (local time) while speaking at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) on Free Trade Agreements in Washington said that FTAs were being signed in a much faster way nowadays and also informed that the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations were going on as she spoke. This confirmation came at a time when a recent report suggested that the FTA talks between the two countries are suspended over the UK's failure to denounce vandalism by Khalistani supporters outside the Indian High Commission in London in March. "Free Trade Agreements are being signed in a much faster way nowadays. We've just concluded one with Australia. Earlier we concluded with UAE, Mauritius and with ASEAN. We have extended quota-free and tariff-free regime to Least Developed Countries," the Finance Minister said. Earlier in the month, India had dismissed as "baseless" reports in British media stating that it had halted talks for a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom over the attack on the Indian high commission in London in March, government sources said. London-based newspaper The Times in its April 10 edition, citing senior British government sources, reported that the Indian government has "disengaged" from trade talks and made it clear that there would be no progress "without a public condemnation of the Khalistan movement." Notably, the India-UK Free Trade Agreement talks were launched on June 17, 2022. (ANI) Journalists in Afghanistan have once again denounced the lack of access of information under the Taliban regime in the country and have said that it results in loss of timely coverage for them, TOLOnews reported on Saturday. The journalists expressed concern over the absence of timely information that prevents them from covering stories and producing news content in a timely manner. They also said that the de-facto authorities are not cooperating with them in any manner. Journalist Mustafa Sharyar remarked, "Unfortunately, there are numerous issues with access to information, and we are unable to communicate information to the public on time. Meanwhile, another journalist, Mohammad Raqeeb Fayaz, according to TOLOnews said that journalists and the media have not yet been given access to information. According to Afghanistan's National Journalists Union's head, Masroor Lutfi, access to information is a fundamental right of every journalist. "Access to information is the fundamental right of the people. We call on the Islamic Emirate to provide accurate information to journalists based on existing laws in Afghanistan," he said, reported TOLOnews. Lack of access to information has been one of the main challenges for journalists in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021. The ever-increasing restrictions against media in Afghanistan have also drawn widespread criticism globally with the United Nations (UN) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) decrying the arrests, demanding the Taliban stop harassing local journalists and stifling freedom of speech through continued detentions and threats. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August last year, it rolled back women's rights advances and media freedom revoking the efforts on gender equality and freedom of speech in the country. (ANI) In a clash between a paramilitary group with the Sudanese army on Saturday, 25 people lost their lives whereas 183 were severely injured, CNN reported citing the Sudanese Central Medical Committee. The casualties are likely to rise in the clashes that took place near the capital of Khartoum. Meanwhile, Fedail Hospital in central Khartoum has received dozens of wounded civilians and military personnel in the last several hours, reported CNN citing sources. Some of those injured are in critical condition. In a statement earlier, the Sudanese Doctors' Trade Union reported at least three civilian deaths, with two being killed at Khartoum International Airport, according to the union's report, which was released on Saturday, as per CNN. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres has condemned the outbreak of fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces in Sudan. "The Secretary-General calls on the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and initiate a dialogue to resolve the current crisis. Any further escalation in the fighting will have a devastating impact on civilians and further aggravate the already precarious humanitarian situation in the country," the spokesperson for the Secretary-General said. The Indian embassy has also made an appeal to the Indians to suspend their ongoing plans to travel to Sudan. In a tweet, the Indian embassy on Saturday wrote, "Indian planning to travel to Sudan should postpone their travel. Please also stay calm and wait for updates." The embassy's warning came in light of clashes between Sudan's army and paramilitary forces. Clashes were reported between rival factions of armed forces in Sudan, and several gunshots and explosions were witnessed on Saturday morning in various parts of Khartoum, reported New York Times. As the clashes escalated, later in the day, the Sudanese paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed to have gained control of the Presidential Palace. Many videos were circulated on social media showing armed fighters driving across the runway of the city's international airport, in which heavy gunshots were audible. The Sudanese military, after 18 months of its coup, had promised to cede control to a civilian-led government this month. Yet, the process has been dominated by a rivalry between General al-Burhan and General Hamdan, also known as Hemeti. (ANI) Maddie Abuyuan / BuzzFeed News George Resch, who goes by TankSinatra on social media, recently mentioned that he had an addiction to the over-the-counter nasal spray Afrin . I have been congested for a year, he said on the podcast Meme Daddies. How does that happen? Plenty of over-the-counter medications those that are sold on pharmacy and grocery store shelves without a prescription have the potential to be habit-forming if used incorrectly. OTC medications are available for dozens of conditions, including allergies, cough, diarrhea, constipation, skin issues, and pain. As long as you use them for short periods of time and as directed, you should be fine. Go outside those label instructions, though, and you could be inviting trouble. You could end up with something called a rebound effect, which is when the original symptoms you were trying to treat come back, sometimes with a vengeance, after you stop taking the drug. What is the difference between misuse, dependency, and addiction? A rebound effect, which generally comes from medication misuse, is not the same as a true addiction, although there are nonprescription drugs that can be abused or contribute to an addiction relapse. A person who is misusing an OTC drug can develop a physical dependency on the drug, which means their body comes to rely on it for a particular function. That isnt the same as an addiction to a drug, which results in compulsive behavior to get the drug despite the sometimes devastating and even life-threatening repercussions. Addiction can happen with fentanyl, oxycodone, or illicit drugs like cocaine or heroin. Typically the person who has the addiction needs more and more of the substance to get the same high or other effects. That person keeps misusing a substance despite experiencing negative social, physical, and psychological consequences associated with the abuse, Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicologist and interim executive director of the National Capital Poison Center , explained. Story continues Rather than using substances for a high or to feel better, misuse means that people take a drug to treat a condition or symptoms but do so incorrectly. Misuse occurs when a person takes more of the medication than prescribed on the label, for a longer period of time, more often than what is recommended, or is using it for a purpose other than what was intended, explained Pat Aussem, associate vice president of consumer clinical content development at the Partnership to End Addiction. That said, the physical consequences of misusing an OTC drug can be unpleasant and can include withdrawal or rebound symptoms. And misuse can lead to addiction when it comes to certain classes of medications, Johnson-Arbor explained. Heres what to know before you start taking any OTC medication. Nasal sprays with oxymetazoline The nasal decongestant Afrin contains oxymetazoline, which reduces congestion by narrowing blood vessels in the nose. But using it too often can backfire, leading to Afrin addiction, as many people have posted about on TikTok . (The hashtag #AfrinAddiction has nearly 800,000 views on the platform.) When Afrin is used for longer than three days, it can cause a chemical imbalance in the body that actually results in worsening nasal stuffiness when Afrin is discontinued, Johnson-Arbor said. This leads to a vicious cycle of using Afrin to relieve decongestion, then using it again when the congestion returns. The medical name for the condition is rhinitis medicamentosa. In addition to nasal stuffiness, congestion, and pain, overuse of Afrin can lower blood pressure and heart rate, leading to dizziness or fainting. Doctors sometimes prescribe steroids to lessen the discomfort of quitting Afrin, Johnson-Arbor said. You should not use Afrin and other nasal sprays that contain oxymetazoline for longer than three days. Headache medications Just about any medication you can take for head pain aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, or anything else can cause rebound headaches if you take them for prolonged periods of time. A rebound headache, also known as a medication overuse headache, may be a possibility for anyone who is taking pain relievers for at least three months and then starts having headaches 15 or more days per month. So how often is too often when it comes to pain relievers? Well, it depends on the drug, but if you are taking an nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug at least 10 times a month, you could be at risk for medication overuse headaches. The headaches generally start first thing in the morning and will temporarily get better after you take the drug, but then the pain comes back. Other symptoms can include nausea, irritability, and neck pain. The best approach is to limit how often you take pain relievers. If someone has to take one of these more than two to three times per week (or more than 10 to 15 times in a month), they are putting themselves at significant risk of developing the medication overuse headache, said Kayode Giwa, a pharmacist and clinical specialist in psychiatry and internal medicine at Houston Methodist. The antidote is typically taking a vacation from the medications for one or two weeks so our bodies can reset, he added. If youve been using these medications for long periods of time, taper off instead of going cold turkey, Johnson-Arbor said. Eye drops that contain tetrahydrozoline Some eye drops are marketed as a way to reduce eye redness along with itching and dryness. The most well known is Visine, which is similar to Afrin in the way it works. The eye drops contain the decongestant tetrahydrozoline, which works by constricting blood vessels in your eye. While this may be an effective temporary solution, over the long term it can exacerbate the problem, ending up in a vicious cycle. When the redness wears off, your eyes may appear even more red (rebound redness), leading to more eye drops, more red eyes, more eye drops, etc. Ophthalmologists typically recommend using artificial tears rather than products that claim theyll take the red out. If you do use products containing decongestants, limit them to occasional use and not for longer than 72 hours, the American Academy of Ophthalmology warns. Just know that some artificial tears products were recently recalled due to bacterial contamination. While those particular brands are no longer being sold, check the label for any products you might have at home. (The brand names are EzriCare or Delsam Pharmas Artificial Tears.) Three people who have used the drops have died from serious infections; in some cases, people have had permanent vision loss or the need for eye removal. In addition to using drugs for the correct amount of time, you should also not use them on any part of the body other than those recommended by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, a prank portrayed in the 2005 film Wedding Crashers suggested that putting eye drops in a drink can cause violent diarrhea or other side effects. In fact, consuming tetrahydrozoline can be fatal and was even implicated in one homicide case. The perpetrator allegedly added the drops to her husbands drinking water for three days. This is a super dangerous thing to do, Giwa said. Skin creams that contain hydrocortisone OTC cortisone cream contains the active ingredient hydrocortisone, which is a corticosteroid that blocks inflammation-causing immune reactions. Its commonly used to treat rashes, sunburns, eczema, and other skin conditions. Its remarkably effective at reducing symptoms like itching. However, the medication, especially the stronger formulations, can lead to red skin syndrome, a sort of withdrawal process marked by bright red skin along with burning, stinging, itching, and pain. These typically occur within days of ceasing use of the product, Johnson-Arbor said. Many cases of red skin syndrome occur after long-term use of hydrocortisone (a year or so). The National Eczema Association cautions against using topical corticosteroids for more than two to four weeks. After that, frequency of use should be tapered off. Using corticosteroids on the skin for too long can lead to skin thinning and permanent stretch marks. When used on the eyelids frequently and for a prolonged period of time, it can also increase the risk of glaucoma and cataracts. Lip balm There are no ingredients in ChapStick and other lip balms that could cause physical dependence, but overuse may lead to whats known as a behavioral addiction. People have admitted to putting tube to lip as often as 300 times a day and needing to have multiple tubes with them at all times. Theres even a Facebook group, Lip Balm Addicts Anonymous , For everybody addicted to flavoured wax. As far as habits go, though, this is one of the least harmful. The main consequence is likely to be drier lips. Thats because many people like to lick the balm off, allowing digestive enzymes to dry out the membranes. Ingredients like phenol, menthol, and salicylic acid may also dry out your lips, causing you to use yet more of the product. If you use lip balm, stay away from these ingredients and avoid flavors that invite licking. Laxatives with bisacodyl, senna, or castor oil Although there are several different classes of laxatives, problems related to misuse are more likely with stimulant laxatives containing bisacodyl (brand name Dulcolax), senna, or castor oil. They basically make your large intestine act more. They push more stool out of your body, Giwa said. Misuse is not uncommon among people with eating disorders because of the misperception that they cause weight loss. In fact, they don't, they generally just lead to temporary water loss, he said. To be safe, dont use these products for more than three to five days. The body becomes physiologically addicted so you can only have a bowel movement when you use them. After many months or years, your colon stops working, Giwa said. If you need it more than that, you need to see a physician, he said. Fiber-containing or bulk-forming laxatives are considered safer ways to get things going if you have a problem with constipation . Nasal inhalers that contain propylhexedrine Benzedrex is a nasal decongestant that comes in an inhaler (rather than a spray) that has the potential for misuse and abuse. OTC inhalers like Benzedrex can be used to simulate stimulants, Aussem said. The key ingredient is propylhexedrine, which sometimes people take specifically for the stimulant effect. Abusing the drug can cause high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm, paranoia, and even death. Because of the stimulant effect, people who already have substance use disorders can be particularly vulnerable. I was working with a family where a loved one had a stimulant use disorder as a result of using meth, Aussem said. After attending residential treatment, he was trying to avoid using meth and instead bought Benzedrex. The Food and Drug Administration warns against more than two inhalations in each nostril every two hours. You also shouldnt use it for longer than three days. Cough drugs with dextromethorphan (DXM) The active ingredient in many extra-strength cough suppressants, including some formulations of Robitussin and NyQuil, dextromethorphan may be one of the more potent compounds out there in terms of abuse or misuse. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, more than 100 medicines contain DXM. Its the number one decongestant we have, Giwa said. Referred to as Robo-tripping, DXM used in cough syrup can be used to get high, Aussem said. Some people also refer to it as skittling. At extremely high doses, it can cause hallucinations. There have been cases where people have had to be psychiatrically hospitalized, Giwa said. It also doesnt show up on drug screens. Antidiarrheal drugs that contain loperamide Misuse of antidiarrheals containing loperamide (for example, Imodium) is becoming more widespread. In the last few decades, there have been increased reports of loperamide abuse and misuse reported to Poison Control Centers nationwide, Johnson-Arbor said. Loperamide is taken to achieve euphoria but also to self-treat opioid withdrawal, Aussem said. Unfortunately, it can also cause nausea, constipation, sleepiness, and stomach pain. The FDA has warned of potentially fatal heart problems with higher-than-recommended doses of the drug, especially when combined with certain other drugs such as Tagamet (cimetidine) and Zantac (ranitidine). Since loperamide acts like an opioid in overdose situations, naloxone (Narcan) may be effective in reversing breathing abnormalities that occur after loperamide overdose, Johnson-Arbor said. The FDA approved the first over-the-counter naloxone spray on March 29. Antihistamines that contain diphenhydramine When taken in doses higher than recommended, the active ingredient in Benadryl, diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, can have intoxicating effects, sometimes making people experience euphoria, delusions, or hallucinations. Although not as habit-forming as pseudoephedrine in decongestants (see below), diphenhydramine is also prone to misuse or abuse. One example was the Sleepy Time Chicken trend on TikTok in 2022. This involved some people reportedly basting chicken in antihistamines and then eating it. It produced a downer, stoner feeling, Giwa said. The FDA posted a warning about the practice , noting that boiling medications can make them more concentrated and release vapors that may damage your lungs. Long-term use can cause severe constipation, blurry vision, and dry mouth. In 2021, the FDA issued a warning about the Benadryl Challenge , which included some people taking diphenhydramine in an effort to hallucinate. In general, using any antihistamine over the long term has the potential to cause withdrawal symptoms when stopping, Giwa said. The most common offenders, though, are cetirizine (Zyrtec) and levocetirizine (Xyzal), he noted. Both can involve unbearable itching, Johnson-Arbor said. Decongestants with pseudoephedrine In many states, some decongestants, including certain formulations of Sudafed or DayQuil, are only sold behind the counter and you have to be 18 to buy them. The key ingredient is pseudoephedrine, which has the opposite effect of antihistamines. People will abuse it for weight loss because they are so stimulating, Giwa said. Theyre very comparable to your classic stimulants like Ritalin, cocaine, Adderall, and meth. You can become dependent. Many OTC products actually contain both decongestants and antihistamines, which is a lot like mixing vodka and Red Bull, Giwa said. Its a similar feeling to where your heart is racing really fast but youre drowsy from the alcohol [or antihistamine], he explained. Its an upper and a downer. Physiologically you're down but youre not going to fall asleep. People will sometimes use these OTC products in combination with an illegal drug to calm themselves down, he added. What to do If you experience itchy skin from antihistamine withdrawal, or any other unexpected symptoms when you stop taking an OTC medication, contact your doctor. Also get in touch with a healthcare professional if youre unsure how to take a medication, especially how long to use it. If unwanted signs or symptoms develop after use or misuse of over-the-counter medications, contact Poison Control for immediate guidance. There are two ways to contact Poison Control in the United States: online at www.poison.org or by phone at 1-800-222-1222. Both options are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. More on this Brad Klippert, a Kennewick Republican who served 14 years in state Legislature, wants to be Washingtons top school official. Klippert, 65, will run for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2024, according to a recent filing with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. The 2024 election season wont begin until May of next year, when candidates file with elections offices. Klippert registered his campaign with the PDC, the state agency that regulates election campaigns, more than a year early. Klippert, a Benton County sheriffs deputy who serves as a school resource officer in Kiona-Benton City schools, could not be reached about his interest in the school role. He is a familiar political force in the Tri-Cities with a track record that includes several unsuccessful runs for statewide office, including for U.S. Senate and Washington Secretary of State. Locally, hes been more successful at translating his image as a conservative firebrand into wins at the ballot box. The 8th Legislative District, which includes Kennewick and Richland before the lines were redrawn to include Pasco, elected him to the Washington House of Representatives every two years starting in 2008, typically by large margins. He came under scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic for his refusal to be vaccinated against the virus, calling it truly ineffective. State Rep. Brad Klippert speaks to hundreds of people who gathered in a north Richland parking lot in 2021 to rally against the federal vaccine mandate on behalf of Hanford and PNNL workers. His highest profile efforts during his tenure in Olympia included introducing a bill to ban the Washington state ferry system from flying most flags after a gay pride flag was flown, a bill to ban transgender people from using the bathroom that matches their gender and a bill to retroactively protect businesses that choose not to serve same-sex marriages. He also supported creating a task force to explore dividing Washington and Oregon into two new states divided at the Cascade Mountains because of political leanings. In 2022 during his final session, Klippert introduced bills addressing catalytic converter theft and domestic violence as well as several proposals related to election integrity, including requiring forensic audits, requiring watermarks on mail-in ballots and requiring in-person voting. Story continues Newhouse challenge He registered with the PDC to run for an eighth term in the state house in 2022, but opted instead to challenge U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, the Sunnyside Republican who represents Washingtons 4th District in the U.S. House. At the time, Klippert told the Herald hed been approached to challenge Newhouse after he voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump. Klippert placed fifth in the eight-way August primary, winning 15,430 votes or about 10% of the 150,380 votes cast. While he failed to reach to the general election, he drew enough votes to help Democrat Doug White advance to the general election. White edged out Republican Loren Culp, the former gubernatorial candidate who was endorsed by Trump to unseat Newhouse, by 5,263 votes. Though theres no way to determine which candidate Klipperts supporters would have chosen if he hadnt been in the race, its possible they could have given Culp enough votes to secure a second-place finish that would have set up a Republican versus Republican contest in the general. Culp blamed a spoiler candidate for his primary loss. Instead, Newhouse easily defeated White in the general, becoming one of the only impeachment supporters to secure a new term. Other campaigns Shut out of the election, Klippert turned to another race and mounted a write-in campaign for Washington Secretary of State. He was endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party. While he raised $16,200, he failed to meaningfully affect the outcome. State records indicate about 130,000 write-in votes were cast for secretary of state, or about 4% of the total. Official election results do not identify write-in candidates by name. His other statewide bid was a 2004 attempt to secure the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Patty Murray. He lost the primary to George Nethercutt, who lost to Murray in the general. Washington State Guard Outside of politics, Klippert has had a multifaceted career thats kept him in the public eye for decades. Most recently, he officiated at the April 8 funeral for a stillborn girl whose remains were found discarded along Interstate 82 a month earlier. He served in the military for 28 years, including 20 as a Chinook helicopter pilot. He remained in uniform as a member of the 80-member Washington State Guard. In 2016, he was made commander of the state guard and promoted to full colonel. Public Disclosure Commission records indicate Klippert is a successful fund raiser. He raised nearly $290,000 over the course of 10 state-level campaigns, and about $43,000 for his U.S. House run. Data was not available from the Federal Elections Commission for his 2006 U.S. Senate campaign. Two Georgia counties are among the fastest-growing counties in the entire country percentage-wise, according to a Census population estimate. Dawson County and Lumpkin County both saw 5.8% jumps in population between 2021 and 2022. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The counties, both in north Georgia, were in a tie for third place among all the fastest-growing counties in the country, based on percentage. On July 1, 2021, the estimated population in Dawson County was 28,475 while one year later that population was 30,138. While in the same time frame, Lumpkin County went from a population of 32,890 to 34,796. TRENDING STORIES: The Census said the pattern in migration in 2021 saw people migrating to small counties while in 2022, that pattern reversed. Maricopa County, Arizona saw the largest increase in residents, adding 56,831 people, while Los Angeles County saw the largest population decline in 2022, decreasing by 90,704 people. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Democracy a common value of humanity, not prerogative reserved to few 09:00, April 15, 2023 By Huan Yuping ( People's Daily The United States recently held the so-called second "Summit for Democracy," which was said to be an "ideological" meeting by U.S. media. At the summit, the U.S. government once again acted to split the world into two camps of what it defined as "democracies and non-democracies." However, the U.S., claiming supremacy over others and following hegemony to serve the interests of none other than itself, has nothing to do with democracy. What it does is to provoke bloc confrontation. There is no democratic system that can claim to be superior to others. No country is qualified to act as the judge of democracy. All peoples should and are able to independently develop a path of democracy with the characteristics of their own country, thus contributing their wisdom and strength to enriching the diversity of democracy. Democracy means "rule by the people" or "sovereignty of the people." It is not abstract, but a concrete phenomenon that is constantly evolving. There is no fixed model of democracy. Every form of democracy is the result of the development of human political civilization under certain historical conditions. There are more than 200 countries and regions, and over 2,500 ethnic groups in the world. Different histories, national conditions, ethnic groups and customs give birth to different civilizations. Such diversity and differences have decided that there are no identical political systems in the world, and neither is there a political model that fits all. Each country's political system is unique based on different national conditions. A country's political system is chosen by its people and is the result of a long-term process of evolution and improvement on the basis of its history, cultural traditions, and economic and social development. History and reality have shown time and again that copying other countries' political systems and democratic models will not work. More importantly, it will even lead to social unrest, national division, deaths and the overthrow of regimes, and ruin the future and destiny of the country. Many non-Western countries developed their democratic systems based on the basic principle of democracy and their national conditions, thus achieving sound governance. From a historical perspective, the development of democracy in the U.S. was a step forward. However, over the years, its democracy has become alienated and degenerated, and it has increasingly deviated from the essence of democracy and its original design. The halo of its self-proclaimed "global beacon of democracy" has long lost its luster. The U.S. today is troubled with messy and chaotic practices of democracy, and the nature of money politics and oligarchy is constantly exposed. According to OpenSecrets statistics, the total cost of the 2022 state and federal midterm elections was nearly $17 billion, the highest in history, exceeding the annual GDP of over 70 countries in 2021. Democracy is meant to be used to solve problems faced by the people. However, the governance capability of American democracy has been on a constant decline. Politicians run on slogans and empty promises, but never make good on their promises. Most ordinary voters are mobilized only in voting, and then they are neglected and cannot have any real influence on political decisions. Their voices and appeals for democracy are even considered a "noise." This has led to a growing disillusionment with American democracy. Americans' pride in their democracy has dropped sharply, from 90% in 2002 to 54% in 2022, according to a joint Washington Post-University of Maryland survey. A Pew Center poll said 65 percent of Americans believe that the American democratic system needs major reforms, while 57 percent of respondents believe the U.S. is no longer a model of democracy. Democracy is the right of the people in every country, rather than the prerogative of a few nations. Assessing the myriad political systems in the world against a single yardstick and examining diverse political structures in monochrome are in themselves undemocratic. Launching so-called "democratic transition" in other countries is to trample on the spirit of democracy. More and more countries have realized today that to find a development path that suits themselves, they must stay alert to the dangerous act of the export of U.S. democracy. Without regard to huge differences in the level of economic development and in the historical and cultural backgrounds of countries around the world, the U.S. seeks to impose its own political system and values on other nations, which has placed many countries and regions in turbulences, conflicts and wars. As suggested by a foreign media outlet, democracy has long become a weapon of massive destruction for the U.S. to attack countries with different views. The current U.S. administration has ignored lessons of history, the chaos of American democracy and the rejection of the overwhelming majority of countries to being kidnapped by the hypocritical "concept of democracy" of the U.S. It has kept fabricating and selling the trumped-up narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism." Such practices of advancing its own geostrategy under the disguise of "democracy" are destined to be abandoned by the times. President of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass called the "Summit for Democracy" a "bad idea," saying American democracy is hardly a model for others. Democracy is a common value of humanity. Countries should respect the cultural diversity of civilizations, carry forward the common value of humanity, sincerely support all efforts to independently explore a path to democracy, and enhance mutual learning on democracy based on mutual respect and equality, so as to push for the continuous development of democracy and build a world where all countries appreciate the culture and values of others as do to their own. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) The Lexington County Coroner has identified the man killed Friday night in a construction accident as Manuel Ortiz-Medina. Ortiz-Medina, 24, was killed near the 130-mile marker of Interstate-26 eastbound in Lexington County at approximately 11:15 p.m., according to a statement released by Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher. He was pronounced dead at the scene following an accident involving heavy equipment, according to the statement. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Construction is the deadliest profession in South Carolina. In 2021, the most recent year for which there is data, 10 people died in South Carolina in construction related accidents, according to South Carolina Department of Licensing and Regulation. This is a breaking news story. Check back here for updates. Silent Witness has set up a reward of up to $2,000 for tips that lead to the arrest of the suspect who in March gunned down a man at a northeast Phoenix apartment complex. Michael Anthony Amarillas, 45, was shot to death by an unidentified person around 10:22 a.m. March 15, according to Silent Witness and Phoenix police. The shooting happened at The Resort on 35th apartments in the area of North 35th Street and East Campbell Avenue, the nonprofit said. Silent Witness is describing the suspect as either a Native or Hispanic male standing 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-10, weighing between 200-240 pounds and a sporting a white construction helmet. He fled in a silver 2013-2023 Jeep Gladiator truck with large tires and dark rims, Silent Witness detailed. The video Silent Witness shared shows the suspect was wearing denim slacks and a large, dark-colored jacket. The video shows the suspect walking up a flight stairs where the organization said he fired on the victim. The video shows the suspect running off after coming down the same flight of stairs. Anyone with information is urged to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (948-6377), or for Spanish, 480-TESTIGO (837-8446). Tipsters seeking eligibility for the monetary reward must call Silent Witness prior to an arrest. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: $2K reward available in man's fatal Phoenix shooting from March Three motorcyclists were gunned down Friday in separate shootings dozens of miles apart in what authorities in Texas described as a targeted attack that appeared linked to an outlaw motorcycle gang. A suspect was not identified in either shooting and remained at large Friday night. In separate statements, the Huntsville Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office said the victims, all men, were ages 32, 43 and 69. A fourth person, 61, was injured in the second shooting, the police department said. The gunfire first erupted on Interstate 45 in Spring, about 20 miles north of Houston, around 11 a.m., the sheriffs office said. Deputies who were dispatched to the scene learned a 32-year-old man had been shot and taken to a local hospital. Initially the man was expected to survive but was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m., the sheriffs office said. Three motorcyclists were gunned down Friday in separate shootings dozens of miles apart in what authorities in Texas described as a targeted attack that appeared linked to an outlaw motorcycle gang. (KPRC) A little over an hour after the first shooting was reported, officers from multiple agencies responded to another shooting on the same interstate, this time south of Huntsville, nearly 50 miles north of Spring, the police department said. Officers found three victims with gunshot wounds, the department said. Two were pronounced dead at the scene; the wounded victim was airlifted to a local hospital. His condition was not immediately available. The department said the three victims were wearing clothes linking them to an outlaw motorcycle gang. The statement did not provide additional details about their apparent affiliation with the group. Investigators believe the shooting in Spring is related to the incident near Huntsville, the department said. At this time we believe there is no threat to the general public as the shootings appear to be a gang related targeted attack, the department said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Millbury firefighter Colton Paszkowski at a probable cause hearing in Worcester District Court on March 1, 2022. WORCESTER Colton Paszkowski, a Millbury firefighter accused of raping a 15-year-old high school student, was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court Friday. Not-guilty pleas were entered on behalf of Paszkowski, 25. He is accused of seven charges of rape of a child and one charge of intimidation of a witness/juror/court official/police officer. He was released on bail. Judge James Reardon set bail at $4,000. Bail conditions include staying away from witnesses and the alleged victim and no unsupervised conduct with children under 16. Paszkowski has previously pleaded not guilty to charges in Central and Uxbridge district courts related to the rape allegations. Indictments to Superior Court were returned on March 10. Northbridge police allege in court documents that a 15-year-old girl came to the police station with her mother in December 2021 and reported being sexually assaulted by Paszkowski in Northbridge, Millbury and Sutton. Paszkowski is also a horse farrier, a specialist in caring for horses feet. The allegations were not in connection to his duties as a call firefighter. The girl alleged that Paszkowski sexually assaulted her in Northbridge in October 2021, in Millbury in November 2021 and in Sutton in either late September or early October 2021. Paszkowski was placed on unpaid leave by the Millbury Fire Department since the first charges were issued in December 2021. In March 2022, Millbury fire Chief Brian K. Gasco said he would remain on leave until the legal matters were resolved. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: $40,000 bail set for Millbury firefighter accused of child sexual assault A former Illinois news anchor passed unexpectedly while on vacation with her family. She was 42. According to NBC affiliate WGEM, Lesley Swick Van Ness was vacationing with her family when she suddenly became ill and was taken to a hospital on April 6. By the following Monday, April 10, she had died. The obituary for Van Ness stated that she passed away in Naples, Florida. According to her LinkedIn page, Van Ness carved out a career for herself at WGEM, starting as a reporter in 2003. By 2006, she became a weekend anchor. In 2008, she served as a weekday evening anchor. In 2016, she became a corporate recruiter for Quincy Media a media company that was acquired by Gray Television in 2021. On April 12, Jennifer Dale, the vice president of recruiting at Gray Television, issued a statement regarding her death to Muddy River News. It is with a very heavy heart that we share some devastating news with you. Lesley Van Ness, who we have been so fortunate to have as part of the Gray family, passed away this (Monday) morning, said Dales statement. Lesley and her husband Tom have two precious young boys. Please keep all of them in your prayers. We will keep everyone posted on arrangements. Van Nesss also former colleagues reflected on her career during an April 12 segment of the show. Anchor Natalie Will touched on her working relationship with Van Ness, sharing that the two started at WGEM on the same day as interns. While speaking about her late co-worker, Will became visibly upset. Lesley was a phenomenal journalist. She was a leader in the newsroom, she remarked before tearing up. Sorry... I didnt think this was going to be hard. Another former WGEM colleague, Matt Schmidt, described Van Ness as someone who was easy to get along with. She was very commanding of the room and, you know, spoke up and was not afraid to say things, he remarked. (Our) personalities just blended well. The obituary for Van Ness describes her as an exceptional mother and wife who worked to create opportunities for future journalists across the United States via fellowship programs and paid internships. She was a determined parent who taught her children the importance of reading, safety, learning and loving, the obituary said in part. Together with (her husband), their goal was to raise the most well-rounded young men they could, regardless of their boys lack of enthusiasm from time to time. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Courtney Garvin, who got sick with COVID in March 2020 and now has long COVID, plays guitar in her room, where she spends most of her time. She used to play in a couple of bands but that is on hold until she recovers at home with her partner, Connor Mayer. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) On a Monday morning in Irvine, Courtney Garvin eats her breakfast in bed, it having been set out by her partner before he left for work. She finishes and heads to the bathroom. She sits down to brush her teeth and wash her face. From there she takes her longest walk of the day: 25 steps to her unused office, where she lies down in a bed and begins to knit and pet her cat. At lunchtime she takes a stair lift a motorized chair affixed to the stairs down to the kitchen to eat the lunch her partner, Connor Mayer, has prepared. She puts the food in the microwave and sits down again. Courtney Garvin, coming down in the stair lift from her room upstairs, gets help from partner Connor Mayer to perform basic tasks in the home. Mayer prepares her wheelchair to go outside for fresh air. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Garvin, 37, contracted COVID-19 three years ago and now has long COVID , a condition roughly 15% of California adults report having experienced, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . She and Mayer say their world has shrunk. She is no longer able to work. I wasnt expecting to be in a situation like this for another 50 or 60 years, where I lose this much functionality and require full-time care. Chronic illness takes away so many of lifes joys, both big and small, Garvin said in an email. (Due to the debilitating fatigue, some of the interviews with Garvin were done over email or Mayer spoke on her behalf.) Mayers life has completely changed, too. Connor Mayer pushes his partner, Courtney Garvin, in a wheelchair as they go outside for fresh air. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) On mornings when he is working, he wakes up, makes coffee and goes on a run. Then he makes her oatmeal and tea for breakfast, leaving them in thermoses to keep them warm. He also makes her lunch and a smoothie. After making sure she has what she needs, he bikes to work. After 5:30 p.m., he does the dishes and cooks dinner. She walks about 150 steps daily and goes on a short walk in the neighborhood with Mayer pushing her in a wheelchair, she said. Garvin and Mayer said they shared their story in the hope of helping other people understand the impact this illness has had on their lives. I dont think anyone expects something like this to happen to them, but here we are, Mayer said in an email. When we got COVID in March 2020, we had no sense of the long-term risks associated with it. That sudden loss of independence was tough for both of us. Story continues A view of medications that Courtney Garvin takes as she battles long COVID. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Long COVID is the broad term used to describe multiple symptoms that can last weeks or longer after an initial infection with COVID-19. These include blood circulation issues, shortness of breath, neurological issues, gastrointestinal problems and fatigue, among others. The severity of the symptoms, and their impact on people's daily lives, can vary widely. Some people see symptoms improve over time, while others have gotten better and then had some symptoms return. The CDC has allocated $25 million to continue studying long COVID, and groups such as the Patient-led Research Collaborative are working on research on the long-term effects of COVID-19. While much of the public has begun to move on from the pandemic, people like Garvin are left to deal with the complex medical system and a condition that has no known treatments. Navigating the medical, financial, mental and physical challenges of this illness is challenging. Before getting sick in March 2020, Garvin worked as a storyboard artist and a touring musician as a member of the Courtneys, and Mayer was in graduate school. Mayer is now an assistant professor in the Department of Language Science at UC Irvine. When he is not working, he is a full-time caregiver for Garvin and limits his social interactions to avoid getting her reinfected. Courtney Garvin used to play in a couple of bands, but that is on hold until she recovers from long COVID. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Garvin stopped working in the fall of 2020 when her fatigue, migraines and shortness of breath made it difficult for her to walk more than a few steps and speak more than a few words. She went on disability and started seeing doctors, many of whom dismissed symptoms while her health continued to decline. She moved to Irvine during the summer of 2021, where she was diagnosed with long COVID. The consistency of the experience of going to doctor after doctor, seeking help, and being disbelieved and condescended to is really surprising to me, Garvin said. It points to the underlying systemic issue in our culture where we see chronic illness as a moral failing. Besides the mental and physical challenges, Garvin noted that infrastructure issues such as the lack of wheelchair-high counters and a scarcity of automatic doors at doctor's offices and the Department of Motor Vehicles have made her feel invisible. Courtney Garvin first got sick with COVID in March 2020. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The couple live in a townhome provided by UC Irvine that is considered compliant, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the unit's stairs pose difficulties for Garvin. After several phone calls with the housing authority, letters from doctors and insurance, the couple installed a stair lift, but paid for it out of pocket. Garvin and Mayer have spent roughly $62,000 on medical expenses, including compression garments ($450), the stair lift ($2,750), support groups ($860) and copays ($3,300). Theyve also spent countless hours in waiting rooms, on hold with physicians and dealing with insurance and disability paperwork. Post-viral illnesses such as long COVID are not new , but some doctors across California are addressing long COVID as a new phenomenon. Its grim to think of how many peoples lives might be changed for the worse because we didnt understand the long-term effects well enough to factor them into considerations about preventative safety measures, Mayer said. Courtney Garvin takes a break from coming down the stair lift from her room upstairs as partner Connor Mayer prepares to help her do basic tasks at home. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Dr. William W. Stringer, a pulmonologist and critical care doctor who started the post-COVID program at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, is trying to better understand those long-term effects. I think there are a lot of people that are unrecognized by specialists and doctors, said Stringer, who has treated patients with some of the worst long COVID symptoms. It is also a huge financial problem, between the lack of social work and assistance for food and trips to the doctor. Mayer said its frustrating for him to see a serious health issue have low public awareness and sympathy. Toward the end of the interview, Garvin said she was exhausted and had Mayer speak on her behalf. Strength is something I feel pretty short on at this point, she said. Im completely worn out. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. As Republicans showered praise for their soon-to-be-passed bill restricting abortions beyond the 6th week of pregnancy Thursday, there was a lot of talk of the value of life in the chambers of Tallahassee. It feels as if we just broke down a wall, that were able to save more lives, Rep. Doug Bankson, R-Apopka, said shortly before the official vote. For now, abortions will remain legal up to 15 weeks as the Florida Supreme Court considers permanently allowing the ban passed last year. Lawmakers also provided $25 million to non-medical crisis pregnancy centers and expanded access to childrens healthcare. However, the package of votes did not touch a program thousands of low-income Floridians rely on to help them cover basic necessities: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding, also known as TANF, which hasnt been updated in decades. Read: Florida House passes bill to expand KidCare TANF provides monthly cash payments to families who qualify. The first child qualifies for up to $180 per month, and each additional child receives around $60. Parents must work or be disabled to be on the program and be lawful Florida residents. They must also meet income restrictions. In the wake of the pro-life vote, policy analysts are renewing their criticism over the lack of action by lawmakers as the program no longer covers the cost of diapers. Read: Rep. Fine, sponsor of live performance restriction bill, responds to sultry gala criticism Florida has not updated its TANF payment levels since 1992, which means that people in the program are really unable to meet even the most basic needs of their children, the Florida Policy Institutes Cindy Huddleston said. That is a program that we really need to start looking at more carefully. Huddleston described the current situation as dire: many desperate families cannot qualify for TANF because they make too much money, even though they struggle to pay rent. Many of the families that do qualify arent in public housing. Story continues She said the system also punishes families with more than one child due to outdated and inaccurate stories about welfare queens who have more children to receive more assistance. Read: State attorney Monique Worrell meets with local law enforcement for training sessions I think analysis over time have shown that those stereotypes are untrue, and its something that other states have been recognizing, she said, mentioning Florida was one of only a handful of states that still had shrinking payments on its books. Florida recently adopted changes to payments it gives foster families, who now can receive more than $500 per month for caring for someone elses child for up to six months, or approximately three times more than it pays for someone to care for their own child. As one of the few lawmakers with background knowledge of TANF, State Representative Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said conversations about modernizing the payment structure are few and far between, even though the program solely benefited hard-working families. Florida has a lot of broken and safety nets that are underfunded, devalued, and way too low to match the current cost of living, she said. We have always been met with resistance, and so Im hopeful that the next leadership will be more open to these conversations, and I think part of it is breaking the stigma and breaking the misconceptions. Read: Despite staffing shortages, state plans takeover of county child services WFTV contacted most Republican lawmakers in Central Florida. Of the offices that picked up the phone, few had heard of TANF, though several aides dove into research upon hearing about the program and its deficiencies. Freshman Rep. Paula Stark, R-St. Cloud said a TANF bill had been introduced but appeared dead in its committee. She said she would contact its sponsor to discuss the issue and was interested in working to shore up the program. Anything that helps children be successful and healthy is worth looking at, she said. Thats always something that we can bring back to the table and see if theres (a) discussion for it. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard, said he had never looked deeply into TANF, but lawmakers had taken a step in the right direction by expanding KidCare this year. You made like, one more dollar and then you lost your health insurance. Weve tried to smooth that out, he said. If youre doing your part, if youre working and youre working hard, the state wants to be there to help you with your children. 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. Managers who abuse their employees may be suffering from a perceptual bias. imtmphoto/iStock via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Managers may mistreat employees who perform poorly because they assume it results from a lack of diligence rather than other factors, according to research we published in September 2021. Surveys show that about 1 in 7 U.S. workers feel that their manager engages in hostile behaviors toward them. Abusive supervision may range from relatively mild behaviors such as lying or not giving credit for work to more severe actions, such as insults or ridicule. While past research has suggested that its the poor performance of workers provoking managers abusive reactions, we wanted to examine whether the faulty perception of the supervisor deserves at least some of the blame. So we conducted two studies, drawing on research showing that people are prone to perceptual errors when judging negative events. One of these is the fundamental attribution error, a tendency to overattribute negative outcomes to others personalities rather than other explanations. In the first study, we recruited 189 pairs of employees and supervisors from a variety of industries. We asked supervisors to rate their employees job performance as well as their conscientiousness or diligence that is, how organized, industrious and careful they are. We then asked employees to rate themselves on the same measures. Finally, we asked employees to rate how abusive their supervisors were toward them such as by ridiculing them in front of others within the previous month. We found that managers assessed lower-performing employees as less diligent than the workers rated themselves. Research shows self-ratings of personality traits like diligence are generally more accurate than external ratings. This suggests supervisors believed poor-performing employees were less diligent than they actually were. In addition, these employees perceived higher levels of abuse than others did. This study didnt include independent measures of the employees diligence or their managers abuse. So in our second one we wanted to determine if the managers still blamed a lack of diligence for an incident involving poor performance even when the supervisor knew that the employee wasnt the primary cause. Story continues We recruited 443 supervisors via an online portal to complete two surveys. In the first, we asked them to think of one of their employees whose first name began with a randomly generated letter and rate their degree of conscientiousness. We used random letters to avoid bias. One week later, we contacted the same supervisors to complete the second survey, presenting each with an imagined incident in which the employee from the earlier survey performed poorly on a work project. We then randomly assigned them to various scenarios indicating what was responsible for the poor outcome, such as the employee, a software malfunction or both. We asked them what share of the blame they put on the software versus the employee. We found that when supervisors were told that the employees lack of effort and the malfunction were equally responsible for the poor outcome, they still blamed the employee most. When asked to provide feedback, managers who blamed employees were more objectively abusive, such as by using expressions of anger or threats. Why it matters The consequences and costs of abusive supervision are significant. For example, it can worsen employees psychological health and may be costing U.S. employers up to US billion a year in lost productivity. Suggesting abusive management behaviors are justified or that a worker may deserve the treatment is problematic because it puts the onus for correcting these harmful actions on the targets of abuse rather than the perpetrators. Our research suggests it may be perceptual errors on the part of managers that deserve more blame. Whats next We would like to explore how people and employers can reduce instances of abusive supervision. And wed like to look into what other factors besides perceptual biases might be responsible. [Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.] This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. It was written by: Zhanna Lyubykh, University of Calgary; Jennifer Bozeman, West Chester University of Pennsylvania; Nick Turner, University of Calgary, and Sandy Hershcovis, Is joy being sucked out of your work place? You might have a toxic bossWhy female bosses get different reactions than men when they criticize employeesHeres what coworkers think when you suck up to your boss Zhanna Lyubykh received funding for her doctoral studies from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Jennifer Bozeman received funding for her doctoral studies from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Nick Turner receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Sandy Hershcovis receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Two police officers have been indicted for the death of Herman Whitfield III in Indianapolis, Indiana. The indictment was handed down more than one year after Whitfields death. A grand jury indicted patrol officers Steven Sanchez and Adam Ahmad on April 13, according to Marion County Prosecutors Office. Sanchez and Adam were both charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, and several battery counts. Herman Whitfield III died while in police custody during a mental health crisis in Indianapolis, Indianna. (Photo: WTHR News / YouTube) Whitfield died on April 25, 2022 while in police custody after his parents called 911 while their son was suffering from a mental health crisis. The Indianapolis Star reported that the 39-year-old pianist was hit multiple times with a stun gun and handcuffed while nude and facedown on the ground by five Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers and a recruit trainee. Sanchez and Ahmad claimed that they tried to de-escalate for 10 minutes before Whitfield allegedly moved quickly toward one of the officers and they repeatedly used a Taser on him. The officer activated the Taser twice and the man continued to resist. Whitfield was handcuffed facedown, after which he became unresponsive. Medics performed CPR on Whitfield upon their arrival three minutes after he stopped moving but could not revive him. No officers are seen checking on Whitfield while waiting for the paramedics, and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Video shows Whitfield trying to get away from the officers repeatedly. He also said, Cannot breathe. I cant breathe, multiple times after he was tased and being handcuffed. An autopsy found that Whitfield died from heart failure due to law enforcement restraint and ruled the death a homicide. It also listed obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease as contributing factors. His family filed a lawsuit against the city of Indianapolis and the responding officers. The lawsuit states that the officers crushed the breath out of an unarmed, non-violent man and ignored Whitfields cries of I cant breathe. Story continues The officers attorneys, John F. Kautzman and Edward Merchant, said in a statement that the charges are not proof of guilt. The merit of these allegations will ultimately be determined through due process in a court of law and we ask the public to allow that process to play out, read the statement. The officers look forward to a full and fair opportunity to defend themselves in court and establish that they did not act illegally or with any type of criminal intent. Whitfields mother, Gladys Whitfield, said the officers have not been transparent and continue to be deceptive about her sons death. Its been our opinion that the defendants still have not been transparent, she said Even though they promised transparency, all they have delivered is obliqueness and darkness and deception. Whitfields father, Herman Whitfield Jr. said that he was grateful that the grand jury was able to come through with the indictment of the officers. Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor released a statement that called Whitfields death a tragedy for all involved and our thoughts continue to be with those impacted by his loss. Chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus and state Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago) said his thoughts are with Whitfields family as the officers face the consequences of their actions. The indictment of two of the six officers involved in Mr. Whitfields death signals a changing tide in policing and community, he said. Too often in the past, police officers who took it upon themselves to act as judge, jury and executioner have never faced justice. If we want to maintain the integrity of policing and the integrity of the vast majority of officers who joined the force to protect and serve their communities, we must ensure that those who break that pledge face the consequences. The two officers were arranged on April 14. Their bond was set at $15,000, and their next court date is scheduled for July 5. A man arrested in connection with the death of a missing El Paso woman bragged to his friends about the slaying and said he killed her over a missing wallet, court documents state. Christopher Paul Maya, 34, is accused of fatally shooting Michelle Angela Morales-Nakaza, 32, multiple times as she slept in a car, a criminal complaint affidavit states. Michelle Angela Morales-Nakaza was reported missing after she was last seen leaving a Baskin-Robbins across the street from El Dorado High School in far East El Paso on March 27. Morales-Nakaza's body was found Monday by El Paso Police Department officers in the Red Sands desert area off Snoqualmie Drive. Her mother reported her missing March 31. Court documents state the shooting took place sometime between March 27 and April 10. Morales-Nakaza was last seen alive the evening of March 27 at the Baskin-Robbins at 12379 Edgemere Blvd., across the street from El Dorado High School, El Paso Police Department officials said. Maya allegedly told two friends about the slaying. Police received a call from Morales-Nakaza's mother March 31 stating her daughter was missing and had not been seen or heard from since March 21. More: Man arrested, accused of forcing way into home, trying to sexually assault El Paso woman On April 8, police received a call from another person who wanted to report information on Morales-Nakaza's death. The person told police a friend had provided her with the information on the death. Police then met with the friend, who also was a friend of Maya, to discuss the slaying. The friend told officers he knew Maya and Morales-Nakaza had been in a "toxic" dating relationship for years, the affidavit states. Maya allegedly told the friend on multiple occasions that he was going to "kill her (Morales-Nakaza)." A few nights before meeting with police, the friend said Maya asked if someone could help him remove some surveillance cameras outside a private residence, the affidavit states. The friend thought the request was suspicious and did not help Maya. A few later days, the friend saw a missing person flyer on social media asking for help locating Morales-Nakaza. This led the friend to become more suspicious of Maya and he felt as though Maya had something to do with Morales-Nakaza's disappearance. Story continues Christopher Paul Maya, 34, was arrested Wednesday in the death of Michelle Angela Morales-Nakaza. Maya then allegedly confessed to the friend that he had killed Morales-Nakaza. Maya told the friend that he and Morales-Nakaza were asleep in a white Toyota Camry outside an unknown house in a driveway when he woke up and noticed his wallet was missing, the affidavit states. Maya allegedly told the friend he assumed Morales-Nakaza took his wallet, so he shot her twice in the chest, the affidavit says. Morales-Nakaza then slumped over after being shot. Maya then shot her again in the face, the affidavit states. The friend told police Maya was excited about shooting Morales-Nakaza and got more excited when he told him that part of her face was blown off from the shot, according to the affidavit. Maya allegedly told the friend that he got rid of Morales-Nakaza's body, the car, his gun and his personal cellphone in an unknown desert location. The friend told police he needed to tell someone about the confession, so he told another friend, who called the police. More: Juvenile stabbed near Hanks High School in East El Paso Police detectives then met with a second friend of Maya. The second friend's account of the events matched the first friend's story. The two did not know each other, according to the affidavit. The second friend told police he saw Maya with a white Toyota Camry that had blood on multiple areas. There also were weeds and dirt in the vehicle. The friend then asked Maya if he had killed someone. Maya replied, "Yes," the affidavit states. He allegedly confessed to the friend that he shot Morales-Nakaza multiple times, wrapped her in a blue tarp and dumped her body in the Red Sands area, the affidavit states. Police then searched the Red Sands area and found Morales-Nakaza's body in the desert near the 15600 block of Snoqualmie Drive. Police wrote in the affidavit that they did not name the friends in court documents because the friends "fear (Maya) and the proven violence he is willing to commit against another person." Maya was arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Service's Lone Star Fugitive Task Force at the Walmart parking lot at 4530 Trans Mountain Road. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail on suspicion of murder. His bond was set at $1 million. He had yet to post bail as of Friday, jail logs show. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Affidavit: Man bragged about killing El Paso woman over missing wallet Wet Nostoc commune, aka star jelly. CINCINNATI Springtime weather brings beautiful flowers, trees and ... dark green, rubbery blobs? If you've spotted any alien-looking, gelatinous globs in your yard, chances are you've stumbled across Nostoc commune. Commonly mistaken for an algae, Nostoc commune is actually an ancient bacteria that can grow on soil, gravel and cement, Joe Boggs, an assistant professor with Ohio State University Extension, wrote in a recent university blog post. The photosynthesizing organism thrives in moisture, but can also survive extreme heat. Don't worry, these otherworldly blobs won't take over your yard. Here's what to know and how to fight back. Stop building 'mulch volcanoes': How to mulch properly to stop killing your trees and plants Dried Nostoc commune What is Nostoc commune, also known as star jelly? Nostoc commune, also referred to as star jelly, witch's butter and mare's eggs, is a species of cyanobacterium that grows in countries all over the world. It can appear yellowish- or bluish-green and gelatinous when moist, and black and crusty when dry. According to Boggs, the blobs were once thought to have formed from meteor dust, which is how it got the names star jelly, star shot and star slime. The substance is often found on stones or mud within freshwater systems, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine. In an amazing sign of durability, Nostoc commune can retain its viability for as long as 100 years after drying up, a 2013 study notes. Is Nostoc commune dangerous? Nostoc commune will not harm plants, animals or lawns. However, large masses of the bacteria can be slippery to walk on, posing an issue for nursery and greenhouse walkways, where it is commonly seen. Interactive map of spring hummingbird migration: Every state they'll arrive in plus feeding tips How to get rid of Nostoc commune The genus Nostoc is thought to have existed for billions of years, and the commune species can survive in extreme climates so, getting rid of the blobs is tricky. Story continues Boggs recommends maintaining drainage in wet areas, since the bacteria thrives in moisture. Eliminating phosphorus fertilizers could also help prevent Nostoc commune before it starts growing, Boggs said. Field trials conducted by Oregon State University also found Scythe pelargonic acid that is used as a herbicide was effective in killing the bacteria, Boggs said. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What is Nostoc commune? How to prevent, what to know about green blobs Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast To paraphrase the old showbiz maxim, global conflict is easy, alliances are hard. This week has reminded us of that as several deep and important global friendships of the U.S. have been sorely tested. More worrisome perhaps, is that they may be a sign of things to come for us in a world in which we are no longer the only global superpower and our principal rival, a global bloc led by China, is seeking to build up its own networks of influence. The ties of the United States to France date back to the American revolution. France is often cited as our oldest ally. But this past week, as French President Emmanuel Macron visited China and returned to wax eloquent about Europes need to chart its own course with Beijing. He worried aloud that Europe was at risk of being a vassal to the United States and that it should reduce its dependence on the U.S. dollar. He further added that Europe should chart a different course from the U.S. with Taiwan, saying, The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. rhythm and a Chinese overreaction. What the U.S. National Security Community Is Getting Wrong About China The remarks triggered a firestorm of public criticism of Macron and deep private unhappiness within the Biden Administration. One senior official told me he was deeply disappointed in Macrons comments. Another said to me the remarks were very unhelpful, and that they must have delighted Xi Jingping. It is fair to say that across the administration officials were very unhappy with Macrons performance. The U.S. grumbling, however, was clearly music to Beijings ears. Macron, for example, was treated royally by the Chinese while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also visited Beijing at the same time and who articulated a line more in keeping with US and mainstream European views, got a much chillier reception. And while this could be seen as more fecklessness from the French leader (who in the past has been seduced into seeing himself as the one statesman who could reason with Vladimir Putin) it is also an illustration of the world Beijing hopes its ascendancy will help shape. Story continues This is a world in which the U.S. and China are engaged in a constant competition for influence, in which the American or Western way is no longer seen as the dominant voice in global affairs as it has been since World War II and especially since the fall of the Soviet Union. As was well-articulated in a thoughtful Twitter thread (oxymoron alert) from Gabrielius Landsbergis, the foreign minister of Lithuania, Xi is trying to create an alternative to Pax Americana, realigning as many countries as possible under a new order, Pax Sinica. China is not trying to help Russia, or anybody else. China only helps China. Xi is trying to create an alternative to Pax Americana, realigning as many countries as possible under a new order: Pax Sinica. This what this means: Gabrielius Landsbergis (@GLandsbergis) April 4, 2023 It might fairly be argued that it is perfectly reasonable to expect a country like China with its history, size, economic clout and power to seek greater influence and indeed, to be a dominant force in shaping the global order. That said, it is also clearly the case that the Chinese view of what that order should be will be at odds with the prevailing U.S and Western view in many respects and in those areas it will clearly be in the interest of the U.S. and our allies to seek to counter Chinese efforts. Where agreement is possible, greater stability will follow. Where differences are deep, it will be threatened. This competition is likely to define global affairs in the decades ahead and to test Americas alliances and the strength of many global institutions. What is striking however, is how quickly China has begun the process of actively seeking a global leadership role and how open countries that have long had close ties to the U.S. have been to the idea of encouraging and taking advantage of a little superpower competition. The U.S. is used to laying down the law internationally, setting standards, making its support conditional on its priorities, and that is the kind of pressure under which other nations often bristle. Now, it is clear, nations are gradually feeling less constrained by the rules the U.S. sets. That was made clear as the trove of classified documents that made its way onto the Internet this week included the revelation that one of the biggest recipients of U.S. aid, Egypt, had actually been considering supplying significant quantities of weapons to Chinas junior partner Russia to aid in their war against Ukraine. While the plan did not come to fruition, it should lead the U.S. to reconsider future aid to Egypt although we can be quite sure that if it does, other states sympathetic to Team China-Russia will step in to close the gap. And that is the new calculus in geopolitics in a nutshell. Recently, of course, we have seen Israel, the biggest recipient of U.S. aid, also straddle the fence on Ukraine as have other states in the Gulf that in the past have painted themselves as close friends of the U.S. Throughout the Middle East, a region in which most major countries now count China as their number one or number two trading partner, the smart strategy appears to be to gain latitude and leverage by not choosing sides in the global competition between the U.S. and China. (The complications associated with this new era are underscored by another hiccup that occurred as a consequence of the classified documents leak, the revelation that the U.S. has been spying on some of our close allies, such as South Korea. This will not send South Korea running into Chinese arms anytime soon. But it does suggest that the sense of entitlement and impunity we felt while we were the only superpower in town may have to be dialed back and more thought given to how we maintain alliances.) In fact, while the U.S. has devoted considerable attention to the rise of China and the future of the rivalry, even more attention will be required as China ramps up its efforts to woo the non-aligned and to create splits a la Macron within core U.S. alliances. This new era will not be won by containment or military preparedness alone. We will have to communicate, amplify, and seek to enhance the benefits of being aligned with us and with our views and values. We can assume nothing except that China will seek to offer itself as an alternative to those who are wary of dependency on the U.S. or who are tired of lectures from the U.S. While I strongly believe we should not view ourselves as entering a new Cold War with Chinawe have too many shared interests and interdependencies for thatI do think we will have to harken back to the days of the Cold War when public diplomacy and active, intentional, detail-oriented, country-by-country, region-by-region work at alliance building and maintaining worldwide is further prioritized. That will have to be a hallmark of U.S. foreign policy in this new era if we are to succeed and rebuff threats to the international system that will weaken it or put our security or interests at risk. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Police arrested an 18-year-old student at Ames High School Friday after he allegedly brought a loaded gun to school. The Ames Police Department responded to reports of a loaded gun at the high school at 2:47 p.m., according to a press release. Administrators found the gun in the student's backpack, according to the release. Police arrested and charged the 18-year-old student with two class D felonies, including carrying a weapon on school grounds and trafficking in stolen weapons. The incident is under investigation by the Ames Police Department. Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at@francescablock3. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ames High School student arrested for bringing loaded gun to school Out CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper is set to executive produce a scripted series for Amazon based on the book Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty he wrote with Katherine Howe. The series, which comes from Cooper and Patrick Macmanus, will be produced by UCP and Amazon Studios. Vanderbilt examines 400 years of the familys rise and fall as one of the most powerful and influential dynasties in the U.S. From the familys humble beginnings in New Amsterdam, patriarch Cornelius Commodore Vanderbilt weaponized cunning, cutthroat business tactics to amass unimaginable wealth leading to power struggles between heirs over control, salacious scandals and financial ruin. That is, until Gloria, the last of the Vanderbilts, rises above her familys complicated history, and personal tragedy to pave her own path as an artist and fashion designer, reads the series logline, according to Variety. Macmanus is also behind Dr. Death and The Girl From Plainville. Kelly Funke will also executive produce the show. Vanderbilt isn't the only new series Cooper is working on. He'll be hosting a new Sunday-evening series for CNN The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper starting April 16. The anchor has long played a key role in CNNs weekday programming. He has hosted the weeknight news show Anderson Cooper 360 since 2003. Now, CNN is set to give Cooper a primetime slot on Sunday nights, too. The Whole Story presents one-hour deep dives into specific topics, interviews, profiles and investigations, according to Variety. The show will serve as a long-form, 60 Minutes-esque counterpart to the segmented Anderson Cooper 360. There have been a number of episodes planned thus far. One will feature an exploration of San Francisco and its social problems by Sara Sidner. Another will center on Pamala Brown's investigation into allegations that Johnson & Johnson's discontinued talc baby powder causes cancer. In another, David Culver will provide an in-depth analysis of the medicinal and financial aspects of Magic Mushrooms, a psychedelic plant. And Nick Paton Walsh will cover his firsthand experience with a group of Central American migrants as they journey to the United States in search of asylum. Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released a statement Friday amid the recent backlash over Bud Light's partnership with Dylan Mulvaney. Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released a statement Friday amid recent backlash over Bud Light's partnership with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney. Whitworth said the company never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. "As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage," Whitworth wrote. "I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands and our partners." The statement didn't mention Mulvaney nor did it include a specific example of the company causing division. Related: Dylan Mulvaney goes on Rosie O'Donnell podcast after Bud Light deal, talks UC, criticism Reactions: Howard Stern shows support for Dylan Mulvaney, calls out Kid Rock and Travis Tritt Dylan Mulvaney, a University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music alumna, partnered with Bud Light for a promotional contest it ran last month. Anheuser-Busch owns numerous national and craft beer brands, including Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Stella Artois, Budweiser and Busch Light. "I am responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew," Whitworth added. "Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation." Mulvaney, a University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music alumna, partnered with Bud Light for a promotional contest it ran last month. The transgender actor recently celebrated the 365th day of her "Days of Girlhood" series and said Bud Light sent her a personalized beer can to mark the milestone. The musical theater grad, who addressed general criticism while appearing on Tuesday's episode of Rosie O'Donnell's "Onward" podcast, also partnered with Nike last week for sponsored social media posts. Her partnerships have received positive and negative responses from various celebrities, including Kid Rock, Travis Tritt, Caitlyn Jenner, Paris Hilton and more. Mulvaney did not specifically address the Bud Light backlash while on O'Donnell's podcast. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Anheuser-Busch CEO releases statement amid Dylan Mulvaney backlash Its really not surprising anymore when one of our elected politicians (on either side of the aisle) says something ridiculous or just plain dumb. In fact, the more outrageous the comment, the more attention these people get. Such is the world we live in. Yet, I pay attention when members of Congress start saying things like what New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did on a Sunday news program. The congresswoman was upset about a federal judges Friday decision that halted approval of abortion drug mifepristone. Her take? The White House should simply ignore the ruling. The executive branch has an enforcement discretion, Ocasio-Cortez said on CNNs State of the Union, also calling the ruling a mockery of our democracy and a mockery of our law, as well as an extreme abuse of power and an extraordinary example of judicial overreach. Whos more of a threat to democracy? Perhaps AOC should take a refresher course on the U.S. Constitution, which clearly lays out the roles of the three branches of government. Theres a reason we have a separation of powers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks to abortion-rights activists on June 24, 2022, after the announcement of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court. The Justice Department has already appealed the Texas judges ruling, and given conflicting rulings on this issue, its almost certainly headed to the Supreme Court. This is how the process should play out. The congresswoman should stay in her lane. Sadly, shes not alone in making such inflammatory comments. Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden also joined in, saying that President Joe Biden "can and must ignore this ruling." The Biden administration seems open to the idea. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said over the weekend on CNN that everything is on the table. It shouldnt be. No bureaucrat or elected official is above the law. Youd think given the self-righteous uproar Democrats have made over former President Donald Trumps antics, theyd make sure they were above reproach in upholding the Constitution and our nations laws. Democrats aren't above the law Apparently, it comes down to what laws and legal decisions Democrats like. Story continues For instance, ahead of the Supreme Courts decisions to overturn Roe v. Wade in June, Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel made it clear she had no intention to uphold the decades-old state abortion ban if that were to happen. Attorneys general are elected to uphold all state laws not just the ones they agree with. Similarly, Biden doesnt have the authority to choose which federal judicial decisions to ignore or follow. He has already pushed the limits of his presidential power through executive actions. Two of these orders havent withstood Supreme Court review. And its likely that his administrations $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan will soon face a similar demise. USA TODAY columnist Ingrid Jacques Biden doesnt need any additional encouragement to usurp our system of checks and balances. Ocasio-Cortez should know better, given her position and her platform. If she doesnt, that's a true mockery of our democracy. Contact Ingrid Jacques, a columnist at USA TODAY, at ijacques@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AOC mocks the Constitution after Texas judge's abortion pill ruling By Lewis Jackson and Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) - The second person ever charged with violating Australia's foreign interference laws appeared in a local court on Saturday following his arrest a day earlier. Alexander Csergo, 55, appeared via video link before a local court in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta and lawyers asked to adjourn the matter until Monday, which was granted by the judge, according to Reuters witnesses. Court documents reviewed by Reuters on Saturday listed a charge of reckless foreign interference against Csergo, with the offence occurring between February 2021 and April 2023 in the Australian state of New South Wales and Shanghai. That makes him the second person charged under the law, which criminalises activity that helps a foreign power interfere with Australia's sovereignty or national interest, since it was passed in 2018. Csergo is alleged to have intentionally engaged in conduct on behalf of or in collaboration with persons acting on behalf of a principal, and was "reckless as to whether the conduct would support intelligence activities of a foreign principal, and a part of the conduct was covert or involved deception", the court document said. Csergo had recently returned from China and was arrested on Friday at a residence in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi, according to neighbours. Without naming Csergo, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said on Friday a man was arrested as part of a joint investigation with the intelligence services, and the offence related to Australian defence and national security information. A LinkedIn profile for an Alexander Csergo who lived in Shanghai shows he was a digital and data marketing consultant with experience in the advertising industry in China, Singapore and Australia. He had worked in China since 2011, it showed. In the statement on Friday, police allege the arrested man was contacted while overseas by an individual claiming to be from a think-tank. He then met two individuals, known to him as "Ken" and "Evelyn", who offered him money to obtain information about Australian defence, economic and national security arrangements, plus matters relating to other countries, it said. Story continues The court document also named "Ken" and "Evelyn" as engaging with Csergo. Police allege he compiled a number of reports for the individuals and received payment for those reports. The AFP will allege "Ken" and "Evelyn" work for a foreign intelligence service and are undertaking intelligence collection activities, the statement said. (Reporting by Lewis Jackson and Kirsty Needham; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) Mr Csergo appeared at the Parramatta Children's Court in New South Wales by video link An Australian man who recently returned to the country after living overseas has been charged with supplying sensitive information to foreign intelligence agents. Fifty-five-year-old IT specialist Alexander Csergo was arrested by Australian federal police shortly after he landed back in Sydney. The authorities say that two years ago he was approached by two foreign spies. They allegedly offered to pay him for national security information. In a statement, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said an individual claiming to be from a think tank contacted Mr Csergo via social media while he was overseas and arranged for him to meet two representatives. Court documents show that Mr Csergo is believed to have met the pair, who went by the names "Ken" and "Evelyn", in the Chinese city of Shanghai, though police have not specified which country is accused of trying to gather illicit information. Mr Csergo was offered money to obtain information about Australian defence, economic and national security arrangements, plus matters relating to other countries, the AFP's statement said, adding: "Espionage and foreign interference pose a serious threat to Australia's sovereignty, security and integrity of our national institutions." Mr Csergo is only the second Australian to be charged under anti-spying laws that were put in place five years ago. The Australian authorities are appealing for anyone else who met with Ken and Evelyn to also come forward. Mr Csergo appeared at Parramatta Children's Court in New South Wales by video link. The matter has been adjourned until Monday 17 April. The maximum penalty is for the count of reckless foreign interference, for which Mr Csergo is facing is 15 years' imprisonment. Joe Biden received a rapturous ovation from the crowd that watched his speech in Ballina Crowds gathered in the small Irish town of Ballina in County Mayo on Friday night, hoping to catch a glimpse of US President Joe Biden. Young and old stood along the River Moy near Killala Bay as the excitement started to build for the arrival of the guest of honour. Mr Biden was visiting the county at the end of his four-day trip to the island of Ireland. People from all over Ireland waited in the sun and sometimes the rain for the 46th US president. Children were on the shoulders of their parents, waving US and Irish flags. President Biden finished his Irish tour at St Muredach's Cathedral in Ballina where a star-studded line-up of Irish musicians, including The Academic, The Chieftains and The Coronas, entertained the president and the crowd. Michael Margiotta with Roisin, Hugh and Ena Kennedy ticked another presidential visit off their list You could say that the Kennedy family, who travelled to Ballina from Galway, are seasoned spotters of US presidents. They had seen Barack Obama during his visit to Ireland in 2011 and Hugh had seen John F Kennedy when he was in Galway in 1963. Hugh said he could feel the "same buzz today" that he felt more than 50 years ago. Emer and Dan had a holiday to remember in Ballina It was a happy coincidence that Dan and Emer found themselves on holiday in County Mayo at the same time as the presidential visit. Emer felt it was great opportunity to see Mr Biden. "You don't get a chance to see the president every day and I thought it would be a shame not to pop round," she said. Sam McCluskey travelled from Ireland's east coast to it west to see the US president Sam McCluskey made the trip from Dublin and said it was the opportunity of a lifetime. He said: "My grandparents would always have spoken of Kennedy coming in the 1960s and I just thought: 'I can't miss this with me being a similar age too.'" Vernon and Kevin McDonagh enjoyed "novelty" of the day in Ballina Vernon and Kevin McDonagh from Wexford said they had been "lucky with presidents visiting in recent times". Kevin added that with "changing demographics over there we may not have as many presidents with Irish ancestry". The Gillespie family in Ballina came together for Joe Biden's visit to Ballina Michael, Therese, Claire and Michael Jr Gillespie only had to travel one mile up the road to see Mr Biden. Story continues Michael said that it was an amazing time for Ballina and was County Mayo's "day in the sun". Claire studies at Ulster University in Coleraine in Northern Ireland and Michael Jr in Dublin. But both went home to celebrate the presidential visit as a family. Bartlesville Education Promise co-founders Martin Garber, left, and Ginger Griffin Bartlesville Education Promise has announced that it has raised more than a million dollars, primarily from local donors, to help Bartlesville public school students become more successful. Much of BEPs financial support is directed toward improving reading skills in elementary schools and toward preparing middle and high school students for graduation and productive careers. Since its formation in 2015, the overarching mission of BEP has been to help improve the graduation rate among Bartlesville students through after-school tutoring and summer learning programs. According to Martin Garber, BEP chairman and co-founder, BEP-supported programs benefitted more than 5,000 students during the last school year, while providing part-time employment to 117 teachers working after school hours and during the summer. Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused educational setbacks throughout the country among all students, recent test scores from all nine Bartlesville public schools have shown improvement, Garber said. Its obvious that a recovery is well underway, and that our schools are continuing make strides in helping students succeed, said. At a meeting earlier this week, the 13-member BEP board authorized the expenditure of $88,500 to support summer learning programs including transition camps for entering middle school and high school students next fall, STEAM Camp for 4th and 5th graders, STEAM Camp at Tri County Tech, PSAT preparation camp, summer elementary tutoring, and scholarships for art camp. During the board meeting, BEP directors also honored Dianne Martinez, retiring executive director of special projects for the Bartlesville Public School District, who has been a long-serving liaison to the BEP organization. After the meeting, she praised BEP for providing the funding to help our students get the support needed to graduate and be successful. BPSD is blessed to have this awesome community partner. BEP has raised funds primarily from hundreds of local citizens joining with corporations and foundations including the Schmoldt Foundation, the Parsons Foundation, the Lowe Foundation, the United Way Foundation as well as Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips. Story continues As the organization has grown in success in recent years, it has also received grants from statewide nonprofits and foundations including the Cresap Foundation and Sparklight Foundation. BEP has been recognized as Oklahomas Outstanding Local Education Foundation by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and as the Category Winner for Education in 2021 by the Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits. Garber noted that BEP has no paid staff, so its administrative costs are quite low compared to most nonprofits amounting to about 7% of the total funds raised, which is less than half of the administrative costs for an average foundation. More information about Bartlesville Education Promise and how it helps support Bartlesvilles public school students is available at www.Bartlesvilleeducationpromise.com. This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville Education Promise reaches $1 million milestone There's a great week of telly ahead. (Sky/Channel 4/ITV/BBC/Prime Video) On UK TV this coming week the achievements of cancer campaigner Deborah James are marked in a powerful new documentary, while Saturday nights get an injection of razzmatazz thanks to the return of Britains Got Talent. Plus ITV1 brings a certain amount of controversy to the schedules with its three-part dramatisation of the crimes of Raoul Moat. Saturday, 15 April/Sunday, 16 April 8.00pm/7.45pm: Britains Got Talent | ITV1 Ant & Dec and Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell, Bruno Tonioli (Thames) Usually, all the pre-broadcast BGT talk would be of the more eccentric hopefuls. But this year, all eyes are on the judging panel, thanks to the departure of David Walliams (who recently apologised for disrespectful comments made about participants in 2020) and the arrival of Bruno Tonioli. Read more: What happened to the winners of BGT? Already, weve had press reports of a prank by Simon Cowell having backfired when the Syco boss pretended to be hurt by a crossbow arrow fired by the former Strictly judge. But we can now assess for ourselves the impact made by Bruno thanks to a double bill of episodes on Saturday and Sunday. Thats the weekend sorted, then Saturday, 15 April, 9.25pm: Lyra | C4 Lyra McKee (JESS LOWE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) When investigative journalist Lyra McKee was shot dead by Irish Dissident Republicans at the age of 29, tributes were paid across the world, with US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi even seen holding a press conference and a minutes silence in her memory. Read more: Lyra McKee killed in suspected 'New IRA' terrorist shooting Now, the journalists close friend, documentary-maker Alison Millar has used salvaged voice recordings and dictaphone recordings to help tell McKees story in her own words, while family members talk of their grief and the quest for justice that followed her death. Hilary Rodham Clinton, who serves as executive producer on the project said: With the Good Friday Agreement under threat, the film could not be more timely and is an important watch for anyone concerned about peace in Northern Ireland. Story continues Sunday, 16 April Tuesday, 18 April, 9.00pm: The Hunt for Raoul Moat | ITV1 LEE INGLEBY as Neil Adams, VINEETA RISHI as Nisha Roberts and SONYA CASSIDY as Diane Barnwell (ITV Plc) In lesser hands, this could have been a schlocky, exploitative affair, but screenwriter Kevin Sampson has done an excellent job in shedding light on the human tragedies that lay behind Britains biggest real-life manhunt. Read more: The Hunt for Raoul Moat: Paul Gazza Gascoignes bizarre involvement in the case Lee Ingleby is at the centre of events over the three parts (which are airing over three nights) in his role as Neil Adamson, the senior Northumbria police officer leading the race against time to apprehend Raoul Moat (Matt Stokoe), the man recently released from prison who has now embarked on an horrendous killing spree armed with a shotgun Sunday, 16 April, 9.00pm: Scared of the Dark | Channel 4 Pictured (L-R): Donna Preston, Nicola Adams, Chloe Burrows, Chris Eubank, Danny Dyer, Paul Gascoinge, Chria MacCausland, Max George, Scareltt Moffatt Scared of the Dark (Channel 4) We've heard of celebrities giving up the limelight but not light altogether. Yet this is the challenge facing the stars entering a pitch-black bunker in Scared of the Dark to see how they fare over eight days in complete darkness. Even before an episode had aired, this experimental game show was attracting attention, thanks to the actions of one its participants: Chris Eubank. How long the ex-boxer lasts remains to be seen, but he'll be sharing his living space with the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Nicola Adams and Scarlett Moffatt, and competing to win items that'll make their lives easier. Danny Dyer hosts. Monday, 17 April, 9.00pm: Deborah James: Bowelbabe In Her Own Words | BBC2 Deborah James (@Bowelbabe) Filmed during the final months of her life, Dame Deborah James talks candidly about the realities of living with bowel cancer, her tireless campaigning and the effect her illness has had on those closest to her. As such, its an affecting watch, especially in light of the fact that we already know its ending, with James having died at her parents house in Woking in June 2022. Read more: The stars we lost in 2022 But what havent yet been viewed by the public are the never-before-seen mobile phone clips, footage from which are offered up here, alongside Jamess collection of TikToks and Instagram videos. Wednesday, 19 April, 9.00pm: Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir | Sky Arts Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir (Sky) Ornithology and comedy an unlikely combination? It may feel like an odd mix, but then comic Jim Moir has never been one to conform to expectations. Read more: Jim Moir has given up his Vic Reeves alter ego And his latest series proves to be both charming and entertaining, with Jim seen in the company of his wife Nancy venturing out into the countryside with the aim of creating an original piece of bird art while in the company of twitchers, conservation experts and artists. A feature-length documentary, A Brush with Art, which also features Jim, follows on and delves into the connection between comedy and art. Friday, 21 April: Dead Ringers episodes 1-6 | Amazon Prime Video Rachel Weisz stars in Dead Ringers. (Prime Video) David Cronenbergs 1988 thriller is reworked and gender-flipped for a new generation with Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead role of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twin gynaecologists wholl be seen performing ethically questionable procedures on infertile women. All six episodes of the psychosexual thriller will drop at the same time, a move that will no doubt result in viewers getting caught up in the siblings mission to push the boundaries of medical ethics no matter what it takes. Expect dark humour and subversive body horror. Watch: Rachel Weisz on playing twins in Dead Ringers The Biden administration on Thursday greenlit natural gas exports from a facility in Alaska, drawing ire from progressives who were already frustrated over the administrations prior approval of a major oil drilling project in the state. The Energy Department reaffirmed a Trump-era decision to allow a company called Alaska LNG to export liquified natural gas (LNG) produced in the state to countries with which the U.S. doesnt have a free trade agreement. The department had previously agreed to a request from the Sierra Club to conduct further study of the projects environmental impacts, saying that it would either reaffirm, alter or set-aside the Trump-era order. It ultimately found, however, that the environmental impacts it identified are not sufficient to change the past determination approving the exports. But it does add an environmental stipulation: Alaska LNG will have to certify every month that it did not use a practice called venting in which excess gas is released into the air and contributes to climate change. In a statement, the department characterized its move as amending a 2020 decision to impose new environmental requirements. The Energy Department also noted that the project may or may not ever ultimately be built, saying that the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) is developing an Alaska LNG project and has not yet reached a final investment decision on whether to construct the project at all. But the reaffirmation still rankled both environmental advocates and congressional progressives. Allowing LNG exports is yet another way @POTUS is putting our kids futures in jeopardy, tweeted Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) The recent choices of this administration have been reckless, irresponsible, and uninformed. Our kids deserve a livable future and you are throwing it away. It comes after the Biden administration last month approved the Willow Project which will allow ConocoPhillips to drill for 576 million barrels of oil in Alaska over a 30-year period. Story continues This is not the climate presidency that Joe Biden promised, said Lukas Ross, program manager at Friends of the Earth. Does the administration intend to rubber stamp a carbon bomb every month? Last year, the Biden administration also expanded LNG exports to Europe as part of an effort to counter Russia, the worlds second largest producer of natural gas. In a statement, Alaska Gasline Development Corporation President Frank Richards said that the project will provide Alaskans and U.S. allies with a significant source of low-emissions, responsibly produced energy. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Joe Biden on Friday said that he will soon announce his 2024 plans, while reiterating that he intends to seek re-election. "Well announce it relatively soon," Biden told reporters at Knock Airport in Ireland, without providing further details on timing. Asked by reporters if he had made a decision about running for a second-term, Biden said: "I told you my plan is to run again." Biden, 80, has consistently said he plans to seek another term. He told TODAY show co-host Al Roker this week that he planned to run, "but were not prepared to announce it yet." NBC News reported earlier this week that White House advisers are preparing to make final decisions on launching his re-election campaign. Joe Biden on the South Lawn of the White House (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images) Asked if the trip to Ireland, where Biden has spent the past week, affected his decision on 2024, the president said, No, Ive already made that calculus. But the trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done. While Biden does not have a major primary challenger, the GOP field of candidates is taking shape. Former President Donald Trump announced in November that he would seek the party's nomination. He was followed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in February and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson in earlier April. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina are all signaling they will enter the GOP primary as well. On Friday, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was considered a potential 2024 candidate, announced he will not be seeking the GOP nomination next year. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Ireland cheered Biden as he made his entrance to a song by the Dropkick Murphys on Friday. The president came out to the song "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" in Ballina, Ireland. The band's frontman once called Trump the "greatest swindler" in history. There was some meaning packed into the song President Joe Biden chose when he strolled onto a stage in Ballina, Ireland to raucous cheers on Friday. The hard-driving punk song, "I'm Shipping to Boston," by the band Dropkick Murphys is an Irish-American anthem beloved in both countries. Ballina is a town in Mayo County, which is where Biden's family originates. But there may have also been a subtle jab at former President Donald Trump, Biden's potential opponent in the next presidential election. Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey is famous for his opinions of the former president. During a show in September last year in Allentown, Penn., Casey unleashed on Trump, calling him the "biggest swindler" in history. "You're being duped by the greatest swindler in the history of the world. You're being duped by a bunch of grifters and billionaires who don't give a shit about you or your family," Casey told the crowd. In Ireland, after Biden reached the podium and the song faded out, he began his speech by telling the audience, "Mary, I see the light." The remark referenced an Irish tradition of putting a light in the window so strangers can have a guide while traveling at night, Boston.com reported. His speech in Ballina marked the end of a four-day tour of Ireland, which included visits to sights meaningful to his family's heritage. Read the original article on Business Insider BALLINA, Ireland What already promised to be a day of high energy but also great emotion for President Joe Biden had even more in store than even his closest aides could have expected. During one of his first stops in County Mayo on Friday, at Knock Shrine, the president was stunned to encounter the Catholic priest who had given the last rites to his late son, Beau, a White House official told NBC News. The Rev. Frank OGrady, who now serves at Knock Shrine, had been an Army chaplain based at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2015 when Beau Biden died from brain cancer. The priest's presence at the shrine Friday was not something aides had anticipated, and he was not on the original guest list. The president became emotional at the chance encounter, the official said. At an event later on Friday, Biden said the unexpected meeting with OGrady was incredible. It seemed like a sign, he said. Image: President Joe Biden visits Knock Shrine and Basilica with Fr. Richard Gibbons on April 14, 2023 in Dublin. (Julien Behal / Irish Government via Getty Images) Bidens team was already preparing for a sentimental moment since Biden was scheduled to visit a local hospice that included a plaque dedicated to Beau Biden. The presidents late son was also on his mind Thursday as he addressed Irelands parliament. I hadnt planned on running for president again in 2020, Biden said, referring to Beaus death. As a matter of fact, he should be the one standing here giving this speech to you. Biden has detailed how, in his son's final days, Beau urged him to not let his grief overwhelm him, and asked his dad to promise he would remain engaged in public life. In October 2015, five months after Beau died, Biden announced he would not run in the 2016 presidential race, citing the emotional toll on his family. In 2016, Biden and his family traveled to Ireland as he prepared for a life beyond politics, a trip that came just as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had secured the Democratic nomination. He returned to Ireland a year later as a private citizen for the groundbreaking of the hospice center, which opened in 2021. Story continues The powerful emotional moments on Friday stood in contrast to the party atmosphere the president later encountered in Ballina, the hometown of his great-great-great grandfather. Thousands were in attendance for an event that included musical performances by the Chieftains and two other Irish rock bands. When Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election, one of the biggest celebrations in Ireland was in Ballina. The County Mayo town of more than 10,000 includes descendants of Edward Blewitt, a brick seller who sold 27,000 bricks used to build the Catholic cathedral where Biden spoke on Friday. Image: Ernie Caffrey and his daughter Miriam Caffrey present President Joe Biden with a brick from the fireplace of the Blewitt family homestead as he visits the North Mayo Heritage Center in County Mayo, Ireland, on April 14, 2023. (Patrick Semansky / AP) Ballinas mayor has joked that the event might be one where Biden announces his reelection plans. Indeed, at times over the last three days, the support and encouragement the president has received from adoring crowds across his ancestral home counties and even from Irish lawmakers in Dublin Thursday energized a president abroad despite his shaky political standing at home. Biden is having the time of his life, Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Thursday. But the moments of high emotion also inform why one longtime Biden adviser said he still is reserving the right not to run. He has often noted that while he intends to run, hes also a respecter of fate. Im at the end of my career, not the beginning, Biden said toward the end of his remarks before Irelands parliament Thursday, noting that you can see how old I am. I come to the job with more experience than any president in American history. It doesnt make me better or worse, but it gives me few excuses," he said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A court sketch of Jack Teixeira's appearance in federal court on Friday The latest leak rocking the US intelligence world is not the first time classified documents have made their way into the public eye. On Friday, the US government charged Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old employee with the Massachusetts Air National Guard's intelligence wing, for allegedly leaking highly sensitive documents on to the internet. Major news organisations Bellingcat, the New York Times and the Washington Post have reported Mr Teixeira posted the highly sensitive documents to a private group on the social media platform Discord. The documents eventually leaked on to the wider internet. They provide details into recent conditions in Ukraine, as well as intelligence on US allies like South Korea and Israel. The leaks come at a sensitive moment in Ukraine's war against Russia, as the conflict enters its second year. This leak is the latest in a long line of unexpected disclosures of classified US documents. Some of them changed the course of US history and were hailed as heroic - while others landed their leakers in prison for years. The Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg in the 1970s The release of the Pentagon Papers is perhaps the most famous and impactful leak of classified documents in US history. In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, leaked a report commissioned by the US military about the Vietnam War. The conflict was widely criticised at home and abroad, and the report revealed the extent to which the US government had kept details from the public. The New York Times used the documents to publish a blockbuster expose on the scope of America's actions in Vietnam. Mr Ellsberg was initially charged with espionage, but a judge dismissed the charges 1973. Now 92, he is now considered one of the most important government whistleblowers in US history, and a well-known advocate for government transparency. The NSA leaks Edward Snowden in 2019 In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked a tranche of intelligence documents to the Guardian and the Washington Post, showing that the US government was illegally collecting citizens' phone data. Story continues The documents revealed the inner workings of the secretive National Security Agency, one of the primary US intelligence agencies. They also shed significant light on the secretive data collection actions taken by governments around the world, including US allies like the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The trove of documents provided to the newspapers are some of the largest leaks in US history. The US government charged Mr Snowden with espionage and theft of government property, and Mr Snowden eventually gained asylum in Russia, where he now lives in exile. He has become an advocate for protecting journalists against surveillance. Chelsea Manning and Wikileaks Chelsea Manning In 2010, Chelsea Manning, then a soldier and analyst in the US Army, began sharing thousands of classified documents with Wikileaks. The organisation, then led by Julian Assange, was dedicated to publishing secret documents provided to the media. The trove of documents provided by Manning contained details about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a tranche of diplomatic cables. Wikileaks then made many of them public and the documents were covered by major media organisations. One of the most notable disclosures was a graphic video of a US Apache helicopter killing 12 civilians, including two Reuters journalists, in Baghdad in 2007. Manning was ultimately sentenced to 35 years in prison. Her sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama 2017, after she had served for seven years. Manning unsuccessfully ran for the US Senate in 2018. The Reality Winner case Reality Winner, right, seen on a Zoom call. In 2017, a former Air Force member and NSA translator, Reality Winner, was arrested and charged for providing a classified report to news website The Intercept. The document detailed one of Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election by employing a phishing scheme against local election officials. Winner posted the document anonymously, but federal investigators were able to deduce its origins when The Intercept provided it to the NSA for verification. After her arrest, Winner told the US television programme 60 minutes that she felt compelled to tell Americans the truth about Russia's attempts to meddle in the 2016 election, given then-President Donald Trump's repeated denials. She had believed that "somebody needs to step forward and put this right," she told 60 Minutes. Winner was found guilty of leaking the documents to a media organisation. She spent four years in prison and was released on probation in 2021. Searching for a signal: Ali Wong and Steven Yeun in Beef' (Netflix) At a glance, Beef may look like a tale you already know well. The 10-part Netflix series follows a road rage spat between two dissatisfied millennials (Steven Yeun and Ali Wong) that snowballs into a bitter, dangerous feud. This notion of a perennially escalating conflict between strangers has been brought to the screen many times before, in everything from Steven Spielbergs Duel to old Laurel and Hardy shorts like Big Business or Tit for Tat. Blood will have blood, said Macbeth, and its true. Or at the very least, property destruction will have property destruction. But outside this age-old conceit, Beef is a distinctly modern parable, one that could only exist in the age of social media. In fact, its whole story of misplaced rage, futile grudges and petty one-upmanship is pretty much the perfect metaphor for online behaviour. Its very title tugs at this fact: these days, we seldom hear the word beef (outside the usual culinary context) without it being prefixed by the word Twitter. The penchant for caustic tete-a-tetes on the timeline is something that has consumed many celebrities, from Kim Kardashian to Piers Morgan. Donald Trump, prior to his (recently overturned) expulsion from the platform, was the de facto master of the Twitter feud, capable of zeroing in on his critics weaknesses and insecurities with genuine albeit crass and often ungrammatical aplomb. Twitters current CEO, Elon Musk, is also no stranger to a social media fracas: hes even found himself sparring humiliatingly with his own employees. But Twitter beefs are by no means the refuge of the elite. From pauper to king, were all just one @ away from our next mortal enemy. What makes Beef such an apt analogy for this? It is, first and foremost, a show about two unhappy people. While the show does probe the class differences between the well-to-do Amy (Wong) and the financially struggling Danny (Yeun), the conflict is never ideological at its core. Rather, this is the story of a damaged duo who used the feud as a way of sublimating deeper psychological issues. It doesnt take Sigmund Freud to diagnose a similar pattern in many of the vitriolic exchanges you see online. There is something, too, distinctly online about the way Danny and Amys feud metastasises by increment, yes, but still rapidly. One minute youre yelling at an errant motorist, the next youre dousing a car in gasoline. Of course, it isnt all metaphor: social media plays a significant and overt role in the series itself. It is through the internet that Danny is able to locate Amy after their first clash. (Upon finding her, he insinuates his way into her house under false pretenses, before urinating over her bathroom floor.) The web quickly becomes a tool for sabotage, as Dannys business is spammed with negative Yelp reviews. Maybe not quite as elegant as Oliver Hardy pouring honey into the drawer of a rival shopkeepers cash register but just as damaging. Catfishing also becomes a key plot point in the series, as does a risky cryptocurrency investment. At every juncture, Danny and Amys feud is facilitated and exacerbated by the internet. And yet, Beef ultimately manages to find optimism in the fog of hatred. The series ends with an episode of psychedelic reckoning and conciliation between its two nemeses; snake and mongoose finally embrace. Significantly, catharsis is reached only after they have been cut off from the internet, when they are stranded in the digital wilderness following one last exhaustive tussle. Open, compassionate communication is indeed possible but only when phones are a distant memory. Perhaps theres a lesson there. So next time you find yourself riled up by some bone-headed tweet or vainglorious Facebook post, maybe just let it slide into the ether uncontested. The acid thrill of an easy win can be tempting but before you know it, youre left with a bathroom full of urine, or worse. Beef is streaming on Netflix Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast When a judge ordered the Llano County, Texas, library system to return 17 banned books to its shelves, county commissioners debated a radical workaround: closing the entire library system. The removal of 17 books was part of a nationwide campaign to purge libraries of specific booksmany related to race, gender, or LGBTQ issues. Some librarians and readers have resisted those efforts, refusing book bans or filing lawsuits for the return of their books. In response, conservative officials have pushed to defund libraries outright, potentially forcing their closure. Missouris GOP-controlled House of Representatives voted this month to eliminate all library funding from its budget. A Michigan library lost its funding last year after it refused to pull certain books with LGBTQ subject matter. And in Llano County, commissioners convened a Thursday-night meeting on whether to defund the library system rather than restock the 17 titles. The Llano libraries will remain open for now, after commissioners agreed not to vote on funding at the meeting. But the fight is far from over. It was shocking to me in what I consider its retaliatory nature. The whole thing, the whole incident, Texas librarian Carolyn Foote told The Daily Beast. Foote, a co-founder of the anti-book-ban group FReadom Fighters, was among more than 100 people to gather outside the Llano County meeting on Thursday. The Llano County dispute was years in the making. In December 2021, the countys commissioners dissolved the library board and installed a new advisory board, members of which soon shared a list of pornographic filth that should be censored. Among the books ultimately targeted were tomes on race like Isabel Wilkersons acclaimed nonfiction work Caste, books on LGBTQ life like Tillie Waldens memoir Spinning, and books about butts like I Broke My Butt! and Larry the Farting Snowman. Seven Llano library patrons sued for the books return to shelves. A federal judge ruled in their favor, calling the books removal an infringement of free speech and instructing the library to return the books. Instead, Llano County commissioners announced the Thursday meeting to vote on whether to close the systems three libraries. Story continues The 100-Year-Old Woman Fighting Book Bans To threaten to close an entire library system rather than develop policies so that you can decide which books you want in the library collection just seems like a vast overreach, Foote said. But recently Ive been hearing that more and more in the vernacular: people speaking about book-banning. I heard someone in the Texas legislature on a panel saying, We should just close the whole library. K.A. Holt, a childrens book author from Texas, also joined the crowd outside the Thursday meeting, where she said she saw a broad coalition of library supporters, some of whom rely on the building for other services like internet access. Particularly in a place like rural Texas, having books in the library that represent people who are different than you are, and parts of the world that are different from yours, that little library is like an embassy to the rest of the world, she said. When you close something like that down, or when you try to ban books that are different from your view of the world, what youre doing is siloing yourself off even more. Thats not what makes critical thinkers. Libraries in other states are facing similar challenges. Kasey Meehan, program director at PEN Americas Freedom to Read program, described the attacks on libraries as part of a red scare: a larger movement to chill speech and use threats of defunding, escalating all the way through actually defunding and closing libraries. The Patmos Library in Jamestown Township, Michigan has been fighting to keep its doors open after voters refused to renew its funding, following librarians refusal to remove the book Gender Queer. Multiple librarians quit the branch, citing harassment like being called pedophiles, groomers, or having patrons demand to know whether they were gay. Ron DeSantis Just Made Life Easier for Parents Who Hate His Book Bans The Patmos Library has since held two votes on whether to renew its funding, both of which have failed. (After the votes, the branch received large donations from a nearby Michigan family, and from author Nora Roberts.) Still, without a guaranteed budget, the librarys board is considering changing its policies on picking new books, MLive reported from a meeting last month. And while Llano County and Patmos libraries face funding threats locally, all of Missouris public library funding is under fire, after the states House removed all library funds from a proposed budget this month. Missouri House Budget Committee Chair Rep. Cody Smith justified the cuts by pointing to library groups opposition to a state law that banned sexually explicit material in school books from grades K-12. (Educators who violate the ban face up to one year in jail.) Although the chair of Missouris Senate Appropriations Committee has signaled his intent to restore library funding when the budget reaches the state senate, other state laws could further crack down on Missouri library budgets. A new rule, scheduled to go into effect without a hearing next month, would block funding for libraries that allow minors to access books that are labeled as obscene, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. In Llano County, the libraries will remain funded, for now. During their Thursday meeting, commissioners decided not to vote on closing the library. The county has not necessarily closed the book on debate, however. The library will remain open. We will try this in the courts, not through social media or the news media, Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham said on Thursday. Foote said she was heartened to see a large crowd turn out in support of the Llano librariesand that many readers dont know their own branches are under threat. The majority of people oppose book banning, she said. Its just that sometimes its the silent majority. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. There was a surge in book banning in 2021. valmas/ iStock / Getty Images Plus The United States has become a nation divided over important issues in K-12 education, including which books students should be able to read in public school. Efforts to ban books from school curricula, remove books from libraries and keep lists of books that some find inappropriate for students are increasing as Americans become more polarized in their views. These types of actions are being called book banning. They are also often labeled censorship. But the concept of censorship, as well as legal protections against it, are often highly misunderstood. Book banning by the political right and left On the right side of the political spectrum, where much of the book banning is happening, bans are taking the form of school boards removing books from class curricula. Politicians have also proposed legislation banning books that are what some legislators and parents consider too mature for school-age readers, such as All Boys Arent Blue, which explores queer themes and topics of consent. Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrisons classic The Bluest Eye, which includes themes of rape and incest, is also a frequent target. In some cases, politicians have proposed criminal prosecutions of librarians in public schools and libraries for keeping such books in circulation. Most books targeted for banning in 2021, says the American Library Association, were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ persons. State legislators have also targeted books that they believe make students feel guilt or anguish based on their race or imply that students of any race or gender are inherently bigoted. There are also some attempts on the political left to engage in book banning as well as removal from school curricula of books that marginalize minorities or use racially insensitive language, like the popular To Kill a Mockingbird. Defining censorship Whether any of these efforts are unconstitutional censorship is a complex question. The First Amendment protects individuals against the governments abridging the freedom of speech. However, government actions that some may deem censorship especially as related to schools are not always neatly classified as constitutional or unconstitutional, because censorship is a colloquial term, not a legal term. Story continues Some principles can illuminate whether and when book banning is unconstitutional. Censorship does not violate the Constitution unless the government does it. For example, if the government tries to forbid certain types of protests solely based on the viewpoint of the protesters, that is an unconstitutional restriction on speech. The government cannot create laws or allow lawsuits that keep you from having particular books on your bookshelf, unless the substance of those books fits into a narrowly defined unprotected category of speech such as obscenity or libel. And even these unprotected categories are defined in precise ways that are still very protective of speech. The government, however, may enact reasonable regulations that restrict the time, place or manner of your speech, but generally it has to do so in ways that are content- and viewpoint-neutral. The government thus cannot restrict an individuals ability to produce or listen to speech based on the topic of the speech or the ultimate opinions expressed. And if the government does try to restrict speech in these ways, it likely constitutes unconstitutional censorship. Whats not unconstitutional In contrast, when private individuals, companies and organizations create policies or engage in activities that suppress peoples ability to speak, these private actions dont violate the Constitution. A school board in Tennessee in February 2022 ordered the removal of the award-winning 1986 graphic novel on the Holocaust, Maus, by Art Spiegelman, from local student libraries. Maro Siranosian/AFP via Getty Images The Constitutions general theory of liberty considers freedom in the context of government restraint or prohibition. Only the government has a monopoly on the use of force that compels citizens to act in one way or another. In contrast, if private companies or organizations chill speech, other private companies can experiment with different policies that allow people more choices to speak or act freely. Still, private action can have a major impact on a persons ability to speak freely and the production and dissemination of ideas. For example, book burning or the actions of private universities in punishing faculty for sharing unpopular ideas thwarts free discussion and unfettered creation of ideas and knowledge. When schools can ban books Its hard to definitively say whether the current incidents of book banning in schools are constitutional or not. The reason: Decisions made in public schools are analyzed by the courts differently than censorship in nongovernment contexts. Control over public education, in the words of the Supreme Court, is for the most part given to state and local authorities. The government has the power to determine what is appropriate for students and thus the curriculum at their school. However, students retain some First Amendment rights: Public schools may not censor students speech, either on or off campus, unless it is causing a substantial disruption. But officials may exercise control over the curriculum of a school without trampling on students or K-12 educators free speech rights. There are exceptions to governments power over school curriculum: The Supreme Court ruled, for example, that a state law banning a teacher from covering the topic of evolution was unconstitutional because it violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the state from endorsing a particular religion. School boards and state legislators generally have the final say over what curriculum schools teach. Unless states policies violate some other provision of the Constitution perhaps the protection against certain kinds of discrimination they are generally constitutionally permissible. [Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.] Schools, with finite resources, also have discretion to determine which books to add to their libraries. However, several members of the Supreme Court have written that removal is constitutionally permitted only if it is done based on the educational appropriateness of the book, but not because it was intended to deny students access to books with which school officials disagree. Book banning is not a new problem in this country nor is vigorous public criticism of such moves. And even though the government has discretion to control whats taught in school, the First Amendment ensures the right of free speech to those who want to protest whats happening in schools. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. It was written by: Erica Goldberg, University of Dayton. Read more: Erica Goldberg 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. Brazil and the United Arab Emirates announced a series of deals on combating climate change and advancing biofuels Saturday as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid an official visit to the oil-rich country. "It was a highly fruitful visit," Lula said in brief comments to Brazil's TV Globo after meeting UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on his way home from a trip to China. The countries said in a joint statement the leaders had discussed a range of subjects including trade, technology, defense, aviation and food security. They also announced a series of deals, including one for the UAE-controlled Mataripe refinery in northeastern Brazil to invest up to $2.5 billion in a biodiesel project in the region, and another on cooperating against climate change. The UAE is due to host the COP28 UN climate talks later this year, and Brazil is a candidate to host the 2025 edition. The countries said they had agreed to work together to "encourage ambitious climate action" from the rest of the world. Sheikh Mohamed greeted Lula at the presidential palace, where a 21-gun salute rang out and formation jets trailed Brazil's national colours. Lula, who returned to power in January after two terms as president between 2003 and 2010, was played the Brazilian national anthem and inspected an honour guard. His counterpart also invited him to attend an "iftar" dinner -- the daily fast-breaking meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He is due to give a press conference early on Sunday before leaving, officials said. The strategically located Gulf monarchy is Brazil's second-largest trading partner in the Middle East, according to the official WAM news agency. Bilateral trade excluding oil products totalled more than $4 million last year, representing a 32-percent rise from 2021, WAM said. In Beijing, where Lula sought to consolidate economic ties with Brazil's main trading partner, he said his country was "back on the international stage" and ready to mediate an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. Story continues Lula also accused the United States of "encouraging" the war and said it should "start talking about peace". Both China and Brazil have refused to join Western nations in imposing sanctions on Moscow for its invasion, and there are concerns in the West that both potential mediators are overly cosy with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The UAE has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict. Its financial hub Dubai has attracted Russian professionals and businesspeople fleeing the impact of Western sanctions since the invasion in February 2022. bur-saa-jhb/th/srm/bfm President Joe Biden walks with Father Richard Gibbons in Knock, Ireland There is no need to fear Joe Biden hating Britain because nobody really cares about the US presidency any more. Its an uncomfortable truth to face but the commander-in-chief has become an international laughing stock, diminishing the status of the White House on the world stage. If it wasnt bad enough that he has spent the past four days mumbling and bumbling through a completely self-serving tour of Ireland, under Sleepy Joes watch a new world order appears to be busily capitalising on his ineptitude. We have now got Saudi Arabia striking deals with the Iranians and Chinese, while Emmanuel Macron, the French president, continues to chase humiliatingly after Xi Jinpings tails. Meanwhile, Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, was in Beijing on Friday calling on developing countries to work towards replacing the US dollar with their own currencies in international trade a move that would only strengthen Chinas quest for dominance over all global commerce. Many African nations now appear to be in hock to the Chinese communist state, which responded to Taiwans president Tsai Ing-wens 10-day trip to Central America by encircling the island with military planes and ships. While all this has been going on, reports have emerged of Russian attempts to forge closer ties with the United Arab Emirates. Many of these countries had backed President Trump and would probably revert to backing any US president that wasnt a demented fool. So Id humbly suggest that what Biden thinks about the UK is the least of the worlds worries. It might be said that not even the Irish care that much about him. Many can see through his exaggerated connections in a country that has moved on considerably from the one in his green-tinted imagination. Moreover, he has said some downright offensive things about the nation, such as: I may be Irish, but Im not stupid. Back in his own country, polls last year showed that 70 per cent of Americans didnt want Biden to run for a second term. And yet, so deluded is the ageing US president that he recently told NBC he would be running again but was waiting for an official announcement to be made. Eh? It looks like the only reason he took what one US journalist described as a taxpayer funded family reunion is to shore up his Irish vote in the States. We should let him get on with campaigning and focus on our own national interests. A state district judge in Tarrant County last week declared a mistrial when she concluded a jury was unable to reach a verdict in a motorcycle gang killing case in which a man was stabbed to death outside a Sansom Park bar in 2020. Anthony Patterson is a member of the Pagans outlaw gang, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office alleged. Patterson and two other men were indicted in connection with the slaying of Christopher Johnson, who they falsely believed to be a member of Hells Angels, a rival gang, the district attorneys office alleged. A jury in October found one of the codefendants guilty of offenses in a similar indictment. Prosecutors on Thursday sought the dismissal of the indictment in the case of the other codefendant, who was a cooperating witness for the state. Johnson, 29, was stabbed in a parking lot after Patterson, 27, and others forced him from the bar, according to the district attorneys office. A grand jury indicted Patterson on engaging in organized criminal activity-murder; murder; two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity-aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. State District Judge Elizabeth Beach presided at the trial in Criminal District Court No. 1. Testimony began on April 4, and jury instructions were filed on Monday, suggesting the panel began to deliberate on that day. Beach on Thursday declared a mistrial on each of the six counts in the indictment. Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells suggested in a statement to a reporter that his offices future course in the case was under consideration. Neither the state nor the defense requested a mistrial. The judge declared it on her own. We are researching whether we can retry this case in light of the courts decision to declare a mistrial, Sorrells wrote. James Martin, an attorney who represents Patterson, declined to offer an assessment of Beachs mistrial declaration. Story continues I would not want to prejudice either sides right to a fair trial if this case has to be tried again, Martin wrote in an email. The case has been prosecuted by Tarrant County Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Page Simpson, Dani Wojciak and Steve Elliot. With Martin, Robert Cowie and Mark Streiff represent Patterson. Patterson was, with Christopher Bailey and Nathaniel McCurdy, arrested in February 2021 as they attended a Pagans rally in Hunt County. Johnson died of a stab wound in his back. He was stabbed about 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 24, 2020, outside Eight Balls Billiard and Bar in the 5800 block of Jacksboro Highway. An argument inside the bar moved to the parking lot, where about eight people fought and Johnson was stabbed, police have said. A jury on Oct. 26, 2022, found McCurdy, 37, guilty on six counts in a indictment similar to Pattersons, and Beach sentenced him to 50 years in prison. On Thursday, the day Beach declared a mistrial in the Patterson trial, the district attorneys office filed a motion to dismiss the indictment that charged Bailey, who is 30. For the Patterson trial, Beach ordered security measures sought by the district attorneys office. The judge ordered law enforcement officers to require trial spectators to identify themselves by drivers license or identification card and surrender cellphones. During McCurdys trial, two attempts were made on the life of Bailey, the district attorneys office wrote in a motion requesting the measures. Bailey was placed under guard during the McCurdy trial. About six weeks before the Patterson trial began, Bailey was attacked by two masked people because, Bailey believed, he was cooperating with the states prosecution of Patterson. The Charlotte region and the mountains could see severe storms packing damaging gusts Sunday night, National Weather Service meteorologists warned. The primary threat from any storms that reach severe criteria will be damaging wind gusts, according to a hazardous weather bulletin issued at 4:30 a.m. Sunday by the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina. Cloud-to-ground lightning can also be expected with any thunderstorms that develop today. The warning area also includes Upstate South Carolina and central North Carolina, according to the alert. At 30%, the chance of showers and thunderstorms remains slight in Charlotte Sunday morning and afternoon, while the risk increases to 40% at night, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast at 9 a.m. Sunday. Winds are forecast to intensify during the day, with gusts up to 21 mph predicted, NWS meteorologists said. Saturday, the NWS office said storms could emerge after 2 p.m. Sunday, but they have since pushed that chance to before 9 a.m. Sunday. NWS meteorologists also removed the threat of large hail from their forecast. A rainy low-pressure system moved northeast of the Carolinas Saturday, restoring dry skies at least for the day, according to the NWS office. Forecasters expect the cold front to track across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia Sunday, bringing another round of showers and thunderstorms as well as breezy winds, according to the NWS. Dry high pressure returns for much of next week, with breezy to gusty winds expected to continue into early next week, according to a Saturday bulletin by the NWS office. A high of 79 is expected in Charlotte on Sunday, the forecast showed. Sunny to mostly sunny skies are expected throughout the work week, with predicted highs of 71 Monday, 77 Tuesday and 83 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. A high of 76 is forecast Saturday, as rain chances increase BEIJING (Reuters) -China's top diplomat Wang Yi "hopes and believes" Germany will support China's "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Wang made the remarks at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is visiting China until Saturday, adding that China once supported Germany's reunification. "To maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait, it is necessary to firmly oppose separatist activities related to 'Taiwan independence'," Wang said, adding that Taiwan's "return to China" was an important component of the post-World War II international order. On Friday, Baerbock said any attempt by China to control Taiwan would be unacceptable and would have serious repercussions for Europe. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell echoed her remarks. Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as a Chinese province, has never ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's government rejects China's position, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday it strongly approved of Baerbock's comments. "The Foreign Ministry thanks many high-level officials in the executive departments of various countries, including Germany, for their solidarity with Taiwan," it said. In a departure from the policies of Germany's former chancellor, Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz's government is developing a new China strategy to reduce dependence on Asia's economic superpower, until now a vital export market for German goods. German Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger visited Taiwan last month, a trip China denounced as "vile". China staged three days of military drills from April 8 around Taiwan, including simulated precision strikes with bombers and missile forces, after Tsai returned from Los Angeles, where she met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, infuriating Beijing. Wang also said China is willing to strengthen exchanges and communication with Germany to enhance mutual understanding and prepare for a new round of Sino-German government consultations. (Reporting by Liz Lee; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and William Mallard) China's ambassador for the Korean peninsula on Friday accused the US of "using" regional tensions to reinforce an anti-Beijing alliance, after weeks of mounting rhetoric and missile tests by Pyongyang. "We are concerned about the US' intention to use Korean peninsula issues as a tool for containing China," Special Representative Liu Xiaoming told AFP in Paris following a tour of European capitals. "It's part of their Indo-Pacific strategy... to gang up allies, to strengthen their alliance with (South Korea) and Japan," he added. Tensions have been rising over recent weeks across the Korean peninsula, with the North carrying out a string of missile tests while the South and its US allies have run large-scale military drills. China ally Pyongyang said Friday it had successfully tested a solid-fuel ballistic missile, a technology offering a far less predictable nuclear launch capability. In September, leader Kim Jong Un said the North's status as a nuclear power was now "irreversible". "People focus on the launches and nuclear tests of the DPRK, but they ignore the reason why they are doing this is a lack of a mechanism, a security structure" to guarantee peace on the peninsula, Chinese envoy Liu said, using an acronym for the North's official name. For their part, the US and Seoul point to Kim's order to his army earlier this year to step up preparations for "real war" as justification for their own drills. China pushes for a "dual-track" approach to ending Pyongyang's nuclear drive, saying world powers should offer relief from UN Security Council sanctions in exchange for concrete disarmament steps. Liu complained that North Korean gestures during the Trump administration had not been met with such action from Washington. "The message sent to the DPRK is still pressure, sanctions, confrontation, so that made dialogue impossible," he said, casting doubt on the "seriousness" of US commitment to denuclearisation. - 'Strategic independence' - Story continues After talks in capitals including Berlin, Brussels and Paris, Liu said European leaders should "persuade Americans to address the security concerns" of North Korea. His call came days after French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his ambition of "strategic independence" setting Europe apart from both the US and China as he returned from a visit to Beijing. Macron's comments were met with outcry in other European capitals and in Washington, following a year in which the continent's dependence on the US for its defence has been starkly underscored by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We appreciate the independent strategy by some of the European countries," China's Liu said. "I think it serves the interests of Europe." With China's ambassador already back in Pyongyang after years of closed borders due to Covid, those European nations who previously had missions there "hope they can reopen the embassies and start exchanges with the DPRK," he added. - 'No nuclear threats' - Liu said that Russia remained a reliable partner pushing for denuclearisation in Korea despite Moscow's own nuclear sabre-rattling during its invasion of Ukraine. "No threat of use of nuclear weapons" was China's "consistent position", he said. Nevertheless, "China and Russia share a lot with regard to the Korean peninsula. We all work for peace and stability," he added. Liu referred to official denials when asked whether reported North Korean arms deliveries to Russia in support of its invasion of Ukraine posed a problem for peace efforts on the peninsula. Asked about a recent Financial Times report that Hong Kong- and Macau-based businessmen were smuggling oil into North Korea in defiance of UN sanctions, Liu said that China is "a responsible member of the (UN) Security Council" and "we certainly carry out our obligations fully" to enforce import restrictions. On North Korean overseas workers -- an economic lifeline for the regime barred under another UN resolution recently underlined by the US, South Korea and Japan -- he said that "there's no more such cases (in China)... that issue has been resolved". Liu also acknowledged that North Korea is "faced with some difficulties" in its food supply after reports of shortages and a February call from Kim to up grain production, although he insisted the problems were "a result of sanctions". tgb/sjw/cw A Chinese government diplomat expressed hope that Germany will support its takeover of Taiwan. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, made the comments in a statement shared by the Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday, stating that he "hopes and believes" the European country will support its "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan. During a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in China, Wang said that China once supported the reunification of Germany. "To maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait, it is necessary to firmly oppose separatist activities related to 'Taiwan independence'," Wang said. CHINA SANCTIONS US LAWMAKER FOR HIS VISIT TO TAIWAN, CLAIMING HE VIOLATED 'ONE CHINA' PRINCIPLE China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi attends a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister in Moscow on February 22, 2023. Wang added that Taiwan's "return to China" was an important part of the post-World War II international order. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Baerbock said on Friday that any attempt from China to gain control of Taiwan would come with serious repercussions for Europe. "A military escalation in the Taiwan Strait, through which ... 50% of world trade goes every day, would be a horror scenario for the entire world," said Baerbock. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on April 14, 2023 in Beijing, China. Baerbock added that any potential military escalation would have "inevitable repercussions" for interests in Europe. Her comments are seemingly at odds with what President Emmanuel Macron said following a trip to China on Sunday, urging Europe to avoid following the "American rhythm" on Taiwan. BIDEN NOT MOVING WITH APPROPRIATE SENSE OF URGENCY TO PREVENT WORLD WAR III, SAYS CHINA COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (L) and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attend a joint press conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on April 14, 2023, in Beijing, China. "We don't want to get into a bloc versus bloc logic," Macron said during an interview with Les Echo, adding that Europe "should not be caught up in a disordering of the world and crises that aren't ours." "The question asked of us Europeans is the following: is it in our interest for there to be acceleration on the topic of Taiwan? No. The worst thing we Europeans could do would be to be followers on this topic and to adapt to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction," Macron said. "Why should we go at a rhythm chosen by someone else?" Story continues German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock attends a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on April 14, 2023, in Beijing, China. In a statement, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said that it strongly approved of the German foreign minister's statement. "The Foreign Ministry thanks many high-level officials in the executive departments of various countries, including Germany, for their solidarity with Taiwan," the statement reads. Fox News' Danielle Wallace and Reuters contributed to this report. The G7's top diplomats arrived in the Japanese resort town of Karuizawa Sunday for talks set to be dominated by twin crises: China's growing pressure on Taiwan, and Russia's war in Ukraine. The foreign ministers arrived by special bullet train for discussions that will set the stage for a leaders' summit in Hiroshima next month. There is no shortage of challenges to discuss, but recent regional events are likely to sharpen the focus on Asia. The meeting comes days after China concluded major military drills around self-ruled Taiwan, and after North Korea launched what it said was a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. Host Japan is keen to ensure regional challenges top the agenda, and will emphasise its belief that Russia's invasion of Ukraine heightens the need for vigilance in Asia. "Japan's basic position... on Ukraine is that the security of Europe and that of the Indo-Pacific cannot be discussed separately," a Japanese government official said ahead of the talks. "They are intertwined with each other." The G7 has regularly warned China against attempts to seize Taiwan, and individual members have sounded the alarm in recent days. "A military escalation in the Taiwan Strait... would be a horror scenario for the entire world," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Friday in Beijing. But there will be renewed focus on the grouping's language after recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron. His insistence, after a trip to Beijing, that Europe should avoid "crises that aren't ours" has raised eyebrows and ire among Paris's allies, while delighting Chinese officials. Paris has worked to temper the reaction, insisting France's views have not changed, and most observers expect the group to reiterate previous positions warning China against "changing the status quo by force". - 'Freedom of manoeuvre' - Still, Macron's comments reflect the reality that members of the bloc -- which groups Japan, the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and the European Union -- want room to manoeuvre on China policy, experts say. Story continues And that means leaving the door open for cooperation, said European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is attending remotely after testing positive for Covid. "China has become increasingly assertive... but we have to continue engaging with China, looking for solutions to global challenges," he told reporters. A senior US State Department official said discussions would reflect "collective concern about a number of the actions that China is taking," and discussion would focus on "how we can continue to be fully aligned on a common and concerted approach". Consensus will be simpler on Ukraine, but no substantive new measures are expected on top of existing sanctions by the bloc. "We will sharpen our commitment," Baerbock said on a stop in Seoul before arriving in Japan. "Now it is a question of showing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin we are determined that he will not achieve his goals through attrition and fatigue." The bloc could offer backing for a war crimes tribunal and will likely express renewed concern about Russian nuclear sabre-rattling. Both Russia's invasion and growing concerns about China have put renewed focus on economic security and the need to diversify supply chains for everything from energy to semiconductors. Tokyo and Washington have warned about "economic coercion", and G7 ministers are expected to pledge measures to counter the issue. The two-day meeting will also tackle international crises, from the Taliban's continuing grip on Afghanistan to the military junta's latest attacks in Myanmar. Nuclear proliferation will also be up for discussion ahead of the leaders' summit in Hiroshima this May, where Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants the push for a nuclear-free world to be a central topic. He called Sunday for Japan to ramp up security to protect G7 events, a day after he escaped unharmed when an explosive was thrown at him during a campaign event. lb-tmo-mac/sah/dva The Jackson city attorney's office has been in communication with State Auditor Shad White over concerns that the City Council hiring its own attorney in its garbage fight with the mayor constitutes unauthorized expenditures, according to an email sent from City Attorney Catoria Martin to members of the Council and administration, which was obtained by the Clarion Ledger. A spokesperson for White said Friday that the office does not comment on open investigations, nor does it confirm or rule out possible subjects of its investigations. This comes as the council and the mayor are headed to court. The council is awaiting a hearing Monday morning in Hinds County Chancery Court, in a case between it and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. If the ruling goes the council's way, it could allow it to negotiate its own contract. Currently, by law, the mayor is the only one in the city who can negotiate a contract. It's unclear whether this memorandum would have an effect on those legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Jackson residents have now gone two weeks since their garbage was last collected, and some have turned to paying private companies to haul their trash away, even as bills from the city continue. Richard's Disposal sues city: City Council meeting ends abruptly with no garbage resolution after Richard's files lawsuit A hill of trash at the former library site on Northside Drive at Manhattan Road was formed on Wednesday. Garbage bags were continuing to pile up at the site directly adjacent to an apartment complex to the east, Chastain Middle School to the north, Smilow Prep Charter School to the west, and Manhattan Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and St Richard's Catholic School to the south. Martin, a member of the city administration, said in the Friday email to city leaders that White's office reached out to her on April 5 "regarding expenditures for legal services for attorneys hired by the City Council." "Since April 5th, we have received daily requests for additional information and for updates on the information previously provided," Martin said. "As a result of this request, I asked our litigation department to prepare the attached memo where they researched the authority of governing authorities to hire outside counsel and the potential personal liability for unauthorized expenditures of public funds." How the legal fight could trickle down: Richard's Disposal lawsuit against Jackson leaves just $400 left in city's legal budget Story continues The memo cited four occasions between 1999 and 2007 where the Jackson City Council asked the state's attorney general whether it could hire its own legal counsel. "Every time, the Attorney General has stated that the City Council may not do so," the memo reads. Optimistic Jackson, Miss., residents put out their trash in hopes of it being picked up Monday, April 3. That was Day 3 of a trash crisis that has gone on for more than two weeks. Whether the mayor has a right to hire counsel, as Lumumba has said in response to the Council's attorneys suing him, is also thrown into question by the memo. Lumumba has repeatedly said he has a right to defend himself when the Council files suit against him. That said, the memo indicates that neither a mayor nor a council should be able to hire outside counsel to represent themselves, stating they can only do so when they agree one is needed to represent the city government as a whole. "The plain language of the statutes indicates that only the governing authorities can retain attorneys. In other words, the mayor and a majority of the council must both agree before a municipality can hire legal counsel," the memo reads. Council votes no on 1-year trash deal: Mayor: 'Race has been all in this,' referring to heart of Jackson, MS, trash crisis That said, it also indicates that if a mayor is facing a lawsuit and a council refuses to provide funding for legal counsel, the mayor can hire attorneys, but who takes on the cost of said attorneys should be decided in court. "In the event that the payment is not authorized by the city council, the mayor may act to employ his own counsel, and any resolution of the payment of the expenses of the defense would necessarily be a matter left to the discretion of the Court," the memo reads, quoting a 2006 attorney general's opinion. Ultimately, the memo recommends that both the Council and Lumumba stop hiring and paying independent attorneys. "This Office believes that the growing practice of both the City Council and the Mayor hiring attorneys and paying them with public funds to sue each other or to 'intervene' in City actions where the City Attorney is providing representation to the City has no legal basis, whether statutory or otherwise. The practice is also harmful to the Citys governance and finances," the memo reads. The memo further stated that public officials can be held both civilly and criminally liable for unauthorized expenditures, particularly in this case, considering the city has depleted nearly all of its legal budget. According to previous Clarion Ledger reporting, the City has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars from its budget to pay for lawyers in the legal battles between the council and the mayor. According to documents obtained by the Clarion Ledger via a Freedom of Information request, the City of Jackson paid more than $154,000 to a local law firm between May and December of last year. That number only accounts for the legal costs incurred by the mayor in the lawsuit, and documents did not include any invoices for the first four months of 2023. During an emergency council meeting Monday, councilmembers were told that they had spent $200,228 on attorney fees. A spokesperson for Lumumba declined to comment for this story. City Council President Ashby Foote did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS State Auditor looking into rights of Jackson Council amid legal fight PATERSON A Clifton man was charged Friday with fourth-degree bias intimidation for allegedly vandalizing a sign at a local school, authorities said. Mohamad Bekheet, 32, smeared suspected feces on the sign in front of Dr. Hani Awadallah School, a K-8 building on Marshall Street in Paterson, according to state Attorney General Matthew Platkin. The substance covered the last five letters of Awadallahs name; "Allah" means "God" in Arabic. The vandalism was first discovered on Saturday, a day before an imam at a mosque on Getty Avenue was wounded in a knife attack. The suspect in that case was not charged with a bias crime, but authorities believe he intended to kill the prayer leader. Bekheet was also charged with criminal mischief and harassment in connection with the alleged vandalism, which was investigated by Paterson police, the Passaic County Prosecutors Office and the state Division of Criminal Justice. BOARD OF EDUCATION: This is how much Paterson schools will receive from Juul in vaping settlement Bias crimes spread like cancer through a community, creating fear and distrust, and undermining everyones sense of peace and security, Platkin said in a statement. The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nations largest Muslim civil rights organization, called for a probe in a statement it released to denounce the vandalism. The organization said it recorded the highest number of anti-Muslim prejudices last year, at 152, and that such complaints spike during the holy month of Ramadan. This upward trend of complaints is wholly unacceptable, the organization said in its statement. Interfaith leaders and community members in Paterson have worked hard to make the city welcoming and inclusive of people of all faiths, and we must come together to show that behaviors like this are not only unwelcome, but condemnable. Awadallah, 70, who died in January 2012, was a chemistry professor at Montclair State University and the director of the city-based Arab American Civic Organization. Story continues Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: devencentis@northjersey.com This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Clifton man put feces on Paterson school sign, attorney general says Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, Friday, March 3, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. Pompeo said Friday, April 14, that he is not entering the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday he will not enter the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. In an interview with Fox News, the devoted ally and defender of Donald Trump opted out of a contest that would have put him into competition with his former commander in chief. The time is not right for me and my family, Pompeo said in a statement later posted to Twitter. At each stage of my public service as a soldier, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and then as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and as your Secretary of State Ive been blessed to have the opportunity to advance America in a way that fit the time and the moment. This is not that time or that moment for me to seek elected office again. Pompeo seemed to leave the door open on a future run. To those of you this announcement disappoints, my apologies, Pompeo said. And to those of you this thrilled, know that Im 59 years old. There remain many more opportunities for which the timing might be more fitting as presidential leadership becomes even more necessary. Pompeo would have been the second former Trump Cabinet member to enter the race to challenge the former president for the 2024 GOP nomination, joining former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who announced her campaign in February. Former Vice President Mike Pence is also considering entering the race and has stepped up his travel and activity in early-voting primary and caucus states. In addition, biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have also announced campaigns. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has launched a presidential exploratory committee as he considers his own bid. President Joe Biden has indicated he will seek reelection, tamping down any major challenges for the Democratic nomination. Where Haley and Pence have openly expressed differences with Trump, Pompeo has had no public split with Trump and hasn't been rebuked by the former president, as many of his would-be rivals have. Pompeo recently referred to Trump as a great boss. The former congressman graduated at the top of his class from the U.S. Military Academy in 1986 before spending five years on active duty, deployed for a time as a cavalry officer commanding tank movements along the border between NATO-backed Western Europe and Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe. The retired Army captain is a Harvard-educated lawyer who practiced law in Washington and founded two Wichita businesses an aerospace firm and later a petroleum equipment manufacturer before entering politics. Pompeo a witty and sometimes gruff politician easily won four consecutive terms in the U.S. House representing southern Kansas. He sat on the House Intelligence Committee as well as the select committee investigating the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya. Pompeo counts as among his proudest moments the 2020 Abraham Accords, declarations of support for peaceful relations among Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. He also points to the imposition of tariffs on China, direct talks with North Korea and the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement as pillars of Trumps America First theme he helped erect. The 2018 withdrawal from the Iran deal and imposition of crippling sanctions have prompted death threats against Pompeo, who remains under 24-hour security protection provided by the State Department. The homepage of the Department of Energy website. New Hampshire Legal Assistance has pointed to the lack of a modernized application process as a significant barrier to the states fuel assistance program. The Executive Council this week approved additional funds from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program for four community action agencies that have seen the most need. The council authorized more than $12 million in federal funds to be disbursed among Community Action Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, Southwestern Community Services, and Tri-County Community Action Programs. Department of Energy Commissioner Jared Chicoine told councilors the states federally funded LIHEAP program for households with incomes up to 60 percent of the states median income is seeing 4,000 households more than the same time last year. He said community action agencies are burning through that money, and funds are still going out the door. The last day to apply for energy assistance is April 30. The state contracts with community action agencies to administer its LIHEAP program, referred to locally as the Fuel Assistance Program. In amending its contracts with four of the agencies this week, the council authorized the additional funds to be used for the remainder of this years program and into next year. Demand and benefit amounts have varied across (community action agencies) and these amendments seek to position these additional funds to the CAAs that have experienced the most need, read the memo request from the Department of Energy. The additional funds allocated are: Community Action Belknap-Merrimack Counties: $2.4 million Community Action Partnership of Strafford County: $1.5 million Southwestern Community Services: $4.6 million Tri-County Community Action Programs: $3.6 million A program that completely failed Last fall, the state designed its own energy assistance program separate from LIHEAP to help households that historically dont qualify for the federal funds. In this case, households making between 60 and 75 percent of the states median income qualified for energy assistance for the first time. Story continues Reporting by the New Hampshire Bulletin last month found just 1.5 percent of the $35 million allocated to the program by the state Legislature had been disbursed as of mid-March a scant $550,000. At Wednesdays Executive Council meeting, citing the Bulletins reporting, Councilor Cinde Warmington queried Chicoine about why the Department of Energy didnt sound the alarm throughout the winter when it began to realize the low uptake. The numbers also suggest the departments outreach efforts werent enough to get the word out widely. This is essentially a program that completely failed, Warmington said. Gov. Chris Sununu pointed fingers at the Legislature, which opted to deviate from his proposal to issue energy credits to nearly all New Hampshire ratepayers. Instead, lawmakers decided to go with an income-based process that required households to apply. We were really stuck in a bad idea and a bad program, Sununu said. Republican House Majority Leader Jason Osborne appeared to clap back at Sununu in a statement issued Thursday, saying, I am proud of the bipartisan work we accomplished to pass the largest energy relief package in our states history that thoughtfully and prudently targeted the relief to those who really needed it. New Hampshire Legal Assistance has pointed to the lack of a modernized application process as a significant barrier in accessing the relief funds. There wasnt an online application for the states program. Households could mail, fax, scan/email, or turn in their required documents and applications in-person. But Sununu this week maintained that some households just didnt want the assistance, even if they were eligible. Fuel vendors would talk to customers one-on-one and the feedback was, We just dont want to do it, Sununu said. I was shocked by how much feedback we got from people who were aware they could apply, they just didnt want the assistance. The $35 million allotted by the Legislature could have assisted approximately 50,000 households. And national data shows the need was there: the highest total rate of energy assistance applications nationwide since 2011, and the largest one-year increase since 2009. Osborne didnt exhibit any concern for the programs low uptake. In fact, he applauded Granite Staters for not abusing the money the legislature set aside for energy assistance. A fine chap once said, Theres no greater responsibility in all of public service than managing somebody elses money,' Osborne said. I completely agree. I am glad that a large amount of the $35 million we put aside to help Granite Staters through the winter ended up not being needed. This story was originally published by New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Community action agencies get more LIHEAP funding; councilor calls out failed state program Community college enrollment has plummeted by nearly two-fifths since 2010, a staggering decline in a sector with the potential to offer the greatest value in American higher education. Enrollment in public two-year colleges dropped from 7 million in fall 2010 to 4.5 million in fall 2022, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The exodus signals a national crisis of confidence in the community college, a symbol of upward mobility for generations of Americans, delivering marketable associate degrees to some graduates and, to others, the first half of a four-year college degree. In a sector known for $75,000-a-year tuition, nothing rivals the price point of community college. An average in-state student at a public two-year college pays $3,860 a year, according to College Board data, compared to $10,940 at a public university and $39,400 at a private four-year college. Its saved me a lot of money, said Tenzin Tsega, 21, of Fairfax, Va., a student at Northern Virginia Community College. I also found a really great community here. A lot of the students who attend are first-generation, low-income students who are just like me. Northern Virginia Community College charges $185.50 per credit hour to Virginians, or about $2,225 per 12-credit term. Miami Dade College, in Florida, charges even less: $1,419 per semester for local residents. We havent raised tuition in 10 years, said Madeline Pumariega, president of Miami Dade. Of the 122,000 students we serve, less than 2 percent take on any debt, and when they do, its an average of $5,000. Community colleges have always had a reputation as an affordable degree for students in unique circumstances who might not be able to swing a four-year institution but still want a good-paying job, positions that often require at least some higher education in the modern market. I think in the long run these institutions are just very well positioned to support strong communities, a strong economy, racial equity, said Marcella Bombardieri, a senior fellow at Center for American Progress. Story continues But community colleges face a perennial struggle with low graduation rates. Only 43 percent of community-college students earn degrees within six years. The national completion rate is 62 percent. Andres Acosta, 20, an alumnus of Miami Dade College, said he didnt like the experience at his school. Classes were easy to register for, and contacting advisement and setting up meetings were no real problem, Acosta said. However, he added, it felt like a lot of teachers did not really care. Similarly, the atmosphere is one that feels like no one really wants to be there, theyre just there, he said. Though community college left him underwhelmed, Acosta graduated with his associates degree and is going on to pursue a bachelors. Some students, however, are bypassing community college and enrolling directly in four-year public colleges, which come with higher price tags but offer better odds for an eventual bachelors degree. Anyone who can is moving upmarket, said Davis Jenkins, a senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center at Columbia University. Other students are skipping college altogether for jobs that pay $15 to $20 an hour and require no college degree. Prospective students are sitting there thinking, I can get a job, or I can go to college, said Joshua Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute. In big cities now, you can go to McDonalds and earn $20 an hour. Community college enrollment fell in an era of low unemployment and plentiful jobs. It fell further amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which sapped enrollment across higher education. The dramatic decline, chronicled by the nonprofit Hechinger Report, has barely registered outside academia. Bombardieri said that while the drop in community college enrollment over the past decade is concerning, it is important to note the institutions were at their peak attendance 10 years ago. Its a little bit potentially misleading impression, she said of the decline, because 10 years ago was like the height of community college enrollment, which was as a result of the Great Recession. Theres just a huge, huge kind of sudden surge of people going into community colleges, and so that was an interesting, historical moment. Americans flocked to community colleges during that time, when jobs were scarce, to retool their skills. But when the pandemic arrived a decade layer, devastating the global economy and bringing on mass job losses, they mostly stayed away. During the last economic downturn in 2008 2009, community colleges experienced a surge of enrollments across the board. However, the same effect was not experienced in the pandemic or post-pandemic, due in part to unprecedented government stimulus support, said Rebecca Corbin, president and CEO of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. One bright spot in the two-year sector is dual enrollment programs, which allow high-school students to take classes at the local community college. That population is growing. In rural colleges, its often half of their headcount, Jenkins said. Beyond that high school population, community colleges are far more likely than four-year institutions to enroll students who are older, have low incomes, hold jobs and care for parents or children. In 2023, the average community college student is 27, almost a third of students are the first in their families to attend college, and 16 percent are single parents, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. During the pandemic, they had to keep the lights on, literally and figuratively, for their families, said Mark Milliron, a longtime community-college scholar who now serves as president of National University in San Diego. The historic mission of community colleges is twofold: To prepare some students for transfer into four-year colleges and to send others out into the world with associate degrees and professional certifications that yield good-paying jobs. Some associate degrees, especially applied degrees in lucrative fields, pay handsome dividends for graduates. Yet, the earning power of a generic associate of arts degree is not what it was 20 or 50 years ago. Some community colleges are thriving. Others are struggling, and the downturn cannot be blamed solely on the institutions, Bombardieri argues. Lawmakers must take responsibility for their role. Its really important to keep in mind that, you know, community colleges are public institutions. Theyre dependent on public funding and public support, she said. The reasons that they have a lot of the problems by and large go back to just lack of public investment in making them successful. Underfunded community colleges may employ only one academic adviser for every 500 or 1,000 students. Students get lost in the shuffle. When we talk to community college students, Jenkins said, we say, How long till you finish? What do you have to take? They have no idea. Without proper guidance, community college students can bog down, wasting time and money on a random smattering of courses that dont add up to anything the labor market values, Wyner said. Students who transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions often find that the four-year school wont accept much of their coursework for transfer credit. To recover lost enrollment, researchers say, community colleges should look to Florida, where all public colleges use the same course numbering system to ease transfer credit, and to the Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio, Texas, where advisers meet with students at regular intervals to monitor their progress, and to Northern Virginia Community College, where students can seek dual admission to the four-year George Mason University. Forward-thinking community colleges are working with employers to create and refine certificate programs, typically much shorter than degree programs, delivering training in a specific field. Colleges such as Tallahassee Community College in Florida have developed skilled trades programs like aqua culture that meet an industry need and provide environmental benefits. More broadly, community colleges are offering more certificate programs that are created with employers, Corbin said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Superheroes and princesses came together at the Ingomar Child Enrichment Center to raise money for a local charity. Families of staff members at the center dressed in costumes of their favorite characters to participate in a walk-a-thon to raise money for the local charity Pennies from Heaven. About 150 people came to the event. Pennies from Heaven is a charity that helps families who have been put at an economic disadvantage due to a child suffering from a critical illness. A lot of the families helped by the organization are treated at the UPMC Childrens Hospital. Pennies from Heaven goes in and helps them with little expenses from helping with a meal to helping pay bills while they are in there with their child, said Ashley Salsgiver, director of the Ingomar Child Enrichment Center. Before the walk walk-a-thon even began preschool and kindergarten-aged kids were able to raise $3,000 by bringing in change. Salsgiver said they were shocked by the amount of money the kids were able to raise. Our goal is $1,000, so our kids blew it away, said Salsgiver. The money raised at the walk-a-thon will be added to the $3,000 raised by the kids. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Dump truck, car involved in accident in Washington Township; 2 people flown to hospital Man accused in racially motivated stabbing downtown charged in Beaver County attack Man dies after he was attacked by multiple dogs VIDEO: Legacy of doctor lost in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting lives on through memorial scholarship DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts We may never know the true origins of Covid-19, a Chinese doctor who helped lead the countrys pandemic response has said as cases of the new variant soar in India. Dr George Fu Gao told The Telegraph he is not optimistic the origin of the virus will ever be known. Its too sensitive; too politicised, he said, adding: We must focus on science. Dr Goa made the comments Rhodes Policy Summit on pandemic preparedness in London on Friday, also attended by former prime minister Tony Blair. The Dr was leader of the Chinese Center for Disease Control when the Covid-19 virus first emerged in 2019. He added: there is no evidence which animals... the virus comes [from]. It comes as a new coronavirus strain dubbed Arcturus appears to be driving a surge in Covid-19 cases in India, prompting the country to resume vaccine production and sparking fears it could lead to a rise in cases in the UK and elsewhere. India on Friday recorded 11,109 new Covid infections, the biggest jump in almost a year. The symptoms of the variant include high fever, cough, and itchy conjunctivitis or pinkeye. Key Points What are the symptoms of the new Covid variant? How many cases of new variant are in UK? What do we know about the new Covid variant? Doctors urge caution: This is one to watch What are the symptoms of the new Covid variant? Friday 14 April 2023 08:31 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The XBB.1.16 strain, a sub-variant of Omicron, has been found in 22 countries, including Singapore, Australia, the UK and the US. The variant, dubbed Arcturus, is believed to be responsible for an uptick in infections in India, leading to the government adopting new measures to stop its spread. The spread of the strain, first detected in late January, is worrying experts, as it seems to exhibit unique symptoms in children, one of which is conjunctivitis. Vipin Vashishtha, a paediatrician and former head of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunisation tweeted that an infantile phenotype of the variant seems to be emerging. Story continues The symptoms of the variant include high fever, cough, and itchy conjunctivitis or pinkeye, she said. Stuti Mishra reports. Latest Covid variant sweeping India appears to have this new symptom We may never know true origins of Covid, leading Chinese doctor says 11:59 , Martha Mchardy We may never know the true origins of Covid-19, a Chinese doctor who helped lead the countrys pandemic response has said. Dr George Fu Gao told The Telegraph he is not optimistic the origin of the virus will ever be known. Its too sensitive; too politicised, he said, adding: We must focus on science. Dr Goa made the comments Rhodes Policy Summit on pandemic preparedness in London on Friday, also attended by former prime minister Tony Blair. The Dr was leader of the Chinese Center for Disease Control when the Covid-19 virus first emerged in 2019. He added: there is no evidence which animals... the virus comes [from]. Indonesia detects two cases linked to Arcturus variant Friday 14 April 2023 14:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Indonesia yesterday said it has detected two cases of the Arcturus variant of coronavirus in the country. So far, there are two cases (of Arcturus) that have been found, health ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril confirmed in Jakarta. The patients, whose infections were detected based on genome sequencing in the last week of March, experienced mild symptoms, officials said. One of the patients, a 30-year-old woman, had no history of overseas travel and had received the first booster Covid-19 vaccine, CNN Indonesia reported. Covid cases rising in Singapore Friday 14 April 2023 14:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Singapores Covid-19 infections almost doubled in the final week of March to the highest this year, according to the federal health ministry. Health minister Ong Ye Kung said that about three in 10 of the current cases were reinfections. The estimated number of daily infections rose from about 1,400 a month ago to 4,000 last week. However, the minister assured that there is no evidence any of the current XBB strains caused more severe illness. No evidence to prove Covid came from animals, says ex-head of China CDC Friday 14 April 2023 13:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar There is no evidence as yet that proves the Covid-19-causing virus came from animals, George Gao, former head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today. Mr Gao, who was speaking at a London summit on preparing for pandemics, was the head of the agency when Covid was first detected in Wuhan in China at the end of 2019. Even now, people think some animals are the host or reservoir, he said. Cut a long story short, there is no evidence which animals where the virus comes. New Covid variant Arcturus likely 1.2 times more infectious Friday 14 April 2023 13:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The new variant of coronavirus, dubbed as Arcturus, is reportedly 1.2 times more infectious than the Kraken variant, according to a study by the University of Tokyo published on the biology research website bioRxiv. Arcturus has been reported in several states in the US, including California, Washington, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Texas, New York Post reported. Its been in circulation for a few months. We havent seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations, but thats why we have these systems in place, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHOs Covid-19 technical lead, said in late March. It has one additional mutation in the spike protein which in lab studies shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity, she added. Worst areas in UK for Covid cases amid fears over new variant Friday 14 April 2023 12:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Englands North East currently has the highest Covid infection rate of any UK region, according to new figures from the Zoe Health Study app. Nearly 1.25 million people are currently thought to have symptomatic coronavirus in the UK, according to the Zoe Covid study, whose estimates are based on users self-reporting symptoms and test results. This is down from a recent peak of nearly 1.5 million suspected symptomatic infections a fortnight ago, which itself was below previous highs of more than 1.6 million over New Year and in mid-October. Andy Gregory has more. Mapped: Worst areas in UK for Covid cases amid fears over new variant India restarts Covid vaccine production Friday 14 April 2023 12:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar India is ramping up its vaccine production following a rapid surge in Covid-19 cases driven by a new subvariant dubbed Arcturus. Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest vaccine producer, has restarted the manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines, the chief executive Adar Poonawalla said. The Pune-based company produces AstraZeneca vaccines under the label Covishield, which constitutes at least 70 per cent of the Covid vaccines administered in the country. Just as a precaution, we have done it so that people have Covishield as a choice if they want it, Mr Poonawalla told the Press Trust of India. More here. India restarts Covid vaccine production as new infections soar 30% in one day How many cases of new variant are in UK? Friday 14 April 2023 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar A new Covid strain dubbed Arcturus which is driving a surge of infections in India has been detected in the UK. Although Arcturus has been detected in the UK, it is not spreading on the same scale with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) saying that 66 cases have been recorded up to 11 April. Comparatively, 57,842 overall Covid infections were recorded in the week up to Thursday, a 20 per cent drop from the previous seven days. Eleanor Noyce reports. Arcturus: How many cases of new variant are in UK? Covid no longer: Leading cause of death in England and Wales revealed Friday 14 April 2023 11:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Covid-19 has dropped out of the top five leading causes of death in England and Wales for the first time since the start of the pandemic, figures show. Coronavirus was recorded as the main cause of death for 22,454 people in 2022, or 3.9 per cent of all deaths registered, making it the sixth leading cause overall. In both 2020 and 2021 Covid-19 was the leading cause of death, with 73,766 deaths (12.1 per cent of the total) and 67,350 (11.5 per cent) respectively. More here. Covid no longer: Leading cause of death in England and Wales revealed Worlds largest vaccine maker ramps up production Friday 14 April 2023 10:18 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive of Serum Institute of India (SII) told The Independent in a statement that the company has resumed the production of the Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield, in response to the increasing number of SARS-CoV-2 virus infections. The company also has six million doses of the Covovax vaccine, which are readily available to private hospitals depending on the demand and can also be used as heterologous booster doses, he added. The company has taken this precautionary measure to ensure that people have the option of Covishield if they choose. Stuti Mishra reports. Doctors urge caution: This is one to watch Friday 14 April 2023 09:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert based at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline that the variant is unlikely to cause a big wave. I suspect we will see a wave of infections with this variant, professor Hunter said. I doubt it will cause a big wave, probably not even as great as the one we have just had in the UK. Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist from the University of Warwick, told The Independent that the cases need to be monitored. These kinds of things highlight the importance of genomic surveillance but a lot of countries including our own have let our guards down a bit. And we cant be sure what variants are around and what level of infection they are causing until we see a significant outbreak. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHOs technical lead on Covid, said, this is one to watch. She added that health experts havent seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations. India records highest number of cases in months Friday 14 April 2023 09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar India on Friday recorded 11,109 new Covid infections, the biggest rise in cases for almost a year. The country currently has 49,622 active cases, according to the federal health ministry. The southern state of Kerala reported 3,420 cases, while the capital Delhi and Maharashtra in the west logged 1,159 and 1,115 cases respectively. There were 29 Covid-related deaths recorded in 24 hours. Fears new Arcturus Covid variant could become dominant in UK Friday 14 April 2023 08:52 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Virologist Dr Stephen Griffin from the University of Leeds said Arcturus is growing at a faster rate than other variants and is rapidly outcompeting others in India. He added that the new variant, which is now spreading globally, is particularly concerning because of limitations in genomic sequencing and tracking, leaving the UK completely in the dark after it stopped publishing ONS Covid case figures last month. So far in the UK, Arcturus accounts for just 0.4 per cent of cases, according to the GISAID virus sequencing database but that proportion is expected to increase considerably. Arcturus has a growth advantage of about 1.2 compared to what weve had recently, Dr Griffin told The Independent. Its conceivable it could outcompete what weve had recently but there are other variants in the mix so its hard to know which one will become dominant. Thomas Kingsley reports. Fears new Arcturus Covid variant could become dominant in UK Friday 14 April 2023 08:01 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Welcome to The Independents live blog tracking the uptick in Covid-19 cases in India and across the world. Video | What is the new Covid variant causing a surge in cases? Friday 14 April 2023 12:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The new Covid strain, Arcturus, is already causing a surge of cases in India, and its thought to be 1.2 times more contagious than the last Omicron subvariant. Its been detected in 22 countries so far including the UK and US, with India reporting 49,622 active Covid cases on 14 April - prompting strict measures to be brought back. (Bloomberg) -- Corporate Switzerlands darkest hour since the national airline collapsed two decades ago has given parties on the left and right the scent of an opportunity before October elections. Most Read from Bloomberg This weeks showdown in parliament offered a glimpse of their playbook. Building on public discontent over the takeover of Credit Suisse Group AG by UBS Group AG, the right-wing Swiss Peoples Party and left-wing Social Democrats joined the Greens in voting down a bill to provide 109 billion francs ($120 billion) in government guarantees. That rejection was symbolic given the money had been already granted but it highlights the risk of a populist turn in a country whose executive is traditionally driven by pragmatism. Criticism of the shotgun bank rescue by governing parties also threatens to further dent Switzerlands battered reputation as a haven of stability. This will influence public discourse and will harm the open, business-friendly climate in Switzerland, said Michael Hermann, head of the Zurich-based research institute Sotomo. Both the Swiss Peoples Party and the Social Democrats have sought to distance themselves from a deal widely perceived as toxic. Once again, taxpayers have to bail out a major Swiss bank, the Peoples Party said in a April 11 statement, bemoaning the failure of the Federal Council. Like the Social Democrats, the Peoples Party has two seats in Switzerlands governing seven-member executive. They play this card very cynically, especially the Peoples Party because normally they support big banks, said Rene Schwok, director of the Global Studies Institute at the University of Geneva. This is very Swiss because we all accept it: you can belong to government, but can then criticize it. Story continues Over half of the Swiss population disapproves of the deal and all major parties have a credibility deficit, according to a snap poll after the takeover. More than four in five Swiss also want to see UBS spin off Credit Suisses domestic bank to ensure healthy competition in retail banking. I dont see any party profiting from the Credit Suisse issue, said George Lutz, director of research center FORS and professor for political science at Lausanne University. In fact, I perceived all parties primarily as helpless. Perhaps the party with most at stake is the Greens, whose breakthrough performance in 2019 followed a campaign that tapped into concern about extreme summer heat and melting Alpine glaciers. With those issues eclipsed by a cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine, the party is seeking to revive its flagging fortunes and gain a seat on the Federal Council for the first time by criticizing the bank rescue. If climate was a bank, the government would already have saved it, Green lawmaker Balthasar Glaettli said this week. Typically in national elections, not many seats change hands, with the main political blocs in Switzerland remaining stable over the past 100 years, according to Lutz of Lausanne University. The contentious banking takeover could also fade from view by October, unless UBS shows early signs of cashing in on its ownership of Credit Suisse, he said. While public discontent may temporarily squeeze parties of the center-right such as Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutters FDP the reverberations from Credit Suisses collapse are likely to be less profound than those that followed the grounding of national carrier Swissair in 2001. The collapse of Swissair was a much larger and more passionate discussion, said Schwok. --With assistance from Zoe Schneeweiss. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A cruise ship passenger who was crushed to death by a reversing truck on a quay was the victim of a "perfect storm of incompetence", her son has said. Janet Purkess, 87, from Lyndhurst, Hampshire, was run over after leaving the Saga Sapphire in Barbados in 2020. Chris Purkess said errors by Saga, the driver and the port were compounded by an "appallingly poor" police inquiry. Saga said it was aiding an ongoing inquest into the death. The Barbados authorities have been asked to comment. Mrs Purkess was run over by a lorry that was helping to refuel the ship on 25 January, the inquest in Portsmouth previously heard. Her son, who interrogated Saga and ship safety officials at the hearing, said the experience had been an "emotional rollercoaster". Outside the court, Mr Purkess said the lorry driver was "unlicensed, uninsured and reversed at speed in a 'not fit for purpose' 10-wheel truck right over mum causing truly horrific injuries". He said the port of Bridgetown failed to provide security personnel to look after disembarking passengers. Saga and the ship's captain allowed people off the ship into an "unsafe environment", he added. "It was.. a perfect storm of incompetence. All of which has been underpinned by an appallingly poor police investigation, who... did not pursue key eyewitness evidence," Mr Purkess said. Police did not interview witnesses from the ship because the death occurred on the quayside, coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp told the hearing on Wednesday. She adjourned the inquest until after the lorry driver's trial in Barbados which is scheduled for 23 June. In a statement, Saga said: "Our deepest sympathies remain with the Purkess family over their terrible loss. "We are fully supportive of this inquest and we have worked with all relevant authorities during this process. We will continue to provide all possible assistance to the coroner in the UK." Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. In his first season back with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Andrew McCutchen has been off to a hot start. Through 14 games on the year, McCutchen is slashing .310/.446/.524 with a pair of home runs. Cutch is him pic.twitter.com/JuRmQccmtA Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 15, 2023 His latest home run sure was a big one. With the score tied at three in the 10th inning, McCutchen hit a two-run home run to left field off of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jordan Hicks to give the Pirates a 5-3 lead. Click here to read more from PittsburghBaseballNOW.com. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW The Dallas Police Department is investigating a shooting after finding a deceased man with several gunshot wounds on Saturday morning. Police responded to a call for service in the 7900 block of Great Trinity Forest Way about 10 a.m. When officers arrived, they found a man dead from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the preliminary investigation. The victims identity will be determined by the Dallas County Medical Examiners Office. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to contact Detective Brewster Billings at 214-671-3584 by email at brewster.billings@dallaspolice.gov 546081468 David Cameron has said he is now a realist about the need to cut the UKs foreign aid budget, but called for global banks to lend more money to counter Chinas influence in developing countries. The former prime minister who has criticised Rishi Sunak for breaking Britains promise to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on aid said reform of the IMF and World Bank would allow the banks to make up for a fall in direct support by rich countries. In an exclusive article for The Telegraph, Mr Cameron said China had become the worlds largest official creditor and was buying up support in developing countries with its controversial Belt and Road initiative. The scheme, a major component of Xi Jinpings foreign policy, is designed to embed Chinese infrastructure investment across the world to extend its influence, but Mr Cameron said it was saddling countries with debts they can ill afford to repay. He called on Mr Sunak to lead global efforts to reform multilateral development banks (MDBs) to allow them to lend $1 trillion more to poorer countries and supplant Chinese investment. There is little point complaining about countries signing up for the Belt and Road if we cant say to them heres the alternative, he said. It might not be as catchy as make poverty history. but expand MDBs balance sheets is the next big imperative in the fight against poverty. Mr Camerons comments coincide with the end of the World Bank and IMF spring meetings, which conclude in Washington DC on Sunday. He said Britain should be in the vanguard of attempts to expand the banks as rich countries cut their foreign aid budgets. Mr Sunak, then the Chancellor of the Exchequer, reduced the UKs contribution to 0.5 per cent of national income in 2020 as the Government battled with the cost of the Covid pandemic. The decision was controversial among some Tory MPs including Theresa May, Mr Camerons successor, who said the promise to spend 0.7 per cent may be broken for years to come. Story continues At the time, Mr Cameron said the decision was a very sad moment and involved breaking a promise to the poorest people and the poorest countries in the world. Ministers have committed to restore the budget when the public finances improve, but no date has been set. But Mr Cameron said he was now a realist about the decision to cut aid and called for international institutions to counteract it with more lending. In 2020, the 0.7 per cent commitment was broken, he said. I said at the time that it was a mistake. But I am a realist. Money is tight. Yet the need for investment in developing countries is greater than ever. He called for several reforms to the World Bank and IMF, including changes to the way the banks calculate the risk of their investments, saying: They could use their balance sheets more effectively and increase their appetite for risk by changing the way assessments are made. They could act across countries, rather than solely with individual governments. They must become more transparent and work more closely with private capital. They should focus on small and medium-sized firms rather than just big infrastructure projects and give a greater say to developing countries. Crucially, they could do far more to direct assistance to the fragile states where the need is greatest and whose continued failure and potential threat of collapse have such dire consequences for the people who live there and the rest of the world. Author Deepak Chopra has said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are struggling right now amidst their rift with the British royal family. The Indian-American mindfulness expert, who appeared on Prince Harry and Meghan Markles holiday special podcast back in 2020, recently gave insight into the Sussexes current state of mind as Harry prepares to attend King Charles IIIs coronation next month. While speaking to The Daily Mail at a red carpet event in London, Chopra said about his work with the royal couple: I enjoyed the podcast and interacted with them. It has been periodic theyre struggling right now. I hope they get through it light-hearted, he said. I think theres too much drama around them. People should mind their own business. On 12 April, Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Harry will attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May. However, his wife Meghan will stay at home in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The best-selling author also shared some words of wisdom for Harry ahead of his first meeting with the royal family since the release of his tell-all memoir, Spare. My advice is to ignore it because if you react youll just aggravate the situation, Chopra said. If you ignore it, people cant say anything, then theyll stop. In December 2020, Chopra appeared on the Duke and Duchesss first podcast episode as part of their Archewell Audio production companys exclusive deal with Spotify. The holiday special which featured Sir Elton John, professor Brene Brown, and actor James Corden brought together many high-profile contributors to mark the end of a challenging year. To celebrate Meghans 40th birthday in 2021, Chopra also took part in her 40x40 Compassion In Action initiative, which aimed to help women return to work after the pandemic. To celebrate the 40th birthday of my friend Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Im donating 40 minutes of mentorship to a woman re-entering the workforce, he said at the time. Story continues Prince Harrys confirmation at the Kings coronation comes after months of speculation over whether he would attend the ceremony. Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May, the Palace said in a statement on Wednesday. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. His attendance marks his first meeting with his father and brother, the Prince of Wales, after making several bombshell claims about the royal family in Spare, which hit bookshelves last January. The couple also laid bare their grievances with the royal family in the six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan. It was reported that Harry was seeking an apology from Charles and Prince William before he made any commitment to the ceremony. Ahead of the publication of his memoir, Harry said in an interview that the door is always open for reconciliation. Following the announcement, a source told The Sun that the King is happy that Prince Harry will travel to the UK to be at the coronation but is very disappointed that his daughter-in-law and two grandchildren wont attend. The King is happy that Harry, his son, who he calls his darling boy, will be at the Abbey. He wanted him there, they said. It is sad, he is very disappointed that he wont see Meghan or his grandchildren but understands the situation. However, royal author Omid Scobie said that Prince Archies fourth birthday was a factor in the couples decision to have Meghan remain in California. I understand that Archies fourth birthday (also on 6 May) played a factor in the couples decision, he tweeted. Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. King Charles III will be crowned during a slimmed-down coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey next month. Some 2,000 guests are expected to be in attendance, a stark contrast to the 8,000 guests present at the late Queen Elizabeth IIs coronation in 1953. The new monarch will appear on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony to wave at crowds on the day of his coronation, but its been reported that only working royals will appear alongside him. This means that Prince Harry, who stepped down from his role as a senior working royal in 2020, will not be present on the balcony. A beloved DeKalb County elementary school teacher is facing charges after police say he brought a loaded gun into a school and left it in a restroom. Sheldon Strickland, a fifth-grade teacher at Kingsley Elementary School in Dunwoody, was arrested and charged with one count of carrying weapons within a school zone, jail records confirmed. As of 5 p.m. Friday, it was unclear if he had hired an attorney. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The alleged incident took place Thursday. Investigators say another teacher found the loaded gun inside a faculty restroom and reported it to administrators who wasted no time placing the entire school on lockdown. The school principal, Dr. Tyra Harris-Thompson, sent the following letter home to parents: As you know, Kingsley Elementary School is committed to providing safe learning environments for all students, staff, and visitors. This communication is being sent to inform our families and staff with accurate information about an incident at our school today. A weapon was found in an adult restroom. The school went on immediate lockdown, district police responded immediately, all safety protocols were followed, and no one was harmed or injured. The owner of the weapon was an employee, and the situation was resolved within thirty minutes by public safety. No students were involved in the situation. Please know that we will continue to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our students and staff. This incident is another reminder of the Dekalb County School Districts See Something, Say Something campaign that encourages anyone who suspects any unsafe situation on campus to report it promptly to school staff or law enforcement. We want to thank our students and staff for their diligence and response to the lockdown. Please know that the safety of our entire Kingsley family remains our top priority. If you have questions or concerns regarding our safety procedures, please feel free to reach out at any time. Thank you for your understanding and support of our school community. Dr. Tyra Harris-Thompson Story continues On Friday, Channel 2s Michael Seiden spoke with several parents about the alleged incident. Those who know Strickland described him as a passionate and creative teacher who is great with kids. Hes just a really, really sweet guy, said Jessica Doyle, a parent of a fifth-grade student. He has great interactions with the kids. TRENDING STORIES: On his YouTube page, Strickland shared one of his classroom lessons that shows him using rap music to make learning fun. Channel 2 Action News reached out to the school district for comment and a spokesperson sent the following statement: The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is aware of an investigation of a school employee at Kingsley Elementary School who reportedly brought a weapon onto campus on Thursday, April 13. Appropriate school and district personnel are cooperating fully with the DCSD police investigation. Following District protocols, the employee has been placed on paid administrative leave until the investigation is completed due to the seriousness of the reported incident. To not compromise the integrity of the ongoing investigation, the District will not comment further on any additional specifics of the case. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Denmark is going to send Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine The Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) company is finalising the refurbishment of the tanks. Poulsen visited FFG alongside representatives of the defense committee and Foreign Policy Council. They also checked Leopard 1A5 tanks that are also undergoing restoration. Read also: Denmark to transfer 100 Leopard-1 tanks to Ukraine "I am very pleased to be able to invite parliamentary politicians to FFG so they too can see how far we have come in the process of restoring the Leopard 1 tanks. And we hope to be able to send them to Ukraine very soon," the official said. Read also: Denmark and Norway to provide 8,000 artillery shells, Australia to supply $80 million in remote weapon systems Denmark plans to send around 80 tanks for two battalions after the Ukrainian military completes the necessary training. Denmark and the Netherlands plan to transfer Leopards to Ukraine, as well as Germany, Poland, Canada, Portugal, Spain, and Norway, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said on Feb. 14. Finland has also confirmed its participation in the tank coalition, while some governments have reconsidered their decisions to supply Ukraine with battle tanks. 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 Denzel Washington may not always remember meeting other celebrities before they become famous. But he has a unique history with rapper Drake that has fans raising questions. The Equalizer star spoke about their encounter during a recent interview with Good Morning America to celebrate the opening of The Boys and Girls Clubs 5,000th location in Elgin, Illinois. Washington became a spokesperson for The Boys and Girls Club of America more than 30 years ago and credits the organization for helping to mold him. Each facility offers safe and fun community spaces and opportunities for young kids to thrive, like Drake, whom he met at a Boys & Girls Club in Toronto. Denzel Washington (L) and Drake (R) (Photo: Good Morning America screenshot/YouTube) A short clip from the interview was shared on Twitter and Instagram, which features the 68-year-old explaining how he met the Canadian native when he was a kid. I met a kid in Toronto who came up and was fascinated because I was like this star and he wanted to talk to me and couldnt believe that he met me, said Washington. Well, 10 or 15 years later, he came up, and he said, You dont remember when you met me, and I said, No. His name is Drake, and he said what I said to him; he never forgot. Denzel Washington speaks on meeting Drake at a Boys & Girls Club when he was younger on GMA pic.twitter.com/VvDyEWm8P7 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) April 13, 2023 The clip was shared by 2Cool2Blog on Instagram and Twitter, where fans recalled Washington forgetting the time when he met another celebrity, Damson Idris. He met the Snowfall actor when Idris auditioned to play his son in the 2016 movie, Fences. But Washington didnt remember the meeting when he was asked about Idris at a premiere event in 2022. The British entertainer had often been compared to the Glory star, which was news to Washington. Idris shared that Washington did remember him the next time they met at a Lakers game. Story continues He walks my direction, he goes to shake all of the news peoples hands, hes walking right by me, and Im like, I gotta say something. Denzel, Denzel, Hi. Thank you for everything. Hes like, Thank you, son. I go, Its Damson Idris, and then he spins, remembers last year when I was getting cooked and he was like, Aye, my man! Aye, my boy! Hey, you owe me money! It was cool man, it was fun. Full circle moment. Social media users had plenty to say online about Washington and his forgetful memory. One fan joked, Denzel dont remember nobody. Another who referred to his age jokingly said, Damn.Denzel really getting up there. A third fan asked, Damn what he say that Drake aint forget? Washington did not share what he told the Her Loss rapper. In response to the critics, a few fans noted that Drake previously paid homage to one of his favorite actors. One said, I remember niggas gave Drake hell for that Denzel tattoo, sometimes its good to keep yall mouths closed. Drake has always been fond of Washington and even has a tattoo of the beloved actor on his body. Back in 2017, Drizzy received a tattoo of the two-time Oscar winners role in Spike Lees Mo Better Blues. In the 1990 film, Washington played the fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam. I heard about this, said Washington when asked about the tattoo on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. After Fallon made jokes about where the tattoo was located, Washington added, Now you got me wondering: where is that? Thats crazy. The Boys & Girls Club has 5,000 locations supporting more than 40 million kids across the country. MANCHESTER, N.H. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu recently had some advice for anyone hoping to win a presidential primary in his state: acting like a rock star aint gonna fly. Ron DeSantis didnt get the memo. The Florida governor got the celebrity treatment when he made his first trip to New Hampshire, headlining a sold-out state party dinner on Friday. He won multiple standing ovations, once after protesters rushed the stage and then again after he said it's "wrong to tell a second-grader that they were born in the wrong body. DeSantis was swarmed for photos after his speech, despite officials pleading with people to stay in their seats so the governor could move about the room. He worked the 500-person crowd at the Amos Tuck dinner in downtown Manchester for over an hour, a flurry of handshakes and photos that the state party chair said was unplanned and that defies the notion that he lacks retail skills. DeSantis might have a big enough reputation that he can skip over the small rooms other presidential contenders have to work. But he's trying to walk the walk in this small state that prides itself on putting politicians through the retail-politics wringer, and is expected to follow up his star turn in Manchester with some smaller stops on Saturday. And that could spell trouble for his would-be rivals in the polling single-digits, whove been betting big on early state retail politicking to set themselves apart from their big-name competitors DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, who is still No. 1 in the polls. If youre in New Hampshire and youre running a sustained grassroots campaign, town hall-style meetings I know Nikki Haley has several coming up then youre able to slowly build up a presence with the right message. And thats the way to penetrate the Trump-DeSantis narrative and get yourself into the top level of the presidential race, veteran New Hampshire GOP strategist Mike Dennehy said. Story continues But I dont think you can come once a month for a couple of days, and have a couple of town hall meetings, and stop by a couple of diners, and have that be enough of an effort to make a difference, he said. Haley has stuck to that cadence since her launch, coming through New Hampshire once a month for a series of town halls that she argues are her key to beating Trump. I am not going to focus on doing big rallies, Haley told a small crowd at the Derry-Salem Elks Lodge last month when asked how she planned to defeat Trump in the primary. Were going to touch hands over and over and over again. You have to go face to face. You cant just fly in and out. While Haley plots her return to New Hampshire, Vivek Ramaswamy is in the midst of a 10-county bus tour through the state thats taking him from breweries to civic-engagement centers. And the first stop Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) made in New Hampshire since declaring his presidential exploratory committee was to work the counter at the cramped Red Arrow Diner in Manchester. As DeSantis inches closer to a presidential bid, he's going to need to find a way to keep the single-digit candidates at bay while competing against the party's other rock star: Trump. Only Donald Trump can come and campaign with tens of thousands of people in an arena. Most candidates in New Hampshire are going to have to commit to going to living rooms and backyard barbecues and that includes Ron DeSantis, former New Hampshire GOP Chair Wayne MacDonald, who chaired former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christies 2016 campaign in New Hampshire, said in an interview. If hes not prepared to do that, then hes going to have a problem in New Hampshire. DeSantis not only sold out the state GOP's major fundraising dinner on Friday, but he helped the party raise a record $382,000 in part by asking his own donors to pitch in. And the governor's impromptu glad-handing sent the already star-struck crowd of party activists into a tizzy. They mobbed him as he shuffled from table to table, chattering about the unseasonably warm weather Im taking credit for it and clasping hands. But Friday was just DeSantis' introduction to a state known for weeding out politicians who can't hoof it on the trail. My advice to [DeSantis] is to accept the invitation to the Belknap County Republican Committee cruise on June 2, Belknap County Republican Chair Gregg Hough said. There will be 300 to 500 of the states most important Republicans, and if he wants to have a crack at this place, hes going to have to do that. Scott Eisen/Getty Images MANCHESTER, NHFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis had New Hampshire Republicans buzzing ahead of his Granite State debut Friday night, except for one thing. Several attendees told The Daily Beast they worry that DeSantis signing a six-week abortion ban this week could blow the air out of his campaign before it even starts. Others said they hoped to get some facetime with the governorwith tickets running from $150 per person in the main hall to $600 for the VIP roombut werent overly optimistic. For New Hampshire GOP bigwigs dressed for a combination of prom and the opening of a new luxury car dealership, DeSantis reputation preceded him and left them slightly skeptical. (The governor made sure to work the room for at least 45 minutes at the event, personally greeting those in attendance). Its certainly the hottest ticket on the trail, said Chuck McGee, a Concord Republican and the former executive director of the New Hampshire GOP. We wanna actually find out that hes gonna get in the race and if hes gonna be our Trump with a better disposition, added his wife, Carrie McGee, as they headed toward the ballroom at the Double Tree by Hilton in downtown Manchester. But they had some hesitations. I think a six-week ban would be a hard sell here in New Hampshire, said Chuck McGee, who pleaded guilty to a felony charge in 2004 stemming from the 2002 New Hampshire Senate election phone jamming scandal. Carrie McGee credited DeSantis for standing by his position and getting the bill passed in Florida. Cant run away from whats right, she said. Rick Devoid, a Granite State Republican from Boscawen, said a six-week ban would be pushing it among the New Hampshire primary electorate, which unlike most states, also includes independents. The Daily Beast was prohibited from covering DeSantis remarks from inside the hall, after the executive director of the New Hampshire GOP, Elliot Gault, revoked this reporters press credentials. On Thursday, Gault said The Daily Beast was approved to cover the event. Story continues But on Friday, just a few hours after the latest Trump attack ad describing the governor as Pudding Fingersreferring to an anecdote first reported by The Daily Beast when DeSantis shoveled pudding into his mouth with three fingersGault said The Daily Beast would no longer be credentialed for the event. As first reported by The Daily Beast, metal detectors were present at the event, a rarity in New Hampshire Republican politics. Colorado Security, a vendor frequently seen at Trump rallies, was also on hand for the fundraiser. Ahead of the most hotly anticipated New Hampshire debut for Granite State Republicans, there was still plenty of hype in the air for DeSantis. Im hoping he says hes running for president, but that probably wont happen, joked Brad Chandler, a Manchester Republican. The speech had an early hiccup when a pair of women rushed the stage chanting, Jews against DeSantis. Two attendees witnessed the women standing next to their table for about 45 to 60 seconds unnoticed before they burst onto the stage. Another New Hampshire Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid any professional retribution, described the incident as a huge security failure. DeSantis brushed off the kerfuffle as the protesters were dragged off stage. Gotta have a little spice in the speech, right? the governor quipped to a round of applause. DeSantis did not mention abortion or Trump by name in the speech, according to Reuters. For those most excited about a potential DeSantis run, it was starting to feel a bit like Camelot back at the Double Tree bar. Chandler and a group of attendees at the bar said they thought DeSantis could bring a JFK-type image to the national stage and help Republicans win over moderates and independents. Carrie McGee, on the other hand, said the JFK comparison wouldnt exactly be a fit for the modern day GOP. I dont know that JFK is all that memory makes him out to be, she quipped. There were, of course, stalwarts of the New Hampshire primary who understood the traditional Granite State assignment. Im not voting for anybody yet, Im just keeping an eye out, state Sen. Ruth Ward, a Republican from Stoddard whose Swedish family fled from China after the Communist Revolution, told The Daily Beast. Yet for others, the main attraction of the night was a different DeSantis. Id love to see Casey, Erika Salinas, a Florida native coming to the event from Maine, told The Daily Beast. Shes just such an iconic American woman. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Like many state leaders this year, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers used his January State of the State address to call for expanding student mental health services. We cannot overstate the profound impact that the past few years have had on our kids, he said. But his state is among 40 that havent begun to distribute their share of nearly $1 billion in federal funding for school safety and mental health services approved last year as part of a bipartisan gun safety law. President Joe Biden signed the legislation in the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting that left 19 students and two adults dead. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Education Secretary Miguel Cardona pressed state chiefs last month on why most of them hadnt even launched competitions for districts to apply for funds, calling it unacceptable during a mental health crisis. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona spoke with North Dakota Superintendent Kirsten Baesler at the Council of Chief State School Officers legislative conference last month. (Council of Chief State School Officers Twitter) Parents who saw the pandemics impact on their childrens well-being agree. We have to address the real trauma, said Ericka Thompson, an Atlanta-area parent. She said its important for students to have access to therapists not just guidance counselors especially at the high school level.. After months of remote learning, her oldest son, a senior at Westlake High School, said he was feeling apathetic and had zero drive to do anything. She found him a private therapist who recently finished his masters degree. Her ninth grader Matthew said its baffling that their school doesnt have therapists because teens face more real-world pressure than younger students. Related Virtual Nightmare: One Students Journey Through the Pandemic State leaders attribute the delay to their offices and district staff still trying to get billions of pandemic relief funds out the door with fast-approaching spending deadlines. They are working hard to invest historic amounts of federal funds effectively in a short amount of time, said Marc Seigel, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Education, which received $8.2 million from the safety program, known as Strong Connections. The state is one of 23, plus the District of Columbia, that plans to open up an application period this spring. We want to ensure that the timing of these grant dollars [comes] at a time where districts can meaningfully direct the funding. Story continues Another 10 states are now accepting or reviewing applications for the program, and 17 havent said when they plan to open up for applications. Only one Oklahoma has already distributed the money. Former state Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who recently lost her race for governor to incumbent Republican Kevin Stitt, prioritized the expansion of mental health services before she left office because she wanted to ensure that this didnt get lost when she left office. Related The Wild West: GOP Lawmakers Push to Refuse Billions in Federal School Funds The federal government awarded the funds, including $11.7 million to Oklahoma, on Sept. 15, 2022. By November, the states application was open and districts had about six weeks to apply. Thirty-eight districts, out of over 120 that applied, received funding, Hofmeister said. The new grants will allow districts to keep funding positions for counselors and other mental health professionals that they hired with federal relief funds. Related Oklahoma Bets on School Counseling Corps to Address Mental Health Deserts Even though most students have been back in the classroom for almost two full school years, educators say many are still relearning social skills that got neglected during the pandemic. Its amazing how many of these kids dont know how to address you in the hallway, said Virginia DeLong, a counselor at Norwich Technical High School in Connecticut. They are at a loss. Because many students at her school go straight into the workforce after graduation, DeLong spends a lot of her time teaching them skills such as how to prepare for an interview or follow-up on an application. For individual needs, the school has a therapist who meets with students three days a week. Its great, but its not enough, she said. Honestly, we could have that five days a week and add another person. A drop in the ocean In addition to the $1 billion grant to states, which districts can use for efforts like anti-bullying programs and staff training, districts competed for an additional $500 million over five years directly from the Education Department to add mental health professionals. Another $500 million is available to expand university training programs. The Guilford County Schools in North Carolina has so far received $2.9 million of the $14 million it was awarded, which Superintendent Whitney Oakley said will allow the district to add more counselors, social workers and psychologists. Its kind of like a drop in the ocean, said Oakley. We just have so much work to do. The safety and well-being of our students is one of my top priorities as Superintendent and a parent. Thank you to the dozens of students who answered the call to join me in discussing how to best foster healthy and safe schools at today's student safety summit #BetterTogetherGCS pic.twitter.com/jPF2PKYaii Dr. Whitney Oakley (@Super_GCS) November 17, 2022 In November, she met with at least 100 students for a safety summit, and again last month for a similar discussion on mental health. She said they told her they want someone they can talk to if theyre having a panic attack and that they want mental health to be part of the fabric of public education. She attributed last years 30% chronic absenteeism rate among students in part to psychological issues. It doesnt matter how strong an instructional program is, or how great the teacher, if students dont come, she said. Keith Pemberton, a school social worker in the Guilford County Schools, meets with a student. (Guilford County Schools) The district, she said, plans to add 16 full-time clinicians. And building off its experience recruiting tutors from local universities, the district will hire graduate students preparing to work in school mental health to provide additional services. Medicaid guidance Cardona said recently that he wants the funds for mental health drawn down quicker. But Kayla Tawa, youth policy analyst at the left-leaning Center for Law and Social Policy, said theres a reason some states might be taking their time. Thats because theyre waiting for instructions from Washington on how to bill Medicaid for mental health services for low-income students who qualify. That would free up grant dollars for other programs that benefit all students. Guidance on that provision in the law is expected this spring. Advocates have been asking for this for a long time, she said. For schools that have high low-income populations, its very worthwhile for them. But some mental health providers and advocates would like to see a more direct, permanent solution that relieves districts from having to patch together multiple sources of funding. Related Teen Mental Health Crisis Pushes More School Districts to Sue Social Media Giants This is a defining education and public health issue, said Duncan Young, CEO of New Jersey-based Effective School Solutions. The company works in nine states to provide psychological services to schools with students at-risk of being placed in a mental health facility. He pointed to a new $100 million proposal from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro for school-based mental health services as one example of the sustainable approach school officials want. Grants both state and federal have expiration dates, he said. Unfortunately, for the mental health challenges that our young people are experiencing, we dont see an expiration date. Robbie Bennett, executive director of the Development Authority of Columbia County, stands next to an information display on the organization's website about redevelopment powers the county was seeking, in this photo from 2018. The head of Columbia Countys development authority is leaving the post to lead a nonprofit dedicated to fostering a diverse, thriving economy in communities around Savannah River Site. Robbie Bennett spent his last day Friday as executive director of the Development Authority of Columbia County and has accepted the position of president and CEO of the SRS Community Reuse Organization, based in Aiken County. Hell be replacing Rick McLeod, who is now the founder and principal of Atomic Advice, a consultancy offering guidance in strategic planning and project management. Bennett is the immediate past chairman of SRSCROs board of directors, which governs the nonprofit. "It has an economic development mission, in that its to support capacity-building regionally and to promote economic development through that capacity-building, he said. In the beginning: New director is no stranger to Masters Week Special delivery: Amazon center in Columbia County opens officially Bennett held posts at the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Greenwood (S.C.) Partnership Alliance and the Augusta Economic Development Authority before becoming the DACCs executive director in 2013. During his DACC tenure, he supported economic development teams that brought manufacturing to Columbia County, and jobs to the Augusta area, through companies such as Amazon, Club Car, John Deere and Georgia Iron Works. But hes especially proud of his role in helping establish the countys White Oak Business Park near Appling, now anchored by Amazon and Club Car facilities. Its exciting, as we went through a period where we didnt have product, we didnt have opportunity. And while we had great population growth and small business and retail were growing through the rooftops, we needed quality jobs as well, Bennett said. Being able to support our existing industries, to be able to support new, growing opportunities, has been such a blessing. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Development executive leaves Columbia County to lead SRS nonprofit Following news that Lilo & Stitch will be the latest Disney classic to get the live-action treatment, fans of the 2002 animated movie were abuzz with predictions and desires for who would take on the iconic Native Hawaiian roles. Many were left disappointed Friday, April 14 when Disney announced the casting of a biracial, light-skinned actor in the role of Nani, Lilos older sister, who in the original movie was drawn with darker skin, black hair and ethnic features. Not being Indigenous or from a PoC community, it may not be easy to see a problem with this casting, but within our communities this is a big issue, one person tweeted. Nani is Indigenous Hawaiian with strong features and dark skin, this casting is blatant colorism. Disney did not respond to a request for comment. In the 2024 adaptation of Lilo & Stitch, Nani will be played by 22-year-old Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, who is multiracial with Hawaiian ancestry. Newcomer Maia Kealoha will play 6-year-old Lilo, and Zach Galifianakis has joined the cast in an unspecified role. While some celebrated the casting, many Native Hawaiian fans said they were hoping for an actor who wasnt white-passing and whose features reflected those of the islands Indigenous population. Listen, shes probably a lovely woman but I cant help but feel disappointed, another person tweeted. I wanted Nani to look like me. Some say this is a pattern with Disney projects. Nanis reimagining parallels the controversy around the casting of Princess Jasmine in Disneys 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin, fans tweeted. The sultans daughter in the fictional Agrabah (the setting and language of which some critics said was an indecisive mix between South Asia and the Middle East), was played by Naomi Scott, a biracial British actor of Indian ancestry. Audiences called her casting out as whitewashing of the original character, who was the only Disney princess with darker skin at the time of the animated movies release in 1992. Story continues Disney also caught heat in 2018 for changing Tiana the studios first Black princess, from The Princess and the Frog by portraying her with lighter skin and looser curls in an unreleased version of Ralph Breaks the Internet. After images of this new depiction surfaced online, Disney reanimated the scene, facing backlash from fans and feedback from the voice actor who played Tiana. They eventually reverted the characters looks closer to her depiction in The Princess and the Frog. Stop glorifying eurocentric beauty standards in the name of erasing characteristics and features, a fan tweeted. Give darker skinned pacific islanders the visibility we deserve. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com RICHMOND, Ind. Defense attorneys for Phillip Lee, the Richmond man charged last year with killing a city police officer, have been granted a court order to move their client to the New Castle Correctional Facility. However, state Department of Correction officials have expressed reluctance to transfer the 47-year-old Lee now being held for safekeeping at the Pendleton Correctional Facility in Madison County to the New Castle prison. A tribute to Richmond Police Department K-9 Officer Seara Burton stands outside the Richmond Municipal Building. Lee faces a possible death sentence if convicted of fatally shooting Richmond police officer Seara Burton last summer, and is also charged with a variety of other firearm and drug-related crimes. Investigators said Burton, 28, was shot in the head after being called to assist with a traffic stop on Aug. 10, 2022. According to state police, Lee riding a moped when he was stopped fired multiple shots. The officer died in a Richmond-area hospice facility 38 days after being wounded. Lee last year indicated he intended to represent himself at trial. However, he is now represented by three Indianapolis attorneys Denise Turner, Jonathan Harwell and Andrew Maternowski. In January, Wayne Circuit Court Judge April Drake granted a request from the defense team allowing Lee to receive in-person visits at the Pendleton prison from the lawyers and their staff as often as twice a week. In February, however, the defense attorneys asked that Lee be transferred to the New Castle prison, saying officials at the Pendleton facility had been uncooperative, "bordering on the edge of interference with Lee's fundamental right to counsel." Judge Drake signed the transfer order on Feb. 17. However, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's office in March asked the judge to rescind that order, saying Lee was not eligible to be held in New Castle's medium security facility due to his security classification, and in part because of his two convictions for escape. Deputy Attorney General Stephanie Davis also wrote that as of March 10, officials at the maximum security prison in Pendleton had made exceptions to their visitation policies "in order to accommodate (Lee's) defense team." Story continues The Richmond man's murder trial was most recently scheduled for March 7. A new trial date has not yet been set. Judge Drake this month directed prosecutors to submit proposed dates for pre-trial hearings and the trial, and asked defense attorneys to respond to the state's "motion to correct error" regarding Lee's placement. Attorneys and others involved are subject to a gag order that prohibits public remarks on most aspects of the case. Lee's lead counsel is Turner. She was part of the defense team for Jason Brown, a Marion County man who for a time faced a possible death sentence in the 2017 slaying of a Southport police officer. Prosecutors in that case agreed to end their pursuit of a death sentence after Brown waived his right to a jury trial. Brown, 33, is now serving a 55-year sentence in the New Castle Correctional Facility after a Marion County judge found him guilty of murder. Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Man charged in Richmond police killing seeks move to New Castle prison Dominic Raab has given his evidence to the inquiry - Leon Neal/Getty Images The investigation into alleged bullying by Dominic Raab will not deliver a verdict, say official sources. The inquiry, by lawyer Adam Tolley KC, will detail the evidence but make no recommendations, leaving it to Rishi Sunak to decide on the basis of the facts whether to stand by one of his most loyal supporters or carry out a mini-Cabinet reshuffle, the sources say. Whitehall is braced for Mr Tolleys report into bullying allegations by civil servants this week. The inquiry was set up by Mr Sunak in November to establish the facts around the complaints against Mr Raab, the Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister. There are said to be eight main complaints of bullying, comprising witnesses and alleged victims at three Whitehall departments who have been interviewed by Mr Tolley. Sources said his report was now complete, with Mr Raab having given his evidence. Rishi and Dominic are very close politically. If he is going, he will own it and just do it. They will want to do it with the minimum blood-letting possible. Theres a chance he announces something before we even know, said one source. If he is staying, the report will be published and we will have a chance to have a look at it. There have been claims that civil servants, including some in senior roles, have alleged that Mr Raab belittled and demeaned them and was very rude and aggressive in meetings. Some are said to have been in tears or physically sick before meetings. At least two of his permanent secretaries are said to have spoken to him about his demanding and driven approach to his work, but his allies said no formal complaints were ever raised with him and, as soon as he became aware of them, he called for an official investigation. Theres no question he was ever made aware of any formal complaint until the investigation landed. Its the case that he has acted professionally all along. He holds people and himself to the highest standards to deliver for the British people. He has never shouted or sworn. Thats his defence. Thats his position, said one ally. Story continues Another colleague said: He does not accept that anything he has done constitutes bullying. It is the case that he is demanding, but his view is that he is trying to drive the department to get the best value for the taxpayer and best outcome for victims. Despite the strong rebuttals of the allegations, Mr Raab has publicly accepted that he will resign if an allegation of bullying is upheld. The pledge, made on the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show at the end of February was carefully worded, as he knew the report will not make a judgment on what crosses the threshold of bullying. It is for the Prime Minister to sack him or for him to agree a solution with him and walk before he is pushed, said a source. Prime Minister may be emboldened The calculation for Mr Sunak will depend on how egregious the facts are within the report and whether the claims are supported by evidence. Mr Sunak set out his stall when he pledged to instil integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the Government as he aimed to move the party on from the Boris Johnson era. If the report is judged to be egregious, it will be difficult politically. However, as one commentator countered: To what extent is this a Westminster bubble story? Do people care and will people buy into the whole woke Civil Service idea? Mr Raab was a lynchpin in Mr Sunaks leadership campaigns, and a source said: If it was any other Cabinet minister it would be easier, but this is one of Rishi Sunaks close allies who has stood by him. The Prime Minister may be emboldened. He has had a few good weeks. We have a competent Prime Minister. He has gone out and delivered a few big things and suddenly has a grip on it, regardless of how much you rate him. He has got his back bench largely under control. He might feel he can keep him. Separately, The Telegraph can reveal that the Ministry of Justices human resources budget increased by more than 30 times to more than 18,000 per day under Mr Raabs first stint as Justice Secretary. Figures released under transparency rules and compiled by Labour show that, in the year Mr Raab was in office from September 2021, the department spent 6.7 million on HR. In the previous two years, under Sir Robert Buckland, the department spent just 200,000 on HR the equivalent of 265 per day. Angela Rayner, Labours deputy leader, said: Not only has Dominic Raab failed to keep people safe due to a crumbling criminal justice system, but his department is also haemorrhaging taxpayers money as Ministry of Justice civil servants seek HR support on an unprecedented scale on his watch. These figures lift the lid on his toxic reign as Justice Secretary. Niles residents will receive their first bills for garbage collection next month after the village moved to separate the garbage bill from the rest of the property tax bill in late 2021. Courtesy of Paramount This is a preview of our pop culture newsletter The Daily Beasts Obsessed, written by editor Kevin Fallon. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox each week, sign up for it here. This week: We Should All Be Watching Drew You know when Drew Barrymore sits crossed-legged, things are about to get serious. Videos keep going viral of Barrymore sitting with her guests, and talking about the most intense issues a person could talk about. That is not, for the record, how daytime TV works. I dont want to shock anyone who is still operating under delusions, but celebrities publicists usually prep their clients with a fun anecdoteoften something wild happened while on vacation in the Bahamas!and the host knows to prompt for that story. The hosts dont usually sit criss-cross-apple-sauce and stare deeply into your soul. Interviews conducted by Barrymore keep being shared because of how aggressively they dont subscribe to that usual model. This week, it was Barrymore connecting on a real level that, I dont think, most journalists have done, with Brooke Shields. The two were discussing their uncomfortable relationship to the #MeToo movement, as actresses who were sexualized so young. It was a beautiful conversation, and proof that no one is doing interviews like Barrymore: to be able to, in a short segment on daytime TV, connect in a way that is so filled with empathy and curiosity. It just doesnt happen! Well, it does. Drew does it. But it shouldnt work this well. Theres another recent clip that went viralsaying that is gross, like its a 22-year-old singing a song and is silly. In reality, these conversations are gorgeous and informative. It was Barrymore interviewing Melanie Lynskey, whom shes known for decades after starring together in Ever After, and her husband, Jason Ritter. Jason spoke about his sobriety, which was incredibly touching. And while the conversation wasnt centered around her, it was impossible not to watch Barrymore, and the way in which she offered the space for that conversation to happen. Story continues To do what shes doing in these drive-by celebrity interactions is outrageous. Maybe because she has this reputation, stars go into her interviews feeling more vulnerable and more comfortable. But at a time when the curse of daytime television is that it feels so produced, the spontaneity and realness of these conversations are providing a value in celebrity news that no one else isor, frankly, could. She also gave Kathryn Hahn a lap dance to celebrate shaving her legs. Shes Doing the Thing Ariana DeBose hosted shows before she went viral. She did the thing before it was cool. Specifically, she was a Tony Awards hostand a great one. She used the opportunity to sit on Andrew Garfields lap and cradle his face. Relatable! Shes been announced as the Tony host again this year, after her bizarre rap in a musical number for the BAFTAs became a memeAngela Bassett did the thingand the news set off a new round of jokes. Specifically, about which theater star might do the thing at this years Tonys, and which, like Jamie Lee Curtis, is all of us. Here are some of my favorite posts. (Apparently, Annaleigh Ashford is doing the thing): Twitter Twitter Twitter Jake Gyllenhaal Is Hot While Eating Wings This week, I learned just how many people have an exact fetish for Jake Gyllenhaal eating chicken wings. I dont judge. Like Jamie Lee, you are all of us. That said, Gyllenhaals appearance on Hot Ones, the show where celebrities discuss their careers while eating spicy chicken wings, seemed to unlock a ferality like Ive rarely seen. I get it. But also, are you all OK? Twitter Twitter The Biggest Interview of the Week Here is Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandlers reaction to a very tall boy. Twitter I cant stop watching this clip. (Watch it here.) What to watch this week The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Or at least let it inspire you to go coat shopping. (Now on Prime Video) The Last Thing He Told Me: If theres a Jennifer Garner star vehicle, were watching. (Now on Apple TV+) Barry: My god, this final season is so good. Book therapy for right after you watch. (Sunday on HBO) What to skip this week: Renfield: It turns out that Nicolas Cage as a vampire is only so entertaining. (Now in theater) Mafia Mamma: Toni Collette deserves better. (Now in theaters) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Final Season Deserves Your Attention Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A Georgia driver died during a police pursuit on Interstate 77 in Mooresville early Friday after he left his car, hurdled over a highway barrier and was hit by an oncoming driver, a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper said. Kameen Odai Thomas, the 22-year-old driver from Conyers, Georgia, died at the scene, Master Trooper Christopher Casey said in a news release Saturday morning. The other driver wasnt hurt, Casey said. Mooresville Police were pursuing Thomas about 2 a.m. on southbound I-77, the trooper said. Officers deployed stop sticks that stopped Thomas car in the southbound toll lane, near I-77 Brawley School Road exit 35 at Lake Norman, Casey said. It wasnt immediately known Saturday why police were pursuing Thomas. Thomas then jumped across the concrete barrier of the toll roads and was hit by a driver in the northbound toll lane, Casey said. A passenger in Thomas car left when Thomas did and hasnt been found, Casey said. Both toll lanes were closed for about three hours as troopers investigated the incident. Saturday afternoon, Mooresville officers responded to another fatality, this one involving a single-car wreck at N.C. 150 and Rolling Hill Road, at I-77 Exit 36. About 4:20 p.m., a driver died after turning onto Rolling Hill Road and performing what police described as a careless and reckless traffic maneuver at a high rate of speed. The driver wasnt wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle, according to a Mooresville Police Department news release. The driver, 64-year-old Alan Ray Lorek of Mooresville, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. An eagle who went viral for his steadfast determination to incubate a rock has taken a real eaglet under his wing. Murphy, a 31-year-old male bald eagle at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri, started gaining fans last month after a now-viral tweet from a visitor showed him sitting on the ground in his enclosure. Near him was a sign that assured onlookers Murphy was OK, just a little confused. Murphy is NOT hurt, sick, or otherwise in distress, the sign said. He has built a nest on the ground, and is very carefully incubating a rock! We wish him the best of luck! The sanctuary said in a Facebook post about the situation that Murphy was not sad or lonely just reacting to spring hormones. But some admirers nevertheless felt that the bird was showing signs he could make a great dad if only he had the chance. That chance would arise just a few weeks later. On Tuesday, the sanctuary said in a follow-up post that Murphy had become so protective of his rock nest screaming and charging at fellow birds he perceived as a threat that he was distressing the other eagles in the enclosure. So staff moved Murphy and his rock to their own private enclosure to alleviate tensions. As fate would have it, around the same time, someone brought a bruised and battered eagle chick to the sanctuary whose nest had been blown down by high winds. A plan was made to introduce the chick to one of our adult bald eagles to foster, but which one? the sanctuary wrote. Of course, the answer was obvious. The eaglet was introduced to Murphys enclosure, first inside a small crate containing blankets and a heating pad that the sanctuary affectionately calls baby jail. The baby jail keeps the chick safe while the two birds acclimate to one another. Murphy, for his part, soon began responding to the baby eagles peeps and protecting the area around the eaglet. A few days later, the eaglet was released from baby jail so the two could interact directly. The elder eagle stepped into the role of a single dad with aplomb and was soon feeding the younger bird part of a fish. Story continues Murphy and his new charge are bonding beautifully, the sanctuary wrote on Saturday, alongside a video showing the pair side by side. The post noted that when the food arrives, Murphy can be seen waiting for the eaglet to eat, then demonstrating how to do so. The sanctuary has not named the eaglet due to superstition that when a wildlife rehabilitation center names one of its patients, that animal will not end up being able to be released back into the wild. Murphy is a permanent sanctuary resident due to a wing injury that prevents him from flying. But that hindrance hasnt stopped the 31-year-old from being a great adoptive father. Murphy is modeling eagle behavior perfectly, and becoming a wonderful, gentle papa, the sanctuary wrote. Related... In a muddied trench under fire from Russian forces 200 metres away, Ukrainian servicemen injured while holding the line near the bloodiest battle of Moscow's invasion face a precarious extraction. "If someone gets unlucky, we have to carry them between one and three kilometres to the nearest place they can be collected," a Ukrainian soldier who calls himself Begemot told AFP journalists several kilometres (miles) from the embattled city of Bakhmut. "Even a light injury can be fatal in these conditions," he added, the sound of artillery thundering behind him. The difficulty of hauling out injured troops is just one among the myriad factors dictating the timing of a highly-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian positions across the sprawling frontline. Ukraine is understood to be stockpiling precision ammunitions, mass recruiting assault battalions and mastering Western-supplied arms in preparation for a decisive pushback against Russian forces. Observers of the Kremlin's invasion say that after fending off a months-long lacklustre Russian offensive in the eastern Donetsk region Ukraine could hit back within weeks. But in the water-logged eastern industrial Donetsk region, Ukrainian soldiers tasked with holding the line against waves of Russian forces say: not yet. - 'Stuck in the mud' - "Any military hardware that passes here, their undercarriage will get stuck in the mud. They'll be targets. We can't talk about a counter-offensive yet," Begemot said. AFP journalists moving towards a frontline position near Bakhmut saw Ukrainian troops dislodging by hand their transport stuck in the mud. Watching over that very same battlefield from footage streamed by drones over the trenches, 42-year-old battalion commander Evgeny sees assault as inevitable. "It's going to happen. Clearly. The situation on the front line dictates that. But a counter-offensive can only happen when the enemy's forces are exhausted," he explained to AFP. Story continues He said that even over the weeks his troops have been tasked with containing Russian forces from advancing around Bakhmut's flanks, the attackers were loosing steam. "We have to grind them down so they can't relocate their forces," he said, describing in detail how Russian forces send waves of dispensable, then more experienced fighters towards his trenches. Based on intercepted radio communications and footage his drones feed back to the bunker, he believes Russian forces -- still pushing deeper inside Bakhmut -- are ultimately preparing for Ukraine to attack too. "The enemy has started to lay mines along sections of their lines, which means they are tired. Theyre preparing to defend," he said. That was a sentiment echoed this week by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin whose fighting force, Wagner, has been spearheading the assault for Bakhmut. - 'Dig in' - "The ideal option would be to announce the end of the conflict and to tell everyone that Russia has achieved its objective, and in a sense, we have really achieved them," Prigozhin said in a post on social media. "Now only one thing remains: gain a firm foothold and dig into the territories that we already control," the 61-year-old Kremlin ally said. For civilians in the crossfire -- those who haven't already fled more than a year of intense fighting -- the prospect of an escalation changes little. Several kilometres west of Bakhmut, in the village of Kalynivka, 71-year-old Vera Petrova gestured to the artillery damage to her home to explain why she wasn't making preparations to flee a counter-offensive. "We've already been shelled. Half the kitchen roof was destroyed. Our neighbour's roof was destroyed. This isn't even serious," she said referring to thuds, near and distant, of incoming and outgoing shelling. Her street, lined with cherry trees and abandoned one story homes, has only around two dozen residents remaining -- a fraction of those who once called it home. "If my home is destroyed. I'll live in my basement," she added, not flinching after each boom. In the trenches, Begemot said even if Ukraine managed to increase the rhythm of the artillery fire, it would be senseless to attack now. "Even if there are a lot of us, and we had a bunch of artillery, how far could we go in one day? Five kilometres? Maybe 10?" "They won't have any strength left and you are not just walking, you need to fight," he added. afptv-jbr/bp Three sons of former Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman were among 28 Sinaloa cartel members charged with fentanyl trafficking by the U.S. government on Friday. The sons, known as the Chapitos Ovidio Guzman Lopez, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar are recognized as the more violent sect of the cartel and have allegedly taken over leadership of the group after their fathers arrest. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the charges as part of the fight against drug trafficking amid the rise of fentanyl deaths in the U.S. Families and communities across our country are being devastated by the fentanyl epidemic. Todays actions demonstrate the comprehensive approach the Justice Department is taking to disrupt fentanyl trafficking and save American lives, Garland said. One of the sons, Guzman Lopez, is already in custody in Mexico after a raid in January. Seven of the others charged Friday are in custody worldwide. The group of 28 includes Chinese and Guatemalan citizens accused of contributing to fentanyl manufacture and distribution in the U.S. The Sinaloa cartel partners with Chinese suppliers for fentanyl precursors, according to the Justice Department. Between 2019 and 2021, fatal overdoses increased by approximately 94%, with an estimated 196 Americans dying each day from fentanyl, the department said. Fentanyl seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have increased dramatically in recent years, according to CBP data, with the 2020 total of fentanyl seized being surpassed in just the first two months of the 2023 fiscal year. The Sinaloa cartels former leader, El Chapo, was convicted in 2019 of running an international drug empire and smuggling operation. He had previously escaped a Mexican high security prison in 2001 and another in 2015. He was captured again in 2016 and extradited to the U.S., where he now is serving a life sentence without parole in the countrys most secure supermax prison in Colorado. Todays indictments target every element of the Sinaloa Cartels trafficking network and reflect the Justice Departments commitment to attacking every aspect of this threat, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said. From the chemical companies in China that spawn fentanyl precursors, to the illicit labs that produce the poison, to the networks and money launderers and murderers that facilitate its distribution. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Elon Musk has formed an X.AI artificial intelligence corporation based in the US state of Nevada, according to business documents that surfaced on Friday. Musk, who is already the boss of Twitter and Tesla, was listed as director of X.AI Corporation founded on March 9, a state business filing indicated. Musk recently merged Twitter with a newly created "X" shell company, keeping the brand name for the platform but not the business. Musk's founding of what appears to be a rival to ChatGPT-maker OpenAI came despite recently calling for an overall pause in developing artificial intelligence. Musk has bought thousands of powerful, costly computing processors and hired engineering talent as part of an AI project at Twitter, according to an Insider report. Meanwhile, Musk has slashed staff at Twitter as part of dramatic cost cutting since his $44 billion takeover of the San Francisco firm late last year. The founding date of X.AI was several weeks before Musk joined experts in signing an open letter calling for a hiatus in the development of AI. The open letter, published on the website of the Musk-funded Future of Life Institute, urged a six-month pause in development of powerful AI systems. The billionaire Tesla chief and other luminaries wrote that "AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity." The signatories, who included academics and tech titans like Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, argued that the pause should be used to bolster regulation and ensure the systems were safe. Critics however called the letter a "hot mess" of "AI hype" that even misrepresented an academic paper. Big tech companies like Google, Meta and Microsoft have spent years working on AI systems -- previously known as machine learning or big data -- to help with translations, search and targeted advertising. But late last year San Francisco firm OpenAI supercharged the interest in AI when it launched ChatGPT, a bot that can generate natural language text from a short prompt. Story continues Musk cofounded OpenAI but left the company in 2018. Microsoft has since announced it is investing billions of dollars in OpenAI and has put its technology to work in its Bing internet search service. gc/tjj SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (left) said Starship may not reach orbit on its first attempt. That could mean it explodes, like previous Starship prototypes (right). Britta Pedersen-Pool/Getty Images ; SPadre.com SpaceX received a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday to launch its Starship rocket to orbit. This license marked the last regulatory step between Starship and space. The company spared no time in planning Starship's first orbital launch. Shortly after receiving the license, SpaceX tweeted that it was aiming to launch Starship as soon as Monday, April 17, kicking off CEO Elon Musk's ambitious scheme to eventually build an independent human settlement on Mars. Musk has said that SpaceX is ready to launch Starship from its facilities in Boca Chica, Texas an area the company calls "Starbase" once it receives a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration. As with any first launch, though, a small flaw in the rocket's intricate hardware or software engineering could easily make everything go wrong. In an interview at the Morgan Stanley Conference on March 7, Musk said the rocket has a 1 in 2 chance of not reaching orbit. "I'm not saying it will get to orbit, but I am guaranteeing excitement," he said, adding: "Won't be boring!" "I think it's got, I don't know, hopefully about a 50% chance of reaching orbit," Musk said, adding that SpaceX is building multiple Starship rockets and that overall, there's about an 80% chance one of them will reach orbit this year. If the history of Starship's suborbital test flights tells us anything, it's that a failure to reach orbit could mean the rocket blows up. Starship has exploded before, but its future could be bright From left to right: The SN8, SN9, and SN10 Starship prototypes exploded. Gene Blevins/Reuters; SPadre.com If successful, the launch will prove the world's first fully reusable orbital rocket, setting the stage for SpaceX to revolutionize the orbital economy. Starship and its 230 ft-tall booster, Super Heavy, are both designed to land themselves back on Earth to fly again another day. Story continues That's a major money-saving measure, since SpaceX would not have to build a new upper stage for every rocket launch. Starship is also designed to haul giant payloads into space, up to 250 metric tonnes of payload into orbit, up to 150 metric tonnes if the rocket is to be reused, per the SpaceX website. This would increase efficiency to make it cheaper to send satellites, spacecraft, cargo, and people into Earth's orbit and beyond, to the moon and Mars. Starship's promise of reusability and sheer flight power has made it attractive to NASA, which selected the vehicle to land its astronauts on the moon again for the first time since 1972. The agency aims to achieve that historic moon landing in the mid-2020s. An illustration of SpaceX's Starship as a lander carrying NASA astronauts to the moon. SpaceX First, though, Starship has to orbit Earth and return safely. Two years ago, SpaceX completed a series of test flights, launching Starship prototypes six miles into the air above Boca Chica. The first four exploded, with only one sticking the landing before it blew up. Finally, the fifth Starship prototype roared 33,000 feet into the air, cut its engines to plunge back toward Earth, then reignited them just in time to flip itself upright and lower gently onto the landing pad. Starship hasn't flown since. Its first attempt to fly to orbit will be its biggest test yet. Read the original article on Business Insider Elon Musk appears to be moving forward on an AI project. Susan Walsh/AP Elon Musk is reportedly planning an AI startup amid the chatbot craze kicked off by OpenAI's ChatGPT. He is talking to Tesla and SpaceX investors about backing the startup, FT reported. Musk has recruited AI experts and obtained graphics processing units, Insider previously reported. Elon Musk appears to be forging ahead on a new artificial intelligence startup as the frenzy around OpenAI's ChatGPT has spurred big tech companies to collaborate and compete on chatbots and generative AI tools. Musk has been fielding interest from Tesla and SpaceX investors looking to get in on the planned artificial intelligence company, FT reported on Friday, citing an anonymous source familiar with the conversations. A company called X.AI Corp. was also registered in Nevada in March, naming Musk as director, according to a filing in the state, first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Musk did not respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his Tesla and SpaceX email addresses. An inquiry sent to Twitter's communications address received a poop-emoji response, which has recently become a standard reply to press inquiries. Insider's Kali Hays has also previously reported that Musk has brought on artificial intelligence experts, and obtained roughly 10,000 graphics processing units. The moves seem to show the significant infrastructure and resources that Musk appears to be devoting to an endeavor that he himself has expressed concerns about. In March, Musk signed onto an open letter that called on the industry to put the development of "powerful" AI on hold for at six months. "Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks, and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth?" according to the letter put out by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute. "Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones?" The success of OpenAI's ChatGPT bot has spurred AI-related announcements in recent months from big tech companies including Microsoft, which has a multi-billion dollar tie-up with OpenAI, and which in February launched its updated Bing search engine equipped with an AI chatbot. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also announced a new AI model called "LLaMA," meant to assist research on AI-driven chatbots, while Google rolled out its own Bard chatbot last month to many public users. Read the original article on Business Insider President Joe Biden reacts before a plaque with his son Beau's name as he visits Mayo Roscommon Hospice in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland, April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque President Biden was moved to tears after meeting the priest who gave his late son the last rites. The meeting during Biden's trip to Ireland was spontaneous and "delightful," the priest said. The president was touring Knock Shrine, a Catholic pilgrimage site. President Joe Biden was moved to tears on Friday during his trip to Ireland after he learned a priest at a Catholic shrine he was visiting had performed the last rites for his son, who died in 2015. The chance meeting with Father Frank O'Grady surprised the president, who later said: "It was incredible to see him. It seemed like a sign," according to the Associated Press. The priest who accompanied Biden on a tour of the Knock Shrine pilgrimage site said the reunion brought the president to tears. "He was crying, it really affected him, and then we said a prayer, said a decade of the rosary for his family," the priest Richard Gibbons told BBC Ulster radio. "He lit a candle, and then he took a moment or two of private for prayer." Gibbons had discovered earlier in the day that O'Grady, one of his colleagues working at the site, was the same priest who had performed the last rites for Biden's late son Beau. President Joe Biden touches part of the original stonework from the apparition gable at the Knock Shrine as Father Richard Gibbons, parish priest of Knock Shrine, holds an umbrella in Knock, Ireland, Friday, April 14, 2023. Patrick Semansky/Associated Press O'Grady was previously assigned to work at a hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, where Beau died of brain cancer in 2015 aged 46. Beau Biden a decorated soldier who fought in Iraq, died at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. "I told the president that," Gibbons told BBC Ulster. "He wanted to meet him straightaway, so he dispatched a Secret Service agent to go and find him." It was "a wonderful, spontaneous thing that happened," he said. The last rites are a Catholic ceremony of final prayers that prepare a person for death. Biden is well-known to have strong Catholic faith and has deep ties to his Irish heritage. O'Grady called the brief 10-minute reunion with the president "delightful," adding he was "very surprised" when he got "a phone call to say the president wanted to see me," according to the BBC. Story continues During the trip with his son Hunter and sister Valerie, Biden touched the remaining part of the stone wall of Knock Shrine. According to the Catholic faith, Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John, the Evangelist, appeared there in 1879. Biden later visited a hospice in County Mayo, where a plaque at the entrance of the building is dedicated to his late son. The president has been warmly greeted on his four-day tour of Ireland over the past few days. On Friday, Biden drew large crowds in Ballina, saying in a speech, "Over the years, stories of this place have become part of my soul." Read the original article on Business Insider We all know libraries are places for books and periodicals or public access to the internet, but libraries are many more things than that. You can get help with your taxes at the library. You can rent tools at the library, as I discovered when I needed a post hole digger to implant a new mailbox. Thanks to an initiative born out of the pandemic, your Illinois library may also be your conduit to free, exclusive high-quality virtual programming with celebrity and other high-profile authors. Advertisement Illinois Libraries Present, a consortium of 209 libraries in the state is in the midst of its second season of author events, with New York Times puzzle master Will Shortz the next participant on April 25. The event includes a custom Illinois-themed crossword puzzle that will be mailed to all registrants. I recently had a chance to ask a few questions about Illinois Libraries Present to Jennifer Czajka, one of the founders of the initiative and a programs and exhibits manager at Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Advertisement New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz hosts an upcoming event by Illinois Libraries Present. (KATHY WILLENS / AP) She told me that while the programming was meant as a way to connect when folks were spending lots of time at home, the trend of patrons wanting more programming to come to them in their homes was already underway pre-pandemic, and has only accelerated as people have become increasingly comfortable with the technology. Accessibility is core to the overall library mission, and Czajka and ILP have heard from numerous patrons, who for reasons of desire or disability, prefer to engage from the warmth of home. For me, this is a reminder that libraries are not just a place, but an idea, an expression of shared public resources used for public good without cost being a barrier to entry. This spirit permeates the organizing principles of Illinois Libraries Present, as libraries of different sizes provide funding for the program on a sliding scale, based on the library budget. These funds, along with aid from the Illinois State Library and the Illinois Heartland Library System, have helped the program thrive out of the gate. The most attended event thus far was a joint event from Chicago celebrities Nick Offerman and Jeff Tweedy, who joined the audience from a joint hike in front of more than 8,000 virtual viewers. Marlee Matlin in conversation with Richard Costes, a deaf actor and director based in Chicago, was also highly attended. Upcoming Season 2 events include Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness in conversation with Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, and Season 3 kicks off in September. Czajka says one of their goals is to bring more high profile Illinois folks, into the series because participating in an ILP event and feeling the Midwest is Best pride energy is the most fun you can have while working. The other big goal is to expand the number of participating libraries, regardless of their ability to pay. That 209 number is one-third of the libraries in the state, an impressive tally for such a new program, but also one that shows theres room for growth. This summer ILP will be presenting its model at a national conference, hopefully leading to more programming like it across other states. Advertisement If youd like to view the events, check in at your local library for registration, either in person or on the events page of the website. If your library isnt participating, ask them to become a member. Libraries are always eager to serve the public. Secrets of a Puzzle Master: A Conversation with Will Shortz by Illinois Libraries Present will be 7 p.m. April 25; more information at www.illinoislibrariespresent.com John Warner is the author of Why They Cant Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities. Twitter @biblioracle Book recommendations from the Biblioracle Advertisement John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books youve read. 1. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley 2. Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks 3. The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow 4. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner 5. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles Advertisement John H., Chicago I think John will enjoy Willa Cathers American classic, Death Comes for the Archbishop. 1. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney 2. Wayward by Dana Spiotta 3. What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi 4. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell Advertisement 5. The Candy House by Jennifer Egan Samantha P., Chicago For Samantha, Im recommending a book I consider a Midwestern classic, though not enough people remember it, Cathy Days novel in stories, The Circus in Winter. 1. The Known World by Edward P. Jones 2. Raising Holy Hell by Bruce Olds 3. The Sellout by Paul Beatty Advertisement 4. Oreo by Fran Ross 5. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger Bob T., Wilmette Now that this previously out-of-print work by William Melvin Kelley has been returned to wide availability, Im going to do my best to keep it around by recommending his brilliant A Different Drummer whenever possible. Get a reading from the Biblioracle Send a list of the last five books youve read and your hometown to biblioracle@gmail.com Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, arrives at the federal courthouse in San Jose, Calif., for a sentencing hearing on Nov. 18, 2022. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) SAN FRANCISCO Faking it is over. Thats the feeling in Silicon Valley, along with some schadenfreude and a pinch of paranoia. Not only has funding dried up for cash-burning startups over the past year, but now, fraud is also in the air, as investors scrutinize startup claims more closely and a tech downturn reveals who has been taking the industrys fake it till you make it ethos too far. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Take what happened in the past two weeks: Charlie Javice, the founder of the financial aid startup Frank, was arrested, accused of falsifying customer data. A jury found Rishi Shah, a co-founder of the advertising software startup Outcome Health, guilty of defrauding customers and investors. And a judge ordered Elizabeth Holmes, the founder who defrauded investors at her blood testing startup Theranos, to begin an 11-year prison sentence April 27. Those developments follow the February arrests of Carlos Watson, the founder of Ozy Media, and Christopher Kirchner, the founder of software company Slync, both accused of defrauding investors. Still to come is the fraud trial of Manish Lachwani, a co-founder of the software startup HeadSpin, set to begin in May, and that of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who faces 13 fraud charges later this year. Taken together, the chorus of charges, convictions and sentences have created a feeling that the startup worlds fast and loose fakery actually has consequences. Despite this generations many high-profile scandals (Uber, WeWork) and downfalls (Juicero), few startup founders, aside from Holmes, ever faced criminal charges for pushing the boundaries of business puffery as they disrupted us into the future. The funding downturn may be to blame. Unethical behavior can largely be overlooked when times are good, as they were for tech startups in the 2010s. Between 2012 and 2021, funding to tech startups in the United States jumped eightfold to $344 billion, according to PitchBook, which tracks startups. More than 1,200 of them are considered unicorns worth $1 billion or more on paper. Story continues But when the easy money dries up, everyone parrots the Warren Buffett proverb about finding out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out. After FTX filed for bankruptcy in November, Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, updated the adage for millennial tech founders: It feels like we were in a nightclub and the lights just turned on, he tweeted. In the past, the venture capital investors who backed startups were reluctant to pursue legal action when they were duped. The companies were small, with few assets to recover, and going after a founder would hurt the investors reputations. That has changed as the unicorns have soared, attracting billions in funding, and as larger, more traditional investors including hedge funds, corporate investors and mutual funds have entered the investing game. There is more money at stake, so it just changes the calculus, said Alexander Dyck, a professor of finance at the University of Toronto who specializes in corporate governance. The Justice Department has also been urging prosecutors to be bold in its pursuit of more business frauds, including at private startups. Thus, charges for founders of Frank, Ozy Media, Slync and HeadSpin and expectations of more to come. IRL, a messaging app that investors valued at $1 billion, is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly misleading investors about how many users it had, according to reporting from The Information. Rumby, a laundry delivery startup in Ohio, allegedly fabricated a story of financial success to secure funding, which its founder used to buy himself a $1.7 million home, according to a lawsuit from one of its investors. News outlets have also reported unethical behavior at startups including Olive, a $4 billion health care software startup, and Nate, an e-commerce startup claiming to use artificial intelligence. A spokesperson for Olive said the company has disputed and denied the reported allegations. All of this creates an awkward moment for venture capital investors. When startup valuations were soaring, they were seen as visionary kingmakers. It was easy enough to convince the world, and the investors in their funds pension funds, college endowments and wealthy individuals that they were responsible stewards of capital with the unique skills required to predict the future and find the next Steve Jobs to build it. But as more startup frauds are revealed, these titans of industry are playing a different role in lawsuits, bankruptcy filings and court testimonies: the victim that got duped. Alfred Lin, an investor at Sequoia Capital, a top Silicon Valley firm that put $150 million into FTX, reflected on the cryptocurrency disaster at a startup event in January. Its not that we made the investment, its the year-and-a-half working relationship afterwards that I still didnt see it, he said. That is difficult. Venture capital investors say their asset class is among the riskiest places to park money but holds the potential for outsize rewards. The startup world celebrates failures, and if youre not failing, youre viewed as not taking enough risks. But it is unclear whether that defense will hold as the scandals become more humiliating for everyone involved. Investors are increasingly asking consultants like RHR International to help identify the telltale signs of Machiavellian narcissists who are more likely to commit fraud, said Eden Abrahams, a partner at the firm. They want to tighten up the protocols around how theyre assessing founders, Abrahams said. We had a series of events which should be prompting reflections. Startups have many of the conditions most associated with fraud, Dyck said. They tend to employ novel business models, their founders often have significant control and their backers do not always enforce strict oversight. It is a situation thats ripe for bending the rules when a downturn hits. Its not surprising were seeing a lot of frauds being committed in the last 18 months are coming to light right now, he said. When Javice was trying to sell her college financial planning startup, Frank, to JPMorgan Chase, she told an employee not to share exactly how many people used Franks service, according to an SEC complaint. Later, she asked the employee to fabricate thousands of accounts, assuring her staff that such a move was legal and that no one would end up in orange jumpsuits, the complaint said. After JPMorgan bought the startup for $175 million in 2021, Franks investors were quick to take a congratulatory victory lap on Twitter. So many more students & families will now have greater access to financial aid & #highered opportunities, an investor at Reach Capital wrote. Its so exciting to know you will now have an even bigger platform to make a positive impact on the lives of so many people! was the praise from an executive at Chegg, which invested. Javice faces four counts of fraud. This past week, JPMorgan accused her of transferring money to a shell company after the bank uncovered her alleged fraud. Outcome Health, which sold drug ads on screens in doctors offices, raised $488 million from investors including Goldman Sachs, the Google-affiliated fund CapitalG and the family of Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois while making public claims of breakneck growth and profitability. In reality, the company had missed its revenue targets, was struggling to manage its debt load and was overbilling its customers. Yet investors plowed money in anyway and even allowed Outcome Healths co-founders, Shah and Shradha Agarwal, to cash out $225 million worth of shares. One of the companys smaller investors, Todd Cozzens of Leerink Partners, said he was not deterred by red flags like missing revenue targets and other sloppiness, because they could have cleaned that up. The company crossed into fraud when it altered a sales report, which would have been difficult for outsiders to detect, he said. This was a great business model and the product was working, but these founders got really greedy, he said. They wanted more. Cozzens firm lost 90% of its $15 million investment. Shah was convicted of 19 counts of fraud and Agarwal of 15. A spokesperson for Shah said that the verdict deeply saddens him and that he plans to appeal. Agarwals counsel said they were reviewing the verdict and considering her options. Slyncs founder, Kirchner, lied to investors about Slyncs business performance and used the money raised to buy himself a $16 million private jet, among other misappropriations, according to an SEC complaint. When one investor dug into Slyncs finances, Kirchner told the person that Slync was in the process of switching to a new financial service provider, the complaint said. The investor wired $35 million. A Slync spokesperson said the company has appointed a new CEO, is cooperating with the governments investigations, and looks forward to a just resolution of this matter. FTX raised nearly $2 billion from top investors including Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Thoma Bravo, giving it a valuation of $32 billion. The company was so poorly run that it didnt even have a complete list of people who worked there, according to a report issued by the companys new management this month. Bankman-Fried told colleagues at one point that FTXs sister hedge fund, Alameda Research, was unauditable and that the team sometimes found $50 million in assets lying around that they had lost track of. Such is life, he wrote. Sequoia, which commissioned a glowing profile of Bankman-Fried to publish on its website, apologized to investors after the company collapsed. It also deleted the profile. Lin explained at the startup event that venture capital industry was ultimately a business based on trust. Because if you dont trust the founders that you work with, he said, why would you ever invest in them? c.2023 The New York Times Company Dillon Brewster (center) was convicted on Friday in the 2021 killing of Kameryn Recchia and the abduction of her 3-year-old son. Kameryn Recchia's 3-year-old son awoke suddenly on the night of Oct. 20, 2021, saying "Daddy, don't shoot!" Ray Recchia, his grandfather, said the young boy was having a nightmare. Just the day before, the boy's mother was shot by her boyfriend, Dillon Brewster, in what prosecutors described as an execution-style killing, before Brewster took off with the child. Brewster, 28, was found guilty on Friday of murder, kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He also was convicted of a persistent felony offender charge. A Kenton County jury recommended he serve a sentence of life in prison. What happened on Oct. 19, 2021? Though prosecutors and Brewster's attorneys argued during the four-day trial over whether the killing was intentional, both sides agreed that Brewster fatally shot 25-year-old Kameryn Recchia on the night of Oct. 19, 2021. She died of two gunshot wounds to the head, a medical examiner determined. At the time of the shooting, Brewster and Recchia had been dating for a couple of years. She and her son lived with Brewster at his double-wide trailer in Morning View, Kentucky. The relationship had been deteriorating for several months and on the night of the shooting, the couple was feuding over money, according to Amy Miller, Brewster's public defender. Recchia told Brewster that if he didn't give her the money, "she could just have someone come over and get it," Miller said, adding that Brewster already suspected someone had been in his home and stolen valuables previously. Recchia's statement sent him into "fight or flight mode, she said. Brewster grabbed his father's rifle to fend off what he believed was "an imminent attack," when he noticed items that were in his late father's bedroom closet had been strewn over the bed, Miller said. That's when, in a state of panic, he lifted the gun and fired, believing someone else was in the house, she added. Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders, however, disputed claims the killing was unintentional, noting the version of events provided by Brewster's attorneys doesn't account for the second gunshot wound Recchia suffered. Story continues Sanders also cited Brewster's inconsistent testimony at trial and his eventual admission that he intentionally pulled the trigger. Recchia survived the first shot to the face, Sanders said, but Brewster returned to finish the job. Sanders said evidence at the scene indicated Recchia was crawling on the kitchen floor struggling to stand up when Brewster, holding the gun at a downward angle, fired the fatal second shot which struck Recchia in the forehead. "This wasn't just a murder, it was an execution," Sanders said. Brewster, who's not the child's biological father, then grabbed the young boy and fled in Recchia's car, according to prosecutors. Miller said Brewster was trying to protect the boy, who he referred to as his own son. He made it as far as Detroit before he decided to turn back. Police discover Recchia's body during well-being check Kenton County police were called the next evening to check on Recchia, as her family was unable to reach her, Emily Arnzen, assistant Kenton County prosecuting attorney, said during opening statements on Tuesday. Police went out to the trailer in the 11000 block of Brewster Lane but they were unable to make contact with her, prosecutors said. The Kenton County officers later met with her mother, Lisa Recchia, and stepfather at the trailer, a criminal complaint states. While officers and Recchia's family tried knocking on the trailer's doors and windows, Arnzen said, the search was complicated by the fact that Recchia was deaf and it was possible she was safe inside but simply couldn't hear them. Recchia's stepfather entered the home through an open window and let the police inside through the front door, court documents say. Police discovered Recchia lying on the kitchen floor with blood all around her. Brewster arrested after leading troopers on interstate pursuit Meanwhile, Brewster had been arrested by the Ohio State Highway Patrol after he led troopers on a pursuit for several miles along southbound Interstate 75 just north of Dayton, according to court testimony. The young boy was strapped into a car seat in the backseat when troopers finally stopped Brewster, prosecutors said, adding they recovered a .22-caliber rifle and ammunition, as well as Recchia's wallet and cell phone from the car. The local children's services agency took custody of Recchia's child until his grandfather was able to pick him up. Investigators were able to recover the bullets that hit Recchia, Arnzen said, adding one was lodged in the kitchen wall and the other was recovered by the medical examiner who performed Recchia's autopsy. The fragments of metal left behind by the bullets were too badly damaged for the Kentucky State Police forensics lab to make any meaningful comparisons, Arnzen said. However, investigators were able to compare shell casings recovered from the scene to the rifle recovered from Recchia's car after the pursuit and determined the shots were fired from that gun, she added. During an interview at the jail in Miami County, Ohio, Brewster told a Kenton County detective that he and Recchia had been arguing over an issue at her job and that she was still alive when he left, according to the complaint. He said he took the gun with him because he was afraid Recchia would call his parole officer over it since he's a convicted felon. When the detective informed Brewster about Recchia's death, he "showed no emotion and stopped the interview," the document states. 'It's just been a nightmare' Ray Recchia, Kameryn's father, said in court on Friday that he had to put off retiring so he can raise his grandson. He said the child still suffers from nightmares and issues with loud noises. Lisa Recchia said she and her ex-husband now share custody of the boy, who will turn 5 years old in August. "It's just been a nightmare," she said of her daughter's death. "To function I have to pretend she's still here." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Prosecutor calls young mother's murder an 'execution'; man convicted (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Dermatologists are warning that popular nail gel polishes are causing an increase in the number of people developing life-changing allergies that could prevent them from having certain operations. Experts say that chemicals in nail gel polishes, which are methacrylates, can seep into the skin and cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms of such a reaction include nails becoming loosened from the nail bed and the skin around the nails developing a severe rash. Appearing on BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Friday morning (14 April), Dr Deirdre Buckley, a consultant dermatologist from Bath, said: [Symptoms] can range from the nails loosening to falling off, it can include a severe rash on the face, the neck, the upper chest. People can have trouble breathing or asthma can be worsened. Even worse, they can become sensitive to acrylates in other things, which can have implications in dentistry or if theyre diabetic or for orthopaedic surgery, and its a life-long sensitisation, she added. Methacrylate is often used as a bone cement for knee and hip implants, as well as in dental prosthesis and dentures. The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) has today reiterated its warning regarding allergic reactions linked to artificial nails after a number of high-profile reports. It first issued a warning about these products in 2018, following reports of a steep rise in cases of allergic skin reactions linked to (meth)acrylate chemicals in these products. The BAD now has concerns the closure of nail salons during the pandemic could be leading more people to switch to at-home kits. Dr Buckley, who is with the BAD, said: Its likely that lockdowns during the pandemic contributed to an increase in people using at-home artificial nail kits. The BAD said these at-home kits can be riskier because of the lack of experience the public has with these products. A person shows the allergic reaction on their fingers after using an at-home gel polish manicure kit (Reddit/SnowPatrol161) Dr Buckley went on to explain how sensitation to nail methacrylates can have potential medical and dental implications, because the same or very similar methacrylates are used in white dental fillings, enamel tooth coatings, orthopaedic bone cement, diabetic glucose sensors and insulin pumps. This can have serious consequences for future medical care, she said, yet many are unaware of the potential dangers. Story continues The BAD first issued a warning about nail gel polishes in 2018 and said they were causing an epidemic of contact allergies. The concerns were based on a study that found that 2.4 per cent of people tested had an allergy to at least one type of methacrylate chemical. The allergy overwhelmingly affected women, it said. Gel nails which are derived from methacrylates, are applied over a persons natural nails and must be cured under an ultraviolet (UV) lamp. Meanwhile, acrylic nails are a a paste applied over the natural nails and left to harden with exposure to air. (Getty Images) Gel polish is a premixed product and a hybrid of gel and nail varnish and must be hardened under a UV lamp. The BAD raised concerns about all three methods and warned that the sensitisation occurs when the uncured product comes into contact with any part of the skin. It can occur in both professional and at-home settings. Beauticians are also at risk of developing the allergy as protective gloves may not offer enough protection and the methacrylates could pass through the gloves. Dr Buckley said people must be aware of the risks associated with artificial nail products. She advised nail technicians, who are especially at risk, to wear nitrile gloves when applying the products, changing them every thirty minutes with a no-touch technique. She went on to urge at-home users to read the instructions, to always use the recommended UV lamp for curing, and to not use the same lamp with other polishes purchased separately. Its very important that you avoid direct skin contact with the nail product whilst it is curing, she added. BOCA CHICA, Texas Minutes after the Federal Aviation Administration awarded SpaceX a launch license for its massive Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket from a facility in Texas, the space company announced plans to launch the powerful rocket on Monday morning. SpaceX had sought clearance for the rocket launch for nearly two years, but an extensive review and changes to the original application slowed down the federal approval process. During its inaugural flight, which could take place as early as Monday at 8:00 a.m. ET, an empty 400-foot-tall spacecraft and rocket will be launched from SpaceXs facility near Brownsville, Texas. If the weather cooperates, a booster rocket is expected to splash down over the Gulf of Mexico, and the spacecraft will circle the globe and land in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The space company anticipates the rocket will take about 90 minutes to reach its orbit and splashdown in the Pacific. 20 YEARS AFTER COLUMBIA NASA REMEMBERS ASTRONAUTS LOST, VOWS NOT TO REPEAT PAST MISTAKES "To date, the SpaceX team has completed multiple sub-orbital flight tests of Starships upper stage from Starbase, successfully demonstrating an unprecedented approach to controlled flight. These flight tests helped validate the vehicles design, proving Starship can fly through the subsonic phase of entry before re-lighting its engines and flipping itself to a vertical configuration for landing. In addition to the testing of Starships upper stage, the team has conducted numerous tests of the Super Heavy rocket, which include the increasingly complex static fires that led to a full-duration 31 Raptor engine test the largest number of simultaneous rocket engine ignitions in history," SpaceX posted in a launch announcement. Under the approval, the FAA will have at least one inspector present for the launch, and the company will be required to report any pre-flight anomalies to the agency. NASA UNVEILS ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS WHO WILL EMBARK ON HISTORIC MISSION AROUND THE MOON If the orbital test flight is a success, it could pave the way for the company to eventually replace the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets with the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket. Both the spaceship and booster are reusable and were designed for deep space exploration to the moon and Mars. Will Varner/Insider; photo courtesy of Amare family; Goddard Photography/Getty Images; Ben Curtis/AP Weeks before the 2021 murder of Meareg Amare in Ethiopia, Amare's son and one of Facebook's trusted partners say they warned Facebook about hateful posts threatening his life. In the wake of his murder, six Ethiopian partners tell Insider that Facebook routinely ignored their pleas to take down hateful content. The first Facebook post about Professor Meareg Amare appeared five weeks before his murder. The 60-year-old professor was known to be a pillar of his community in Bahir Dar, the capital of Ethiopia's Amhara region. He had authored four widely used chemistry textbooks for middle- and high-school students, and sometimes appeared on local TV, where he encouraged young people to pursue the sciences. On October 9, 2021, a post about Amare appeared on an unofficial Facebook page for Bahir Dar University staff. The user had posted the professor's picture alongside a caption that read: "His name is Professor Meareg Amare Abrha. He is Tigrayan. We will tell you about how he was hiding at Bahir Dar University and carried out abuses." In the months preceding the post, federal forces in Ethiopia a country of 120 million people with five official languages had been in turmoil as a civil war tore through Amare's native Tigray, Ethiopia's northernmmost region along its border with Eritrea. Though an internet blackout in Tigray made it almost impossible to know exactly what was happening there, human-rights groups documented mass killing, displacement, and destruction by Ethiopian federal forces, Amhara regional forces, and other allied groups. Human Rights Watch documented ethnic cleansing by Amhara forces, with help from Ethiopian federal forces, against Tigrayans in western parts of the region. The conflict had spilled into Amhara, and Tigrayan militants were accused of executing Amhara civilians. High-profile Tigrayans like Professor Amare were being targeted across Ethiopia. Map: Chay Thawaranont/Insider On October 10 one day after the first post appeared a school friend of Professor Amare's son, Abrham Amare, called to warn him that a much longer post had gone up on Facebook. Without any evidence, it implicated Amare in the massacres of Amhara civilians and accused him of embezzling funds from the university on behalf of Tigrayan rebels. It included the neighborhood where the family lived. Story continues The posts got hundreds of likes, and, among dozens of comments, users urged people to "get organized and clean them," which Abrham and others understood as veiled threats. On October 14, Abrham Amare made a report through Facebook's public-reporting channel. He received no response. Unbeknownst to Abrham, the posts targeting his father had also caught the attention of one of Facebook's so-called "trusted partners." To stem the proliferation of hate speech and misinformation, Facebook relied on reporting from civil-society groups and individuals with linguistic and local expertise. These designated trusted partners were asked to flag posts and accounts through a special reporting channel and, at times, they had regular meetings with representatives of Meta, Facebook's parent company, to advise them on content moderation. In the case of Amare, the trusted partner told Insider that he flagged the posts through the special channel and again at two Zoom meetings in mid- and late October. "There were angry people calling for harm against this individual," that person, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told Insider. "I had an inkling of what would happen." Because the threats against the professor were vague, Facebook agreed only to monitor the situation, the trusted partner said. "One of the things that Facebook said was, 'We are not arbiters of truth,'" the partner said. "I remember asking, wouldn't it be better if Facebook was taking down posts, [rather] than having posts stay on the platform that could hurt people," the partner said. Insider could not independently corroborate the person's account, which is being reported here for the first time. Facebook's agenda for the second Zoom meeting, which Insider obtained, confirmed that the killing of another Tigrayan professor was discussed, but did not specifically mention Amare. A Meta spokesperson did not dispute the trusted partner's claims. The account is similar to what other trusted partners in Ethiopia told Insider: Facebook routinely allowed hateful content to remain on its platform and was slow to respond to urgent warnings. Meanwhile, Amare insisted that he could remain in Bahir Dar. Professor Amare with his niece in Addis Ababa in September 2021, two months before he was killed. Photo courtesy of Amare family "I have social capital that I built before you were born," Abrham Amare remembers his father saying. "I'm an innocent person. I have nothing to hide." Surely, a community where he'd spent four decades as an educator would not turn on him. Even as police in Bahir Dar assured him that authorities were not seeking his arrest, people who knew Professor Amare well had become suspicious. A neighbor he'd known for many years confronted him about the allegations. The harassment became incessant. Five days before his murder, Amare resigned from his teaching post. On November 3, 2021, Professor Amare was killed outside his home. A group of men wearing Amhara Special Forces uniforms approached him at his front gate, according to a $1.6 billion lawsuit that Abrham Amare brought against Meta late last year. One of the men shot him twice once in his right shoulder and once in the leg. As the professor lay bleeding, the group of men encircled him and "chanted the same insulting slander from the inciteful Facebook post," and kept away anyone who might have tried to bring him to a nearby hospital, the lawsuit said. "For seven hours, he lay there dying slowly in unimaginable suffering," it said. Eight days later, Facebook replied at last to Abrham Amare's complaint. Meta declined to discuss the case, saying it does not discuss pending litigation. But according to Abrham Amare's lawsuit, Facebook informed him that post about his father was in violation of its community standards and had been removed. In fact, the post that had destroyed Meareg Amare's good name and, his son believed, led to his murder, was still up almost a year later as Abrham Amare was preparing his lawsuit against Meta. Trusted partners say warnings were ignored Insider spoke with six current and former trusted partners from Ethiopia who said that Facebook routinely ignored their pleas to take down content that they deemed hateful or likely to incite violence. In some cases, it took four months for the company to respond at all. One group, the Network Against Hate Speech, ended its relationship with Facebook last month and allowed Insider to review some of its communications with Facebook. At one point, the Network reached out to Facebook to say that 60% of the posts and individual accounts they had reported a month earlier remained online despite having been flagged. Posts that appeared to celebrate the use of child soldiers remained online months after they were flagged, and the grueling work of reviewing traumatic content had left the trusted partners we spoke to struggling with PTSD and depression. One member of the network said he got rid of all the knives in his kitchen because they were too triggering after watching so much violent content. A therapist he saw as part of an employee-assistance program said his response suggested he might be suffering from PTSD. Meta doesn't provide mental-health resources to its trusted partners, as it does for its in-house content-moderation teams, but some groups that accept Meta funding do offer psychological-support services. "We aim to review content reported to us by Trusted Partners as quickly as we can," Facebook said in a statement to Insider. "The amount of time it takes us to review content can depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the complexity, volume of content and the format in which it is shared. We also provide training and resources for our partners, such as tailored reporting templates and an online learning platform, to help them share content in the most effective way possible." The complaints of the six trusted partners echoed allegations made in Abrham Amare's lawsuit, which accused Meta of "blatant human rights violations and human suffering caused by its business decisions," and called for changes to Facebook's content-moderation practices. "In a country where there was an unprecedented civil war and widespread ethnic violence, to take several months to review and take down consequential hate speech is to allow it to cause violence until it's dealt with," a member of the Network Against Hate Speech told Insider. Ethiopian government soldiers are seen on May 8, 2021, near Agula, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Ben Curtis/AP This is not the first time that Meta has faced allegations of this kind. The slaughter of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar in 2017 exposed how failures in content moderation could be exploited by bad actors to stir up hatred. Human-rights groups documented how "a storm of hatred" was allowed to flourish on Facebook in the months leading up to those massacres. The following year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company had brought on content reviewers to monitor hate speech in Burmese. Meta has also faced accusations that its algorithm allows for the rapid spread of disinformation and has helped propel authoritarian leaders to power in India and the Philippines. Meta's global network of trusted partners now includes more than 400 NGOs in hot spots where it may not otherwise have a presence. The company often references its reliance on local experts like its trusted partners when it is accused of fanning the flames of another ethnic conflict or spreading disinformation. But details about the program are fuzzy. A spokesperson for Meta said that the Trusted Partner program launched in 2012, but declined to provide additional details on how many partners they onboarded at the time or the nature of their responsibilities. Since at least 2017, the company has collaborated with third-party fact-checkers to monitor misinformation on its platform. And in 2019, it announced a new initiative to collaborate with subject-matter experts like journalists and rights groups to fight misinformation on Facebook and the company's other platforms. "Our Trusted Partner Program is industry-leading and part of Meta's broader trust and safety efforts and engagement with civil society," the Meta spokesperson said. In Ethiopia and elsewhere, Meta provides grant funding to partner organizations that operate independently of the social-media giant. All six of the Ethiopian trusted partners interviewed for this story belong to one of Meta's designated trusted partner groups, including the media group Internews, a global media nonprofit that began working with Meta in Ethiopia in 2019, and the Network Against Hate Speech, which says it declined to accept funds from Facebook. Members of a third group asked that it not be named so as not to jeopardize the grants that Facebook made to some of their projects. Some of the trusted partners declined to be named because they've faced death threats and fear for their own safety. In several cases, partners declined to be named because they had signed nondisclosure agreements with Facebook. A Meta spokesperson said that no one was asked to sign NDAs as a part of the Trusted Parter program, but that NDAs are used in relation to other types of work with Facebook. While the Network Against Hate Speech has cut ties with Facebook, other trusted partner organizations say they fear that speaking out about the program's deficiencies would jeopardize the vital funding they get from Meta. "Local civil-society organizations are very weak, they accept the money because they need it to work on projects," one Ethiopian trusted partner told Insider. "But they shut down their mouth when it comes to criticizing Facebook. They keep quiet. Just like I'm doing right now by choosing anonymity." The Meta spokesperson denied the claim that it "silences" partners and said it welcomes their feedback. A 'Band-Aid' solution Ethiopia, Africa's second largest country by population, ranks near the bottom of global freedom-of-speech indexes, with limited press freedom and media literacy. The federal government, under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has at times blocked internet access, especially in regions embroiled in conflict. Platforms like Facebook are often the only place Ethiopians can get information and share their views. There are 7 million Facebook accounts in Ethiopia, and content that's shared there is often disseminated further through Telegram and WhatsApp, an encrypted-messaging service also owned by Meta. But even without direct access to a post or social-media platform, misinformation that originated online can spread by word of mouth, one trusted partner said. And savvy Ethiopian internet users are able to circumvent blocked sites with the use of a VPN. The Meta spokesperson told Insider the Trusted Partner program is part of a larger Trust and Safety team at Meta and is jointly managed by the company's Content Policy and Global Operations teams. The company's Content Policy team leads in defining the program's strategy, training, and outreach whereas the company's Operations team is responsible for acting on Trusted Partners reports. The spokesperson said partners also work closely with regional Public Policy teams, who are responsible for managing relationships with local partners. The Content Policy team leads in the definition of program strategy, develops training materials, and coordinates outreach with Trusted Partner organizations. According to Abrham Amare's lawsuit, content posted in three languages in Ethiopia Amharic, Tigrinya, and Oromo is principally moderated from Nairobi, Kenya. Moderators are given "impossible targets in terms of the volume of content to be reviewed per day" and make decisions about posts within "a matter of seconds," the lawsuit said. Since May of last year, Meta has faced multiple lawsuits related to its East African content moderators on Facebook and Instagram, who say they endured psychological trauma as a result of their work. According to Berhan Taye, the former Africa policy manager at Access Now who has connected civil-society organizations in Ethiopia with Facebook, the larger question is why a multibillion-dollar company is relying on a network of under-resourced social organizations to help moderate hate speech in crisis zones, where its platforms could be proliferating violence. "It's like putting a Band-Aid on something that needs surgery," said Taye, who notes that trusted partners often provide Meta with the linguistic and local expertise at a fraction of what it would cost to employ such experts directly. "This is a multibillion-dollar organization that should be doing this work themselves." Warnings made in vain The Network Against Hate Speech, an all-volunteer digital-rights group, began working with Facebook in January of 2021. During their two-year-long relationship, the company chronically failed to reply to messages, left material that had been flagged on the platform for months, and was disorganized in ways that raised security concerns for its partners, according to several of the network's members and a review of its communications with Facebook. The network first sat down with Meta in December 2020, at a meeting set up by Taye, and agreed to work with the platform. For their own security, the network insisted on one ground rule. At that initial meeting, which included the company's policy manager, the members requested that they be allowed to correspond with Meta through a group email and leave off the identity of the individual member. According to members who attended, Meta agreed. Several weeks later, after several exchanges flagging content to Facebook, the network got a response from that same manager that took them by surprise: It appeared the manager didn't remember who they were, or the agreement about how they could safely submit information to Facebook. "As you can imagine, having direct access to Facebook staff to report possibly violating content is not an option to all users," the manager wrote in an email. "I will need to know who comprises of the Network and some more context on your Network, in order to continue reviewing the content you share here." In its reply, the network explained that most of its members had been present and "well introduced" at the meeting, and that the group had "explained why we wanted to remain anonymous." It continued: "We have received concrete threats of attack from Ethiopian social media users." Another trusted partner working for a different group echoed the concern that Meta appeared disorganized, especially given that communications were usually sent to a generic email for trusted partners at Facebook, rather than a single handler. "There is a lack of clarity regarding the focal points for who to talk to about different things and who should be kept in the loop," the person told Insider. A Meta spokesperson confirmed that there are multiple teams at the company that engage with the Trusted Partner program. Meta's layoffs late last year also impacted this group's relationship as several employees they routinely corresponded with were let go, the person said. Meta would not comment the general complaints that the network's members raised with Insider, but said it aims to respond promptly when posts and accounts are flagged. But the central issue that led the Network Against Hate Speech to end its relationship with Meta was the persistent sense that their work was in vain. Late last year, as Ethiopian and Tigrayan forces approached a truce, the country's other major conflict, in the region of Oromia, was heating up. In October, the network reported over 367 posts and individual accounts promoting the violent activities of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The group has been implicated in the killings of Amharas, according to human-rights groups. In November of 2021, Meta released an updated policy that promised to remove content supporting or praising the OLA's violent activities. When the network didn't hear back immediately, they sent their takedown requests to the public-policy manager from their initial meeting. Despite several follow-up attempts and promises from Meta that the requests would be escalated, the group did not receive a response until January 12, 2023. "The October escalation was fully actioned," Facebook's reply said, without providing any details on what, if anything, had been taken down. According to several of the network's members, and confirmed by Insider, a majority of the posts remained online. As of April 5, around 70% of the links the Network Against Hate Speech reported in October are still active. At least seven posts that the network submitted, which were reviewed by Insider, contained videos showing young children with AK-47s and handguns and appeared to glorify the use of child soldiers. Many of these videos first appeared on the platform in January last year, and were still up as late as the end of February. The October email also included hundreds of accounts that were promoting violent activity of the Oromo Liberation Army. In one set of images, accompanied by a smiley face and laughing emoticons, showed OLA soldiers posing with captives and photos of naked men lying dead on the ground. The profile was still live as of January 26, but has since been removed. Such posts can be an effective recruiting tool, members of the network said. Several other accounts that the network reported in October are still active. This includes one user, whose cover photo shows an AK-47 with an OLA flag, who routinely posts photos and videos of OLA activity, including combat scenes and children posing with guns. Insider flagged an additional 17 posts from profiles reported by the Network Against Hate Speech to Meta. In response, Meta took down two posts and added a content warning on a third. But over a dozen links including what appears to be a photo of a mass grave, a dead fighter, and OLA members engaged in active combat remained online at the time of reporting, over 48 hours after the publication first brought the posts to the platform's attention. The Meta spokesperson said the platform had taken down two posts flagged by the Network Against Hate Speech, and included a content warning about a third. Meta did not comment about whether posts that stayed up had violated its policies. In the end, the efforts of the partnership had come to feel futile, and the network's members decided to pursue other avenues for advocacy against hate speech. The Network Against Hate Speech ended its relationship with Meta on March 21, 2023. Depression and PTSD For the trusted partners in Ethiopia who had signed on to work with Facebook at a time of acute crisis in their country, the long response times and the pushback they often got was demoralizing. One partner working with the Network Against Hate Speech said that he's lost the desire to play with his kids after school or meet with friends over a beer. A few months ago, a psychiatrist told him he was exhibiting signs of depression. "The psychological impact is huge," the person said. "I cannot relax because I can't ignore the many horrible videos and hate speech I've seen. After a while, I feel stuck there. Like I can't talk with normal people." Still, he didn't see taking a break as an option. "I try to contribute my part. When I see content, I cannot ignore it." After Professor Amare was killed, the trusted partner who said he flagged the posts was plagued by guilt and left wondering if there was any point to his working with Facebook. Professor Amare and his wife. Photo courtesy of Amare family "When I saw that he was dead, I was really angry," the partner said. "Hindsight is always the worst," the person continued. "But regardless of my deficiencies, I think the platform had more responsibility." Multiple trusted partners in Ethiopia said hate speech is still proliferating on the platform. Investments in growth but not protection Often in organized episodes of mass murder, calls for violence come in coded language that would be difficult for a moderation algorithm to detect without a human interpreter. In the 1994 Rwandan genocide, for example, such euphemisms included "cut down the tall grass." In Ethiopia, phrases like "get organized and clean them" or "take action" appeared in posts and were understood to be calls to violence, according to Abrham Amare's lawsuit and the trusted partners who spoke to Insider. The partners said that Meta would frequently disagree with their assessments of what constituted a serious and actionable violation of Meta's policies. Meta employs a wide range of mechanisms to mitigate the harm of hate speech and graphic content on the platform, from shadow-banning posts to limit their reach to removing the content entirely. The platform rarely tells trusted partners what type of action it has taken on the posts they report. In the wake of the massive Facebook Files leak, Frances Haugen the whistleblower who testified before Congress in October 2021 cited Ethiopia as a place where the algorithm's priorities fuel misinformation wildfires. "It is pulling families apart," she testified. "And in places like Ethiopia it is literally fanning ethnic violence." Meta has consistently denied the claim that its algorithm feeds the spread of hateful content. "Our advertisers don't want to see it, and we don't want to see it. There is no incentive for us to do anything but remove it, " the company wrote in one blog post. Francis Haugen in Congress Meta whistleblower Francis Haugen testified in congress that Facebook's algorithm was tearing family's apart in Ethiopia in October 2021.Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images But moderating hate speech and misinformation is also one of Meta's costliest problems, as the Facebook Files revealed, and East Africa is not an especially profitable market. Just 10 percent of Facebook's revenue comes from Rest of World, the accounting term used for countries outside of North America and Western Europe, which includes Ethiopia and dozens of other countries in the global south. In tech speak, Ethiopia is a low average-revenue-per-user country. "At its core, we're not making that much money for them," Access Now's Taye said. "But they know we are the next billion users." While Facebook is investing and bringing more users online in the global south, Taye said it isn't investing nearly enough in the tools needed to protect those people. "The EU can summon Mark Zuckerberg to Brussels. The UK can summon them to Parliament. The US can do it in Congress. But we have no power," she said. The Meta spokesperson denied that it does not take hate speech regarding Ethiopia seriously. Rafiq Copeland, a senior adviser at Internews, one of Meta's longest-standing trusted partners globally, told Insider that the core complaints of trusted partners in Ethiopia have come up in other Rest of World countries. "These are common experiences, common frustrations," Copeland said. But a system for catching hate speech remains essential, and Copeland said that Meta should redesign the Trusted Partner system with input from its global partners. "For the safety benefit it brings, the Trusted Partner program is the best value Meta is ever going to get," he said. "It provides a channel for civil society to raise issues and share information that has a potential to save lives. "But we've also had a lot of frustrations with the program," he added. Professor Amare and his wife on a date in Bahir Dar in 1988. Photo courtesy of Amare family A father's story Professor Amare was buried without a coffin in an unmarked grave by two civil servants. No mourners were present. It would take the help of a local NGO for his family to identify where Amare had been laid to rest. "We weren't allowed to cry out loud," Abrham said. "The whole atmosphere was against Tigrayans." To this day, the identity of the killer is unknown. For Abrham, one of the hardest things has been contending with the destruction of his father's good name. As the family hunkered down in Addis Ababa, the capital, until they were able to leave the country, Abrham got started on an online memorial the obituary he believed his father had been denied. Some things Abrham knew: Both a devout Christian and a man of science, his father had for years covered school fees and bought school supplies for underprivileged kids in Bahir Dar. He enjoyed traditional Tigrigna music, and on long drives he'd sing along to the music of Yemane Ghebremichael and Tsehaytu Beraki, Eritrean musicians he adored. Professor Amare had produced 47 scholarly articles, nine of which were published posthumously by supportive colleagues and coauthors. He was due to travel to scientific conferences in Europe, Asia, and the United States in the coming years to discuss those works. Ironically, Facebook had once been a source of happy news for the family: In early 2021, when the professor received a major promotion, he was too humble to break the news himself, and they learned of it from the university's official Facebook account. Abrham reached out to his dad's friends and colleagues to learn more about the professor's life. "He was a nice man," Abrahm told Insider. "But sometimes being nice, being civil, costs a lot." Even in Addis Ababa, it seemed that everyone knew about the Facebook posts, and many people now saw him as a traitor. "I received a lot of rejections," Abrham said, about some of the people he called to speak about his father. In August, Abrham left Ethiopia and published his father's memorial online. He will not be posting it on Facebook. The media's interest in the lawsuit has given him more opportunities to talk about the man his father was, even if some details remain deeply painful. "It gives me a chance to remember the good times," he said during one interview. The first hearing in his case against Meta is now scheduled to take place on April 19 in Nairobi, Kenya. "The cycle needs to stop somewhere," Abrham said. "I don't want other families to suffer the same things we suffered. I want to stop these kinds of things from happening again." For Abrham, the case, and the media attention it's brought, is another exercise in reclaiming his father's legacy so that he may be remembered the way those who loved him did. Read the original article on Business Insider KHARTOUM (Reuters) - The following outlines the struggle for power in recent years in Sudan, where clashes erupted on Saturday between the military and the country's main paramilitary force: WHO HAS BEEN IN CHARGE IN SUDAN? Sudan began its halting transition towards democracy after military generals ousted long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir amid a popular uprising in April 2019. Bashir, an Islamist long shunned by the West, had presided over the country for nearly three decades. Under an August 2019 agreement, the military agreed to share power with civilians ahead of elections. That arrangement was abruptly halted by a 2021 coup, which triggered a new campaign of mass pro-democracy rallies across Sudan. WHERE DOES THE BALANCE OF POWER LIE? The military has been a dominant force in Sudan since independence in 1956, staging coups, fighting internal wars, and amassing economic holdings. During the 2019-21 power-sharing arrangement, distrust between the military and civilian parties ran deep. The civilian side drew legitimacy from a resilient protest movement and support from parts of the international community. The military had internal backing from rebel factions that benefited from a 2020 peace deal and from veterans of Bashir's government who returned to the civil service following the coup. The coup put the army back in charge, but it faced weekly demonstrations, renewed isolation and deepening economic woes. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and deputy leader of Sudan's ruling council since 2019, swung behind the plan for a new transition, bringing tensions with ruling council head and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to the surface. Dagalo is better known as Hemedti. WHAT ARE THE FAULTLINES? A central cause of tension since the uprising is a civilian demand to gain oversight of the military and to see the integration of the powerful RSF into the regular army. Civilians have also called for the handover of lucrative military holdings in agriculture, trade, and other industries, a crucial source of power for an army that has often outsourced military action to regional militias. Story continues Another point of contention is the pursuit of justice over allegations of war crimes by the military and its allies in the conflict in Darfur from 2003. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking trials for Bashir and other Sudanese suspects. Justice is also being sought over the killings of pro-democracy protesters on June 3, 2019, in which military forces are implicated. Activists and civilian groups have been angered by delays to an official investigation. In addition, they want justice for at least 125 people killed by security forces in protests since the 2021 coup. WHAT ABOUT THE ECONOMY? A worsening economic crisis that sent the currency plunging and created frequent shortages of bread and fuel was a key trigger for Bashir's downfall. The 2019-21 transitional government implemented tough, rapid reforms monitored by the International Monetary Fund in a successful bid for debt relief and to attract foreign financing. But billions of dollars in international support and debt relief were frozen after the 2021 coup, halting development projects, straining the national budget, and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation. WHAT'S THE REGIONAL PICTURE? Sudan is in a volatile region, bordering the Red Sea, the Sahel, and the Horn of Africa. Its strategic location and agricultural wealth have attracted regional power plays, complicating the chances of a successful transition. Several of Sudan's neighbours, including Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan, have been affected by political upheavals and conflict. Sudan's relationship with Ethiopia in particular has been strained over disputed farmland along their border, over conflict in the Tigray region that drove tens of thousands of refugees into Sudan, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have seen Sudan's transition as a way of pushing back against Islamist influence in the region. They, along with the United States and Britain, form the "Quad", which has sponsored mediation in Sudan along with the United Nations and African Union. Western powers fear the potential for a Russian base on the Red Sea, which Sudanese military leaders have expressed openness to. Egypt, which has deep historical ties with Sudan and a close relationship with its military, has pursued an alternative track with groups that supported the 2021 coup. (Writing by Nafisa Eltahir and Aidan Lewis; Editing by Frances Kerry) Governor Ron DeSantis was briefly interrupted in the middle of his speech at the Republican Partys Amos Tuck fundraiser dinner in New Hampshire on Friday night. Protesters stormed the stage chanting, Jews against DeSantis! The Florida governor was in the middle of section of his speech talking about upcoming governor races, president races, when two women tried to unfurl a banner emblazoned with Ron Desantis: Loves Israel, Hates Jews written in black on a banner before it was quickly ripped as they were escorted off the stage. You gotta have a little spice in the speech, right? I mean, you gotta have a little fun, Governor DeSantis joked afterward to a chorus of raucous applause. #BREAKING: Protestors storm an unphased Gov. Ron DeSantis at New Hampshire event They chanted "Jews against DeSantis!" DeSantis: "Why you'd want to pay the ticket to get in just to do that, I don't know!" pic.twitter.com/zwNnlz7590 Floridas Voice (@FLVoiceNews) April 14, 2023 Although it was not clear at first who the protesters were, the organization IfNotNow, a progressive American Jewish group, claimed credit online explaining that the publicity stunt was a means of drawing attention to the Florida governors upcoming trip to Israel. IfNotNow members are confronting Ron DeSantis at a GOP fundraiser in New Hampshire this evening. Were making clear that DeSantis is an antisemite whose actions and policies both support Israeli apartheid and put Jews in danger, the group announced on its official Twitter account sharing a previously unseen recorded version of the events. The thread went on to condemn AIPAC and DeSantis who support occupation and apartheid at the expense of Jewish safety. Conversely, We believe in the opposite vision: where liberation for Jews and Palestinians are inextricably linked. We fight for equality, justice, and a thriving future for all Israelis and Palestinians, the group claimed. Story continues The New Hampshire Journal shared a photo of a packed conference room at the Double Tree Hilton in Manchester boasting that Governor DeSantis helped break the projection and bring in a total of $382,000. As the protesters were removed from the conference room, DeSantis poked at them one final time. Why youd want to pay the ticket to get in just to do that, I dont know! More from National Review A 21-year-old Air National Guardsman was hit with federal charges Friday, accused of unauthorized retention, removal and transmission of national defense information and classified documents that he allegedly leaked online. Jack Douglas Teixeira, an airman 1st class for the 102nd Intelligence Wing based at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, not only had a Top Secret security clearance but also sensitive compartmented access (SCI), a more restrictive designation for some of the government's most closely guarded secrets, since 2021, according to a newly released affidavit from the Justice Department. "Teixeira would have signed a lifetime binding non-disclosure agreement in which he would have had to acknowledge that the unauthorized disclosure of protected information could result in criminal charges," the affidavit details. Read Next: Security Clearances Getting Congressional Scrutiny After Leak Arrest Teixeira oversaw a private online chat group in which more than a dozen young men would discuss guns, memes and video games, according to The New York Times. The group was named "Thug Shaker Central" on Discord, a website connected to video gaming. But Teixeira for months was also releasing photos of classified defense documents pertaining to operations in the Ukraine war, as well as U.S. surveillance efforts around the world, federal officials claim. The young airman was able to acquire the documents due, in part, to the clearances he had, which made them "accessible to Teixeira by virtue of his employment with [the Air National Guard]," the affidavit said. The Air Force confirmed Thursday that Teixeira serves as a cyber transport systems journeyman. Notably, Teixeira has been on federal Title 10 orders since October, National Guard officials told Military.com, meaning he had been on active-duty status performing military duties as opposed to more sporadic drill weekends in Massachusetts. Story continues Because he was on active duty, Teixeira could also face military charges separate from Justice Department prosecution. Guardsmen, who spend the bulk of their service under different duty statuses working part time, often fall out of military justice jurisdiction. Federal documents released Friday allege that Teixeira began posting "the Government Information as paragraphs of text" starting in December 2022. But by January, the documents said that he started posting pictures of the intelligence and secret information because he "had become concerned that he may be discovered making the transcriptions of text in the workplace, so he began taking the documents to his residence and photographing them." On April 6, a week before armed law enforcement officers would arrest him, Teixeira allegedly began searching on his government computer for the term "leak" on classified networks. "Accordingly, there is reason to believe that Teixeira was searching for classified reporting regarding the U.S. Intelligence Community's assessment of the identity of the individual who transmitted classified national defense information," the affidavit details. As federal investigators closed in on Teixeira, he reportedly called members of the online chat group to tell them he never expected this situation to happen, according to The New York Times, saying that the documents were not meant to be widely distributed but only shared with a close-knit group of friends. "Guys, it's been good -- I love you all," Teixeira said, one listener recounted to The New York Times. "I never wanted it to get like this. I prayed to God that this would never happen. And I prayed and prayed and prayed. Only God can decide what happens from now on." Federal Defense Attorney Brendan Kelley is representing Teixeira, according to court documents. He did not immediately respond to a Military.com phone call seeking comment about his client's case. Teixeira's case has raised concerns among legal and national security experts about the access that young, enlisted service members have to classified information. "We entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very early age," Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Thursday. "So you receive training and you will receive an understanding of the rules and requirements that come along with those responsibilities, and you're expected to abide by those rules, regulations and responsibility. It's called military discipline. And in certain cases, especially when it comes to sensitive information, it also is about the law." Ryan Nerney, a managing partner at law firm Tully Rinckey, told Military.com in an interview Thursday that Teixeira's case should be a reminder to all service members about the importance of protecting classified and top secret information. "Anybody who gets a clearance, whether you're an 18-year-old person coming into the military or a 20-year veteran going into the civil service ... anybody who gets a clearance goes through the same adjudicative guidelines," Nerney said. "But it definitely is a wake-up call to, potentially, update or renew the processes for individuals getting clearances." Calls from lawmakers -- and even President Joe Biden -- to update policies have been swift. But when Ryder was asked by Military.com on Thursday whether the Pentagon had reduced the number of people who have access to classified info in the wake of the leak, he didn't disclose what specifically had been done, saying only that policies were being reviewed. Instead, Ryder pointed blame at Teixeira's actions. "I want to emphasize that this was a deliberate criminal act to violate those guidelines and rules, in the same way that if you locked your front door and somebody came into your house and took something," Ryder said. "You followed your procedures and you locked your door, but somebody went in your house and took something and put it out on the street; that's what we're talking about here." The 102nd Intelligence Wing, where Teixeira was stationed, is more than 100 years old and started as the 101st Observation Squadron of the Massachusetts National Guard in 1921, according to the wing's website. The wing's mission is to "provide worldwide precision intelligence" mainly "for expeditionary combat support and homeland security." It's also been reported that Teixeira has family ties to the military and, more specifically, the 102nd Intelligence Wing. His stepfather Tom Dufault and stepbrother Alex Dufault also worked at Joint Base Cape Cod, the Cape Cod Times reported. -- Steve Beynon contributed to this report -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. -- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten. Related: Guardsman Arrested in Pentagon Leak Case that Shook the US and Allies It is the third generation of police body armour even though it is the first with separate male and female versions Female police officers are to get specially-designed body armour to fit their bodies for the first time. With a record 50,000 female officers serving in the 43 forces in England and Wales, police armour has been re-designed to be lighter, more flexible and provide not only male but also female versions that fit the contours of a womans upper body. Until now, they have had to put up with unisex armour which many women have said is uncomfortable, inflexible and even painful when worn for hours at a crime scene. A four-year research and development programme, launched in the wake of the stabbing to death of PC Keith Palmer in front of Parliament, has also led to an overhaul of the design to give extra protection to vulnerable parts of the body such as neck and armpits. Belinda Goodwin, wellbeing lead for the Police Federation, who has been a driving force in the project, said: I am quite big chested and I went for years being squashed. It was very uncomfortable for me because you would just be completely and utterly flattened. As a female officer, it is definitely a game changer because it's just much more comfortable and you just feel more protected. If officers are not comfortable in their body armour, they won't wear it and we cannot be in that position. The development of the new armour has coincided with a surge in knife crime. It is up 68 per cent from 31,000 offences before 2017 when PC Palmer was murdered during a terrorist attack on Parliament to a peak of 52,000 in 2019/20. It fell to 42,000 during Covid but has crept back up to 45,000 in 2021/22. As part of the research towards a new design, police studied scores of coroners reports to understand where and how fatal knife wounds were inflicted, from a full-frontal attack to a nick of an artery or cut that went undetected. This was combined with research into attacks on police officers to assess the vulnerabilities of the previous unisex versions of body armour. This helped identify the weaknesses around the armpit and neck. Story continues It has resulted in extra body armour, known as Supplementary Knife Resistance (SKRs), which protects the armpit and neck. The SKR can resist a knife driven with a force of 12 joules without discomfort. This is on top of the main back and front plates which are bulletproof and knife resistant to an approved Home Office standard. The different-sized male and female versions are between 0.2 kilograms and 0.6 kilograms lighter but without any loss of strength in the polyamide armour. 'Why we didnt do it years ago, I do not know' To select the winning company, Cooneen Protection, 29 officers - 15 male and 14 female - from different squads spent five days testing the armour in the field. This ranged from jumping over fences, running up and down stairs and driving police cars to deploying tasers and carrying out CPR resuscitation. It is the third generation of police body armour even though it is the first with separate male and female versions. Its just more contoured and more shapely. Why we didnt do it years ago, I do not know, said Ms Goodwin. It comes after a 74-year-old man was charged with the murder of a female police officer in 2005 after being extradited from Pakistan. Piran Ditta Khan was brought back to the UK on Tuesday and taken into custody at a West Yorkshire police station where he was accused of killing 38-year-old Sharon Beshenivsky. Pc Beshenivsky was shot when responding to an armed robbery at a travel agent in Bradford in November 2005. She was nine months into her role with West Yorkshire Police. Women now make up more than a third (34.9 per cent) of police officers. Of the recruits hired since April 2020, 42.5 per cent - or 13,326 - are women. The Telegraph revealed earlier this year that 40 per cent of chief constable posts in England and Wales are now held by women. It is now up to individual police forces to decide whether to buy the new design. But Ms Goodwin said: Weve been working really hard to help procure this body armour. We want every officer around the country to have the same safety and the same level of comfort." Explosions rocked the Sudanese capital Saturday as paramilitaries and the regular army traded attacks on each other's bases, days after the army warned the country was at a "dangerous" turning point. The paramilitaries said they were in control of the presidential place as well as Khartoum airport, claims denied by the army, as civilian leaders called for an immediate ceasefire to prevent the country's "total collapse". The eruption of violence came after weeks of deepening tensions between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, over the planned integration of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the regular army. Witnesses reported "confrontations" and loud explosions and gunfire near an RSF base in south Khartoum. Military leader Burhan has been at loggerheads with his number two, the RSF commander, over talks to finalise a deal to return the country to civilian rule and end the crisis sparked by their 2021 coup. The RSF said its forces had taken control of Khartoum airport, after witnesses reported seeing truckloads of fighters entering the airport compound, as well as the presidential palace and other key sites. Its claims were quickly denied by the army. "The army headquarters, Khartoum airport, and Merowe base are under full control of the Sudanese army," an army statement said. "The rebellious Rapid Support Forces are spreading lies that our forces attacked them to cover up their rebellious behaviour." - 'Sweeping attack' - Created in 2013, the RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia that then president Omar al-Bashir unleashed against non-Arab ethnic minorities in the western Darfur region a decade earlier, drawing accusations of war crimes. A plan to integrate the RSF into the regular army is one of the key points of contention, analysts have said. Eleventh-hour haggling between the two men over the details has twice forced postponement of the signing of an agreement with civilian factions setting out a roadmap for the transition. Story continues AFP reporters heard gunfire near the airport, as well near Burhan's residence and in Khartoum North. Civilians were seen running for cover as artillery exchanges rocked the streets. Fighter jets were seen patrolling the skies over Khartoum, witnesses said. The army said: "The air force is now carrying out... operations to quell the irresponsible actions by the Rapid Support Forces militia.." The two sides traded blame for starting the fighting. "The Rapid Support Forces were surprised Saturday with a large force from the army entering camps in Soba in Khartoum and laying siege to paramilitaries there," it said in a statement. It said a "sweeping attack with all kinds of heavy and light weapons" was under way. The army said the paramilitaries started the heavy fighting. "Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces attacked several army camps in Khartoum and elsewhere around Sudan," army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah told AFP. "Clashes are ongoing and the army is carrying out its duty to safeguard the country." Troops blocked off the bridges across the Nile linking Khartoum with its sister cities of Omdurman and Khartoum North. They also sealed off the road to the presidential palace. - 'Slipping into abyss' - The military's civilian interlocutors called on both sides "to immediately cease hostilities and spare the country slipping into the abyss of total collapse." Their plea was echoed by US ambassador John Godfrey, who tweeted that he "woke up to the deeply disturbing sounds of gunfire and fighting" and was "currently sheltering in place with the embassy team, as Sudanese throughout Khartoum and elsewhere are doing". "Escalation of tensions within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous. I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting," he said. Western governments had been warning of the dangers of all-out fighting between the rival security forces since the army issued its warning to the paramilitaries on Thursday. Five Western governments plus the European Union said they were "deeply concerned by reports of heightened tensions in Sudan and risk of escalation between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces." In its statement Thursday, the regular army said it was "sounding the alarm as the country is at a dangerous historical turning point". "The risks are increasing as the RSF command mobilised and spread forces in the capital and other cities," the army said. In recent months, Daglo has said the 2021 coup was a "mistake" that failed to bring about change in Sudan and reinvigorated remnants of Bashir's regime, which was ousted by the army in 2019 following month of mass protests. Burhan, a career soldier from northern Sudan who rose the ranks under Bashir's three-decade rule, maintained that the coup was "necessary" to bring more groups into the political process. bur/kir/pjm NEW YORK Former President Donald Trump has raised more than $34 million for his 2024 White House run since the start of the year, buoyed by a big bump in donations since the announcement of criminal charges against him in New York, according to his campaign. His total after the March 30 indictment approached what he took in over the previous three months. Trumps latest fundraising report due to be filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission will show he raised more than $18.8 million between his main campaign account and a joint fundraising account over the the first three months of the year, the campaign said. Advertisement Of that total for the Jan. 1-March 31 period, $4 million came in after Trump was indicted March 30 by a grand jury in Manhattan on charges related to a hush money case stemming from the 2016 election. The fundraising numbers were first reported by Politico. Advertisement Trump began raising money off the news of his indictment, and his campaign said he took in $15.4 million since the announcement of charges and Saturdays filing deadline for the fundraising report. Trump, who is also facing several other criminal investigations, has tried to use his legal troubles to galvanize supporters, claiming all the cases are politically motivated. He has portrayed the New York charges as election interference but also suggested they may help him win support. Trump has dominated the GOP field in the early stages of the 2024 presidential race. But many high-dollar GOP donors have been looking to send their support elsewhere this time. Until his indictment, his campaign fundraising had lagged behind the massive amounts he used to raise in days or in hours when he was president. Only a few candidates have officially entered the race, Trumps U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor; former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who announced days after Trumps indictment was filed; and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. More candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are expected to enter the race by the time next fundraising reports are due in mid-July. Shea Ryan, 10, died after falling down a manhole on a construction site in Drumchapel, Glasgow. (PA) A company has been fined 800,000 for safety failures which led to a 10-year-old boy falling to his death. Shea Ryan died after falling down a manhole on a construction site in Drumchapel, Glasgow, on 16 July 2020. The Crown Office said Glasgow Sheriff Court was told that Shea, along with other children, got into the site through an insecure fence. He was able to access a maintenance hole and begin to climb down before slipping and falling more than six metres to the bottom, sustaining fatal injuries. Contractors RJ McLeod was fined 800,000 at the court on Friday, having previously pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws. The company was also ordered to pay a 60,000 victim surcharge. Contractors RJ McLeod was fined at Glasgow Sheriff Court. (Getty) An investigation by Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found insufficient measures had been taken to prevent children gaining access to the construction site. In a statement released through legal firm Digby Brown, Sheas mother Joanne Ferguson said: I am glad RJ McLeod finally admitted guilt. My son is not here and that destroys me every day. That totally avoidable accident has ruined my life and my kids lives. I dont even feel human anymore at times because of the grief." The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said a fatal accident inquiry would be held into Sheas death. Speaking after the sentencing, Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations at COPFS, added: This prosecution should remind duty holders that a failure to manage and implement effective measures can have fatal consequences and they will be held accountable for this failure." HSE principal inspector Graeme McMinn said: Shea should never have been able to get on to and play on that site. The security measures should have taken account of the adjacent childrens playpark and the likelihood of children trying to gain access. Mr McMinn said the construction industry must do everything it can to keep children out of construction sites and away from danger to prevent a tragedy such as this happening again. A spokesperson for RJ McLeod (Contractors) Limited said the firm fully accepts the outcome and ruling of the court. They added: We have carried out a comprehensive review of the event and have taken action to protect against the risk of a re-occurrence. A court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, will consider the "largest criminal case in terms of the number of participants" allegedly organising an underground resistance in the territory of occupied Melitopol. Source: Kommersant Details: According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), five residents of Melitopol Ihor Horlov, contract soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zuiev, Ukraines Territorial Defence Forces soldiers, Andrii Holubiev and Oleksandr Zhukov, as well as dismissed Yurii Petrov were allegedly members of the Union of Participants of the Anti-Terrorist Operation of Melitopol. Russia attributes the alleged planning of explosions to the Ukrainians "in the locations of Russian troops and places where humanitarian aid is distributed". According to the FSB, the Ukrainians were allegedly going to throw grenades at military equipment and military personnel and blow up a car. It is noted that residents of Melitopol were detained, then taken to the Crimea, and later to the Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. The trial will begin in April. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The couple was reportedly kidnapped on March 18. Screenshot/Change.org The Florida couple, who was kidnapped in Haiti, has been freed, per reports. Jean-Dickens Toussaint and Abigail Michael Toussaint were kidnapped during a March visit. Their family told NBC Miami that they should be back in Florida on Saturday. A Florida couple was reportedly let free earlier this week after the pair were kidnapped while visiting family in Haiti last month. Family members of Jean-Dickens Toussaint and Abigail Michael Toussaint, both 33, told NBC Miami that the couple was released on Thursday. The family also told the outlet that they are expected to be back in Tamarac, Florida on Saturday. No additional details were made available. They previously said that the Toussaints went to Port-au-Prince, Hait to visit loved ones and attend a festival. They were kidnapped from a bus on March 18, after a gang spotted suitcases on board, Nikese Toussaint, Jean-Dickens' sister said, per NBC Miami. The outlet noted that another person, who was not identified, was traveling with them at the time of the incident. "They stopped the bus at a stop and then asked for Americans to get off the bus and their escorts off the bus, and then they took them," Christie Desormes, their niece, told WPLG in March. Per WPLG, the kidnappers initially requested $6,000 for the couple's release but decided to increase it to $200,000 for each person after the family paid it. It is unclear if the full ransom was paid. The family did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Following their kidnapping, the family and their local church called for the immediate safe return of the Toussaints. Demores started a petition asking for people to spread the word about what happened to her loved ones. NBC Miami reported that the family received assistance from the FBI. When Insider reached out to the US State Department last month, they confirmed that they were "aware of the situation." As ABC News reported, the agency put out a travel advisory, warning Americans not to travel to the country amid an uptick of gang violence pointing to "kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest." Read the original article on Insider The phenomenal, record-smashing snowfalls that buried mountainous swaths of the western U.S. this winter have left behind a huge snowpack. That's a blessing for a region plagued by drought. It's also a potential disaster if it melts all at once. The spring melt has already begun. In recent days, some disruptive floods have occured in the Rockies, but some of the biggest concern for snowmelt flooding is in California, which has yet to see much in the way of extreme warmth this spring. An above normal to record snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, combined with elevated soil moisture, increases the threat of spring flooding due to snowmelt, especially at high elevations, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. PREVIOUSLY: Trillions of gallons have soaked California. Is this the state's wettest winter ever? GRAPHICS: See how drenched California is and why it would take multiple years like this to erase drought "Approximately 44% of the U.S. is at risk for flooding this spring, said Ed Clark, director of NOAAs National Water Center. Californias historic snowpack, coupled with spring rain, is heightening the potential for spring floods. Snowpack on the mountains of the Eastern Sierras after record rain and snow from winter storms in Inyo County, near Independence, California on April 7, 2023. How much snow? Federal mapping shows large areas of California, Utah and Nevada have snowpack that's more than twice as deep as normal. Some automated monitoring sites even show snowpack that's seven or 10 times deeper than usual. Looking at snowpack across the West, record-breaking conditions were reported in the Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, ranges of the Colorado Plateau in Utah and northern Arizona, and in the central and southern Rockies of western Colorado, northern Utah, and southeastern Idaho, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor of April 13. FROM JANUARY: 30 feet of snow? That much has fallen in some places in California as snow blankets huge swaths of state. PHOTOS: Before and after photos show California reservoirs replenished after historic rains The real standout this winter has been the Great Basin, which stretches from the Sierra Nevada to the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. It has recorded more snow this season than the last two seasons combined. Thats notable given that over the last decade, only two years 2017 and 2019 had snowpack above the median. Story continues Also notable: California's Mammoth Mountain Ski Area recorded more than 58 feet of snowfall at its main lodge through April 13, with more than 21 feet still on the ground after it compacted down. Snowmelt is a natural part of the water cycle, but ... Snowmelt is a natural part of the water cycle, but when warmer weather leads to snowpack thawing too rapidly, it's unable to be absorbed by the frozen ground, surrounding water bodies or local drainage systems, according to the National Flood Insurance Program. This can lead to snowmelt flooding. But there's an even worse scenario that could occur if the weather gets particularly warm: snow evaporates directly into the atmosphere in a process called sublimation, dramatically reducing runoff and potentially leading to drought conditions despite a deep snowpack, noted Colorado State University snow hydrologist Steven Fassnacht in 2021. The most recent forecast for May-July from the Climate Prediction Center shows that most of the western U.S. should see warmer-than-normal temperatures for those three months, along with an average amount of precipitation. Sean de Guzman, snow survey manager for the Department of Water Resources, right, walks on the snow after he and his team conducted the final snow survey of the season at Phillips Station on Monday, April 3, 2023. It was the deepest snowpack ever recorded. (Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP) ORG XMIT: CASAB102 Will California see massive floods? UCLA's Daniel Swain said this week that although "no extreme snowmelt events are currently on the horizon for the next 1-2 weeks, there is still a record-breaking amount of snow water thats going to have to come downhill at some point between now and mid-summer." In fact, the snow-water equivalent level in California was a whopping and record breaking 258% of normal, the U.S. Drought Monitor said this week. VIDEO: Parade of storms replenish California reservoirs AGRICULTURE: California's vast farms are soaked. There's nowhere to plant tomatoes, and that's just one problem. Swain added that another warm atmospheric river storm is still possible in the next few weeks, as is the likelihood of a May heat wave, which will exacerbate the flood concerns across the state. That's because rain falling on snowpack could drastically speed up the melting, in addition to all the moisture from the atmospheric river. "This will continue to be a major story in the coming weeks even as the rest of the state dries out and recovers from this winters damaging and disruptive events flood risk may linger into mid-summer in some areas subject to direct snowmelt runoff." At a media briefing this week, California state climatologist Michael Anderson said "there's a lot of snow out there... but there is a coordinated and very active group working and looking at the situation." Utah melt could replenish lake or swamp Salt Lake City The Utah snowpack above Salt Lake City is about double the normal amount, and holds the promise of both harm and help. Like many western areas, Utah has seen drought for years, and a slow melt during a cool spring would help replenish the parched soils and reservoirs, including the Great Salt Lake. But a hot spring could mean the snow melts faster than the rivers and streams can safely carry away, causing downstream flooding. Sandbagging crews in Salt Lake City diverted floodwaters from homes and neighborhoods as the West's melting snowpack begins flowing into populated areas. A mudslide temporarily also closed I-80 into the city from the mountains on Wednesday night. While immediate flooding concerns have since eased, a warm spring could bring widespread flooding to Western states with deep snowpacks: Nevada, California, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Montana. "We've been in an epic drought and now we've had an epic winter our concern began in January, but so did our planning," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. How does climate change affect you?: Subscribe to the weekly Climate Point newsletter READ MORE: Latest climate change news from USA TODAY Mendenhall said city residents are rightfully concerned about a repeat of the 1983 snowmelt that brought widespread downtown flooding and caused the equivalent of $110 million of damage in today's dollars, although no fatalities were recorded. She said investments in infrastructure mean the city is better prepared today than ever before. And she said the low levels of the Great Salt Lake mean there's somewhere to send the water. The lake dropped to precipitously low levels over the winter "Most of all, because the Great Salt Lake is so low, we have capacity in the system to move things through," she said. "The lake is going to breathe easier this year. I look at the mountains and all the snow with a sense of gratitude." Spring floods already happening in Montana In Montana, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Milk River near Glasgow, warning that major flooding could occur and that minor flooding was already happening as warm weather melted the snowpack. Linda Wixson, the owner of Red Barn Gifts in Glasgow, said she didn't need a meteorologist to tell her that: she drove through a flooded creek on her way into town Wednesday morning. "I'm concerned because my store is right on the river, but usually most of the water goes to the other side," she said. "But I drove through floodwaters to get to my store today if I want to go home and sleep in my bed, I'm a little concerned." In past high-water years she stayed in town while her husband stayed on their farm, separated by flooding. She said a dike protects most of their property, and they're prepared to sandbag if the waters rise enough. Glasgow is about 55 miles south of the Canadian border, and Wixson said while the snow around town has largely melted, there's more in the mountains. She said longtime residents like herself are accustomed to periodic flooding, and hoped cooler weather would allow the current levels to ease before things heat back up again. "You have to have a good attitude, otherwise you'd just pack up and move out of town for good," she laughed. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Massive snow in California, the West prompts spring flooding fears Former CIA Director John Brennan blasted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) over her defense of the accused U.S. intelligence leaker, saying she shouldnt hold office. From my perspective, I think Marjorie Taylor Greene has demonstrated time and time again that shes not fit to hold public office with some of her commentary that she has made, even previously, Brennan said in an MSNBC interview. And so, therefore, I believe she should not be involved in any type of sensitive, classified information. And she does have some clearances because of her role within the Congress and position on the committee, he added, referring to the House Homeland Security Committee. Greene came to the defense of Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who was arrested and charged this week in connection with the leak of hundreds of sensitive and classified military documents including information about the war in Ukraine and other national security issues. Jake Teixeira is white, male, christian, and antiwar. That makes him an enemy to the Biden regime, Greene said in tweets Thursday. Ask yourself who is the real enemy? A young low level national guardsmen? Or the administration that is waging war in Ukraine, a non-NATO nation, against nuclear Russia without war powers? Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) lambasted Greene over the comments, saying she cannot be trusted with Americas national security information. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) also slammed Greene on Thursday for siding with one of the biggest traitors America has seen. Greene has been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine against the Russian invasion, but Brennan said that you can be critical of such aid while still supporting information security. And if you do have that [view], you can still decry and condemn the unauthorized disclosure of our classified information that has been damaging to our interests abroad, Brennan said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dr. Tricia Derges listens to a patient's chest at the Lift Up Springfield medical clinic on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. Derges was named the 2018 Humanitarian Award recipient for her work with Lift Up Springfield. Former Missouri state Representative Patricia Derges has reported to a federal prison in Lexington, Kentucky to begin serving her six-year-and-three-month sentence. Derges, who represented Nixa in the state legislature until last year, was convicted on 22 counts, including wire fraud, illegal distribution of controlled substances and making false statements to investigators in June 2022. The felonies surrounded fraud within her for-profit and nonprofit clinics' finances, her consistent false advertising for treatments that she claimed contained stem cells and an illegitimate application for emergency coronavirus relief funds from Greene County. After being sentenced in February to more than six years in prison, Derges reported this month to a minimum-security satellite camp at the Federal Medical Center Lexington in Kentucky. Tricia Derges leaves the Federal Courthouse with her attorneys after being found guilty of 22 counts, including wire fraud, illegal distribution of controlled substances and making false statements to investigators. More: Missouri lawmaker Tricia Derges found guilty of wire fraud, illegal prescriptions, lying to feds According to a spokesperson at the prison, the satellite camp is not connected to the medical aspects of the prison and houses 203 inmates. The prison contains 1,289 inmates between the medical center and satellite camp. Derges, 65, resigned from the Missouri House of Representatives days after a jury found her guilty following a two-week trial at the federal courthouse in Springfield. She was elected in November 2020 as a Republican. During her sentencing hearing, Derges apologized but stopped short of taking full responsibility, saying the mistakes she made in this case were made "unknowingly" and without criminal intent. Judge Wimes said she did not display "any level of contrition." "You can't take that next step to own it," Wimes said. Wimes acknowledged Derges had performed many good deeds in her life but said he could not be certain she would not re-offend and wanted a prison sentence to serve as a deterrent. "This is just a betrayal of public trust," Wimes said. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Former MO Rep Patricia Derges reports to federal prison in Kentucky Fox News Fox News hosts and guests are pushing back against Donald Trumps Ron DeSantis attack ad, which plays off a perplexing accountfirst reported by The Daily Beastof the Florida governor eating pudding with his fingers in 2019. Ron DeSantis loves sticking his fingers where they dont belong, the ad states, while showing a man reenacting the tale. And were not just talking about pudding. DeSantis has his dirty fingers all over senior entitlements. Like cutting Medicare, slashing social security, even raising our retirement age. DeSantis New Hampshire GOP Event Hits a Snag Fox News host Neil Cavuto called the ad childish on Your World Friday. It is insulting not only, you know, to push ads and promotions like this, but to think the American people would buy it or should be exposed to itI know Im naive, Cavuto said. I just find it idiotic. Daron Shaw, member of the Fox News decision desk, agreed. The former presidents a little like that junior high-school bully who managed to find the one thing about everybodys appearance that, you know, that made them uncomfortable, that made them insecure, and would hone in on that to sort of elevate himself and make them feel bad, Shaw said. Meanwhile, Karl Roveformer White House deputy chief of staff under President George Bushcalled the ad stupid. Rove also noted the ad has implications for the 2024 Republican primaries. Donald Trump is worried about Ron DeSantis, Rove added. Otherwise, why would he be out there now before DeSantis is even a candidate? MAGA Attack Ad Rips Into Ron DeSantis Gross Pudding Habits Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Frances retirement age will increase from 62 to 64 despite broad and violent protests against the measure, which was pushed by French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron signed the controversial bill into law Saturday after Frances high court approved the increase on Friday. The government plans to implement the bill by September. The bill has been met with massive protests from the French people, including a multi-union general strike and violence that shut down city centers around the country for multiple weeks. Protests sparked up again Friday amid the news of the high courts decision. Polls have consistently shown that a majority of French people do not support the measure, which Macron says is necessary given the aging population of France. Left-wing lawmaker Francois Ruffin castigated Macron on Twitter after the news broke Friday. Like thieves, Emmanuel Macron and his gang enacted their pension law in the middle of the night, he said. Because they know it well: what they have just practiced is a democratic hold-up. This brutality marks, in fact, their fragility. They are already a thing of the past. Their world is dead. We are strong. We are the future. We are millions. We will show it by an immense (Labor Day protest), he added. Opponents of the bill, including multiple unions, have already committed to massive protests for Labor Day, May 1. Macrons government pushed the bill through last month without a majority of votes in the French Parliament, using special constitutional powers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. As U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger sentenced longtime Chicago political operative Roberto Caldero to nearly five years in prison for wire fraud Friday, he placed the man in the citys infamous history of political corruption. Caldero who pleaded guilty in September as he faced eight charges for attempting to influence a $1 billion Chicago Public Schools janitorial contract and using former Ald. Daniel Solis clout to solicit campaign cash and get a park and street renamed for donors relatives had made his mark, Seeger said. Advertisement You added another star on Chicagos walk of shame on the sidewalk of corruption, the judge told the 70-year-old during a five-hour-long hearing. The judge slammed the Humboldt Park native, whose close work with former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez dates back to the 1980s, before delivering the 57-month sentence, a judgment in the middle of suggested sentencing guidelines for the case. Advertisement [ Political operative tied to Ald. Daniel Solis probe pleads guilty to fraud ] But before his fate was dealt, Caldero repeatedly broke from his lawyers advice to air his own perspective before the court. Early in the sentencing hearing, the political operative argued that he felt the process was in some ways unfair. Its like hes getting targeted for a bounced check, he said. And other people were robbing the bank, Caldero added. The company he was working for would have been fine with only one $30 million to $50 million portion of the $1 billion CPS contract he tried to win, he insisted. Calderos name surfaced in an FBI search warrant affidavit made public in 2019 alleging he had provided erectile dysfunction drugs and sexual services at a North Side massage parlor for Solis while he was lobbying the alderman on a variety of issues. But it was ultimately Solis stunning turn as a government mole that ultimately led to his February 2021 federal indictment for other alleged offenses, as well as separate recent charges against two of Chicagos most powerful politicians: 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke and ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan. As Caldero directed, arranged and managed bribe money that was funneled into Solis campaign in exchange for helping secure the CPS janitorial contract, the political operative stood to gain a lucrative five-year contract with the company, court records show. A matching five-year sentence would have been poetic justice, Seeger said, but the judge stopped three months short of the pairing. Advertisement I think you deserve five years. Candidly, probably more, he said. Seeger offered an onslaught of metaphors as he dug into the defendant. Caldero was a weapon of mass corruption with far-reaching corrupt tentacles who drove the corruption train, he said. If the crimes were a movie, Caldero wouldve been director, if not executive producer, he said. The political operative seemed comfortable directing traffic on the corruption highway and dangling carrots of corruption in front of public officials, Seeger added. It sure makes me wonder if this is your first ride in the corruption rodeo, because you seem awfully comfortable, the judge said. Seeger said he was shocked when Caldero decided to make an unnecessary statement in an earlier hearing to say for the record that he would not wear a wire or talk about other individuals in cooperation with the federal government. The move reminded him of the classic Martin Scorsese mob film Goodfellas, Seeger said. Advertisement You seemed to be telegraphing to the world that you are not a snitch. You were telling your friends that you didnt rat anyone out, the judge said. As Seeger reflected aloud on the aggravating and mitigating factors before delivering a sentence, Calderon continued to part from the advice from his attorney, Sami Azhari, to remain quiet. At one point, Caldero took to the mic and began to tell a story. When he dropped Madigans name, Azhari pressed hard to stop his client. Seeger reminded Caldero that he was not required to speak and unsubtly hinted to him that hed be best off following his lawyers advice. After pausing to talk with his lawyer, the defendant told Seeger he would not make a statement after all, only to interrupt discussion between the attorney and judge in an attempt to speak again moments later. Hes advised not to speak for the duration of this. If Im not clear enough on this already, Azhari said for the record, hitting his hand on the table. Eventually, Caldero conceded to his attorneys advice. Advertisement Lets finish this, he told the judge. Seeger said the many letters commending Calderos character from friends and family affected his sentence. Calderos daughter recalled his work fighting gang violence and his loving care as she testified before the court. He got caught in the slime of Democratic machine politics, she said. Caldero wiped his eyes as his daughter spoke through tears tears matched then and during the final sentencing by many of the around 20 people watching from the back of the wood-paneled courtroom. He looked away from her as she described his incessant smiles and habit of saying I love you. Afterward, he closely hugged her. [ What did you say they would give me?: 1st undercover recordings by Ald. Daniel Solis made public in corruption case ] But the mans long record of working in politics made the case particularly discouraging, Seeger said, who argued that Caldero should have known better. The judge cited video released to the Tribune earlier this week and shown in court. The video, recorded by a Solis-worn hidden camera, captured Caldero discussing an apparent bribe for helping convince other alderman and then-Mayor Rahm Emaneul to steer the CPS janitorial contract to the company that hired Caldero as a consultant. Advertisement Watch the video: The videos never showed Caldero discussing how the expensive contract could best serve Chicago schoolchildren or what might be best for the community, the judge said. You were so cavalier. You were so natural, Seeger said. The conduct in question here was not a momentary lapse in judgment. He asked Caldero how many politicians he knows who have been indicted six to eight, per the defendant before declaring that a message needs to be sent that public corruption doesnt pay in a city that has long been synonymous with cheating politicians. Corruption undermines the publics faith in democracy and leads to bad governmental decisions, Seeger told the court. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > The judge ordered Caldero to surrender on June 7, after one of his daughters graduates from college. He is to face probation for two years after serving at the federal prison closest to Chicago, though he wont face fines, in part because of a staggering $700,000 in unpaid federal taxes, Seeger determined. Advertisement Earlier in the hearing, the judge had fixated on the name of the park Caldero had worked to rename for a client with apparent bribes. The park was named for Oscar DAngelo, the judge said. Seeger asked the attorneys if they knew who DAngelo, who died in at 84 in 2016, was. They did not, they said. The infamous Chicago power broker, known as the mayor of Little Italy, had been disbarred in Illinois during the Operation Greylord scandal for providing rental cars as gifts to judges, politicians and city officials, he told them. Caldero offering bribes to rename a park named for a politico who had similarly doled out questionable generosities had a poetic quality, Seeger said. You cant make that up, he said. Only in Chicago. jsheridan@chicagotribune.com Three years after laws were passed to provide more protections for military families living in privatized housing, military officials have fallen short in implementing the changes needed, according to government auditors. The shortcomings have led to confusion, frustration and concern among military families. The guidance from above has been especially problematic for two key initiatives required by law: the formal dispute resolution process and the roles and responsibilities of tenant advocates, according to an April 6 Government Accountability Office report. While military officials have taken concrete steps to implement laws designed to address mold, water incursion, vermin and other substandard living conditions, they could do more, GAO auditors stated. By addressing those weaknesses, DoD could help personnel more effectively perform their duties and reduce residents frustration, they said. The bottom line is that theres this feeling among residents that no one is watching out for them. Thats the crux of the entire problem, said Kate Needham-Cano, executive director of Armed Forces Housing Advocates, a nonprofit organization that advocates for families living in military housing and helps them resolve issues. The GAO findings didnt surprise her, she said. The rush to implement protections for tenants is partly responsible for the problems, auditors stated. Military officials attempted to put the tenant bill of rights into place quickly, before policies were finalized and before reaching full agreement with the private housing companies to implement these rights. Fourteen private housing companies are responsible for 78 privatized housing projects, encompassing 192 installations. These private companies own and operate 99% of military family housing at domestic military installations, with 34 Army projects, 31 Air Force projects; and 13 Navy and Marine Corps projects. DoD owns, operates and maintains family housing overseas. Story continues The privatization of military housing began in the mid-1990s to address the inadequate, dilapidated family housing, which had suffered from lack of funding and maintenance backlogs for years. The military services entered into agreements with private companies to replace, renovate, build new homes, and maintain the homes. But nearly 20 years into the privatization effort, military families in some housing areas had reached a boiling point over ongoing problems that were compounded by their inability to get their problems fixed by their landlord or to get help from military installation officials. So, laws were put into place to fix the persistent problems with the condition of the homes, to improve oversight by the military, and to institute a tenant bill of rights. For their report on how that effort of going, GAO auditors analyzed DoD policies and guidance, interviewed military housing officials and private company representatives at five installations, and met with some residents. More oversight needed Auditors found the housing program needs to provide better oversight of the condition of the housing units. The law requires inspections of privatized homes before new occupants arrive, and the services are conducting them. But DoD doesnt have clear or consistent inspection standards, and the services havent provided enough training for inspectors. This contributes to inconsistencies in how the inspectors rate homes. Military housing officials and private housing company officials told GAO that enhanced training requirements would improve the overall condition of homes over time. Defense officials should establish DoD-wide turnover inspection guidance that includes clear and consistent inspection standards, auditors stated. In her response, Patricia Coury, deputy assistant secretary of defense for housing, agreed with that recommendation. In a related event, Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, accompanied inspectors Wednesday to observe their work in privatized housing at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Following an eight-month investigation by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs permanent subcommittee on investigations, Ossoff last year received a commitment from the Army to inspect all privatized housing at the post He announced Wednesday that a Senate hearing will be held April 18 to hear from military families and Army officials about the progress made in the past year to improve conditions. 'Why should we believe your assurances?' Senators grill privatized housing company officials.' Confusion about advocates Needham-Cano said her organization have been challenging the effectiveness of tenant advocacy programs. Weve been told were incorrect when we say residents are confused. Now, GAO is backing up everything weve been talking about that it is a systemic problem within the housing community, she said. While the military services have designated personnel as tenant advocates, they havent clearly defined their roles and responsibilities or communicated useful information to tenants about how the advocates can help them, the GAO auditors found. There are also different philosophies among the services. The Army, Navy and Marine Corps use existing military housing office staff to meet the requirement for tenant advocates, and didnt establish new positions. The Air Force created a new resident advocate position separate from existing military housing office personnel. But even then, there is confusion about their roles and responsibilities, auditors stated. Needham-Cano gave an example of the impact of this uncertainty. Ive witnessed a family while on speaker phone be treated very poorly by the director of maintenance, and the resident advocate did not step in to stop that conversation and stick up for that resident, she said. Its not that they are bad actors, she said, but they are not necessarily embracing the full scope of their responsibilities. She also knows of advocates who are fulfilling those roles well. Her organization recommends a third-party, independent entity providing oversight, so that the residents feel safe and that they can trust the person or group thats helping them, and so DoD and the housing company have complete separation as well, she said. Needham-Cano noted that she is seeing more informal advocacy groups popping up in military housing neighborhoods to help neighbors deal with problems that they themselves have dealt with previously. There are other nonprofits being founded to help residents do the same exact thing that were doing, she said. If all of us were making this up, none of us would exist. In fact, GAO auditors found that at some installations residents are serving as self-appointed advocates, voluntarily helping residents with issues. But DoD and Army officials told auditors that other families are seeking these volunteers assistance, not realizing that these self-appointed advocates may not have a full understanding of housing policies and practices, or access to the appropriate military housing official or private housing company personnel. One Air Force resident told auditors she was confused about which advocate to speak to about a maintenance issue in her home because there are two or three individuals in her neighborhood who identify themselves as tenant advocates, according to the report. Some residents in Army and Navy privatized housing said neighborhood representatives had contacted them asking whether they had any issues with their homes. The residents were confused about whether these people were official tenant advocates who could actually help them with maintenance issues. GAO recommended that defense officials develop a way to collect feedback from residents on the formal dispute resolution process and the tenant advocate position, and to incorporate that resident feedback in housing program initiatives. In the DoD response, Patricia Coury said she will work with the military departments to develop that mechanism. Dispute resolution issues In addition to the advocacy issues, Needham-Cano said her organization has for months been raising concerns about the dispute resolution process between military tenants and landlords. Auditors reported that military housing officials havent received adequate guidance or training to help residents with this process, and the guidance given to residents lacks essential details, such as how and when they can file a formal dispute. The auditors 19 recommendations for DoD and the services include improving and clarifying guidance for residents on how and when they can enter into the formal dispute resolution process; developing supplemental training for conducting these processes; and updating policies and tenant brochures to clearly define the role of the resident advocates. While DoD agreed with 15 of the recommendations, there was only partial agreement on Air Force-needed actions. DoD responded, for example, that the Air Force has robust existing training and formal guidance on the roles and responsibilities of the tenant advocates. But the GAO auditors noted they found some disagreement among Air Force tenants, resident advocates and housing officials about just what the advocates roles and responsibilities are. As of December, 18 of the tenant bill of rights provisions had been implemented at all but three installations that have privatized housing. Those three, all Air Force installations, are: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The housing companies havent fully agreed to residents rights to the seven-year maintenance history of their housing unit or the formal dispute resolution process, to include rent segregation during that process. The law required the secretary of defense to submit a report to Congress by June 20, 2020, that evaluated the shortage of civilian personnel performing oversight functions at DoDs military housing offices. That hadnt been submitted as of January 2023. The services are now in the process of analyzing their manpower requirements in privatized housing, according to the DoD response. By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN (Reuters) - Heinz Smital was a 24-year-old nuclear physics researcher when he first saw how far nuclear contamination could spread after the Chornobyl disaster in 1986. A few days after it occurred he waved a damp cloth out of a window at the University of Vienna to sample the city's air and was shocked by how many radionuclides could be seen under a microscope. "Technetium, Cobalt, Cesium 134, Cesium 137 ...Chornobyl was 1,000 kilometres away ... That made an impression," Smital, now 61, said as he told Reuters about his life-long activism against nuclear power in Germany. On Saturday Germany will shut off its last three reactors, ending six decades of nuclear power which helped spawn one of Europe's strongest protest movements and the political party that governs Berlin today, the Greens. "I can look back on a great many successes where I saw injustice and many years later, there was a breakthrough," Smital said, showing a photo of himself in 1990s in front of the Unterweser Nuclear Power Plant, which was closed in 2011 following the Fukushima disaster in Japan. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel responded to Fukushima by doing what no other Western leader had done, passing a law to exit nuclear by 2022. An estimated 50,000 protesters in Germany formed a 45-kilometre long (27-mile) human chain after the Fukushima disaster from Stuttgart to the Neckarwestheim Nuclear Power Plant. Merkel would announce Germany's planned nuclear exit within weeks. "We really stood hand in hand at a certain point in time. I was also in the chain ... It was impressive how that formed," Smital said. "That was a great feeling of a movement and also of belonging ...a very nice, communal, exciting feeling that also develops a power," Smital said. One of the long-running movement's early successes came in the 1970s when it managed to get plans for a nuclear plant in Wyhl in western Germany overturned. Story continues THE GREENS In parallel, a divided Germany during the Cold War also saw a peace movement evolve amid concerns among Germans that their land could become a battlefield between the two camps. "This produced a strong peace movement and the two movements reinforced each other," said Nicolas Wendler, a spokesperson for Germany's nuclear technology industry group KernD. Moving from street protests to organised political work with the establishment of the Greens party in 1980 gave the movement more power. It was a Greens-coalition government that introduced the country's first nuclear phase-out law in 2002. "The nuclear phase-out is a Greens project ... and all parties have practically adopted it," said Rainer Klute, head of pro-nuclear non-profit association Nuklearia. On Saturday, both Smital and Klute stood as protesters at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, one celebrating the end of nuclear power, the other lamenting its demise. "We have no other choice but to accept the phase-out for the time being," Klute said. Yet for Smital, the reactor closures do not mean the end of his activism. "We have a uranium fuel assemblies factory in Germany ... we have uranium enrichment, so there is still a lot that needs to be discussed here and I will be on the street a lot ...very gladly," he said. (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; editing by Jason Neely) Former President Donald Trump and other 2024 hopefuls will be descending on Nashville this weekend for a long-ago scheduled GOP donor retreat, but many state Republicans are worried that the recent expulsion of two Black Democrats from the Tennessee Legislature may overshadow the event. The arrival of high-profile Republican candidates and their potential donors comes just over a week after Tennessee Republicans took the unprecedented step of removing Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson for having led protests against gun violence on the chamber floor. A third Democrat Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white survived her expulsion vote, sparking accusations of racism that focused national attention on the GOP-led House. The fallout from those votes comes as the national GOP is already mired in struggles over how to balance policies and issues that are popular among the conservative base support for abortion restrictions and opposition to new gun restrictions but deeply unappealing to swing voters in battleground states that will play a vital role in next years elections. What happened in the state Capitol last week I dont see how it has any positive impact on the Republican Party. Not even a minute amount, Eddie Mannis, a former Republican member of the Tennessee state House, said in an interview. Mannis, who in 2021 became the first openly gay Republican member of the state Legislature, left office earlier this year after just one term, alleging that Republican leaders in the chamber had silenced his efforts to guide them away from their intense focus on social issues. Theres no doubt in my mind these things steer the national party off course, he told NBC News. Tennessee House Republicans were largely caught off guard by the intense national attention sparked by their decision to expel Jones and Pearson. Leaked audio from part of a recent meeting of Republican state representatives included several legislators angrily complaining about how Democrats had portrayed their actions as racist. Story continues A spokesperson for the Tennessee state House GOP caucus did not respond to questions from NBC News. Republicans in Tennessee who are involved with the party at a state and national levels are now trying to figure out how to move forward in a way that could help smooth over the criticism facing party leaders. We have to remind ourselves that perception does matter and if it was easy enough to perceive, for an outsider, that there were racial implications, were just going to have to understand that going forward we cannot act in a way that might be perceived as racially insensitive or racist entirely, said Oscar Brock, a Republican National Committee member from Tennessee. One of the unfortunate consequences of having a supermajority is that you tend to think you dont have to listen to the minority party, he added. Many GOP officials and activists who spoke to NBC News defended the expulsions, saying the only misstep was not removing Johnson as well. The only thing I was disappointed about was that they didnt also expel Gloria Johnson, only because now it gives the narrative that somehow this is racist, and its not racist, said Rick Williams, a local GOP activist who co-chaired Trumps two previous presidential campaigns in a suburban Nashville county. Jones, Pearson and Johnson had led supporters in chants calling for restrictions on guns after a shooting at a Nashville school killed six people, including three 9-year-old children. The three legislators broke House rules by speaking when they were not recognized to do so, with Jones and Pearson addressing protesters with a bullhorn. John Stanbery, a member of the executive committee of the Tennessee GOP, compared the actions of the Tennessee Three to the Jan. 6 rioters saying that the expulsion punishment was appropriate but acknowledged that the decision to expel them was politically, not a smart move. The rapid and heavy-handed decision to deal with those actions through expulsion rather than something less severe but meaningful, like voting to censure the legislators has led to hand-wringing among Tennessee Republicans. All of this did nothing to punish [Jones and Pearson]. In the end, theyre up hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers and probably up in fundraising too, Jim Garrett, the former chairman of the Davidson County GOP the Nashville area Republican Party apparatus said in an interview. Jones and Pearson were both reinstated this week after council and commission votes at the local level. It was a net loss for Republicans, added Brock. What did we gain? We gained a whole bunch of negative publicity. Tennessee Republicans made headlines again this week after GOP Gov. Bill Lee called on the state House to pass the equivalent of a red flag gun law, only to have the Legislature take abrupt steps less than 48 hours later to adjourn their session until next week, after dealing with the state budget, making it a near certainty a gun bill wont land on the governors desk anytime soon. Those actions are now likely to put pressure on 2024 Republicans this weekend. Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence, who has not yet announced his 2024 plans, have not commented publicly on the expulsion of Jones and Pearson. Spokespeople for Trump and Pence did not respond to questions from NBC News. None of the consequences of the action were helpful to the Republican Party, Brock said. And now youre going to have donors and candidates this weekend being asked what they think of all this, and its going to make them uncomfortable. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com (Bloomberg) -- Republican lawmakers are making it harder for students to cast ballots where they attend school, after the GOP suffered stinging recent electoral losses largely due to a historic surge in turnout from younger voters backing Democrats. Most Read from Bloomberg A new law in Idaho specifically bars the use of student identification cards to vote, while a change in Ohio law means students will no longer be able to use tuition or college housing receipts as a form of voter ID, long a popular option for students without state drivers licenses. Similar legislation has been introduced in at least 11 other states this year, including the presidential battlegrounds of Pennsylvania and Nevada, according to Voting Rights Lab. Other bills have also targeted student voters, such as one in Texas that would bar college campuses from serving as polling places. Younger voter turnout surged in Wisconsins recent Supreme Court election one that hinged on abortion rights helping Democrats recapture the court majority. Former Republican Governor Scott Walker tweeted that younger voters are the issue, blaming years of radical indoctrination in schools and social media and calling for conservatives to come together to work harder to counter liberal indoctrination to save America. Liz Avore, who has been tracking the bills for Voting Rights Lab, said that Republican lawmakers seem more interested in legislating on student voting than usual. There is a lot more energy on this issue than weve seen in the past, she said. The proposals from state Republicans come as young voters have become a key voting bloc for Democrats, who believe progressive stands on issues like climate change and student debt will keep those voters in their camp for years to come. Story continues In Idaho, the number of 18- and 19-year-olds registered to vote jumped 81% from 2018 to 2022, the largest percentage increase in any state, according to CIRCLE. And many of those new voters are choosing Democrats. In November, voters between ages 18 and 29 backed Democratic House candidates by 28 percentage points, the second-largest margin in three decades and the strongest showing for Democrats among any age group, according to CIRCLE. Turnout among that age group is also at 30-year highs, hitting 27% in the 2022 election. Danielle Deiseroth, interim executive director of the progressive think tank Data for Progress, said that polls show younger voters are focused on issues they believe affect them directly, like gun control and abortion rights. Young people are not voting because of vibes, she said. They are voting because they are paying attention to the issues. Polls show broad public support for voter ID laws, but lawmakers have long sparred over whether student IDs, which are not government-issued, should count. In addition to Idahos ban, five states bar their use for voting. And no student IDs currently meet the requirements to be used in Arizona. Iowa and Utah only allow them when paired with other documentation. Idaho state Representative Tina Lambert, who introduced the new ban, said it was necessary to stop students from neighboring states from voting twice, although she did not cite any evidence of that happening. Some are going to say that this bill will prevent young people from voting, she said in a speech on the state House floor. That is certainly not the goal. The goal is simply to ensure that only qualified people are voting in Idaho elections. March for Our Lives Idaho, a student-led advocacy group in support of gun control, sued over the law in federal court, calling it a surgical attack on Idahos young voters in response to growing turnout. Co-director Amaia Clayton, a high school senior, said that the law is hypocritical because the state allows gun permits to be used as voter ID. The Ohio law barred student IDs as well as a more common form of voter ID used by college students: tuition receipts, bank statements and utility bills which have a students campus address on them. Rob Nichols, a spokesman for the Ohio secretary of state, said that college students are now able to get a free state identification card from the Department of Motor Vehicles to vote in person, or they can vote by mail, which does not require photo ID. Mia Lewis, associate director of the voting rights organization Common Cause Ohio, questioned why the change was needed. Our secretary of state has said for years that Ohio runs model elections, setting a standard for the entire country, and yet suddenly theres a desire to change them, she said. Its perfectly legitimate to ask whats driving these sudden changes. (Corrects the spelling of Liz Avores name in fifth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters Recently, Ive come to terms with the likelihood that Donald Trump will (gulp!) be the Republican presidential nominee, again. Thats right, it may only be April, but Ive entered the Jesus Take The Wheel stage for the 2024 campaign. Call it naive wishcasting, but until recently, I thought that Ron DeSantis might help us avoid this very situation. But the last month or so has not gone well. DeSantis rocky rollout (technically, he still hasnt entered the race), coupled with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs indictment, have elevated Trump to clear frontrunner status. Trump Wants to Turn His Most Toxic Baggage Into Primary Gold While there are a million reasons to fear Trump winning the Republican nomination, I am comforting myself by the fact that there could be a silver lining: If the goal is to truly eradicate Trumpism, the most obvious method is for Trump to win the Republican nomination, and then (this part is important) he must be decisively defeated. It has been observed that political parties do not change until they have endured multiple losses. If that is true of normal parties, it is doubly true of a MAGA movement headed by Donald Trump. As a Never Trump conservative, I never wanted to have to come to grips with this scenario. I would love for someone to wrest control of the GOP from Trump, but it is looking increasingly unlikely that Republicans are capable of stopping Trump from once again winning their presidential nomination. Observers such as liberal Washington Monthly columnist Bill Scher are starting to say DeSantis shouldnt even run. While Im not there yet, the argument for DeSantis sitting this one out is increasingly persuasive. Opposing Trump was always a gamble, mainly because of the Ricky Bobby rule (If you aint first, youre last). Rather than winning a blue ribbon or becoming the next in line, finishing second to Trump simply means you have endured more brutal humiliation than anyone else. Story continues To make matters worse, even if DeSantis were to miraculously defeat Trump, its entirely possible Trump would sabotage his chances in a General Election. And that, in turn, would allow Trump (and his minions) to claim that Trump would have won if the Republican establishment hadnt stabbed him in the back! If the goal is to purge Trumpism from the GOP, this scenario would have the opposite impact. Now, Im sure some readers see my preference for DeSantis over Trump as a distinction without a difference. Some people even believe that nominating DeSantis would be more dangerous than Trump, inasmuch as he is more a competent authoritarian. I have never accepted that argument. In my lifetime, only one man has sought to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. That man is Donald Trump. Moving on from him should be both obvious and vital. We learned in 2016, once you are a major party nominee, it becomes a binary choice where anything can happen. This is to say that Trump could be president. Again. And this time, his potential to cause serious damage would be even greater. As David Frum told me way back in 2021, Im really worried about a return of Donald Trump this time, because this time, the velociraptors have figured out how to work the doorknobs. Despite the obvious danger Trump poses, it seems likely that he will once again be the GOP nominee. The most plausible scenario for him not winning is that he could possibly die between now and the election. Trump is the clear frontrunner for the nomination. And the only possible solace I can take from this revelation is that it might finally bring an end to Trumps grip on the Republican Party. To be sure, it aint over till its over. Trump could still stumble or DeSantis (or someone else) could still surge. I wont stop trying to prevent Trump from being the GOP nominee. But I have to recognize that Ive entered the acceptance stage of grief. Or maybe its the bargaining phase. Im not sure. But what I am telling myself lately is that, if Trump is destined for the nomination, something good might come from that. Assuming he loses unambiguously (a big assumption), it would be hard for Republicans to picture Trump as a romantic hero if he leads them to yet another defeat. (Then again, their ability to delude themselves after numerous losses cannot be overstated.) I dont feel comfortable rooting for this scenario. I want a mainstream conservative in the White House, so the idea of accelerating Trumpism goes against my better judgment. Butand maybe Im rationalizing hereit also might be the only way to finally purge Trumpism from the GOP (if thats even still possible). Things may have to get worse before they get better. Sadly, thats how change usually works. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the 2023 NHGOP Amos Tuck Dinner in Manchester, New Hampshire, on April 14, 2023. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the 2023 NHGOP Amos Tuck Dinner in Manchester, New Hampshire, on April 14, 2023. MANCHESTER, N.H. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in his first visit to the first-in-the-nation primary state Friday, failed to fight back against Republican presidential primary front-runner Donald Trump, who has been attacking him for months. The coup-attempting former president has been using insults and TV ads through his supporting super PAC to damage DeSantis before he has even officially announced his candidacy, including a new one that attacks him for voting to cut Social Security and Medicare while mocking him for eating chocolate pudding with his fingers. DeSantis spent most of his time boasting of his legislative successes in Florida, his approach to handling the COVID pandemic, his willingness to stand up to woke culture and his landslide re-election win in November. His only statement remotely critical of Trump was an oblique line he has used previously that references Trumps chaotic presidency. We dont have leaks, we dont have drama, he said, adding that all he does is defeat the left and win. I dont care if the left doesnt like it, and I dont care if the media gets mad at me. Im pressing forward, he said. State party chairman Chris Agar said they sold 500 tickets at $150 each for the dinner, another 100 tickets for a VIP reception that included a photo with DeSantis, and an additional number of sponsorships that, in all, brought in $382,000, with the party netting $250,000 after expenses. He said the most the party had cleared at its annual fundraising dinner previously was about $100,000. However, he told attendees that $132,000 of that had come from DeSantis supporters at his request. We sure appreciate it, Agar said. Across the street from the Doubletree Hotel hosting DeSantis, meanwhile, were gathered a couple of dozen Trump supporters holding campaign flags, continuing a pattern of pro-Trump protests at DeSantis appearances across the country in recent months. Story continues Lou Gargiulo, who chaired Trumps New Hampshire campaign in 2016 and 2020, denied that his presence had anything to do with DeSantis. This isnt really a protest. We have regular flag waves across the state for Trump, said the 70-year-old real estate agent. We just want to make it clear that President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Electrician Tony Boucher, though, wondered why DeSantis had even come. I just heard theres a lot of flooding in Florida, and Im disappointed hes up here, said Boucher, who is 47. I would have thought that the governor of a state would be taking care of his people. DeSantis, for his part, turned the visit to normally low-key New Hampshire into a high-security event. Private guards searched through handbags and backpacks, and attendees were subjected to metal detecting wands although, because New Hampshire is a constitutional carry state, anyone who was carrying a gun was permitted in, a state party official said. DeSantis staff also made sure to keep out journalists from outlets that have written critically about the governor. The Daily Beast, for example, was initially given a credential for the speech, but it was then withdrawn after publishing a story that mentioned the incident of DeSantis eating pudding with his fingers which then became the focus of the new ad by the pro-Trump super PAC. HuffPost, which has written extensively about DeSantiss unsuccessful attempts to punish the Walt Disney Co., was also denied permission to be inside the ballroom. DeSantis surged in 2024 Republican presidential polling after he won re-election to a second term as governor by nearly 20 points. Since then, however, his numbers have slipped dramatically against Trump as he went through quick reversals on two high-profile topics. DeSantis initially said Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a territorial dispute before clarifying his views and coming more into line with the Biden administration, establishment Republicans, NATO and the European Union. And when news broke that Trump was likely to be indicted for falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star, DeSantis said that he didnt have much insight into such matters. After Trump was eventually indicted, DeSantis attacked the prosecutor in New York City and promised not to take part in an extradition of Trump in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution. Trump is also facing possible charges from investigations by Georgia prosecutors and the Department of Justice for his actions leading up to and on his Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt and by the DOJ for his refusal to turn over top secret documents, even after a subpoena demanded he do so. It is unclear whether DeSantis would similarly attempt to protect Trump against those charges, should they come to pass. DeSantis is expected to announce his presidential campaign at some point after the end of the states legislative session on May 5. Related... South Dakota governor and potential 2024 presidential candidate Kristi Noem told the crowd at a National Rifle Association event that her nearly two-year-old granddaughter already has a shotgun and a rifle. I want to reassure you, she said from the stage at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum in Indiana on 14 April. Ms Noem was among a crowd of 2024 hopefuls and declared candidates addressing the influential firearm lobbying groups conference just days after a gunman killed six people inside a Louisville, Kentucky, bank with an AR-style rifle. Speakers at the event largely spent their remarks pushing against Democratic demands for urgent gun reform measures, including reviving a federal ban on the kinds of assault weapons used during the attack in Louisville and the mass shooting inside a Nashville school that killed three nine-year-old children and three adult employees. There have been more than 155 mass shootings and more than 12,000 gun-related deaths in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Ms Noem also signed an executive order in the middle of her remarks, inviting NRA president Wayne LaPierre to join her as she barred state agencies from working with banks that discriminate against firearm-related businesses The order will protect the God-given right to keep and bear arms from being infringed upon by financial institutions, she said. (AP) During her 25-minute speech, she criticised efforts from Democratic lawmakers and President Joe Bidens administration to combat the proliferation of high-powered firearms during the nations gun violence epidemic. Why do the liberals and Joe Biden want our guns? she said. Because it will make it easier for them to infringe on all our other rights. She added: What if prosecutors actually did their jobs instead of going on the political attack? What if the laws we had today were actually enforced? What if, when tragedy happens, families gathered together, they bowed their heads and they prayed for wisdom and discernment on how to heal hearts and minds rather than to debate the methods used by those in society who do harm? Last year, days after a gunman killed 19 children inside an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Ms Noem attended the NRAs Texas event and accused Democratic officials of exploiting the tragedy to pass restrictions on guns. In response to the Uvalde massacre, members of Congress passed bipartisan legislation signed into law by Presiden Biden to support expanded background checks and the creation of so-called red flag laws. The president has repeatedly called on lawmakers to reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. The Grand National 2023 has been delayed after animal rights protestors breached the steel fence surrounding the Aintree racecourse. The race, which was due to start at 5:15pm BST, was pushed back with horses held in the paddock. Protestors from Animal Rising were seen jumping over the fence surrounding the racecourse, with police rushing to contain the protest. Clashes with police followed, with protestors seen attaching themselves to fences, while others passed ladders over fences and could be seen breaking through the perimeter. Follow our live blog for latest updates "We have an indefinite delay, confirmed ITV presenter Ed Chamberlin. Protestors have got on to the racecourse. A developing situation at Aintree, horses held in the paddock, these are scenes outside the racecourse, trying to disrupt the most popular race in the world. They did create a ring of steel around the racecourse this morning. Up to 300 protestors here. We might have a delay here at Aintree. Police contain protestors on the Aintree racecourse (REUTERS) Chamberlin later added: This race will not be run while there is any danger to its participants. The Grand National was then given the green light to go ahead at 5:21pm BST, with horses and riders soon returning to the paddock. Corach Rambler won the 2023 Grand National at Aintree backing up its status as the 8/1 favourite. Mister Coffey and Coko Beach led early on and throughout most of the thrilling race. But chaotic scenes early on saw a number of fallers, including Lifetime Ambition, who was taken out by a loose horse at fence 9. However, Corach Rambler, ridden by Derek Fox and trained by Lucinda Russell took the lead from Mister Coffey over the final fence and kicked for home to record a memorable win. The race had been delayed after protestors breached the Aintree racecourse fence and got on to the course. The Grand National attracted criticism from animal rights protestors in the build-up, with three arrests made in connection with potential co-ordinated disruption activities at Aintree, which became nine following the pre-race disruption Relive all the action from Aintree below: Grand National 2023 - live updates The 2023 Grand National took place for the 175th time at Aintree today 8-1 favourite Corach Rambler triumphed for jockey Derek Fox and trainer Lucinda Russell The race was set to start at 5.15pm BST but was delayed after animal rights protestors breach the course 5.15pm - Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023 6.20pm - Florida Dreams wins the Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race 4.15pm - Midnight River wins the William Hill Handicap Chase 3.35pm - Sire Du Berlais wins the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 3.00pm - Irish Point wins the Maghull Novices Chase 2.25pm - West Balboa wins the Betway Mersey Novices Hurdle 1.45pm - Jonbon wins the Systems Handicap Hurdle Who won the Grand National 2023? 18:45 , Mike Jones Corach Rambler stormed to victory in the Randox Grand National to the delight of trainer Lucinda Russell and jockey Derek Fox. Backing up success at last months Cheltenham Festival, the nine-year-old negotiated a chaotic race to validate its pre-race status as a 8-1 favourite. The iconic race was delayed by around 15 minutes after protestors from Animal Rising got on to the track. Corach Rambler grabbed the lead over the last hurdle and then pulled away from a final test launched by Vanillier and Gaillard Du Mesnil, who finished second and third. Story continues A brave effort from last years winner Noble Yeats, despite a big weight, secured an impressive fourth. It was a second victory in the worlds greatest steeplechase for Russell and Fox, after One For Arthur in 2017. Grand National full result of finishers, fallers and placings Grand National delayed after animal rights protestors breach Aintree course 19:08 , Mike Jones The Grand National 2023 was delayed by over 15 minutes after animal rights protestors breached the steel fence surrounding the Aintree racecourse. The delay to the race, which was due to start at 5:15pm and eventually begun after 5:30pm, forced jockeys to hold their horses in the paddock. Six protestors from from Animal Rising breached the fence, with three reaching the track, while many more attempted to also jump over the fence surrounding the racecourse. Police rushed to contain the protest, with clashes following as protestors attached themselves to the fence, while others could be seen exchanging ladders in a bid to help others join the protest inside the perimeter. Grand National protesters delay Aintree race Grand National 2023 18:40 , Mike Jones Full results from Aintree today: 13:45 - EFT Systems Maghull Novices Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Jonbon 2/11 14:25 - Village Hotels Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) West Balboa 9/2 Fav 15:00 - Turners Mersey Novices Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Irish Point 5/1 15:35 - JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Sire Du Berlais 8/1 16:15 - William Hill Handicap Chase (Registered As The Freebooter Handicap Chase) (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) Midnight River 15/2 17:15 - Randox Grand National Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) Corach Rambler 8/1 Fav 18:20 - Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open NH Flat Race (Grade 2) (GBB Race) Florida Dreams 18/1 Grand National 2023: Hill Sixteen put down 18:37 , Mike Jones There were a lot of fallen horses during this years Grand National and thankfully most of them are okay. Unfortunately Hill Sixteen who collided heavily with the first fence had injuries which were too severe and has been put down. A Jockey Club spokesperson said: Sadly, while racing in the Grand National, Hill Sixteen sustained an unrecoverable injury. Our sincere sympathies are with connections. Recite A Prayer and Cape Gentleman were assessed on course by our skilled veterinary staff and walked onto the horse ambulance for further assessment in the stables. Grand National 2023 finishers 18:35 , Mike Jones 1. Corach Rambler (Derek Fox) 8-1 Fav 2. Vanillier (Sean Flanagan) 20-1 3. Gaillard Du Mesnil (Paul Townend) 10-1 4. Noble Yeats (Sean Bowen) 10-1 5. The Big Dog (Aidan Coleman) 12-1 6. Born By The Sea (Phillip Enright) 50-1 7. Roi Mage (Felix De Giles) 33-1 8. Mister Coffey (Nico de Boinville) 33-1 9. A Wave Of The Sea (Shane Fitzgerald) 66-1 10. Le Milos (Harry Skelton) 12-1 11. Our Power (Sam Twiston-Davies) 25-1 12. Enjoy Dallen (Simon Torrens) 50-1 13. Fortescue (Hugh Nugent) 100-1 14. Carefully Selected (Michael OSullivan) 50-1 15. Minella Trump (Theo Gillard) 50-1 16. Francky Du Berlais (Ben Jones) 125-1 17. Aint That a Shame (Rachael Blackmore) 10-1 Grand National 2023: Florida Dreams wins the Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race! 18:32 , Mike Jones Full result: 1. Florida Dreams - 18/1 2. Blizzard Of Oz - 16/5 3. Hasthing - 28/1 Grand National 2023: Florida Dreams wins the Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race! 18:31 , Mike Jones Florida Dreams closes out the Grand National Festival with a superb victory to finish off the day at Aintree. Grand National 2023: 18:20pm - Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race 18:30 , Mike Jones Blizzard of Oz pulls up alongside Esprit Du Portier but Florida Dreams is coming through and looks quick. Grand National 2023: 18:20pm - Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race 18:28 , Mike Jones Its still Esprit Du Potier ahead of Shinji as they turn towards the home straight but the field remains bunched up and its anyones race to win. Blizzard of Oz is making a move. Grand National 2023: 18:20pm - Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race 18:27 , Mike Jones Shinji is up alongside leader Esprit Du Potier ahead of a packed field as they approach the halfway point of the race. Derek Fox is atop the leader, can he make it back-to-back wins? Grand National 2023: 18:20pm - Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race 18:25 , Mike Jones And theyre off! There is one final race at Aintree to round off the Grand National Festival. Davy Russell is on Pour Les Filles for one final ride before retirement. Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023 18:18 , Mike Jones Corach Rambler trainer Lucinda Russell, speaking to ITV Racing: He just loved the fences. It is very personal this one. I will always remember One for Arthur, he was a brilliant horse, but this was very special. This is such an advert for syndicate ownership. It is fantastic, fairytale stuff. They have got themselves a very, very good horse. He is a very intelligent horse and when he jumped the last I just felt he would win. Derek Fox was very close to not making the ride. He had a terrible fall, hurt his shoulder again. I am so pleased he was on it because he knows Corach so well. He is a fabulous jockey. A dream come true' 18:14 , Mike Jones The winning syndicate owners cant believe how well Corach Rambler ran. Their horse has now triumphed at Cheltenham and in the Grand National. Disruptive protestors arrested 18:13 , Mike Jones Merseyside Police have confirmed that nine arrests have been made at Aintree concerning the protestors who caused a delay to the start of the Grand National. Three arrests were also made earlier in the day. Just after 5pm a large number of protesters attempted to gain entry on to the course. came a statement. The majority were prevented from breaching the boundary fencing but the nine individuals who managed to enter the course were later arrested by officers. We respect the right to peaceful protest and expression of views, but criminal behaviour and disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly. Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023 18:10 , Mike Jones Heres the moment that Corach Rambler became a Grand National winner: Corach Rambler wins the 2023 Randox Grand National! The favourite made it look easy in the end!#ITVRacing | #GrandNational | @lucindavrussell | @DerekFoxJockey pic.twitter.com/hQEMizY9KV ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 15, 2023 Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 18:07 , Mike Jones A big win for Scotland! (Getty Images) (PA) Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 18:05 , Jack Rathborn Corach Rambler stormed to victory in the 2023 Grand National at Aintree this afternoon to earn trainer Lucinda Russell another National winner and jockey Derek Fox his second triumphant in the Worlds most famous horse race. After a delay to the start of the race thanks to animal rights protestors attempting to infiltrate the course the Grand National got underway with punters estimated to have to spent around 250m on having a flutter. Last years winner Noble Yeats became the the first seven-year-old horse to win in more than 80 years and put in a decent run to regain his title finishing fourth out of the 39 runners. Two-time Cheltenham winner Corach Rambler was too strong though and Fox timed his move to perfection, leaping over the last of the 30 fences into first place before driving to the line ahead of Vanillier and Gaillard Du Mesnil. (PA) Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 18:00 , Jack Rathborn At the trophy presentation, winning trainer Lucinda Russell, owner Peter Scudamore and jockey Derek Fox all receive a huge applause as they step onto the podium. The true star is of course Corach Rambler who was seriously impressive throughout the race. (EPA) Who won the Grand National 2023? 18:00 , Mike Jones Corach Rambler won the Grand National 2023 backing up its status as the 8/1 favourite. The race, which was delayed after protestors breached the Aintree racecourse fence, saw Mister Coffee and Coko Beach lead early on. And after chaotic scenes saw a number of fallers, the thrilling race saw winning jockey Derek Fox hold off both Vanillier and Gaillard Du Mesnil. Defending champion Noble Yeats finished fourth, with Fox, now a two-time Grand National winner, detailing his pride at the victory. Grand National full result of finishers, fallers and placings Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 17:57 , Mike Jones The margin of victory was quite impressive. Corach Rambler won that one by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Vanillier with Gaillard Du Mesnil a further four-and-three-quarter lengths back in third. Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 17:50 , Mike Jones (REUTERS) (Getty Images) (PA) Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 17:49 , Mike Jones Reaction from winning jockey Derek Fox who told ITV: He is just a phenomenal horse. I cant believe it. He normally gets his head up a wee bit but today he travelled everywhere. He is the cleverest horse. He is so intelligent. Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 17:47 , Mike Jones Tom Scudamore watched his fathers horse come home to win the Grand National. He said: You dont know what this horse means for my father [Peter Scudamore]. He is such a character, dad understands him, they mean so much to each other. He is part of the family. I know what this would mean to dad. I am just proud of my dad. (Getty Images) Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 17:45 , Mike Jones Grand National full result: 1. Corach Rambler - 8/1 2. Vanillier - 20/1 3. Gaillard Du Mesnil - 10/1 4. Noble Yeats -10/1 5. The Big Dog - 12/1 Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 17:42 , Mike Jones Its a second Grand National victory for jockey Derek Fox. He won with One For Arthur in 2017 too. That was a beautiful ride and a fantastic finish from Corach Rambler. Corach Rambler wins the Grand National 2023! 17:40 , Mike Jones Corach Rambler travelled superbly and kicked on down the final stretch. Vanillier comes from nowhere to challenge in a sprint but cant catch the British winner! Lucinda Russell has another Grand National winner! 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:38 , Mike Jones Over the last, its Mister Coffey with the lead. Corach Rambler is goes ahead of him though! The Big Dog and Gaillard Du Mesnil are up there too! 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:37 , Mike Jones Mister Coffey has the lead over the third last. Hes gone five lengths clear of The Big Dog. Can he hold on to the lead? 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:37 , Mike Jones The Canal Turn sees Mister Coffey cut the corner ahead of Coko Beach and The Big Dog. Mr Incredible has been unseated. Our Power, Corach Rambler and Aint That A Shame are still involved near the front. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:36 , Mike Jones Any Second Now and Velvet Elvis have pulled up. The Big Dog has moved up the third from the middle of the pitch. Delta Work and Noble Yeats are riding well. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:35 , Mike Jones As they tackle The Chair, Gabbys Cross and Sam Brown go down. The riderless horses are finally out of the way as Mister Coffey still holds on to the lead as they approach the second circuit. Coko Beach is with him. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:33 , Mike Jones Mister Coffey, Coko Beach and Our Power are all travelling well. Mr Incredible is on the outside as they approach the 14th fence. Gabbys Cross is near the back. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:32 , Mike Jones Longhouse Poet falls before Lifetime Ambition goes down too! Mister Coffey and Coko Beach fight for the lead with Corach Rambler and Back On The Lash riding well. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:31 , Mike Jones The Big Breakaway is also down at the second fence and it looks like Darasso is also out of the race. Coko Beach leads ahead of Lifetime Ambition. Mister Coffey and Minella Trump are just behind. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:30 , Mike Jones And theyre off! The Grand National 2023 is underway, finally! Minella Trump and Coko Beach take the early lead over the first fence. Hill Sixteen and Fury Road have fallen early. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:28 , Mike Jones After the earlier delay theres now a false start as Cloudy Glen wasnt in the pack when they approached the start. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:26 , Mike Jones Noble Yeats is the last horse out of the paddock. Most of the jockeys have led their charges down to the first fence to make sure their horse knows whats in store. 39 horses are going to race but only one can win. Who will it be? 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:23 , Mike Jones The delay of course adds an extra layer of intrigue to the race. How will the horses and jockeys cope with the later start? Will there be a bit of held up energy released when the race gets going? The horses are heading out onto the course. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:21 , Mike Jones Lucinda Russell, Corach Ramblers trainer, said: It is a real pain in the neck. Are the protestors doing it for themselves or for the horses? If they are doing it for the horses then they have got to understand that they are compromising their welfare just now. We can take them back keep them safe and keep them cool, but really it all seems a bit pointless. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:19 , Mike Jones That delay has been good for last years winner Noble Yeats who has been backed into a favourite spot. The jockeys have come back onto the course and pose for the pre-race photo. Theres a load cheer from the waiting crowds when they arrive back in the paddock. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:17 , Mike Jones Aintree is a huge race course. Its a large space to cover for the Merseyside police and the security staff. The distruptions are happening over on the far side of the course near Foinavon and the Canal Turn. Some of the locals outside of the course are helping the police to stop the protestors from getting onto the course. Sam Thomas, trainer of Our Power, says that the disruption isnt ideal but shouldnt affect the horse too much. Grand National 2023 delayed after animal rights protestors breach Aintree course 17:15 , Mike Jones The Grand National 2023 has been delayed after animal rights protestors breached the steel fence surrounding the Aintree racecourse. We have an indefinite delay, confirmed ITV presenter Ed Chamberlin. Protestors have got on to the racecourse. Grand National delayed after animal rights protestors breach course 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:12 , Mike Jones The jockeys have been held in the weighing room and face an indefinite wait before the race can begin. All the trainers who are being interviewed by ITV say that the protestors action will have upset the horses who now have to move back to the pre-parade. They were all set to head onto the course but are now starting to get restless. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:08 , Mike Jones Jockey Davy Russell spoke earlier about his chances to win the Grand National again as he rides Galvins today: Hes a good horse. To be honest at the start of the year I would have said he was kind of coming to the end of his enthusiasm. I dont know how he does it but [trainer] Gordon [Elliott] has reinvigorated him. He has it all back. The most enjoyable ride I had at Cheltenham this year was Galvin. He travelled everywhere, jumped fantastic. He is not a big horse, he is really quite small, so fits the criteria as we have a lot of weight to carry. It will be tough going, but he does like good ground, and with the ground drying out that will help him. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:04 , Mike Jones A couple of protestors managed to get through the fence at Foinavon. The police were quick onto the scene but the start of the race has been delayed. There arent many protestors who got through or over the fence and those that did are being dealt with by the police. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 17:02 , Mike Jones The police presence has been increased ahead of the Grand National race. Security at Aintree has been busy all day as theyre kept out organised animal welfare protestors who are hoping to disrupt the big race. There are a couple of rumours coming through that there may be a delay to the start of the race. Well keep you updated on that. (PA) (PA) How many times has the favourite won the Grand National? 17:00 , Mike Jones The Grand National is something of a national betting event in the UK, with bookies anticipating that over 250m worth of bets being placed by Brits on the race this weekend. The Aintree showpiece sees everyone from hardcore gamblers to once-a-year bettors having a flutter but who should you opt to put your money on? The favourites seem so tempting but does it pay to back those horses at shorter odds? Weve produced a betting guide with all 40 horses rated, a tips column and a handy list of all the runners and their odds to help you decide but what can we learn from history? The likes of the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Aint That A Shame, two-time Cheltenham winner Corach Rambler and defending champion Noble Yeats are towards the top of the betting for the 2023 renewal but how have previous much-fancied mares fared? Heres all the facts and stats you need to know about the odds of Grand National-winning horses: How many times has the favourite won the Grand National? 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 16:56 , Mike Jones Can Rachael Blackmore earn a second Grand National win this afternoon? Shes riding Aint That A Shame and trainer Henry de Bromhead says: Whether he is good enough we will find out, but we are looking forward to it. He was unlucky to be beaten in a couple of big handicaps earlier in the year. He has a good profile and has the mighty Rachael [Blackmore] on board so we will see. Grand National 2023: Midnight River wins the William Hill Handicap Chase 16:52 , Mike Jones Midnight River gives Harry Skelton his second win of the day! Will he go on to win the Grand National on Le Milos? Midnight River picks his way through to win the William Hill Handicap Chase 2 on the day for @harryskelton89 & @DSkeltonRacing #ITVRacing | #GrandNational pic.twitter.com/NvaG3sKi1v ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 15, 2023 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 16:47 , Mike Jones The Grand National winner usually completes the course in about nine minutes with he 30 jumps include Bechers Brook and The Chair. There is a total prize fund is 1m, with the winning team collecting more than 500,000 and it is a handicap steeplechase with runners allocated weights according to their ratings. The race is open to horses aged seven and upwards who meet specific criteria. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 16:42 , Mike Jones How safe is the race? Significant changes were introduced before the 2013 race which saw the core of fences softened, the distance reduced and new procedures for loose horses. Two horses died in the race last year - there have been four equine fatalities from a total of 356 runners in the past nine editions. Grand National 2023: Full list of runners and odds 16:37 , Mike Jones The most famous event in British racing returns in 2023 with the Grand National set to be held for the 175th time at Aintree on Saturday. First run in 1839, the steeplechase will see competing horses and jockeys clear 30 fences in the hopes of etching their names in history. Noble Yeats took victory in 2022, becoming the first seven-year-old horse to win in more than 80 years, with punters eager to find the best bets this weekend. 40 runners are ready to tackle the four-and-a-bit mile course, with a trio of favourites heading the betting. Here are the runners and current odds for the 2023 Grand National: Grand National 2023: Full list of runners and odds 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 16:34 , Mike Jones Delta Work can give trainer Gordon Elliott a record-equalling fourth victory in the Randox Grand National at Aintree. George Dockeray, Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain currently share the honours as the leading handlers in the National Hunt highlight and Elliott has every chance of adding his name to the hall of fame. Delta Work was beaten 22 lengths by Noble Yeats when third last year, but while that one has been hiked 15lb, the selection will actually carry 5lb less than 12 months ago after some mixed results in the interim. There could be no arguing with the merit of his prep run though, following the same path as last year to fend off stablemate and reopposing rival Galvin in the cross-country chase at the Cheltenham Festival, with Delta Work keeping on well to win by two and a half lengths despite having a 7lb deficit on official ratings. His stamina is still to be proven over this four-and-a-quarter-mile trip and clearly if ante-post favourite Corach Rambler takes to the course, the whole field will be up against it with a horse that is technically 10lb well in. Corach Ramblers come-from-behind style is also a risk in a 40-strong field and so Delta Work is the pick on the basis of his proven aptitude for the fences, which are the crucial part of this whole test. Our Power could give him most to think about from the bottom of the handicap, while another Elliott runner in Coko Beach can make the frame and Noble Yeats cannot be ruled out back at the scene of his greatest hour. 17:15pm - Grand National 2023 16:29 , Jack Rathborn Now theres a 45 minute wait or so until the big one. The Grand National 2023 will set off at quarter-past five meaning theres loads of time to get a final bet on if youre so inclined. Otherwise, get ready to enjoy the best race on the calender. This should be a belter as most of the horses are too close to call. Theres no outstanding talent like Tiger Roll and the joint favourites are all at 10/1. Delta Work, Aint That A Shame, Corach Rambler and Gaillard Du Mesnil are all back to win this one. (PA) Grand National 2023: Midnight River wins the William Hill Handicap Chase 16:25 , Mike Jones Full results: 1. Midnight River - 15/2 2. Bowtogreatness - 12/1 3. Kinondo Kwetu - 10/1 4. Shakem Uparry - 9/2 Grand National 2023: Midnight River wins the William Hill Handicap Chase! 16:24 , Mike Jones Over the last and finally a space opens up for Midnight River! He flies past Bowtogreatness and kicks on on the outside. Its a second win of the day for Harry and Dan Skelton! Grand National 2023: 16.15 - William Hill Handicap Chase 16:22 , Jack Rathborn Shakem Uparry, Bowtogreatness and Midnight River all jump ahead of Eldorardo Allen over the second to last. Harry Skelton finds himself blocked off as they race towards the final jump. (PA) Grand National 2023: 16.15 - William Hill Handicap Chase 16:21 , Mike Jones Kapga De Lily is in contention with four fences to go. Beauport has fallen and taken some of the horse at the back of the field with it. The front five or six try to break away from the pack. Grand National 2023: 16.15 - William Hill Handicap Chase 16:20 , Mike Jones Eight fences to go and Midnight River finds himself in second place ahead of Shakem Uparry. Still a long way to go but Eldorado Allen has been drawn back into the pack. This is a close race now. Grand National 2023: 16.15 - William Hill Handicap Chase 16:19 , Mike Jones Eldorado Allen is a grey horse and looks wonderful as he leads by a couple of lengths. Midnight River moves ahead of Castle Robin with Bowtogreatness making his way through the field to edge closer to the leading group. Still no signs of Beauport making a move. Grand National 2023: 16.15 - William Hill Handicap Chase 16:17 , Jack Rathborn Eldorado Allen leads the way past the grandstand with Shakem Uparry in second and Castle Robin in third. The other favourite Beauport is close to the back. (PA) Grand National 2023: 16.15 - William Hill Handicap Chase 16:16 , Mike Jones And theyre off! The last race before the Grand National gets underway with 20 fences to jump. Shakem Uparry is the big favourite and moves into second place early on. Grand National 2023: How Crisp versus Red Rum defined the National 16:11 , Mike Jones Here is the story of Crisp - the greatest horse never to win the Grand National. "I still felt we would hang on and win a Grand National...it's cruel" Becoming a legend isn't just about winning... The story of Crisp: the runner-up to Red Rum in the most famous Grand National of all#ITVRacing | #GrandNational pic.twitter.com/QMchvXiXuE ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 15, 2023 Grand National 2023: 16.15 - William Hill Handicap Chase 16:08 , Mike Jones Shakem Uparry is the 9/2 favourite for the penultimate race before the Grand National alongside Beauport. Harry Skelton is riding Midnight River and has already had a winner at Aintree today. Will he ride home a second one? Grand National 2023; Top tip for the 16.15 William Hill Handicap Chase 16:03 , Mike Jones Castle Robin should appreciate more cut in the ground in the William Hill Handicap Chase after a lacklustre effort on quicker going at Doncaster. Grand National 2023 16:01 , Mike Jones (PA) (Getty Images) (PA) Grand National 2023: Dark Raven put down 15:56 , Mike Jones Dark Raven, ridden by Paul Towend for trainer Willie Mullins, has been put down after a fall. It is the second equine fatality at the 2023 Grand National meeting after Envoye Special on Thursday. A Jockey Club spokesperson said: Dark Raven was immediately attended by our expert veterinary professionals. After assessment, sadly they concluded the necessary course of action for the horses welfare was to put him to sleep. Our sincere sympathies are with his connections. Grand National 2023: Sire Du Berlais wins the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 15:51 , Mike Jones Winning jockey Mark Walsh on how Sire Du Berlais won that race: I dont know! We were just creeping closer and closer and I just thought we might have a little squeak here. I thought he was getting tired but once I turned into the straight he was picking them off. Grand National 2023: Dark Raven put down 15:48 , Mike Jones Theres some sad news coming out of Aintree. Dark Raven who fell in the Maghull Novices Chase has had to be put down due to his injuries. I'm afraid we have some bad news. It was a heavy fall... I'm afraid he had to be put down, our sympathies. Grand National 2023: Sire Du Berlais wins the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 15:44 , Mike Jones Full result: 1. Sire Du Berlais - 8/1 2. Maries Rock - 5/1 3. Flooring Porter - 3/1 4. Meet And Greet - 16/1 Grand National 2023: Sire Du Berlais wins the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle! 15:43 , Mike Jones Out of nowhere! Sire Du Berlais kept himself at the back of the field for most of the race before flying through the middle and leaping over the last hurdle mere inches behind Maries Rock and Flooring Porter. Down the final stretch Mark Walsh kicks him on and edges him ahead of Maries Rock to cross the line in first place! Great ride. Grand National 2023: 15:35pm - JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 15:41 , Mike Jones Maries Rock crusies up alongside Flooring Porter as Sure Du Berlais comes through the field and leaps over the last just behind the two leaders. Itll be a sprint to the finish! Grand National 2023: 15:35pm - JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 15:40 , Mike Jones Home By The Lee continues to lose ground as Monmiral kicks on and moves into third place. Dashel Drasher has moved closer to Flooring Porter who still leads with three hurdles to go. Maries Rock moves into contention now too. Grand National 2023: 15:35pm - JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 15:39 , Mike Jones Flooring Porter is dictating this race out at the front of the pack with six hurdles to go. Home By The Lee has dropped off slightly with Dashel Drasher trying to close the gap in second place. Grand National 2023: 15:35pm - JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 15:38 , Mike Jones Dashel Drasher and Home By The Lee have decent positions near the front of the field but its Flooring Porter - the favourite - who leads by two lengths. Sire Du Berlais is out at the back of the field. Grand National 2023: 15:35pm - JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 15:36 , Mike Jones And theyre off! Grand National 2023: Harry Skelton on the National 15:33 , Mike Jones Harry Skelton, who rode West Balboa to victory in todays second race will be on Le Milos in the Grand National. He told Racing TV: This is one of the greatest meetings there is. We are about to have the worlds best race there is and we are lucky to be involved in such a great sport. Grand National 2023: 15:35pm - JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle 15:30 , Mike Jones Just two more races to go until the Grand National. Next up is the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle. There are four leading potential runners in this one. Flooring Porter, Home By The Lee, Maries Rock and Champ are all favoured but in this 10-horse field there are plenty to like. Dashel Drasher comes in off a win at Cheltenham and Sire Du Berlais has won plenty of big races too. Not an easy race to pick this one. Grand National 2023: Davy Russell on riding Galvin later on 15:26 , Mike Jones Davy Russell is back in the saddle later on to ride Galvin for the Grand National. He was asked by ITV Racing if this will be the last time we see him here to which he replied: I dont want to say it is but then come back for a third time, but I am enjoying it anyway. Taking it all in. I have to ride like I was 21 again. You have to against these young lads, they are not easy to beat. You have to prepare the way they prepare or you get left behind. It is very special. It is a special place. I hope the people of Liverpool and England realise what they have here, you cant get it anywhere else in the world. What time is the Grand National 2023? 15:23 , Mike Jones The UKs most famous horse race has finally arrived, with the Grand National set to take place today. Last year saw the return of fans to Aintree for the first time since the COVID pandemic, with the races cancelled in 2020 and held behind closed doors in 2021. But the race came back with a bang as Rachel Blackmore became the first woman to win the National in 2021, while last year leading amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen won riding Noble Yeats, the first seven-year-old horse to win since 1940 - check out the full list of runners and riders here. The showpiece race headlines three days of racing and UK adults are set to bet 250m on the race with the race on to find the best bets and punters will be keen to do their research with each of the 40 horses ranked and rated. Heres everything you need to know ahead of the 2023 Grand National Festival: What time does the Grand National start today? Grand National 2023 15:18 , Mike Jones Davy Russell reacts after winning atop Irish Point in the 3pm Maghull Novices Chase. "I don't want to say it is my last day riding and come back for a third time" A very special Grade One win for @_Davy_Russel_ #ITVRacing | #GrandNational pic.twitter.com/5WH3is0irs ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 15, 2023 Grand National 2023 15:14 , Mike Jones West Balboa romped in to win the Mersey Novices Hurdle earlier for Harry and Dan Skelton. (AP) (PA) Grand National 2023: Irish Point wins the Maghull Novices Chase 15:08 , Mike Jones Full result: 1. Irish Point - 5/1 2. Kateira - 14/1 3. Hermes Allen - 3/1 4. Letsbeclearaboutit - 14/1 Grand National 2023: Irish Point wins the Maghull Novices Chase! 15:07 , Jack Rathborn Kateira makes a drive down the final straight but cant catch Irish Point. Davy Russell takes him over the line and wins the Magull Novices Chase! Hermes Allen held on well to finish third. (EPA) Grand National 2023: Maghull Novices Chase 15:05 , Mike Jones Here we go. Irish Point goes through to take the lead over the last ahead of Hermes Allen. You Wear It Well seems to have run out of gas now, shes dropping back. Grand National 2023: Maghull Novices Chase 15:04 , Jack Rathborn Dark Raven falls! He never really got going and goes down at the fourth from last hurdle. This race seems to be setting up for You Wear It Well who continues to lead. Authorised Speed goes ahead of Hermes Allen into second. There are a few horses challenging the leader now. (EPA) Grand National 2023: Maghull Novices Chase 15:03 , Mike Jones Hallwood takes a hit on the next hurdle and drops back into the pack. Hermes Allen is up to second behind You Wear It Well. Letsbeclearaboutit has moved up to third as they turn into the back straight. Grand National 2023: Maghull Novices Chase 15:02 , Mike Jones You Wear It Well pushes into the lead as grey horse Hallwood moves into second. Irish Point and Dark Raven are alongside each other in the middle of the pitch. Seven hurdles to go. Grand National 2023: Maghull Novices Chase 15:01 , Mike Jones And theyre off! Irish Point sets off decently but Hermes Allen takes the lead immediately with You Wear It Well very close behind. Grand National 2023: Maghull Novices Chase 14:59 , Jack Rathborn Hermes Allen at 11/4 is going to head off as the favourite just ahead of Dark Raven. Irish Point has been heavily backed late on so obviously people fancy him. You Wear It Well is one to watch though. The mare should put in a good show. Horses round the course during the Handicap Hurdle won by jockey Harry Skelton riding West Balboa (AP) Grand National 2023: Maghull Novices Chase 14:53 , Mike Jones Next up is a Grade 1 Novices Chase. Dark Raven and Hermes Allen are the two favourites as the start approaches. You Wear It Well who won at Cheltenham is also fancied as is Irish Point. This one is expected to be the closest race yet on Grand National Day. Whos going to win it? Grand National 2023: West Balboa wins the Betway Mersey Novices Hurdle 14:50 , Mike Jones Winning jockey Harry Skelton, speaking to ITV Racing: She has a lot in hand, good mare, good training. Hasnt run for 90 days - she has won two big handicaps this year but that is down to the training. Dan leads, the team, he is a great leader but we have good people around us - good owners who have been patient and they have been rewarded. Unbelievable. Cheltenham is the Olympics but there is no place like this. Liverpool is unbelievable, the people of Liverpool make it all special. We will witness the greatest race there is later on and look at all the people here. Grand National 2023: Full list of runners and odds 14:46 , Mike Jones The most famous event in British racing returns in 2023 with the Grand National set to be held for the 175th time at Aintree on Saturday. First run in 1839, the steeplechase will see competing horses and jockeys clear 30 fences in the hopes of etching their names in history. Noble Yeats took victory in 2022, becoming the first seven-year-old horse to win in more than 80 years, with punters eager to find the best bets this weekend. 40 runners are ready to tackle the four-and-a-bit mile course, with a trio of favourites heading the betting. Here are the runners and current odds for the 2023 Grand National: Grand National 2023: Full list of runners and odds Grand National 2023: Rachael Blackmore on Aint That A Shames chances in the National 14:43 , Mike Jones More from jockey Rachael Blackmore who spoke to Betfair about her chances in the Grand National later on when shell be riding Aint That A Shame. Aint That A Shame has a lovely profile for the race. He was unlucky to be just beaten in the Munster National at Limerick in October, and it wasnt my best day in the saddle when I finished fourth on him in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. But he won nicely at Gowran the last day, and it was no harm that the runner-up came out and won at Fairyhouse there at the weekend. You dont really know how a horse will handle the track or the fences until you get out there, but he had a pop over the National fences at The Curragh, and he went well. Id be confident that he will take to the fences fine.He travels well through his races, which is a big help. Youre just hoping that you can get into a nice position and find a nice racing rhythm over the first few fences. I am hopeful that he can. After that, you never know, its the Grand National, but he has his chance and Im very much looking forward to it. Grand National 2023 14:39 , Mike Jones Adele Mulrennan explains just why the Grand National is so special: "The Grand National - it's a race where dreams are made, histories are made, form goes out of the window" @acmulrennan #ITVRacing | #GrandNational pic.twitter.com/yOVcBfAJBd ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 15, 2023 Grand National 2023: West Balboa wins the Betway Mersey Novices Hurdle 14:36 , Mike Jones Full result: 1. West Balboa - 9/2 2. Pounding Poet - 50/1 3. Mill Green - 14/1 4. Good Time Jonny - 11/2 5. Gatsby Grey - 14/1 Grand National 2023: West Balboa wins the Betway Mersey Novices Hurdle! 14:34 , Jack Rathborn Its West Balboa who takes the win! She powered over the final hurdle and then bombed towards the finish line. West Balbao upped the pace and made it a comfortable win in the end. The crowd seemed to enjoy that one. Jockey Harry Skelton, right, riding West Balboa, celebrates winning the Handicap Hurdle (AP) Grand National 2023: 14:25pm - Betway Mersey Novices Hurdle 14:33 , Mike Jones The dash is on towards the final flight and the whole field opens up. West Balbao takes the final hurdle in first just ahead of Outlaw Peter. Pounding Poet and Mill Green push up too. Grand National 2023: 14:25pm - Betway Mersey Novices Hurdle 14:31 , Mike Jones Gaelik Coast pulls up at the back of the field. Three hurdles to go and Mill Green makes up ground into fourth. Outlaw Peter is still at the head with Au Fleuron and Glimpse of Gala alongside him. Grand National 2023: 14:25pm - Betway Mersey Novices Hurdle 14:30 , Mike Jones Eight hurdles to go and its still Outlaw Peter at the front but hes setting a nice pace for the field to keep close to him. Au Fleuron is now up to third. West Balbao and Good Time Jonny are easing their way through the field but theyre all bunched up and anyone can take this yet. Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website Protest group Animal Rising are planning to disrput the Grand National for its cruelty to horses (Getty Images) A spokesperson for Animal Rising has said its planned protest at Aintree on Grand National day is the first of a campaign of events over the summer. Earlier this month, The Mail On Sunday reported more than 100 activists had signed up to take part in a demonstration on April 15 with the aim of disrupting the big race itself, which sees a full field of 40 horses head to post at 5.15pm. The report said protesters planned to form a human barricade across the track at Aintree after sneaking into the event with ladders and bolt cutters. Merseyside Police has said it has a robust policing plan in place for the meeting, and speaking to TalkSPORT, Alex Lockwood of the Extinction Rebellion offshoot confirmed a protest will begin at 9.30am outside the course. He said: We want to go there and stop the harm and what we are asking people to do is come and join us from 9.30am outside of the gates and protest, as we are allowed to do, and see if we can disrupt the race. We dont believe that horse racing is right and we want to stop the harm. We dont think it is right that business goes on as usual when animals are being harmed. We are sorry for the disruption but we stand by our morals. We believe horse racing is a dying industry - were helping it into retirement. We could stand outside and be polite and hand out fliers, but that has never stopped anything. We need to have a massive public conversation about our relationship with animals and this is the first of a campaign of events over the summer to really bring attention to, and shine a spotlight on, our treatment of animals. Officials at Aintree said they recognised the right of the protestors to peacefully demonstrate and outlined their willingness to work with the relevant authorities to ensure this can happen. Weve obviously been in regular meetings over the past six months about this and it has focussed a little bit of minds in the last few weeks, said Dickon White, North West Regional Director for Jockey Club Racecourses, who own the Merseyside track. But we absolutely appreciate if people want to come here and peacefully demonstrate, then they have the right to do that and we will work with the police and security teams to allow that to happen. A spokesperson for the British Horseracing Authority said: While we respect the rights of anyone to protest safely and legally, we condemn any action which is illegal, especially if it puts at risk the safety of horses, jockeys, officials or fans. Xi, Lula map out future China-Brazil ties Xinhua) 09:05, April 15, 2023 Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Xi said China will work with Brazil to create a new future for their relations in the new era, deliver greater benefits to the two peoples, and play an important and positive role for peace, stability and prosperity in their regions and around the world. Lula said he is honored and proud to head a large delegation on his fourth visit to China. This is his first visit outside the Americas since being elected President last year. This choice reflects Brazil's affection for China and commitment to Brazil-China relations. SET COURSE FOR BILATERAL TIES Xi extended a warm welcome to Lula for his state visit to China. He pointed out that China and Brazil are the two biggest developing countries and emerging markets in the Eastern and Western hemispheres. As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share extensive common interests. The overarching, strategic and global influence of the China-Brazil relations continues to grow. China always views and develops relations with Brazil from a strategic and long-term perspective, and sees the relationship as a high priority on its diplomatic agenda, Xi said. Xi noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership between China and Brazil, and the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year. "China is now promoting high-quality development and high-standard opening-up, and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. This will unlock new opportunities for Brazil and countries around the world," Xi said. Xi called on the two sides to maintain regular strategic communication and increase experience sharing on national governance. The two sides need to be steadfast in seeing each other as important development opportunities, in supporting each other's development paths which fit national realities, and in supporting stronger solidarity and collaboration among developing countries. The two sides need to deepen cooperation, steadily advance the major cooperation projects, and further unleash cooperation potential in agriculture, energy, infrastructure, space, aviation, innovation, etc, Xi said, adding that the two sides need to explore ways for stronger cooperation on green economy, digital economy, clean energy, etc. "China welcomes more high-quality products from Brazil into its market. China will actively explore greater synergy between its Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's reindustrialization strategy," the Chinese president said, adding that both sides need to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year to carry out more people-to-people exchanges, and cultivate stronger public support for Sino-Brazilian friendship. "China is an indispensable force in global politics, economy and trade, science and technology, and plays a vital role in promoting world peace and development. Brazil is committed to building closer relations with China from the strategic perspective of shaping a just and equitable international order," Lula said, adding that Brazil's legislature and society share this strong desire for building strong, multifaceted relations with China. Noting his delightful visit to Huawei where he met Chinese business representatives, Lula expressed deep admiration for China's 5G progress and his hope to expand Brazil-China cooperation in relevant fields. He welcomed Chinese investment in support of Brazil's digital transformation and low-carbon development. Lula expressed the belief that deeper and greater cooperation with China will contribute to Brazil's reindustrialization, help address poverty and other issues and deliver benefits to the people. Brazil stands ready to develop closer exchanges and cooperation with China in education and culture to enhance mutual understanding between their people. After their talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of various bilateral cooperation documents on trade and investment, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, information and communications, poverty reduction, quarantine, space and other areas. The two sides released a Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and the Federative Republic of Brazil on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. PARTNERSHIP BEYOND BILATERAL LEVEL Xi pledged China's firm support for Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to cement the sound momentum of peace, stability, independence, solidarity and development, advance regional integration and play a greater role in international affairs. China will work with Brazil to ensure the continued success of the China-CELAC Forum, take cooperation between China and LAC countries to a new level, and achieve common development. China will also work with Brazil to strengthen cooperation with the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Facing global changes of a magnitude unseen in a century, China and Brazil are resolved to stand on the right side of history, practice true multilateralism, advocate the common values of humanity, work for a more just and equitable international governance system, truly safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international justice and equity, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. China will step up strategic coordination with Brazil on global issues of mutual interest in the UN, BRICS, the G20 and other multilateral institutions, and enhance coordination on climate response, according to Xi. Lula said Brazil and China share common views and interests on many important international issues. The two sides both uphold multilateralism and international equity and justice. Brazil stands ready to work with China to strengthen strategic coordination in the G20, BRICS and other multilateral institutions, enhance coordination and cooperation in international finance, climate response and environmental protection, and contribute to developing countries' effort to shake off unfair rules and realize fairer and more balanced development. Lula expressed his full confidence that Brazil-China relations will embrace a brighter future. The two presidents also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Both sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation is the only feasible way for settling it and that all efforts that are conducive to its peaceful resolution should be encouraged and supported. They appealed to more countries to play a constructive role for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents agreed to stay in communication on the issue. Prior to the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Lula at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People. As Lula arrived, a guard of honor lined up in salutation. The two presidents stepped onto a stand, after which a military band played the national anthems of China and Brazil as 21-gun salute was fired in Tiananmen Square. Lula reviewed the guard of honor of the People's Liberation Army and watched the march-past in Xi's company. Madame Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi, and Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva, wife of Lula, were also at the welcoming ceremony. Xi and Madame Peng hosted a welcoming banquet for Lula and his wife at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People in the evening. Wang Yi and Qin Gang participated in the events. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva before the talks between Xi and Lula in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva lays a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Several law enforcement officers attend a Jackie Wilson hearing on Jan. 16, 2018, when he was seeking a new trial. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) Dozens of current and former law enforcement officials are rallying behind an indicted ex-Cook County prosecutor, raising money for his defense against felony charges in a wrongful conviction case and drawing criticism about the lengths authorities go to in protecting their own. A GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Nick Trutenko had raised more than $13,000 as of late Friday, which organizers said will help fight allegations that he purposefully lied and obstructed justice to keep an innocent man in prison. Advertisement The effort gained momentum in the past week after receiving endorsements from pro-police blogs and social media accounts, leading to a startling scenario in which law enforcement is rallying behind a criminal defendant and helping to pay his legal bills. Trutenko, 67, a former supervisor in the Cook County states attorneys office, faces multiple felony charges stemming from his testimony in the third trial against Jackie Wilson, a Chicago man who the courts have said was wrongfully convicted in the 1982 slayings of Chicago police Officers Richard OBrien and William Fahey. Advertisement Jackie Wilson and his brother Andrew were both found guilty of murder but had their alleged confessions thrown out after the courts found they had been tortured by detectives working under notorious ex-Chicago police Cmdr. Jon Burge. Jackie Wilson, now 62, received his certificate of innocence in December 2020 after spending nearly four decades behind bars, and he has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against several police officers and prosecutors involved in his case, accusing them of conspiring to keep him in prison for murders he did not commit. Andrew Wilson shot both officers during a traffic stop where Jackie Wilson was also present. Andrew Wilson was convicted at retrial and later died in prison. The Tribune recognized the names of more than three dozen current and former officials on Trutenkos donor list, including at least two retired judges, several former Cook County states attorney employees, a Chicago police officer charged with shooting an unarmed man and two special prosecutors assigned to handle cases involving torture by another Chicago police detective. Some other donors chose to contribute anonymously. I think the message you can get from this is, frankly, former Cook County states attorneys are supportive of fellow colleagues who did whatever it took to get a conviction, said Elliot Slosar, one of Jackie Wilsons attorneys. And that line that these people are now publicly displaying is exactly what defense attorneys have believed was going on in Chicago for decades. Its just now theyre willing to do it out in the open. A special prosecutor assigned to Jackie Wilsons case abruptly dropped the charges against him at his third trial in 2020 immediately after Trutenko, a prosecutor in Wilsons second trial in 1989, testified about his relationship with a witness in the case. Prosecutors told the judge they could not continue in good faith because Trutenko had given testimony they knew to be false. Trutenko was fired within hours of his testimony, and another special prosecutor was appointed to review the perjury issue. At that prosecutors request, a grand jury indicted Trutenko on charges alleging perjury, official misconduct, obstruction of justice and violation of a records act. Andrew Horvat, then an assistant states attorney who represented Trutenko as a witness in the third trial, also is facing felony charges alleging official misconduct. Horvat, 47, who subsequently left the prosecutors office, is accused of being complicit in the attempts to conceal Trutenkos relationship with the witness. Advertisement Former Cook County prosecutor Thomas Needham is among those who have donated money for Trutenkos defense. Jackie Wilsons federal lawsuit accuses Needham and other former law enforcement officials of conspiring to cover up the torture taking place under Burges command. Needham, who called the civil suit allegations against him totally false, contributed $500 to Trutenko. I just respect him as a professional and as a person and hes in trouble. He needs some help and so I donated to him, Needham said in an interview. Hes presumed innocent, and people on the defense side should recognize that. Hes entitled to a vigorous defense and a fair trial. ... I know him well enough to know the allegations are inconsistent with the person I know, and I just want to support a friend who needs some help. Trutenkos defense attorney James McKay, also a former Cook County prosecutor, did not respond to a request for comment. Some defense attorneys, particularly those involved in wrongful conviction cases, have criticized the donor list, particularly the contribution from special prosecutor Maria McCarthy, a former Cook County assistant states attorney. McCarthy, who is listed as giving $250, is assigned to handle matters involving several defendants who the state believes have credible torture claims against former Chicago police Detective Kriston Kato. While acknowledging that every defendant deserves access to a quality defense, Slosar contends it is unseemly for special prosecutors to bill taxpayers for their work and then give money to someone accused of abusing the publics trust. Advertisement Defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean, who represents Kato defendant Devon Daniels, taunted McCarthy and her law partner Fabio Valentini about the donation as they recently entered the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Valentinis name does not appear on the crowdfunding list. You guys were so cheap with your donation to Trutenko, Bonjean called out Tuesday. Why only $250? McCarthy told the Tribune there is nothing unethical about her donation. I have known Nick Trutenko for many years, she said. It is surprising to hear that defense attorneys believe that such a donation would be inappropriate, given that they of all people know that every person is presumed innocent and deserves a vigorous defense. Advertisement Another special prosecutor on the Kato matter, Alan Spellberg, also donated $250, according to the site. The former supervisor of the Cook County states attorneys criminal appeals division, Spellberg told the Tribune that he does not think Trutenkos testimony regardless of truthfulness rises to the level of perjury under Illinois law because his statements were immaterial to the question of whether Wilson murdered a police officer. Spellberg said he was not trying to make any statement with his donation beyond the fact that Trutenko has his support. I fail to see anything inappropriate about someone, whether it is a prosecutor, a defense attorney or nonlawyer, choosing to donate private, personal funds to support someone who has been charged with a crime, Spellberg said. As I am sure both Mr. Slosar and Ms. Bonjean recognize, Nick is presumed innocent of the charges and the special prosecutor bears the heavy burden of proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, he said. Ensuring that he has sufficient resources to defend himself against those charges is entirely consistent with the mission of seeking justice, a mission I have adhered to my entire career. Bonjean said the donations sent a different message. What it shows you is they think theyre bulletproof, Bonjean told the Tribune. They dont care about the appearance of impropriety. No part of them was like, Huh, maybe this wouldnt look good? Maybe this would appear as if my intentions are not good? ... This is not where their heads should be. Advertisement Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Defense attorney Terry Ekl, who is representing Horvat in two capacities related to the Jackie Wilson case, donated $250 to Trutenkos defense. Cook County is paying Ekl to represent Horvat in Wilsons civil lawsuit, and Horvat also hired Ekl to defend him against the official misconduct charges. Ekl accused Slosar and Bonjean of hypocrisy, saying they would want any of their own clients to have the best possible defense. Dont they think that Nick Trutenko should be able to defend himself? Ekl said. How is that wrong? Everybody is entitled to a good defense. If people want to donate so that Trutenko gets a good defense, thats how the system works. GoFundMe prohibits fundraising campaigns for people charged with violent or financial crimes, as well as efforts that promote racism or hatred. A company spokesperson told the Tribune that Trutenkos crowdfunding effort is permissible under its terms of service. Tribune reporter Megan Crepeau contributed. sstclair@chicagotribune.com Advertisement cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com PRESCOTT Prescott, hometown of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, was the latest stop as she hosts listening sessions about the potential merger of two of the states largest grocery store chains, Kroger Co., parent company of Smiths and Frys Food & Drug Stores, and Albertsons Companies, which operates supermarkets under the Albertsons and Safeway brands. Mayes is investigating whether the merger would violate the states antitrust laws. She is just one of a handful of attorneys general across the West that are looking into this deal, she said. The Wednesday meeting was attended by a handful of local elected officials and residents from surrounding communities including Prescott Valley, Dewey, Wilhoit and Chino Valley. Almost everyone expressed concerns about the merger reducing competition and prompting closures, which they said would have widespread impact. Together, the two companies employ around 35,000 Arizonans, making them two of the top six employers in the state. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes speaking at a town hall in Prescott on April 12, 2022. She is gathering residents' perspectives on a potential merger between two of the state's largest grocery chains. Still fresh in the minds of many in central Arizona is the 2014 grocery deal that saw Albertsons sell 10 of its Arizona grocery stores to Pacific Northwest grocery chain Haggen, including three in northern Arizona. Almost immediately after cutting the ribbon, former employees said, the stores started shutting down and employees began losing their jobs. Mary Mallory, now a Yavapai County supervisor for District 5, recalled how her long career as a store operations manager came to an unceremonious end because of the deal. Mallory herself was tasked with terminating hundreds of employees during this time. It was by the grace of God, she said, that her and her husband survived. I was the last person in that store to send payroll, she said. We were all longtime employees there, and it was devastating. They told us we were all going to be OK, Mallory said. Now, her former Albertsons is a church, with pews lined up in what was once the produce section, she said. With the potential new merger, Mallory urged Mayes to ensure the companies are transparent with their employees, a courtesy she said they were not afforded in the past. Story continues We deserved an opportunity to take care of our families, she said. At a town hall hosted by Attorney General Kris Mayes in Prescott on April 12, 2023, Yavapai County Supervisor Mary Mallory shared her experience during the 2014 Albertson's merger, where she and hundreds of other lost their jobs. Residents spent years calling for more grocery stores Echoing a similar sentiment shared during Mayes prior listening session in Kingman, residents have described grocery store lines growing longer as shelves become more bare. Many in these areas, including Chino Valley, have asked for another grocery store for years and now with the potential merger, could risk losing the limited number of stores they already have. One resident presented Mayes with some staggering numbers. In the greater Prescott area, where theres almost 59,000 people, they only have three full-service supermarkets. Compare that to Flagstaff, which has seven full-service grocery stores for just over 77,000 residents. Cindy Blackmore, Chino Valleys town manager, expressed concerns about the future of her towns only Safeway if there was a merger. Their store is the only full-service grocer for miles, serving not only Chino Valley residents but also the surrounding areas including Paulden and Ash Fork. Aldi: Discount grocery store to open its 10th location in metro Phoenix. What to expect Economic necessity for small towns Many rural towns, including both Chino Valley and Prescott Valley, utilize sales taxes instead of property taxes to make up their general fund. If the towns only grocery stores were to close, which are often the largest retailers in these areas, it would eviscerate their current budget, Blackmore warned. If something were to happen and that store were to close, it would devastate our general fund, Blackmore said. Thats our largest source of income for our town. Additionally, the merger could have significant real estate implications. Right now, many competing grocery stores are relatively close to each other in these smaller towns. If the companies were to merge, residents worried that it would eliminate any incentive to continue operating multiple stores in a small area, further limiting their options. These grocery chains are also frequently anchor tenants for strip malls and shopping centers that support countless other businesses. If they were to close, it would significantly impact smaller businesses, like nail salons and coffee shops that otherwise rely on the grocery stores foot traffic for many customers. Aside from the more obvious issues surrounding employment and food security, potentially losing these grocery stores would also mean losing vital community touchstones, they said. Prescott Valley town councilor Brenda Dickinson described the many ways their local grocery stores contribute to the community including yearly Thanksgiving turkey drives, hosting car shows in the parking lot, and more. They also provide crucial donations to area food banks, she said. Both of these establishments support our community in a huge way and it would just be a huge loss in so many ways, Dickinson said. I just start to panic when I hear this happening because weve been wanting so much to have another grocery store in the area, she said. Business: Kroger aims to be America's grocery store. The Biden administration may have other ideas Specifics of the merger remain unclear The companies have provided very little details about the actual logistics of the deal but Mayes said they have indicated they would like to complete the merger sometime early next year. As such, Mayes office will be conducting its investigation through the summer and will likely come to a decision on whether to block the deal by the end of the year. Notably, the Western Growers Association has officially opposed the merger citing concerns it will limit where producers can sell goods for a competitive price. Residents in the states urban areas shared similar concerns as their rural counterparts. Mayes held another session on her tour Tuesday evening at the Southwest Mountain States Carpenters Union Hall in Phoenix, drawing a handful of workers and their union representatives. For about an hour, Mayes asked questions and listened as attendees aired similar worries that a monopoly could lead to stores being closed and job loss among grocery workers not protected by labor agreements. The Attorney Generals office has already held similar listening sessions elsewhere across the state including Kingman, Tucson and Yuma and is planning to host a few more in the coming months, particularly one set in Holbrook, where a single Safeway serves more than 5,000 residents in town and in the surrounding areas. Contact northern Arizona reporter Lacey Latch at LLatch@gannett.com or on social media @laceylatch. Coverage of northern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America and a grant from the Vitalyst Health Foundation in association with The Arizona Republic. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona rural communities face problems with Albertsons-Kroger merger Ive never actually met C. Shes my partner's friend. But I sense her integrity through our email communication. C runs a Catholic Worker House in Wisconsin, serving people with few resources. She also spends two months out of every year in a village in the West Bank of Palestine. Her accounts of life there are heart-breaking. (I refer to her as C as she fears reprisals from the Israeli government if her name becomes known.) Life for Palestinians in the West Bank, C writes, consists of an ongoing series of humiliations. Checkpoints, settler attacks and military raids are relentless. Think about what life must be like in such conditions. The expansion of Israeli settlements into Palestinian land is a constant source of tension, and although these settlements are technically illegal, their numbers are growing. When she arrived back in the South Hebron Hills two months ago, C noticed that Israeli settlers had been occupying Palestinian grazing land near Tuba village, harassing Palestinian shepherds and internationals. They were disrupting and scaring children as they walked to school, and they were calling in the army, which responded by taking the ID of the Palestinian land owner and doing nothing to stop the settler harassment. This village has lost a tremendous amount of land to settler aggression and army collusion, C says, and safe passage to other villages and roads is now nearly impossible. Locals are having to kill sheep in order to buy grain to feed flocks that should be otherwise safely grazing. One can argue about the history of violence and counter-violence between Israelis and Palestinians. But what is clear to someone on the ground like C is the overall pattern of dehumanizing control by Israel, and the increasing destruction of Palestinian lands and property. This, of course, is what former US President Jimmy Carter called the apartheid system of Israel. Now, with Prime Minister Netanyahus government aligned with hard right elements in Israel, the situation is even more dire. Story continues Families in the West Bank live under the constant threat of demolition of their homes and agricultural buildings to make way for Israeli military use of the land. The claim that the land is needed for military training is a smokescreen, a tactic to push out villagers, C tells me. About 18 percent of the West Bank is now given over to Israeli firing zones. In the village of Khalet Al Dabba, demolition orders have been issued for all of the buildings, including the school. Shortly after C arrived, Israeli bulldozers destroyed an olive grove there, as well as a water cistern in the nearby village of Al Bweibh. Destroying olive trees is both a practical and symbolic method of punishing Palestinians the trees are a vital part of their culture and subsistence. Families who try to travel short distances between villages face attacks by Israeli settlers. A family that C knows returned to their village with damage to their car after Israeli settlers stoned passing Palestinian vehicles, breaking windshields. A grandmother and small child who were in the car were thankfully unhurt. A Palestinian girl holds a Ramadan lantern as children play in Gaza City, during Islam's holy month of Ramadan, on April 11, 2023. C works with a nonviolent peace corps which helps volunteers connect with local families, bearing witness to the treatment of Palestinians, and encouraging nonviolent resistance. I have known these families for about 15 years, she says, so these people are extremely dear to me. Ive seen children grow up to be strong activists, and also am more aware of the human cost of the occupation because of caring for particular people. Accessing health care and education is incredibly difficult here. I asked her about some of the villages resistance. People here remain nonviolent even in the face of violence and extreme provocation from settlers and soldiers, she said. Planting and replanting olive trees in order to keep land, working with international and Israeli activists to raise awareness of the situation and rebuilding demolished schools and homes over and over again. Refusing to give up and leave. Any discussion of the Israel/Palestine question here in the US is usually heated, given the American Jewish communitys divisions. But the question about whether Israelis are simply protecting themselves and their rights provoked a strong response from C. Im sorry, but I find that question too ridiculous for words, she told me. What is happening here is systematic ethnic cleansing by a colonial power that receives eight million dollars a day from the US. This, of course, hits at the complicated core of the issue. Its US military and financial support for Israel that allows such a situation to continue. And now, the policies of the right-wing Israeli government have granted settlers impunity to act as they will against Palestinians. I want to see both Israelis and Palestinians thrive, and live in peaceful co-existence. But to get to that point, the question we Americans need to ask ourselves is, how long will we allow our governments support of an apartheid state to continue? Andy Douglas is the author of "Redemption Songs: A Year in the Life of a Community Prison Choir" and "The Curve of the World: Into the Spiritual Heart of Yoga." This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Opinion: A look inside Palestinians' reality Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters BERLIN, GermanyThe mother of Veronika Trubitsyna, 13, and Anastasiia Trubitsyna, 15, died one hour before Russian police forced the sisters to pack their few belongings and move into a nearby orphanage. Without any legal guardians in Russia, they were told they would become wards of the state. For nine months, the sisters were trapped in a system that sought to feed them pro-war propaganda and encourage them to become Russian citizens. Now out of Russias grasp, Veronika spoke with The Daily Beast about the time she spent in Russia. She is one of the thousands of children who have been forcibly transferred to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began in February last year, and one of the few who have escaped. On March 17, The International Criminal Court (ICC) filed an official warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin and Russias commissioner for childrens rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova. The two have been accused of war crimes related to the deportation of children from Ukraine and occupied territories to Russia since February last year. But the ICC has no criminal jurisdiction of its own, so as long as Putin and Lvova-Belova remain in Russia and its allied countries, the two are highly unlikely to be arrested. UKRAINE-CRISIS/ICC-RUSSIA-CHILDREN The International Criminal Court has filed an official warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin and Russias commissioner for childrens rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova. Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik via Reuters Moscow has denied allegations of child abduction, but Ukrainian officials and human rights defenders have called the actions evidence of genocide. The deportation of people to Russia has been recorded since the beginning of the war, when 3.6 million Ukrainians reportedly fled their homes in just one month. Trapped At the time of the invasion, Veronika was at home with her sister Anastasiia and mother, Agnesa Trubitsyna, in the village of Lysychansk in the Luhansk region of Ukraine, her elder sister Kateryna Trubitsyna told The Daily Beast. Within hours, Lysychansk became a battleground that immediately turned Veronika, a girl who loved to study and read, into a child of war. The first days of the war were a nightmare. A week before the invasion, older people started buying everything in the markets and shops. And when the war started, we ran to the pharmacy to buy baby formula and there was almost no more, said Kateryna. At the time, her youngest daughter was six months old. Story continues Luhansk, now one of the four regions of Ukraine that Russia annexed, has seen some of the wars heaviest fighting. But Veronikas mother had first believed that the war would be over quickly, like in 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean peninsula in just over a month. Agnesa asked Kateryna, who lived an hour away in Novokrasnyanka, to come to her home. The Abandoned Ukrainian Children Desperate for Any Hope My mother kept calling me and my daughters to her village, always saying that in 2014 the war had bypassed us, and this time it would do the same, said Kateryna. Russias rapid offensive left Veronikas family with no time to plan a possible escape to the West, to join Katerynas family and their other sister. Instead, the family in Lysychansk was forced to live amid the constant chaos of war. Veronika said her mother began to work on an escape plan, desperate to protect her daughters not only from weapons of war, but also from what might happen to them if Russian soldiers were to find them. Reports that Putins army has raped children have emerged throughout the war. By mid-March, Agnes had taken her two youngest daughters to a nearby kindergarten to dodge the constant shelling. But the dangers of occupation were everywhere, and there was an added concern: the mother suffered from hypertension, and her health was deteriorating. We were afraid that at any time, we would be hit. If she [mother] hadnt got problems with her heart and pressure, she wouldnt have gone anywhere from home, said Veronika. According to Tanya Lokshina, Europe and Central Asia Director for Human Rights Watch, a forcible transfer includes cases where people do not have another choice. She told The Daily Beast, When you hear the term forcible transfer for the first time, what comes to mind is that the person has been tied up and thrown into a vehicle and taken somewhere. UKRAINE-CRISIS/CHILDREN-RETURN A mother embraces her 13-year-old son, who went to a Russian-organized summer camp from non-government controlled territories and was then taken to Russia, after he returned via the Ukraine-Belarus border. Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters But the definition of forcible transfer is broader than that. Its also about transfers of people who do not have a meaningful choice. If the choice is dying under shelling or going to the territory of the occupying state, that is also forcible transfer, she added. Such was the case for Agnes Trubitsyna when she decided to bring her daughters to Russia, where her mother and brother lived. But going meant leaving behind everything and starting over in a country that refused to acknowledge Ukraines independence, and they would be unable to return home. There were queues at the border in both directions. We were brought to the border by car, spent the night at the railway station, and then went by train. Our uncle had already bought tickets at the time, said Veronika. It was in the Rostov region [Russia]. We went without clothes because we did not have time to take them when we were taken out. Only documents and a phone were among our personal belongings. Just days after living with her uncle, Veronikas family moved in with her grandmother, who lived in Ryazan, a town over four hours away, and even further from Ukraine. We lived in our grandmothers house for a week. Then the police came and took us away and put us in a dormitory for displaced people in Ryazan. This was done so that immigrants from Ukraine did not live freely but were able to be observed and forced to make [Russian] documents as soon as possible. The family was allegedly not allowed to move out of the hostel, but they tried to adjust to their new life as Ukrainians trapped in Russia. In April, the sisters were enrolled in school. Speaking of that time, Veronika said, When a new child comes to school, it is always alarming. And they immediately understood that we are Ukrainians and began to abuse us. Putins Propagandists Explain New Meaning of Nazism, and Its Got Nothing to Do With Jews They told us the same thing about the liberators, the Nazis, that Ukraine had no chance. There was nothing we could do but remain silent. Some teachers did not pay attention to us, and all the others and the children said, Why are you stuck here? Go back to your Ukraine. I wanted to go to my home to Ukraine. But we could not go. We had no money, she added. Ridicule from peers was a pain that the sisters could manage. They knew how to brush off comments as they came in. The threat that Veronika and Anastasiia feared the most was their mothers health. The peak of her illness was in Ryazan. She was getting worse and worse every day, said Veronika. Not alone On July 13, 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for Russia to immediately halt its systematic filtration operations and forced deportations in Russian-controlled and held areas of Ukraine. The unlawful transfer and deportation of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians and is a war crime. Blinken estimated that, Russian authorities have interrogated, detained, and forcibly deported between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, including 260,000 children, from their homes to Russia. Making Veronikas family one of the hundreds of thousands that were forcibly deported in the months following the invasion. On April 4, 2022, another Ukrainian woman, Anna, was left with no choice but to leave Mariupol and travel to Russia to seek medical attention along with her 27-year-old autistic son and 70-year-old mother. There was no communication, food ran out, and most importantly, there was no access to water sources. We had no other choice. Only on the territory of the Russian Federation, Mariupol was the ring. We were forced to enter the territories controlled by Russia, she told The Daily Beast. We were deported to Russia since it was impossible to live permanently in these [occupied] territories. There was no medical care. Evacuation to Ukraine was not organized, she added. Annas family spent three days on a train from Ukraine to Tikhvin, a city near St. Petersburg. As they traveled through Russia, Anna said they were told, We saved you from the Nazis. They also said so on TV that they pulled it out of the clutches of Nazis. Once arriving in Tikhvin, the family was taken to a camp outside of the city, where 800 people, 200 children, [and] many old people were living. The family lived at the camp for 20 days before they managed to escape with the help of volunteers. But while Annas family received medical treatment, Veronika and her sister took on a new role. Teen nurses The Trubitsyna sisters said that eventually they became nurses for their mother. The girls cooked meals, went to the pharmacy to collect their mothers medication, held her as she went to the restroom, and bathed and clothed her. At the beginning, in autumn, she almost did not get out of bed, Veronika said. She had strong cardiac asthma, and her legs hurt so much that she could not walk. And her blood pressure was always 220-180, a blood pressure level that is considered a crisis, where stroke or a loss of kidney function can occur. The teenager said that on Dec. 6, her mother was admitted to a hospital after surviving a stroke. Though she was treated, it was not enough. On Dec. 16, doctors allegedly discharged the mother, despite swelling to her abdomen, legs, and arms. Then, just one day later, while Veronica was collecting medication at a pharmacy, her mother apparently suffered a heart attack. There is no clear timeframe for when Agnesas heart finally gave up, but it was not until some time had passed that neighbors were said to have found the mother lying on the ground. Running back to the hostel was not quick enough, and by the time Veronika said she arrived, medics were already providing CPR. We sat in the room for two hours, begging the Lord not to take my mother away, said Veronika. When the doctors left the house without giving Veronika and Anastasiia an explanation, Kateryna called the hospital. It was only then that the sisters said they found out their mother had died. An hour after the death of our mother, people came from the orphanage and took us away. They did not say anything, only that we are minors and we do not have the right to live alone without a guardian, said Veronika. Our uncle buried our mother. We were present at the funeral. The director of the orphanage brought us there. According to Kateryna, their grandmother and uncle were not told anything as Veronika and Anastasiia were taken away, only that they said they could not legally take the girls from [the orphanage]. On Wednesday, Lvova-Belova briefed a UN meeting that Russia called to counter claims that Moscow had deported Ukrainian children. Lvova-Belova claims Russia has taken in 5 million Ukrainians, including 700,000 children, since the invasion, according to an investigation by The Associated Press. Lvova-Belova said all of the children had been taken with parents, relatives, or legal guardians, except for 2,000 from orphanages in the Donbas region. Of the orphans, Lvova-Belova said about 1,300 were returned to childrens homes in Ukraine, 400 were sent to Russian orphanages, and 358 were placed into foster homes to date. But Ukraines United Nations Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya wrote in response, Russian authorities have interrogated, detained, and forcibly deported over 19,500 Ukrainian children from their homes within Ukraine to Russia. No amount of disinformation spread by the Russian Federation can deny the truth of the matter, nor shield individuals from accountability for these crimes. Adoption is not acceptable during an armed conflict. That goes without saying, said Lokshina. Putting up a fight At the orphanage, the sisters said they were part of a small number of Ukrainian children who lived among Russians in an eight-person bedroom equipped with four bunk beds, two wardrobes, and a table at the orphanage. They were allegedly fed four times daily, but only allowed three showers a week. While the children said they had two teachers who were sympathetic to their circumstances, they claim two others fed them pro-Russian propaganda, tried to convince them to turn away from Ukraine forever and claim Russian citizenship. It was Anastasiia who remained strong when Veronika felt all was lost. At 15, she gained a reputation for standing up against any abuse that children or teachers tried to inflict, becoming a fearless protector of her younger sister, Veronika told The Daily Beast. We were not bullied as all the children in the house, as well as the teachers were all afraid of my Nastya. When they said something to us that we didnt like, they had no desire to mess with us. I could not stand up for myself, she said of her older sister. In Ukraine, Kateryna spent every waking moment trying to find a way to get to Russia and save her younger sisters. Russian police allegedly told her, however, that the sisters could only be reunited if Kateryna had been approved for guardianship, which took time. There was also uncertainty about how to fund the trip to Russia, and whether it would work. Kateryna could have been trapped the second she crossed into the country. It took a bank loan of 1,600 ($1,750), and help from the non-governmental organization SOS Children's Towns of Ukraine to get Kateryna to Russia. Once there, she said, I was afraid, but I tried to be brave. I didnt show that I was afraid. SOS Childrens Village is a non-governmental organization that has operated globally since 1949, and in Ukraine since 2003. Before the war, it worked to aid vulnerable families, helping parents with career guidance and psychological support for families, in addition to advocating for institutional change in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, it has increased its staff numbers, opened childrens spaces, and, since September 2022, has helped 80 children escape Russia. Press Manager Serhiy Lukashov described the case of Veronika and Anastasiia as a very tragic story. Their mother died on the territory of the Russian Federation, and the older sister had to go after the sisters. We were contacted by the Ministry of Reintegration to Ukraine with a request to help, he told The Daily Beast. We paid for the road in the amount of 1,600. We do not communicate with any individual or legal entity in the Russian Federation and Belarus. Lukashov described the emotional toll of NGOs work as very difficult. Our employees, who work directly with the beneficiaries, are very morally exhausted. They experience the tragic stories of children and their families, he said. People are constantly stressed and trying to help. It is especially difficult with injured children and children who have lost their parents. Getting out On Jan. 31, Kateryna made it to Russia. She had the guardianship papers in hand and had traveled from Ukraine, to Poland, to Belarus and finally to Russia. But Veronika said many at the orphanage did not want her and Anastasiia to go. Instead, they insisted, We should take Russian citizenship, that we would be better off in an orphanage than somewhere in Ukraine. We didnt listen. We were just happy to be with a loved relative, Veronika said. The days were long on the return to Kyiv, including overnight stays at train stations. The entire trip took Kateryna 10 days, and she feared that anything could go wrong. I was afraid, but I tried to be brave. I didnt show that I was afraid, she told The Daily Beast, though she only felt relief about being reunited with her sisters. Back in Ukraine, the family had no money left, and no way to collect the funds their mother had left for the two girls. The Russian death certificate they were given was without an Apostille stamp, an international certification comparable to notarization. Kateryna pushes her younger sisters to study and work hard, hoping to pave the way for success even during the Russian invasion. I think that after the loss of a loved one, you still need time to get away from grief and gather all your thoughts, said Veronika. She did not show her emotions, her fear. She was very confident in herself and us. We remember our mother very often, only love and gratitude to [her] that she raised us exactly as we are. Ukraines Ministry of Reintegration of The Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine declined multiple requests for an interview. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A two-vehicle crash on Friday west of Notus in Canyon County left a Bandon, Oregon, woman dead, according to a news release from the Idaho State Police. The crash occurred at 2:45 p.m. on U.S. 20 at Don Lane when a 29-year-old woman from Caldwell was driving west on U.S. 20 in a Chevrolet passenger car. Another woman, 67, of Bandon was going east in a Chrysler passenger car. The vehicles collided head-on. The driver of the Chrysler, who was wearing a seat belt, died from her injuries at the scene. The driver of the Chevrolet, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. Her condition was unknown. Both lanes of U.S. 20 were blocked for about 2.5 hours. This incident remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police. Montana recently became the first state to pass a bill banning TikTok. It is unclear if the governor will sign it into law. Rafael Henrique/Getty Images Montana on Friday became the first state in the US to approve a bill banning the social media app TikTok. A growing number of countries are partially or totally banning the app over security concerns. The US is threatening TikTok's Chinese parent company with a ban if it doesn't sell to another company. A growing number of countries are placing partial or total bans on TikTok amid data security concerns, citing fears that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could be forced into giving user data to the Chinese government, or be pressured into amplifying or suppressing certain topics based on China's interests. The US recently threatened the app with a potential nationwide ban if its Chinese owners don't sell their ownership stake, but TikTok has said forcing a change in ownership would not address national security concerns. Montana lawmakers on Friday approved a bill that would ban the app from being downloaded in the state, and potentially fine companies like Google, Apple, and TikTok itself if it remains available on an app store. "If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn't solve the problem: A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access," a TikTok spokesperson previously told Insider. "The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing." Here's a running list of countries with a partial or total ban on TikTok: United States President Joe Biden delivers remarks on Covid-19 on March 30, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images President Joe Biden's administration has supported bills introduced in Congress that would give the president greater authority to ban apps like TikTok. This week, Montana became the first state where lawmakers approved a bill banning the app. The state's Senate approved it in March, and on Friday, it passed the Montana House of Representatives by a vote of 54-43. TikTok already has pledged to challenge it if it's enacted into law, and has called the bill "censorship" and a violation of the First Amendment. Story continues Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has not said whether he will sign the bill into law, but did ban the app on government-issued devices last year, according to the Wall Street Journal. A bill that would forbid the app on all government-issued devices passed the Senate in December, and over two dozen US states including Ohio and New Jersey have banned it on state government devices. Several universities also prohibited TikTok from being used on campus wireless networks. Former President Donald Trump threatened to ban the app several times, but that was never upheld by courts, and the executive orders against TikTok and other apps were revoked by Biden in the early months of his presidency. Australia James D. Morgan/Getty Images Australia has become the latest country to ban TikTok from federal government devices. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the ban will take effect "as soon as practicable" and that exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. With the addition of Australia, all of countries in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance the US, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, and Australia have taken action against TikTok. The larger ban follows several department-specific bans that were enacted earlier this year, as the departments of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, as well as the departments of Defence, and Home Affairs banned the app, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. France The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Antoine Antoniol/Getty Images France recently announced a ban on "recreational applications" like TikTok from being installed on government devices, citing security concerns. "Indeed, recreational applications do not have the levels of cybersecurity and protection of sufficient data to be deployed on administrative equipment," a translation of the statement reads. The French Minister for Transformation and Public Administration, Stanislas Guerini, told The Associated Press the ban includes more than just TikTok, and extends to other social media including Twitter and Instagram, as well as video games like Candy Crush and dating apps. The ban will have exceptions upon request if a government employee needs to use one of the apps for professional reasons, like Guerini himself announcing the decision on Twitter. The Netherlands Amsterdam, Netherlands. Karl Hendon/Getty Images The Dutch government said in a recent statement that government employees are "immediately advised against" having apps like TikTok on work devices. While TikTok is not directly named, the statement said there is an increased risk of espionage when using apps from countries that have an "offensive cyber program against the Netherlands and/or Dutch interests." "Recent parliamentary questions and international developments have led us to make a careful assessment that goes further than advising against one application," Minister for Digitalization Alexandra van Huffelen said. The government said it is working toward a system where only pre-approved apps can be installed on government devices. New Zealand New Zealand, whose flag is pictured here, announced a ban of TikTok on government devices. Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images New Zealand officials have prohibited TikTok from being installed on government phones, according to The Associated Press. However, New Zealand's ban is smaller in scope than those introduced by other countries, as it will only affect about 500 devices, per the AP. The app will be removed from all devices connected to the parliamentary wireless network, and officials said they made the decision based on advice from the country's cybersecurity experts. "This decision has been made based on our own experts' analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally," Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said, according to the AP. "Based on this information, the service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment." India The iconic Taj Mahal Pawan Sharma/AFP via Getty Images India had a ban in place for years, originally introduced in 2020, and made permanent in January 2021, Insider previously reported. The ban came after a dispute between India and China led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers in June 2020 in the Himalayas, the Post reported. India placed bans on dozens of Chinese-owned apps, including TikTok, in the weeks following the incident. Forbes estimated at the time that the ban could cost TikTok about $6 billion if it permanently lost access to India's population. Analysts have told Insider's Grace Kay that a US ban would likely have the same effects it did in India, and competitors like Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube would see boosts in usage. United Kingdom Houses of Parliament and Big Ben in London. Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images The British government also announced a government device ban on TikTok, citing the vulnerability of sensitive government data amid a wider review of apps. "The security of sensitive government information must come first, so today we are banning this app on government devices," said Oliver Dowden, a senior cabinet minister. "The use of other data-extracting apps will be kept under review." The ban came just weeks after representatives from the social media company met with European officials as part of an initiative nicknamed "Project Clover" to address the data security fears. TikTok said it is building data centers in Ireland and Norway to allow data from an estimated 150 million users in the region is stored locally, Insider previously reported. Insider also reported on similar efforts by TikTok to ease concerns among the cybersecurity community as it recruited and hired security experts to handle its data. Canada Alberto Pezzali/Associated Press Canada joined the group banning the app on government devices late last month, as the Canadian government said a review found it presented an "unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security," according to The Washington Post. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters at the time that Canada did not yet know if this would be just the first, or the last step the country would take against TikTok, Reuters reported. Canada's Treasury Board said in a statement that the ban only impacts government devices, but it encouraged citizens to be aware of the government's security concerns before using social media and other apps on their own devices. Taiwan The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum in Taiwan. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images Taiwan introduced a government device ban in December, and has been considering a larger ban on the app amid tensions with China over its stated independence, according to local reports cited by The Washington Post. Officials in Taiwan have questioned the effectiveness of an outright national ban, as users could use technology like a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, commonly used to get around geographic restrictions and hide online activity, the Taipei Times reported. European Union Flags of the European Union. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images With multiple EU bodies citing security concerns, the EU banned TikTok from being installed on staff phones last month. TikTok's director of public policy and government relations told Reuters at the time that it was not consulted about the EU's concern or a potential ban, and said it felt there was a "lack of due process" in the decision. Some EU member states including Belgium and Denmark also banned the app from government phones, the Washington Post reported. Afghanistan Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images The Taliban announced an outright ban on the app, along with multiplayer video game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, commonly referred to as PUBG, last year to "prevent the younger generation from being misled," according to the BBC. Wired reported last month that several TikTok creators and influencers in the country saw their views dip, but then rise again after people began using VPNs and other measures to circumvent the ban. Indonesia and Pakistan (rescinded bans) Jakarta, Indonesia. Getty Images Indonesia and Pakistan each banned TikTok for a small period before concerns were addressed, the Post reported. Indonesia banned the app in July 2018 over potential "pornography, inappropriate content and blasphemy," but revoked the ban after just six days when the company agreed to censor some content, according to Reuters. Pakistan has introduced multiple temporary bans over content the government deemed inappropriate. However, it did the same with Wikipedia for alleged "blasphemous" content. Some of those bans have lasted only a few hours, according to the Post. Read the original article on Business Insider A Hilton Head woman who ran over a man twice in a Burger King parking lot was released from jail Thursday afternoon, following a courtroom clash over details of the alleged road rage incident and testimony claiming it was unintentional. Tysha Shailayah Brown, 25, charged with attempted murder after the April 1 incident, was granted a personal recognizance bond by Beaufort County Judge Brooks P. Goldsmith, meaning she was released without having to post bail. A number of bond conditions suggested by the prosecution, including GPS monitoring of Brown and restricting her access to firearms, were not included in the ruling, but Goldsmith prohibited Brown from contacting the 66-year-old Hilton Head man who was injured. Brown previously denied intentionally running over the man, telling Beaufort County deputies she tried to drive around him after he began hitting the hood of her car. Police disagreed, using the restaurants surveillance footage as evidence to accuse the woman of attempted murder, Browns first and only criminal charge. Not only does she not have a record, she has never even had a speeding ticket in her entire life, said Browns defense attorney William Jenkins, arguing that his clients actions arose from fear of the driver approaching her car. The injured man, who is not being publicly identified, is staying at a long-term rehabilitation facility and has already undergone multiple surgeries for the six compound fractures in his legs, said Assistant Solicitor Jared Shedd, who prosecuted Thursdays proceedings. The injured man and his lawyer did not respond to multiple requests for comment. While emphasizing that the prosecution does not condone road rage, Shedd said the restaurants surveillance footage demonstrates an intentional act, showing Brown running over the mans legs before putting the car in reverse and backing over them again. Contested chain of events The Thursday afternoon bond hearing was rife with disagreement over details of the April 1 incident, which began around 7 a.m. as both drivers traveled across Hilton Head via U.S. 278. Story continues Jenkins said Brown was returning home after dropping a friend off for a shift at the islands Marriott Courtyard hotel, where Brown also works, when she saw the driver of a black Nissan Altima quarreling with another driver on the Cross Island Parkway. Brown passed the vehicles, Jenkins said, but several minutes later was approached by the driver of the Nissan, who began to brake check Brown, an act of suddenly slamming ones brakes to antagonize drivers traveling close behind. Brown began turning toward the Museum Street Burger King, and the driver of the Nissan followed, speeding ahead and stopping his car in the middle of the parking lot, Jenkins said. The driver then allegedly got out of the car and approached Brown, beating on the hood of her vehicle, cursing and even spitting on her, the attorney added. Reportedly scared to death by the mans actions, Brown attempted to drive away, thinking her car was in reverse, Jenkins testified. After realizing she had run over the mans legs, Brown tried to move the car off of him, reversing over his legs again in the process. The prosecutions narrative of the incident differed on several fronts. Shedd said that after the verbal confrontation between Brown and the Nissan driver in the parking lot, and as Brown threw Styrofoam cups at the man from her vehicle, the man began to walk away. Thats when Browns vehicle backed up slightly, lurching ahead and rightward in the direction of the man before running him over. The prosecutor also included statements from the Burger Kings manager, who reportedly witnessed the incident while standing outside the restaurant that morning. The manager said he heard the man ask Brown, Why the hell are you following me? and alleged Brown told the man, I got you now, after running over his legs. The defense protested these witness statements. How many Burger King managers do you know that are in the parking lot at seven oclock in the morning? asked Matthew Paulk, Browns original defense attorney who assisted Jenkins during the hearing. Maj. Angela Viens, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office, confirmed that deputies spoke to the restaurant manager. Central to the case is the restaurants surveillance video, which neither attorney had seen prior to Thursdays proceedings. The footage was entered into evidence at the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office but cannot be released while the investigation is active, Viens said. The Beaufort County Sheriffs Office has not released a copy of the video to the public. Viens said the video shows Brown throwing items from her car window at the man but would not specify what the objects were. While the video does not depict the man beating on the hood of Browns vehicle, Viens said, the front of the womans car moves out of view as the incident progresses, meaning the footage does not necessarily confirm or deny Browns statement. Jenkins maintains that his client panicked and did not intend to hurt the man. This is a 25-year-old girl thats never been in trouble. This is a 66-year-old man who ought to know better, he said. Hes beating on the hood of her car. ... She was scared to death and panicked. A preliminary hearing for Brown, which will begin the process of determining her guilt or innocence, has not yet been scheduled. When we publish mugshots The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette publishes police booking photos, or mugshots, in the following instances: In situations where a public figure or someone in a position of public trust is arrested In cases where there is an immediate and widespread threat to public safety In cases where the arrested person is accused of a crime reporters have evidence to believe involved numerous, unknown victims Reporters will avoid using mugshots as lead images for online articles in order to limit their circulation on social media, except in cases where the public is served by the immediate identification of the accused. Reporters and editors may use discretion in situations that dont meet the criteria outlined in this policy but still present a compelling reason to publish a mugshot. San Luis Obispo County housing activists, builders and donors got a chance to see a proposed affordable housing project in person Wednesday at an event hosted by Smart Share Housing Solutions. Behind the San Luis Obispo Guild Hall at 2880 Broad St., Smart Share gathered its supporters to tour a model tiny home the housing supplier is looking to include in a new affordable housing project known as Waterman Village. Waterman Village, a joint affordable housing project between Smart Share and the city of San Luis Obispo, would turn Rosa Butron de Canet Adobe, a historic property on Dana Street near the San Luis Obispo Childrens Museum, into 20 units of affordable tiny homes. Anne Wyatt, executive director of Smart Share, said the tiny home layout was chosen for the project to work around the specific stipulations of the propertys most recent private owner. The adobe was last owned as a residential property by Mary Gail Black, Wyatt said, who donated the property to the city in the late 1980s under the stipulation the property be restored for public use and the trees onsite preserved. Blacks last stipulation was that a project for public use on the property would be named after her late partner, Mildred Waterman, Wyatt said. Wyatt said the property was restored and maintained for more than 30 years, but the city is only now taking steps toward Blacks vision for the space. As weve gotten more into this tiny house movement, for the first time, thats opened up the opportunity to accommodate the housing safely amongst the trees, Wyatt told The Tribune. Thats a huge component of this that kind of has been missing before. Smart Share Housing Solutions executive director Anne Wyatt speaks to visitors in the model tiny home at the Waterman Village project, which would would turn Rosa Burton de Canet Adobe, a historic property on Dana Street near the San Luis Obispo Childrens Museum, into 20 units of affordable tiny homes. Model demonstrates benefits of tiny home village Though the model that guests were invited to tour Wednesday is not the exact design that will be used at Waterman Village, Wyatt said its a close comparison to the 20 planned units. The model was constructed by Pacifica Tiny Homes and cost just shy of $73,500, Wyatt said. Story continues This demo model is a representative interior, but not representative exterior of Waterman houses, Wyatt said. For example, the Waterman Village unit dimensions will be similar in size but will forgo the second-story loft, which would be difficult for senior residents to access. Anne Wyatt, executive director of Smart Share Housing Solutions, points to an electric appliance in the model tiny home at the Waterman Village project, which would would turn Rosa Burton de Canet Adobe, a historic property on Dana Street near the San Luis Obispo Childrens Museum, into 20 units of affordable tiny homes. The home features several off-the-grid systems, such as a solar power system that feeds an onsite battery, all-electric appliances and a waterless toilet, which would allow the homes to stay off the sewer system, Wyatt said. The layout of the project rings the adobe building with the 20 units. Four of the units are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and feature slightly larger floor plans and access ramps. The adobe building would be maintained and used as a communal space for residents, Wyatt said. The Waterman Village project calls for turning the Rosa Burton de Canet Adobe, a historic property on Dana Street near the San Luis Obispo Childrens Museum, into 20 units of affordable tiny homes. By designating these tiny homes as affordable housing, Wyatt said Smart Share hopes to avoid one of the main problems with tiny home adoption: price. In the small house world, were seeing a lot of uptake of installation of (accessory dwelling units), Wyatt said. Its really tricky still were not seeing a lot of uptake for low-income homeowners because theres a ton of risk involved. These homes will be restricted to low- and very low income individuals and seniors, Wyatt said, a demographic that will only grow in coming years. Smart Shares efforts in senior housing and home sharing have found a rising population of single seniors particularly single senior women in San Luis Obispo County, and Wyatt said that number could double in the next 20 years. With Social Security benefits often failing to keep with high costs of living in here and people living longer on average, Wyatt said that could mean a housing crunch for seniors in the area. Projects like Waterman Village could help alleviate those issues, Wyatt said, because small unit sizes are perfect for housing elder orphans, a growing category of seniors without family members who can provide support. Smart Share Housing Solutions staff and volunteers speak to visitors at Wednesdays demonstration of a model tiny home at the Waterman Village project, which would would turn Rosa Burton de Canet Adobe, a historic property on Dana Street near the San Luis Obispo Childrens Museum, into 20 units of affordable tiny homes. Project off to a good start, but needs funding Waterman Village has a ways to go before it can start welcoming residents, Wyatt said, as the final supplier of the homes and funding to build has not been secured yet. Wyatt said funding is one of the bigger obstacles the project is facing since Smart Share responded to the citys request for proposals three years ago. So far, the project has secured around $850,000 in donations and pledges from more than 200 donors, and is approaching the initial fundraising goal of $1 million. However, Wyatt said the project could cost as much as $6 million. Its a little chicken and egg we have to make sure we can secure some funding before we can get into a project, but we need to have an approved project before we can have any idea of the cost and just how much funding were going to need, Wyatt said. Wyatt said she hopes to tap into San Luis Obispos inclusionary housing funds, private foundation funding and county American Rescue Plan Act funding to make up the deficit, and may take out loans to round out the rest of the funding. Because affordable rents could be as high as $1,300 or $1,400 by the time the project is completed, that source of income could also be used to pay off debt service. The tiny homes in the proposed Waterman Village project would be outfitted with all-electric, off-grid appliances. Smart Share Housing Solutions Waterman Village project would would turn Rosa Burton de Canet Adobe, a historic property on Dana Street near the San Luis Obispo Childrens Museum, into 20 units of affordable tiny homes. Next, Smart Share must complete its application with the city, followed by public hearings to secure entitlements, Wyatt said. Terri Main, construction lead of the Waterman Village project and CEO of San Luis Obispo-based construction company The Main Company, said Wyatts goal of opening Waterman Village to residents in late 2024 or early 2025 is achievable but will need all the dominoes in the building process to fall as planned. Obstacles such as parking studies and a historic resource evaluation from the city must be completed before plans can proceed, Main said. We need people to get on board, we need community support, (and) we need the support of City Council members, Main told The Tribune. One of those council members was in attendance at the Wednesday event. San Luis Obispo City Councilmember Michelle Shoresman tours a model tiny home hosted by Smart Share Housing Solutions at the Waterman Village project, which calls for turning the Rosa Burton de Canet Adobe, a historic property on Dana Street near the San Luis Obispo Childrens Museum, into 20 units of affordable tiny homes. City Councilmember Michelle Shoresman said she could envision herself living in a tiny home like the model Smart Share presented, and she looks forward to seeing the project make its way through the various approval and committee processes. We know that we need more housing in this city, and we also know that the household size is slowly getting smaller, Shoresman told The Tribune. This seems like one of hopefully many possible options. A homeowner is in the hospital after he was shot while someone tried breaking into his home, according to police. DeKalb County police officers were called to a home on Calumet Road just after 7:45 p.m. where they found a man in his 40s who had been shot several times. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and is expected to survive. Investigators say they learned the victim was shot during an attempted home invasion. TRENDING STORIES: Details on what exactly led up to the shooting are unclear. Police have not released details on possible suspects. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Mia Hansen-Lve shot her eighth film during lockdown at home in Paris (Judicael Perrin) On some basic level, Mia Hansen-Lve makes movies because she has a very, very bad memory. Its a way to hold on to events that I want to remember, to really make sure the things that matter to me will still exist even if I forget them, says the French filmmaker. She scrunches up the already rumpled tissue in her lap and releases it again. Im always worried that I will forget everything. That fear goes a long way in explaining the many parallels that exist between Hansen-Lves real life and the lives explored on screen in her emotionally intense, often award-winning films. Hansen-Lve was only 23 when she wrote her debut All Is Forgiven; 25 when she directed it. The film, nominated for Best First Feature at the 2008 Cesar Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscars), was loosely inspired by her uncle and cousin. Goodbye First Love (2011) told of a feverish romance that looked not unlike her own with the director Olivier Assayas. The same could be said although Hansen-Lve herself has not said it of her English-language debut Bergman Island, released last June and written the year that she and Assayas split up. Likewise, the DJ in Eden (2015) was inspired by her brother, while the philosopher in Things to Come (2016) was based on her mother. This time around, its her father to whom she is indebted. Now 42, Hansen-Lve has always felt compelled to wade knee-deep in the murky waters of her past, swishing sand and gravel to find glinting specks in her pan. The latest speck is One Fine Morning. Her film stars No Time to Dies Lea Seydoux as Sandra, a translator and single mother who is caring for her ailing father (Pascal Greggory) when she starts up a romance with an old friend (Melvil Poupaud). Its a story that mirrors the period in Hansen-Lves own life during which she fell in love with her current partner, filmmaker Laurent Perreau (a dead ringer for Poupaud, in fact), all the while witnessing her father succumb to Bensons syndrome, a variant of Alzheimers. This vertigo of feeling delayed grief and new love is at the films heart. It is my depiction of what it was like to feel those very contradictory emotions, she says, adding that more often than not, thats how life goes. Its never just one thing. Her father died two months after she finished the script, around the same time that Hansen-Lve discovered she was pregnant. A Mia Hansen-Lve film strolls along to an everyday beat, cigarette lolling from its mouth. Achieving naturalism is a painstaking process in itself, though something her actors can personally attest to. As a filmmaker, Hansen-Lve is often described as exacting. A lot of time was spent, for example, showing Greggory how to precisely replicate her fathers walk: the degree of his stoop and the weight of his gait. I tortured Pascal a little bit but as an actor, I think he likes it, she laughs. As if on cue, she plucks a near-invisible stray blonde hair off her fuzzy jumper. As well as having a reputation for precision, Hansen-Lve has been known to form strong connections with her female stars. Seydoux and Vicky Krieps (of Bergman Island) have praised her approach. For her part, Hansen-Lve is quick to clarify that she has had very nice and strong relationships with her male actors, too. The world doesnt divide for me between women and men fortunately not but it is true that I have had very strong connections with many of the actresses in my films. It comes down to trust. There is this myth, which is grounded in reality, of the very harsh director and often its male directors, but it can be female as well who creates conflict with the actors to try and get the best result out of them. Hansen-Lve does not subscribe to this myth. Ive always believed a trusting, respectful relationship will lead to better performances and to be fair, up until now thats usually true. In conversation, Hansen-Lve is amiable and easy. Ask her if she is ever bothered by the probing questions that the personal subject matter of her films inevitably invites, and shell shrug. Honestly, I wish I could make films less connected to myself, so I wouldnt have to talk about it so directly, but those are the films I write, so I feel I have to accept it really, she says. I stand by it and Im so out of the limelight, its not like it would feed the tabloids. The only people who will be interested are cinephiles. And conversely, does anyone in her life mind being dramatised on screen? Maybe my mother could have reason to be concerned, answers Hansen-Lve, because she comes up so often in my films; but she has been the greatest supporter of my work, and I think she enjoyed being played by Isabelle Huppert so much that shes fine with all of it. For years, Hansen-Lve was linked to Assayas, the director behind the 1996 cult classic Irma Vep. Not only romantically (they were together for 15 years and share a 13-year-old daughter), but professionally, too. Her career in the industry began as a teenager in his movies, after she auditioned for the 1998 film Late August, Early September. But to call her a former actor, she says, is a stretch and possibly, from the sounds of it, an annoyance. I never really was an actress, says Hansen-Lve. And actually I find it interesting how often I am reminded of it. Its weird to me because in the end, my career as an actress is, like, 14 days of shooting, whereas I have made eight films and have 20 years of experience as a director now, but still Im an actress-turned-director. She pauses, I wonder if this is because Im a woman... If I was a man who spent 14 days shooting as a teenager, would I be reminded as often? Her previous film, Bergman Island, was shot in the Faro Islands, home to the late Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. It stars Krieps and Tim Roth as a screenwriter couple on a writing retreat, whose relationship is on the rocks. Questions of motherhood swirl around the film, as Kriepss character struggles to reconcile her love of Bergmans work with his personal failings as a parent. Bergman was a father to nine children, all of whom he largely ignored in his lifetime. When youre a director and you have kids, you have to deal with these questions all the time, says Hansen-Lve, a huge Bergman fan. I wasnt trying to judge him for his choices, or criticise them. In fact, I dont really care. I was saying that as a woman I couldnt do what Bergman did, which was make loads of films while having nine kids that he basically had raised by various nannies and women. What I wanted was to explore what it is for a woman to attempt to be both a filmmaker and a mother because physically, emotionally, I couldnt leave my kids that long, so I couldnt make that many films. How do I make the best of that? Pascal Greggory and Lea Seydoux in One Fine Morning (Carole Bethuel/Les Films) Happily, Hansen-Lve has found that her children add to her work infinitely more than they take away. The bond I have with my kids actually feeds my work and creates more depth in my films, a sensibility you may not find in films made by men including Bergman, she says. Very rarely does Bergman approach that relationship, but in films made by women especially those who are close with their children there can be a depth created that you may not find with male directors as much. After Bergman Island, with its international actors and faraway location, Hansen-Lve wanted to return home to Paris. I felt I had to focus on things that were closer to my everyday experience, she says. In filming One Fine Morning, Hansen-Lve returned to all her past haunts: her old neighbourhood, her fathers nursing home, her grandmothers apartment. I would never have gone back if it wasnt for this, she says. I would have rather forgotten them. But because it is a film, its actually fun. It turns something that was tragic and painful to live through into this childish game. The actors, she says, bring with them some distance. I can remove some of the drama in myself by transferring it onto the screen. It helps mellow the sense of drama within you, and in a way, you can get rid of it. One Fine Morning is in UK cinemas now Just days after President Joe Biden selected Chicago to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, his administration said Friday that Illinois first lady M.K Pritzker has been appointed to serve on the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. Gov. J.B. Pritzkers wife is joining 17 other members on a committee whose honorary chair is first lady Jill Biden. Advertisement The Committee is charged with establishing policies relating to the museum function of the White House, its staterooms, and collections, the White House said in a statement. It also works to make recommendations on acquisitions for the permanent collection of the White House and provides advice on changes to principal rooms on the ground floor, state floor, and the historic guest suites on the residence floor of the White House Executive Residence. First Lady M.K. Pritzker greets lawmakers before Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivered his annual budget address to a joint session of the General Assembly on Feb. 15, 2023 at the Illinois State Capitol. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Gov. Pritzker posted his support on Twitter. Advertisement No one better I can think of to be appointed to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House than my wife, MK! he wrote. The White House said one of the reasons for her appointment was her work restoring the once crumbling Illinois Governors Mansion in Springfield. The restoration process has been documented in a forthcoming book written by M.K. Pritzker that not only celebrates the updating of the Italianate Greek Revival Illinois Governors Mansion in Springfield but also tells the story of the houses evolution since 1855, according to a White House news release. Gov. Pritzker, billionaire heir to the Hyatt fortune, is widely seen as having designs on becoming a resident of the White House as president, speculation fueled by his trips last year to the key election year states of New Hampshire and Florida. But Pritzker has publicly ruled out running in 2024 as long as Biden intends to seek another term. M.K. Pritzker tends to stay out of the limelight, but her husband has long heaped praise on her work on the Springfield mansion. My wife really has fallen in love with the house there, and with the history of the Hayes House, and shes working hard to restore not just the home but also the history so people can see it and experience it, Pritzker said in 2019. The Pritzkers have spent six figures of their own money on the renovation. Other members of the White House committee include Ellen Susman. who was a member of President Obamas Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center, and Leslie Greene Bowman, President Emerita of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello. Gov. Pritzkers office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement hsanders@chicagotribune.com House Speaker Tim Moore stood among the rubble of a bombed-out apartment building in Kiev, Ukraine. He helped humanitarian workers unload boxes from a truck as they worked to provide food and shelter to those whod lost their homes. He met with missionaries risking their lives to spread the gospel in a country ravaged by conflict. And he talked with members of parliament to learn their views of a war that tore their country apart. Its not your usual vacation but I felt it important to see firsthand, Moore posted on his personal Facebook page Saturday morning. Moore first told McClatchy he was in Kiev on Wednesday, when he couldnt take a phone call for another story due to lack of cell phone reception. But he asked for privacy until he knew he was back in a safe area of Europe. He reached that point Saturday morning. Then he told friends and family, who hadnt heard what he had been up to, via social media. Have been fortunate enough to spend 3 days this week in Ukraine to observe firsthand what is happening there, Moore wrote. Traveled here over our Easter recess (on my own dime) and accepted an invitation from Save Our Allies which is affiliated with the Independence Fund to see their efforts to coordinate delivery of humanitarian relief in this war town nation. Save Our Allies began as a way to help veterans and members of the military in Afghanistan and has rapidly grown. The Independence Fund, based in Charlotte, helps veterans who were seriously wounded while serving the United States and supports Save Our Allies. Moore also met with workers from Samaritans Purse, a Christian organization based in Boone, helping to provide shelter and other resources to Ukrainians displaced by the war. I was proud to see two North Carolina based NGOs helping these people during a time of need, Moore said. Moore also shared, both on his social media pages and with McClatchy, photos from his trip, which included the vast destruction across Kiev. Bombed out buildings, shot up cars, and other vehicles piled up and destroyed by fire are a common theme in those pictures. Despite all of that the Ukrainian people were resilient and I met with people who would leave their everyday jobs to go fight on the front then return home a few days to work their normal job and do that over and over, Moore said. Not sure what else to say other than I genuinely pray for peace for their nation and hope this conflict ends soon and does not spread into a larger war. Bonnie Simmons stood on the front porch of her family home, fearful about what soon could be coming to Harlem the historically Black Myrtle Beach neighborhood where shes lived before a city grew in around it. I know people need places to live and stuff like that but weve been here in this community for so long and dont know whos coming or whats going to happen when they get here, Simmons, 75, said. Everybodys used to everybody already in the community. A city council vote is all that stands between the concerns of residents like Simmons and an ambitious proposal by private investors to build a walled-in campus between Mr. Joe White Avenue and Robert Grissom Parkway that would house international workers year-round. Last spring, business leaders told The Sun News they hoped to retain Wisconsin-based Holtz Builders to construct a for-profit complex on 7.6 acres at the corner of the two busy intersections. The property is a short distance from Ocean Boulevard and the boardwalk, where many international workers find employment. More than 3,000 J-1 students get jobs in Horry County every year, according to U.S. Department of State data. The complex, which could open by 2025, would initially offer 380 beds, with plans to expand up to 3,000. No public dollars are involved in the project, but opponents believe its an ill-conceived idea in the wrong part of Myrtle Beach. The main thing about it is, they want to develop their property to the hundredth degree, and the properties around it will suffer the consequences, said Sylvester McCory. Right now, his Nance Street home looks onto a tree-covered field. If the residence hall is built, that view will be replaced by a six-foot high masonry wall. An April 4 planning commission meeting where the project was first discussed drew a standing-room-only crowd. Some people traveled from as far away as Baltimore to ensure they were counted among the opposition. If theyre coming to work, who theyre working for should be providing the living, not a whole place that could be used for something else for people that live here year-round, Canal Street resident Chris Brown said April 13 from the backyard of his cousin Ross Browns home. Story continues Robert Guyton, a local attorney representing the company, told the planning commission that investors were careful when looking for a site. We chose this site intentionally. You have a lot of unsavory characters that congregate in that area that are doing a lot of things that arent compatible with that community, he said. The facility would operate like a college dormitory with supervision and a secure campus, and rents would come out of workers paychecks. Area improvements would include privately funded stormwater improvements to alleviate existing drainage problems throughout the Harlem neighborhood, a 10-foot wide bicycle path and Coast RTA bus shelter accessible and open to the public. Plans also call for turning improvements off Mr. Joe White Avenue, according to blueprints. All that work would come on top of the more than $1.2 million worth of infrastructure repairs covered through federal Community Development Block Grant aid that city leaders have funneled into Harlem and its surrounding areas since 2019. Just behind Simmons house at the end of Jackson Lane is Bathsheba Bowens Park and a tiny playground with crumpled plastic slides and swing sets. Children weave between homes and through Harlems quiet streets. Although the Mary C. Canty Recreation Center sits at the top of Canal Street, people like Ross Brown say more attention is needed to ensure the park equipment is safe. Mostly everybody from here on down the road is family. Or mostly like family, he said as he washed his car. We got people struggling paying $1,200, 1,600 rent, wish they could build something cheaper, based on your income. We dont need that in the neighborhood. Helestine Graham, whose family has lived in the Harlem area for decades, hopes those opponents bring their concerns to the city council. We need to start here advocating for our community, she said. We had the pandemic, were coming out of the pandemic, were trying to do stuff, and then we get this. Hyundai is trying to help owners of its cars who have become targets for thieves. The Korean carmaker is partnering with AAA to issue new and renewal policies for eligible customers. Hyundai is also expediting the rollout of a free anti-theft software program. ALSO READ: Warrant: Teen could be connected to several Kia, Hyundai thefts across Charlotte AAA is about taking care of people, said Marshall Doney, CEO and President for AAA, Inc. Collaborating with Hyundai on this issue to help provide customers with a viable solution felt like a natural fit for us. For the last few months, Channel 9 has reported on a Tik-Tok challenge that shows thieves how to steal a Kia or Hyundai without a key. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department hosted a free steering wheel locking giveaway to cut down on the thefts. For more information on what anti-theft kits will be available, click here. (WATCH BELOW: Its unfair for me: Driver says thieves stole her Kia, wants TikTok held accountable) An Illinois couple and their two children have been missing for over two months, police said, revealing that the husband had been previously ordered to stay away from the family home over a domestic violence incident. Stephen Lutz, 44, Monica Lutz, 34, and their children Nicholas, 9, and Aiden, 11, were reported missing by a relative on Feb. 10. A U-Haul attached to a vehicle was seen leaving the family's home in Newton in the middle of the night, according to a flyer by the Missing Persons Awareness Network. Stephen, Monica, Aiden, and Nicholas Lutz. (City of Newton Police Department) The family's phones last pinged in Richmond, Indiana, according to the flyer which was shared on Facebook by the Newton Police Department. The phones have since been disconnected, authorities said. Police attempted to locate the family on Feb. 14, according to a news release. The police department said at this time there is no evidence to suggest that the family is in immediate danger but they "are taking the necessary precautions due to the length of time the parties have been missing." The Missing Persons Awareness Network said in its flyer that the family is believed to be in "grave danger." The police department could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday. In January, Stephen Lutz appeared in court via Zoom for domestic battery charges, according to police. He was released on bond under the condition he does not contact or enter into the victims or his family home, the news release states. The case is still pending. Authorities said there have been previous reports of domestic violence in the home. A warrant has been issued for Stephen Lutz's arrest. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A Chicago-area couple has been charged with killing a man found partially naked on the side of a road. Alberto Luces 45, and Yessenia Bradford, 50, both of Bradford, have each been charged with the first-degree murder of 31-year-old Guinac Chaj in July 2021, according to a statement from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. ILLINOIS GOV. PRITZKER RECEIVES BILL THAT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR RESIDENTS TO CHANGE THEIR NAMES Chaj was found dead around 2:30 a.m. on July 11, 2021, after motorists reported someone on the side of a road. He was naked from the waist down and not breathing. Alberto Luces, 45, and Yessenia Bradford, 50, allegedly killed a man found partially naked on the side of a road. Authorities later learned that Luces and Bradford had dined with Chaj on July 10 at a restaurant. They then allegedly lured him to their van where he was beaten and strangled. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Chaj's body was dumped in the area of Central Avenue and 177th Street in unincorporated Bremen Township, and the couple returned home, authorities said. Both were arrested Thursday. Consequences of a Russian missile attack on a house in Slovyansk on April 14, where at least nine people died Kyiv Security Forum experts look at the major developments in the war over the past week. Psychological confrontation has escalated Over the past week, psychological warfare has intensified on several levels. Controversial publications around the world have taken the global discussion about the prospects for Ukraine's counteroffensive up a notch. Ukrainian and American officials are being forced to comment more often on the adequacy of Western aid, the pace of preparation of Ukrainian reserves, and other relevant matters. Cautiously pessimistic assessments have also emerged, though not always factual. Read also: One year ago today, Ukraine sunk the Russian flagship Moskva This situation is certainly distractive for Ukraines military and political leadership as it draws them into a reactive stance. On the other hand, the massive discussion of the purely military aspects of the situation has outweighed though not displaced the discussion of "immediate peace" proposals advocated by China and France. Read also: Wagners Prigozhin proposes Russia ends war in Ukraine Russian propagandists released footage of the brutal killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war. One of the most important consequences of this action will be the demotivation of Russian soldiers who are ready to surrender. By releasing the video, the enemy could hope to provoke the maltreatment of captured Russian soldiers or kickstart another wave of fakes about "Ukrainian atrocities against prisoners." This week, the Russian regime introduced "electronic summonses" a harsh measure taken by the Kremlin against Russian citizens who evade mobilization. In this case, it is effectively used as a psychological operation (psyop). On the one hand, the Kremlin is forced to expand the scale of mobilization, proving to the population its own failure in the war and the reality of defeat. On the other hand, it dispels any illusions about Putin's willingness to negotiate, which should serve as a reminder to those international actors that deliberately or blindly continue to insist on a dialogue with the Kremlin. Story continues Read also: Russia transferring Soviet weapons to western Crimea Russia intensifies airstrikes in frontline areas The main military trend of the past week has been the intensification of Russian airstrikes on the frontline and border areas of Ukraine. Enemy fighters launch missiles and precision-guided bombs from several to several dozens of kilometers away. The Ukrainian Armed Forces Command reports at least 15 such strikes daily. On April 10, 39 enemy airstrikes were recorded. Such attacks most often occurred in the border areas of Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts, as well as in certain areas of the frontline in Donbas. Russian fighter jets also carried out large-scale strikes on liberated areas in Kherson Oblast. Read also: Hungary backs away from Russia-backed bank following U.S. sanctions The Ukrainian Air Force continues to conduct daily airstrikes on enemy positions on the frontline, but with less intensity. Based on the operational reports of the General Staff, Ukraine averages half as many strikes as Russia. This is a continuation of the threatening trend noted in KSFs previous military review. As Ukraines Air Force commander noted last week, "the Air Force does not have enough forces and means to effectively protect the airspace, troops on the front line, and civilians in the frontline zone." The factors behind the growing aerial threat may include both the enemy's active use of new weapons (glider bombs) and the Russian command's decision to take on more risk with their fighters and pilots. There was no new reliable information on the merits of these factors this week. Read also: Russias sunken Moskva flagship to become diving destination following Ukraines win, says defense minister Low-intensity guerrilla warfare continues across Russia Like last week, low-intensity guerrilla warfare continued in different regions of Russia. Isolated clashes continue in Ingushetia. There have been multiple reports of deliberate damage to railway infrastructure (sometimes with significant disruption of train traffic) and military commissariats. This guerrilla movement has not yet affected the enemy's military capabilities, but it does destabilize the military and political situation in Russia. This week, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev (the second in command of Putin's regime) was forced to publicly admit that "the activities of conspired terrorist and radical organizations are intensifying in the North Caucasus" and that "attempts to introduce Sharia law are continuing." 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 Councilor Joseph E. Daou speaks during a meeting of the Southbridge Town Council, seen on Southbridge Community Television Jan. 9. SOUTHBRIDGE An independent investigation surrounding a Nov. 30 incident where At-Large Town Councilor Joseph E. Daou was accused of berating and making threatening comments toward a town employee at Town Hall concluded that Daou violated the town charter and town visitor's code of conduct. A 41-page report by Regina Ryan of Discrimination and Harassment Solutions, LLC dated Feb. 17 concluded that Daou violated the town charter during the Nov. 30 incident as well as during a previous phone call with the employee on Nov. 28. Furthermore, Ryan wrote that Daou's conduct "has placed Southbridge employees in fear of their safety and caused ongoing disruption at Town Hall." The Telegram & Gazette received a redacted version of the report Wednesday through a records request to the town of Southbridge. Town Council Vice-Chair David Adams, who oversaw the matter after Chair John L. Daniel recused himself, said in an email Thursday neither the town charter nor rules and regulations not grant Town Council the legal or punitive authority to take action against an individual councilor. Adams also said there would be some changes coming as a result of the report for the Town Council, but did not elaborate further. In December, the Telegram & Gazette reported that Southbridge police were called to Town Hall early in the afternoon Nov. 30 on reports of an unwanted party making threats against another person's life. In his report, the responding officer wrote that the dispute revolved around Daou and Gayle Raducha, secretary for then-Town Manager Michael McCall. Raducha told the responding officer that Daou entered the town manager's office in order to support his brother, George Daou, in his efforts to get his liquor license renewed for the former Cruz's Lounge location on Pleasant Street. According to the report narrative, Daou demanded that Raducha explain the delay with the renewal of the license, and Raducha explained that it was being held up for a variety of reasons. Story continues Following the explanation, Daou is reported to have lost his temper and begun screaming at Raducha in the office's reception area. He is reported to have demanded to talk to McCall immediately. The process to renew a liquor license for corporations includes receiving a certificate of good standing from both the secretary of state's office and the Department of Revenue. The instructions for the process list that the documents must be dated between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. According to police George Daou's application was deemed unorganized by Raducha, and Joseph Daou presented Raducha with an email correspondence with the state over the certificate of good standing, dated Nov. 28. Raducha told police that the state does not move quickly on issuing letters of good standing, and applicants are advised to not wait until the last minute. The earlier Nov. 28 dispute revolved around Daou reportedly called the Town Manager's office on behalf of Abdul Latif, an applicant for a common victualer's license to open a restaurant at 52 Central St. Accused of screaming over phone Daou was reportedly placed on hold so that Raducha could address other tasks and is accused of screaming at Raducha after he was removed from hold. Daou spoke as a citizen during a Town Council meeting Dec. 5. He said he had been treated with disrespect at the Town Manager's office. McCall sent Daou a letter Dec. 13 telling him to stay out of the Town Manager's office and to correspond directly with McCall. During a Jan. 9 meeting, Town Council unanimously voted to have a third party conduct an investigation into the incident. While the final vote was unanimous, an amendment to remove Daou's title as councilor at-large was approved in a 4-3 vote and some councilors voiced concerns that it may be inappropriate to get involved in the matter. On March 27, an executive session was held to discuss the findings of the report. The version of the report the T&G received redacts the names and professions of most witnesses except for Daou, McCall and police Chief Shane Woodson. In a December interview with the T&G, Raducha said she feared for her safety at Town Hall, keeping the doors locked in her office, and the Discrimination and Harassment Solutions report, which was sent with her name redacted, describes her lingering trauma. Raducha said she was worried about cars driving past her house and once believed a friend of Daou's was following her in his truck. Daou did not return a request for comment. Daou denied driving past Raducha's house in the report, and said he does not know where she lived. Called Raducha 'a liar' In his interview, Daou, along with other witnesses, said he did say Raducha was "a liar" for saying he was forcing her to accept his brother's application. However, recollections varied on what else was said. Some witnesses were not sure if he directly referenced his position as a town councilor to Raducha, something Raducha contends he did. Several said he used dismissive language toward Raducha and other staff who tried to intervene and felt like he was giving them orders. McCall describes attempting to calm Daou and get him to step outside into the foyer to explain the situation, but Daou had refused. McCall said Daou alluded to his role as a town councilor, to which McCall said he tried to explain that it was difficult when Daou was advocating for his brother and suddenly "want(s) to putthe councilors hat on. Several interviews describe Daou as having a habit of raising his voice when he comes to Town Hall and has an issue he wants addressed. Daou said he wears two hearing aids, which impacts the level of his voice. McCall said he tried to broker a meeting between Daou and Raducha, but Daou expected an apology and the meeting did not happen. Several of the witnesses said Raducha was acting professionally during the incident. One did say they believed the situation could have been better handled if Raducha handed him the papers, but believed she was doing what she had been told to do. In his interview, Daou said the initial friction with town staff stemmed from him proving staff wrong about necessary floor plans and fees for renewing his two liquor licenses mid-November. He said he believes his role as town councilor allows him to ask employees questions they must answer, but not to give them orders. He denies yelling at Raducha during the Nov. 28 call. On Nov. 30, Daou recalls Raducha approaching the counter in a rude manner and pushing the papers he had back, repeatedly saying she was going to accept the application and raising her voice. He denies threatening anyone or said he does not think he made commands for other employees to not get involved. Refusal to apologize Daou also denied wanting an apology from Raducha when McCall approached him about a meeting between the two, but he said he would not apologize because he did nothing wrong. He acknowledged he should not have yelled. According to Daou's interview, he believed the other witnesses reported a different version of events because they are friends and coworkers who do not like when he tells them they are wrong. Daou, who is Lebanese, said he does not believe he was treated differently because of his ethnicity or immigrant status. Rather, he said he was treated differently because he was honest and called Raducha a liar. However, Daou said he heard Liquor Board members say in a meeting that he "uses (his) immigration card," that women are treated badly in his culture and insinuated that he bribes police officers. Daou's companion on Nov. 30, likely his brother, is noted as the sole witness who backed Daou's version of events. In her conclusion, Ryan found Daou's version of events to not be supported by evidence and said he had credibility issues, as he did not provide definitive answers to many of the assertions made by other witnesses. Ryan said Daou violated the visitor's code of conduct by failing to act with common courtesy and respect toward town employees. Ryan also said Daou violated the town charter by insisting Raducha issue Latif a common victualer's license on Nov. 28 and his behavior on Nov. 30 had gone past asking questions, seeking information, or conducting conversations with municipal employees, which he is allowed to do in the charter. Ryan wrote she found Daou to be giving orders for employees to accept an incomplete application in an aggressive manner. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Report: Southbridge councilor Joseph Daou violated town charter Police in Iran said on Saturday they have implemented a plan to deal with women who violate the country's strict Islamic dress code. The number of women defying the dress code that headscarves must be worn in public has increased since a protest movement triggered by the death in custody last year of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini, 22, for allegedly flouting it. A statement on the police website on Saturday said action would be taken "from today" over violations in public places, in cars and other "sites where hijab is sometimes removed". "In this context, technology will be used for the smart identification of people who break the law," it said. "Removing hijab is considered a crime, and the police deal with social anomalies within the framework of the law," the statement quoted Security Police chief Hassan Mofakhami as saying. "People who break the law are responsible for their actions and should be held accountable for their behaviour," he added. A wave of civil protest swept the Islamic republic after Amini's death last September 16, three days after her arrest by the morality police. Thousands of people were arrested, hundreds killed -- including members of the security forces -- and four people executed because of the civil unrest following Amini's death, with Iran labelling the protests as foreign-instigated "riots". Mofakhami also warned that businesses whose employees removed their headscarves in the workplace faced closure. He said in such cases a warning would be issued, but "if the warning is repeated, the closure of the business will be on the agenda". Last week, police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said those who remove their headscarves would be identified using "smart equipment". "People who remove their hijab in public places will be warned first and presented to the courts as a next step," he said. Car owners would also receive a warning text if any passengers violated the dress code, and their vehicles would be seized if the offence was repeated. Story continues 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. pdm/srm Visitors to Jerusalem this Easter season may have noticed some new additions in the Old City: security cameras on the Church of Flagellation, an iron gate at the Franciscans, protective barbed wire on the Armenian Monasterys roof. This is not part of the Franciscan spirituality of welcoming, noted Brother Francesco Patton, Vatican custodian, or Custos, of the Holy Land. But Christian churches and worshippers in Jerusalem say they are facing an unprecedented rise in attacks that are upsetting a delicate balance of harmony in a city, revered by the three Abrahamic faiths, that is home to dozens of diverse communities and denominations. It comes as Israel faces a domestic political crisis and a general rise in Israeli-Palestinian violence, with rhetoric by far-right government ministers fanning the flames of extremist violence. Some fear the attacks belong to a wider campaign by Israeli extremists and settler groups to make East Jerusalem unwelcoming to Palestinian Christians and Armenians, furthering a long-term goal of claiming sacred lands. Rallying around Jerusalems Christians are Israeli Jews and nongovernmental organizations determined to protect the citys diverse makeup and freedom of worship. Yet Christians say this support is no match for a growing culture of impunity among extremists encouraged by alleged government inaction and a lack of prosecutions. If there is no justice, there is no safety. If there is no safety, there is no freedom of worship, says George, a Christian resident of the Old City. If there is no freedom of worship, what is our future as a community? Vandalism and harassment February and March saw what Church leaders describe as an unprecedented 10-day spate of vandalism at the Tomb of the Virgin Mary and the Church of the Flagellation, the Protestant Cemetery, and the Armenian Monastery. The Israeli police, working closely with religious leaders, have made some initial arrests in connection with these incidents. Story continues While the vandalism grabbed headlines, community and church leaders say there has been a parallel uptick in unpublicized acts of harassment and physical attacks deepening a sense of unease. We have had unfortunate incidents and tensions in the Old City in the past, says one shopkeeper near the Armenian Quarter, but we have never had constant harassment interrupting our daily life like this. The aggression against Christian holy places and symbols is not news, but the frequency and violence is something quite new, said Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Vaticans top representative in the city. He was speaking to reporters in one of several interviews with church leaders in the context of the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalems Protecting Holy Land Christians campaign. Church leaders have issued increasingly stern statements and letters to Israels government, which their authors say are ignored. At this moment, we believe that our statements are useless, said Brother Patton, the Custos. We issue a statement, after one week there is another episode. We issue another statement, then a third episode. Then a third statement, he said. At the end we look at each other as heads of the churches and ask what is it necessary for us to do? Our statements are blowing in the wind. Israeli officials say the government includes multiple authorities working to ensure the safety of Christians and others in Jerusalem. The police are reacting very quickly because there are more cameras in the Old City. Whenever they can, they arrest suspects, sometimes on the spot, says Tania Berg-Rafaeli, director of the World Religions Department at the Foreign Ministry. Recent arrests, she says, have led to some indictments, which is something we didnt have before. The suspects committing acts against the Christians dont represent anyone they are marginal, she adds. Yet church leaders and their Israeli supporters challenge that, detecting clear ideological organization behind some of the attacks. Many of the vandals are believed to come from West Bank settlements and to be ignorant of, or hostile to, interfaith coexistence in the Old City. Church leaders say they work with Jerusalem rabbis to stem the violence, but the Jewish religious leaders are stymied by the fact that in nearly every instance, the far-right agitators are not even from Jerusalem. Church heads say many of these trouble-makers are inspired by or take orders from far right groups with a clear goal: to incite strife and mark the Old City as their own. Whats more, says Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilis III, suspects often go through the main door and go out the back door of the Israeli justice system, and few are indicted. Perpetrators are often classified as suffering mental illness, says the Custos, thus avoiding prison. The accountability of settlers is something that hardly seems to be happening, says Shai Gorem of Ir Amim, or City of Nations, an Israeli legal advocacy nonprofit that works to make Jerusalem a more equitable and sustainable city for the Israelis and Palestinians who share it, as their website puts it. Yellow-vested Jewish Israeli volunteers from the Jerusalem Intercultural Centers Window to Mount Zion initiative monitor Christian ceremonies in a bid to prevent far-right attacks. But many incidents are now occurring at night, when priests and worshippers are heading to Mass or residents are walking home, when there are no foreign pilgrims, and when policing is light. People spitting on us or cursing us and calling us idol-worshippers during the day, those are ignorant young people who dont know better, says one Armenian community leader, but these organized gangs who come at night are violent, and they are out to cause serious trouble. In one recent late-night incident, a gang of youths brawled with patrons at an Armenian cafe. In another, a priest was shoved and threatened with death. In yet another, a gang attempted to scale the Armenian Patriarchate to tear down the churchs flag and replace it with Israels. When Armenian youths attempted to chase the gang down the street toward an Israeli checkpoint, they say the agitators shouted terrorists, prompting the police to point their guns at the Armenians instead. Right now, we are completely vulnerable, says an Armenian youth who witnessed one of the attacks and asked to withhold his name due to security concerns. If we do anything to defend ourselves, all it takes is one word from the settlers to turn the police on us. Where do we turn? The Armenian Monastery is the one place where I felt safe, no matter what was going on outside, says one young Armenian woman. Now I am afraid for my physical safety, even within its walls. Israeli government absent Christian church leaders and community members accuse the government of inaction in the face of the violence that they say dates back a year. Ms. Berg-Rafaeli, of the Foreign Ministry, expressed surprise at the allegations. We react whenever we can, she said. Whatever they need, whenever they need it, they can ... talk to us directly. But church leaders say this is not enough, and that the government is abdicating its duty to keep the peace. Church leaders say they have been frustrated by strained ties with six-time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom they have a long working history and who in 2018 declared Israel as the one place in the Middle East where Christians are safe. Yet they all see Mr. Netanyahu as being at the mercy of the increasingly autonomous far-right members of his coalition, whose rhetoric refers to Christians as guests. The prime minister is in a very difficult situation. He is not the man that we knew, said Theophilis III. Before he was the man who was the master who can control everything, but today it is the other way around. With far-right ministers and members of the coalition providing rhetorical support, Patriarch Pizzaballa says, some extremists may feel freer to express their vision and to mark the territory. One Armenian community leader who served as a liaison between the community and Israeli police for 40 years describes a complete breakdown in ties and communication between the community and the government. We need to rebuild a good relationship with the Israeli government, he said. Right now, there is no relationship. Church and community leaders say they rely instead on the Israeli police and army, viewed as apolitical institutions that listen to their needs and prioritize communal peace and free access to places of worship. This cooperation was on display on Palm Sunday, when police officers joked and shook hands with church leaders and worshippers as they guided thousands from the Mount of Olives down to the Old Citys Church of Saint Anne. Some 60,000 pilgrims came to Jerusalem during Holy Week without incident. Yet prized real estate remains a flashpoint. The Greek Orthodox Church owns 30% of the land within the walled Old City; it is the largest landlord, renting homes, shops, hotels, and restaurants to Palestinian residents. Jerusalems churches own large swathes of the Mount of Olives revered by both Christians and Jews. That ownership may come under threat, says Ir Amims Mr. Gorem, as messianic Jewish settler groups launch pressure campaigns, buy up land, and seek to expand national parks. The Jerusalem Municipality has plans to expand the Western Wall Biblical Park to cover all the Mount of Olives. This is a small group of settlers turning the relations of Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Jerusalem into a living hell, says Mr. Gorem. Jerusalem has always had a delicate balance. Related stories Read this story at csmonitor.com Become a part of the Monitor community Russia has started Pacific Fleet's combat readiness checks to demonstrate its naval power and please Beijing ahead of Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu's visit to Moscow from 16 to 18 April, say analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Source: ISW Details: The Russian Defence Ministry announced on 14 April that the Russian military raised the Pacific Fleet of the Eastern Military District (EMD) to the highest level of combat readiness for combat readiness checks. Army General Valery Gerasimov, Russian Chief of the General Staff, also stated that elements of the Pacific Fleet will conduct combat exercises. "The Russian Pacific Fleets combat readiness checks are likely meant to signal to China that Russia supports Chinese security objectives in the Pacific and that Russia remains an equal military partner that can operate as a Pacific power despite the degradation of Russian military power in Ukraine," ISW said. ISW noted that the Kremlin also likely intends to use the Pacific Fleet's combat readiness checks to attempt to deter further Japanese support for Ukraine ahead of the G7 meeting from 19 to 21 May. "Shoigu stated that Russian forces declared that combat readiness checks are intended to work out methods to prevent enemy forces from deploying in the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk and to repel a landing on the southern Kuril and Sakhalin islands. Both signals to Japan which claims part of the archipelago that the Soviet Union seized at the end of World War II," ISW emphasised. In addition, Russia's Eastern Military District recently deployed a battery of Bastion coastal defence missile systems to Paramushir Island in the northern portion of the Russian-occupied Japanese Kuril Islands, which ISW assessed was likely a warning to Japan about further supporting Ukraine. "Russia likely intends to use military posturing in the north Pacific to raise fears about military escalation with Japan in an increased effort to prevent Japan from further supporting Ukraine when it hosts the G7 meeting in Hiroshima," ISW added. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! What bicyclists call "The Green Mile" along River Street in downtown Aurora is actually about a half-mile of bike path that connects the trails along the Fox River through downtown Aurora. The city has approved a contract with a consultant to update Aurora's bicycle and pedestrian plan. (Steve Lord/The Beacon-News ) The Aurora City Council has approved spending almost $50,000 for an update to the citys bicycle and pedestrian plan. The $49,900 contract will go to Chicago-based A. Epstein and Sons International Inc., and will update the plan that was first adopted back in 2009. Advertisement There have been a lot of changes in the citys biking and walking paths since then, and the plan needs an update to current industry standards, as well as identifying facilities needed in the future, officials said. The plan will look at gaps, and how to go after federal funding to close those gaps, said Ken Schroth, the citys Public Works director. Advertisement The City Council unanimously approved the contract on April 11. Aurora is currently recognized as a bicycle-friendly community at the bronze level by the League of American Bicyclists. City officials are hoping to get that recognition to the silver or gold level. Epstein and Sons is one of the experts in the pedestrian and bicycle related industry and the company is currently working with Kane County in updating the countys bicycle and pedestrian plan, city officials have said. The countys plan aligns with the citys, officials said. According to the agreement between Epstein and Sons and the city, the company also must get input from the community, and report back to the community on the progress of the plan. That includes at least three presentation-style meetings by Epstein to the citys Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board, including a draft of the report and the final plan. The company will do five, one-hour meetings with different stakeholders in the community, and two public open-house style meetings or public tabling events, one at the beginning of the project to collect initial feedback and one upon release of a public review draft of the plan. The company will do an online survey to collect feedback from interested members of the community about goals and objectives for the plan, according to the agreement. The city will also host and maintain a project website. Advertisement slord@tribpub.com Ja Rule has distanced himself from a follow-up to Fyre Festival, after Billy McFarland, the creator behind the disastrous event, teased its possible return. In 2017, McFarland was at the centre of a scandal in which ticket holders were lured to a luxury music festival held on Pablo Escobars former private island in the Bahamas, with Migos and Blink-182 booked to perform. The event, which Rule co-founded, was a catastrophe. Deluxe housing actually turned out to be disaster-relief tents, and attendees were served soggy cheese sandwiches. Many of the musical acts didnt turn up, and ticketholders were left stranded on the island. In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, was sentenced to six years in prison but was released early in March 2022 and ordered to pay back 23m to festival investors. The entire scandal around the festival was the subject of two documentaries, including one by Netflix. On 10 April, McFarland tweeted: Fyre Festival II is finally happening. Tell me why you should be invited. Reacting to McFarlands claims that its coming back, Rule told People: I dont know nothing about it! I dont know nothing about it. I aint in it! In response to those comments, McFarland tweeted: Lol. Definitely not invited. lol. definitely not invited https://t.co/0wtQXmbi9t Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) April 14, 2023 Shortly after the documentaries about Fyre came out, Rule responded on Twitter in January 2019, writing: I had an amazing vision to create a festival like NO OTHER!!! I would NEVER SCAM or FRAUD anyone what sense does that make??? I too was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead [sic] astray!!! he added in another tweet. Documents leaked by Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old intelligence operative with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, revealed that American intelligence agencies were aware of at least four additional occasions where Chinese spy balloons monitored U.S. activities. One such incident involved a Chinese spy balloon observing a carrier strike group in the Pacific Ocean and another reportedly crashed in the South China Sea, according to the Washington Post. The balloons, which carry sophisticated sensors and antenna technology, were detailed in a report created by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on February 15. Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a federal official told the Post that the government naming convention for such balloons is alphabetical, from A to Z. It appears that the balloons are named after notorious criminals, including Tony Accardo, James Whitey Bulger, and Donald Killeen, journalists Evan Hill, Cate Cadell, Ellen Nakashima, and Christian Shepherd wroe. The news comes as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reportedly refuses to allow Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit Beijing amid concerns that the FBI might publicize an investigation into the balloon affair. The CCP is firmly opposed to the US continuously making use of the [balloon] incident for political purposes and hyping up the China threat, the Chinese embassy in Washington told the Financial Times which first broke the story on Friday. China cannot but seriously question the independence, openness and transparency of the so-called investigation, spokesman Liu Pengyu added. Beijing is distrustful of US intent and worries the US will use the information gleaned from the balloon investigation in ways harmful to Chinese interests, Bonnie Glaser, a China expert told Times. In many ways, we are more eager for this visit than they are, Dennis Wilder, a former George W. Bush advisor told the Times. They dont have the incentive to make this visit happen quickly. In that sense, for the Chinese, the downsides of waiting are not great. Story continues For his part, Secretary Blinken has remained open to visiting the Peoples Republic. When it comes to my own visit to China, when the conditions are right Ill certainly look forward to pursuing that, Blinken told the Times. Keeping open channels of communication between the two superpowers speaking to each other clearly is essential. More from National Review In this image from the US Capitol Police video, released and annotated by the Department of Justice in the sentencing memorandum, Patrick McCaughey III appears on police body-worn camera footage at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Justice Department via AP A man who pinned a DC Police officer to a Capitol door on January 6 was sentenced to over 7 years in prison. Patrick McCaughey III, a 25-year-old Connecticut man, was convicted of seven felonies and two misdemeanors. "Your actions are some of the most egregious crimes that were committed on that dark day," said the judge. A man who used a stolen riot shield to pin a DC Metropolitan Police officer to a metal doorway during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his role in one of the most violent actions seen at the seat of the United States Congress that day. US District Judge Trevor N. McFadden on Friday sentenced Patrick McCaughey III to 90 months or seven years and six months in prison for nine offenses, according to the Department of Justice. "Your actions are some of the most egregious crimes that were committed on that dark day," the judge told McCaughey. "I'm sorry that I conducted myself less like a citizen and more like an animal that day," he said in response, calling his actions "monumentally stupid." Federal prosecutors had sought a sentence of 15 years and eight months, which would have been the longest sentence given to any Capitol riot defendant. McCaughey, a 25-year-old resident of Ridgefield, Connecticut, was convicted of seven felony charges, including three counts of aiding or abetting or assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers; one count of interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder; and one count of engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, among others, per the department's release. He was also convicted of two misdemeanors: disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building and committing an act of violence in the Capitol Building or grounds. After his release, he'll have 36 months of supervised release and will have to pay back $2,000, according to the DOJ. The 90-month sentence, the second-longest sentence of any individual involved in the Capitol riot, is the same length as the decision handed down to Albuquerque Cosper Head, a Kingsport, Tenn., man who assaulted Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone and dragged him into a crowd of rioters outside the building. Story continues McCaughey had been found guilty by the judge during a bench, or non-jury trial, in September 2022. The judge during sentencing described McCaughey as a "poster child of all that was dangerous and appalling" about the January 6 riot, when supporters of then-President Donald Trump swarmed the Capitol in an attempt to halt the certification of now-President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory. Pro-Trump supporters clash with police and security forces at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images Trump at the time railed against the results, alleging electoral fraud despite no verifiable evidence of mass fraud in the hard-fought contest; now as a former president and declared 2024 Republican presidential candidate, he continues to dispute the results and made disputing the veracity of the 2020 race a sort of litmus test among many top candidates who sought his endorsement in the midterms. While many of the thousands of pro-Trump supporters marched to the Capitol and then proceeded to leave the area, others including McCaughey would attempt to force themselves into the building in the violent breach. The chilling image of Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges remains etched in the minds of many Americans, as he sought to hold back the mob at the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol complex as he was experiencing pain from being pinned down with the shield for over two minutes. Another rioter took off the mask that Hodges was wearing before stealing his baton and hitting him with the object. Hodges, who testified at the trial and addressed the judge before McCaughey's sentencing, said that he thought about the attack every day. "I do not foresee that changing anytime soon," he told the judge, calling McCaughey a "foot solider" in the push to overturn the election. The efforts by Hodges and other DC Metropolitan as well as Capitol Police officers to contain the mob on January 6 were highlighted by the prosecution. "It is not an exaggeration to state the actions of these officers in thwarting the mob at the Lower West Terrace entrance potentially saved the lives of others, including members of Congress," Assistant US Attorney Kimberly Paschall said in a court filing. Read the original article on Business Insider Jane Seymour has opened up about dealing with a number of infidelities during her marriages. The Golden Globe-winning English actor, who rose to fame as Bond girl Solitaire in the 007 film Live and Let Die, has been married and divorced four times: to theatre director Michael Attenborough, his friend Geoffrey Planer, manager David Flynn, and actor and director James Keach. In a new interview, Seymour, 72, discussed the breakdown of each marriage and how she feels about relationships today. If I have been replaced, I am very happy to move along, she told The Times, when asked if infidelity was her ultimate red line. Despite fighting for her marriages on every occasion, Seymour added: Im not very good at betrayal. I dont do well with it. Seymour married her fourth husband, Keach, in 1993, a year after her third divorce. They had two children together, twins John and Kristopher, with the help of IVF, but separated in 2015 after she allegedly caught him having an affair with someone she knew. But why would anyone want to leave Jane Seymour? The Times journalist questioned. I think I was just too busy working and, because they werent with me, they probably felt somebody else might be more interesting. I imagine, she responded. Seymour said she is still on good terms with Keach. Of his partner, she remarked: Not my favourite person, no. Jane Seymour and Roger Moore in the 1973 film Live and Let Die' (Danjaq/Eon/Ua/Kobal/Shutterstock) She has been in a relationship with producer David Green for the past nine years, having met him when their mutual friend, writer Sally Emerson, brought him over for breakfast at her home in Malibu, California. However, Seymour revealed that, although Green had proposed, she had no intention of marrying again. I just said I would never put a number on his name. It would be the most horrible thing in the world, she said. Among her most recent projects is the 2021 Australian drama Rubys Choice, about a woman with early onset dementia, and Friendsgiving, the 2020 comedy-drama starring an ensemble cast that included Kat Dennings, Wanda Sykes and Chelsea Peretti. The moment the smoke bomb flew towards PM Kishida, who has his back turned Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is safe. After the smoke bomb attack that happened as he was about to give a speech on the local elections campaign trail, he simply moved on to his next engagement. But this is still shocking. One: because Japan is one of the safest countries in the world and has very strict gun controls. Two - perhaps more crucially - because this smoke bomb attack happened less than a year after Shinzo Abe, Mr Kishida's predecessor, was assassinated - also while giving a speech among a crowd on a campaign trail. There are major differences - unlike Mr Abe, Mr Kishida was evacuated very quickly and the assailant tackled quite promptly. One video showed a shield being used around Mr Kishida the moment the young man was pinned to the ground. However a number of people on social media pointed out that the very first person to tackle the attacker was actually a fisherman who was among the crowd and next to the assailant. There are uneasy parallels between what happened today in a port in Wakayama in western Japan and what happened last year in the western city of Nara when Mr Abe was fatally shot. In the latest attack, the assailant appeared to be in the middle of the crowd as he threw the suspected smoke bomb. Videos show him holding an unidentified metal object. In July last year, Mr Abe's killer, Tetsuya Yamagami, stood very closely behind him as he was speaking at a political event - he then shot him with a homemade gun. Last year's assassination shocked Japan, led to a national outcry and an investigation that found holes in Mr Abe's security and that he was not evacuated quickly enough. Fast forward a few months, his successor had to be rushed out of a scene where a loud explosion sent frightened bystanders scrambling for cover. The motivation for this smoke bomb attack is still unclear, but it's bound to raise questions about whether the Abe assassination could have inspired a copycat event. Story continues The suspect was quickly apprehended Election campaigns in Japan, whether local or national, are very up-close and personal. Political leaders like to be near the crowds, shaking hands and talking to people. This poses security risks - although given how rare violent attacks are in Japan, there has always been a relatively relaxed attitude towards these events. But not any more. Mitsuru Fukuda, professor of emergency and crisis risk management at Nihon University, told Kyodo news agency that the location for Mr Kishida's speech was poorly chosen and there should have been a greater distance between him and the audience. Shinzo Abe's assassination led to the resignation of top local and national police chiefs. Since then, there's been heightened security around politicians - but also a heightened sense of nervousness. As more details about today's attack emerge, questions will be asked about why the country's prime minister was in such a vulnerable spot - only a few months after his predecessor was assassinated. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been evacuated unharmed from a public event after what appeared to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him. A man was detained at the scene in Wakayama, where Mr Kishida had been due to give a speech, local media reported. A witness said they saw a person throwing something, followed by smoke, while another said they heard a big bang. No injuries were reported. Video showed officers piling on top of a person, believed to be a suspect. He was arrested on suspicion of obstruction of business and later identified by the authorities as 24-year-old Ryuji Kimura. His motivation is still unclear. Japan's public broadcaster, NHK, quoted Mr Kishida as saying there was a "loud blast" at the venue. "Police are investigating details, but I'd like to apologise for worrying many people and causing them trouble." NHK broadcast footage in which crowds of people appear to be running away from the scene. The footage also shows people swarm around one man, hold him down, and then carry him away. A man believed to be a suspect in the smoke-bomb throwing was held by police officers Mr Kishida had just started to deliver a speech after touring the fishing harbour in Wakayama for a campaign event when the object was thrown and he took cover. After the incident, Mr Kishida addressed a crowd in another location and said the incident should not disrupt the electoral process. A woman at the scene told NHK: "I was stunned. My heart is still beating fast." A person who said they saw an object flying through the air said it gave them a "bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast". "Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry," they added. Another witness told NHK that the crowd began to disperse in panic before the blast was heard, as someone said an explosive had been thrown. Hiroshi Moriyama, a member of Mr Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party, said: "That something like this happened in the middle of an election campaign that constitutes the foundation of democracy is regrettable. It's an unforgivable atrocity." Violent attacks are extremely rare in Japan. But there is nervousness about security around politicians, after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead while on the campaign trail last year. TOKYO Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated uninjured Saturday after someone threw an explosive device in his direction as he campaigned in a fishing port in western Japan. Video of the incident showed smoke filling the air as police wrestled a suspect to the ground and screaming bystanders scrambled to get away from the scene in Saikazaki Port in western Wakayama Prefecture. No one was hurt. The chaotic scenes resembled those nine months ago when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated on a campaign tour. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference that the suspect who threw the device at Kishida had been arrested on charges of obstruction of business by force. Matsuno said the government would wait for results from the police investigation before commenting on a potential motive from the suspect. Elections are the foundation of democracy, and violent acts such as this are absolutely unacceptable, he said. I have instructed the National Police Agency they do their utmost to ensure the protection of VIPs. There were no signs of combustion in the device, public broadcaster NHK reported, adding that Kishida was escorted to a vehicle by security. The prime minister had just finished sampling some food at the port, and was about 65 feet from where the incident occurred, the broadcaster said. Kishida later apologized for the incident. Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue, he said when he resumed his campaign speeches, in video broadcast by NHK. I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together. Image: A man, center, who threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb, is caught at a port in Wakayama, western Japan on April 15, 2023. (Kyodo News via AP) The incident came around nine months after Kishidas predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated during a campaign event in the western city of Nara, near Kyoto. Japanese prosecutors charged Tetsuya Yamagami with Abe's in murder in January. Yamagami was arrested immediately after allegedly shooting Abe with a handmade gun as the former leader was making a speech. Story continues Matsuno told Reuters that police had been instructed to boost security, and that the government will do what is necessary to ensure security at the upcoming Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima next month. Japan's foreign ministry said after the incident on Saturday, there would be no change to the security plan for a G7 foreign ministers' meeting starting on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa. Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo and Dennis Romero from San Diego. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated from a port in Wakayama after someone threw an explosive device in his direction, but he was unharmed in the incident, local media reported Saturday, and a man was arrested at the scene. Several reports, including by Kyodo news agency, said an apparent "smoke bomb" had been thrown but there were no signs of injuries or damage at the scene. It wasn't immediately clear what the explosive device was or how many the suspect had. Kishida was in the city to deliver remarks in support of a ruling party candidate when a disturbance rippled through the crowd gathered to hear him speak. Footage from national broadcaster NHK showed the prime minister turning to look backwards as a person was detained by security and people moved away, some shrieking. Seconds later, a blast was heard and white smoke filled the air. Cell phone video captured the chaos as the crowd scattered after the sound of the blast. Footage and photos from the scene showed a silver, pipe-like object on the ground, but it was not immediately clear whether it had caused the blast and smoke. Government officials said a man had been arrested on suspicion of obstruction of business. He has been identified as a 24-year-old man from the Hyogo region, a Wakayama police official told AFP. There was no immediate information on a potential motive. One witness Saturday told NHK television that she was standing in the crowd when she saw something come flying from behind. After a sudden loud noise, she fled with her children. Another witness said people were screaming and that he saw someone being apprehended right before the explosion occurred. "I ran frantically, and then, 10 or so seconds later, there was a loud sound and my kid started crying. I was stunned, my heart is still beating fast," one woman told NHK. A man at the scene told the broadcaster that "when we all stopped in front of the podium, someone started saying 'culprit!' or something, or 'an explosive was thrown,' so everyone started dispersing fast." Story continues "And then, about 10 seconds after the culprit was captured, there was a blast," he said. Kishida was unharmed, and soon resumed campaigning, including a stop at a local train station. "There was a loud blast sound at the previous speech venue. Police are investigating details, but I'd like to apologize for worrying many people and causing them trouble," he said. "An election that's important to our country is taking place, and we must work together and follow through on it." He made a campaign stop later in the day in Chiba, east of Tokyo, despite the incident, which his party's election strategy chairman Hiroshi Moriyama described as an "unforgivable atrocity." Saturday's attack comes ahead of nationwide local elections, including several by-elections for vacated parliamentary seats, with voting scheduled for April 23. Last July, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot while giving an outdoor speech in the western Japanese city of Nara. Police arrested the suspect at the scene, and he was later charged with murder. The country bolstered security around politicians after Abe's assassination. Security at local campaign events in Japan can be relatively relaxed, in a country with little violent crime and strict gun laws. The head of Japan's National Police Agency, and the local police chief, resigned in the wake of Abe's assassination after an investigation confirmed "shortcomings" in the security for the former leader. The incident comes as climate and energy ministers from the Group of Seven countries meet in the northern city of Sapporo, and a day before the bloc's foreign ministers arrive in the resort town of Karuizawa for talks. Japan will host the G7 leaders' summit next month in Hiroshima and security concerns have regularly been raised. The Phantom of the Opera closes on Broadway after 35 years "Phantom of the Opera" to close after 35 years on Broadway Construction on new exhibit under the Lincoln Memorial set to begin Renner recently attended the premiere of his Disney+ series Rennervations, telling PEOPLE the event was his "first time to kind of get out of my bed and out of rehab" Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Jeremy Renner Jeremy Renner paid a visit to the hospital staff that helped him recover from his devastating Jan. 1 snowplow accident. The Marvel star shared photos of spending time with the medical staff at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada on his Instagram Story on Friday. "I got to revisit the amazing group of people who saved my life," Renner wrote over a shot of him with the medical workers alongside several prayer hands and red heart emojis. Related:Jeremy Renner Says 'I'm Overflowing with Gratitude' on First Red Carpet Appearance Since Accident (Exclusive) Jeremy Renner/Instagram Related:Jeremy Renner Had 'Excruciating' Pain at Start of Physical Therapy: 'Mentally, You Can't Deal' (Exclusive) He posted another photo of him posing next to a surgeon, writing, "Thank you," as well as one of him standing with his cane in front of the medical center's sign, adding prayer hand emojis in the text of both of his Instagram Story. At the beginning of the year, the Avengers actor suffered more than 30 broken bones and required multiple surgeries after he was run over by a 7-ton snowplow. Renner revealed that he was back on his feet last month, sharing a video of himself walking on a treadmill, and has kept fans updated on his ongoing recovery in the three months since the incident. 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. Earlier this week, the Oscar nominee walked hand-in-hand with his 10-year-old daughter Ava Berlin Renner at the premiere of his Disney+ series Rennervations, in which Renner helps out charities by reconstructing decommissioned vehicles for new uses. Renner noted to PEOPLE on the red carpet that the event served as his "first time to kind of get out of my bed and out of rehab and, you know, to be on my feet and be out in the world. It's intense, you know, for me, it's a lot, but it's a step in the direction I want to be going, right? And this is exactly what I want to be doing and exactly where I want my life to be right now." Story continues In his first interview since the accident, which aired Thursday and is now streaming on Hulu, Renner told ABC News' Diane Sawyer that he has "shift[ed] the narrative of being victimized or making a mistake or anything else." He said, "I refuse to be fing haunted by that memory that way." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A Woodstock man with a history of severe mental illness was sentenced to 30 years in prison this evening for the grisly murder of a homeless man in 2009. Kyle Morgan, 29, who also battled drug and alcohol addiction for years, his father testified, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree murder in July for stabbing to death Robin A. Burton Jr., whose last known address was in Rockford. Advertisement Authorities called the crime scene inside Morgan's apartment "gruesome," saying he has smeared blood along the walls and "desecrated" the body. "The offense was accompanied by exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty," according to the indictment against Morgan. Advertisement Morgan fled to Tennessee after the murder, and Burton's body was found in his apartment at the Prairie View Apartments in the 300 block of Leah Lane by a maintenance worker. In a McHenry County courtroom today, Morgan apologized to the victim's family. "I wish I could change the past," he said, adding he hopes that sharing his struggles with drugs and mental illness can help others. "I hope I have the chance to thrive in a positive way," he said. Forensic psychiatrists testified that Morgan suffers from bipolar disease and had been proscribed a drug that should not be used for that type of mental illness. Morgan himself said that, the day of the crime, he did not take the proper amounts of the drugs he'd been prescribed. Morgan's father, Dean Morgan, of Fontana, Wis., said his son had battled depression and substance abuse since he was a child. He said his son often cut and stabbed himself, and had attempted to kill himself at least eight times since he was 16. Often choking back tears, Dean Morgan described how he had sent his son to several out-patient and in-patient rehabilitation programs over the years. Advertisement He said when his son would come home from a rehab program he would be "an absolutely new person." "When sober, he was well-liked ... had motivation ... wanted to go to college," the elder Morgan said. But that would be short-lived and within two to three months his son would relapse. triblocaltips@tribune.com Twitter: @TribLocal Joe Biden mightve just found his theme song for the 2024 election. The U.S. president concluded his trip to Ireland this week with a speech at St. Muredachs Cathedral, and he arrived at the Ballina landmark on Friday with the perfect entrance music: Im Shipping Up to Boston by American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. The songs iconic bagpipes blared through the air as Biden walked onstage and raucous onlookers hoisted Irish and American flags. He opened with a reference to the countrys former President Mary Robinson, who reportedly told him about the Irish tradition of putting a light in the window to guide strangers traveling at night. Mary, I see the light, he said. Around 27,000 people gathered to hear Biden speak outside St. Muredachs, which was built with some bricks made by Bidens great-great-great grandfather. Many in the crowd, which was nearly double the size of Ballinas entire population, had reportedly driven hours to see him. The Irish American politician visited numerous sites and landmarks tied to his family lineage during the trip, though the visits primary purpose regarded the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which declared a formal end to the sectarian violence that had plagued Ireland for decades prior. Biden naturally commented on his Irish heritage during his speech, saying the country is not merely part of his personal family history but part of his soul. Being here does feel ... like coming home, said Biden. It really does. Joe Biden's 2024 campaign has a strong theme already pic.twitter.com/abL7MIpu5l Populism Updates (@PopulismUpdates) April 14, 2023 Aside from making for a grand entrance, the choice of Im Shipping Up to Boston might have had an added layer of meaning for the president. At a show in Pennsylvania last year, Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey referred to Bidens predecessor, Donald Trump, as a swindler. Story continues Youre being duped by the greatest swindler in the history of the world, Casey told a crowd in September. Youre being duped by a bunch of grifters and billionaires who dont give a shit about you or your family. Its unclear whether Biden was aware of that incident, but the president has confirmed that he intends on running for reelection and may thus face off against Trump for a second time. Bidens approval rating back home sits at just 43%, yet reactions online indicated a favorable reception to this weeks rock star like appearance in Ballina. Biden gets a huge response before his speech at St. Muredach's Cathedral in Ireland pic.twitter.com/zmOjom1UDa Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2023 Whoever advised President Biden to come out to Shipping Up To Boston youre an absolute ~legend https://t.co/LJBcxnolPd Matthew Rein (@MatthewARein) April 14, 2023 Biden enters like McGregor when he was winning!#biden#BidenVisit Marcus Clifford (@MarcusC55820712) April 14, 2023 Related... Scenic designer John Iacovelli, shown in January 2020 with his set drawings for "Arsenic and Old Lace," has died. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) John Iacovelli, the Emmy-winning prolific scenic designer for stage and screen, whose ability to balance poetics with pragmatism made him a beloved and invaluable collaborator for Los Angeles theater artists for many decades, died Friday after a long battle with cancer, his family told The Times. He was 64. His range was limitless, moving effortlessly on stage from lavish musical spectacle to Beckettian minimalism, on screen from the space opera of "Babylon 5" to the instantly recognizable reality of "Lincoln Heights." Theater was his true love and the dream factory Iacovelli operated seemed to run around the clock, but precision was never sacrificed by speed of production. John worked scenic miracles on Los Angeles stages throughout his long and distinguished career, said Times theater critic Charles McNulty. His fertile imagination and practical know-how could endow any work from the repertoire with just the right amount of whimsy, lyricism and realism." "His death represents an incalculable loss for L.A.s theater community," McNulty added. "He was a pillar of the scene here, a beloved and trusted counselor to fellow artists, an amiably enlightening interlocutor with critics and an impish presence who embodied theaters Dionysian spirit." Iacovelli worked with budgets big, medium and small, conjuring from the resources at hand the scenic magic required to transport an audience to the aesthetic world of the play or musical. But he was, first and foremost, a practical man of the theater. As he told The Times Mary McNamara in 2020, In the end, the set is there to serve the actors. It is a machine for action. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Iacovelli designed sets for at least 300 stage productions: for national tours, internationally, on Broadway, for large regional theaters and every cramped, dusty 99-seat house in and around L.A. He moved seamlessly between the stage and Hollywood, working on films including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and "Ruby in Paradise," and TV series including Babylon 5, Resurrection Blvd. and Ed. He earned an Emmy for the stage production of Peter Pan he had designed, which played on A&E. Story continues Awards didnt slow him down a bit: Even after winning the 2018 United States Institute of Theatre Technology's distinguished achievement award in scene design & technology, he continued working on a seemingly impossible number of projects simultaneously up to 18 shows a year. People think I say yes to everything, he said in a recent podcast. They dont know about the shows I turn down. All the while he was teaching full time at UC Davis, where he had developed the design curriculum of the MFA program. All of my kids are working, he said of his many students there over the years. Detail of John Iacovelli's model set for "Arsenic and Old Lace" at his home studio in Atwater Village. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) "John was the most generous theater practitioner I ever knew. And I've known him for 40 years," said director Eli Simon, chancellor's professor of drama at UC Irvine. "He was in a constant state of creativity and sharing. We were at a show and there were a couple of young scenic designers at the show. [At intermission] he came up to them and said, 'OK, after the show, I want you to tell me five things that worked about the scenic design and five things that didn't. I know what they are, but I'm not going to tell you right now.' That was John in a nutshell. He was humble and generous and a teacher at heart." He retired from teaching in 2019. A diagnosis of lymphoma wasnt part of his plans, but even that failed to slow him down; he worked without breaking stride throughout his treatment and into his remission. When he learned this year that his cancer had returned, he was deep in the design process for La Mirada Theatres Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today? But if Iacovelli was the platonic ideal of designers in many ways, it must be said that his sets didnt politely fade into the woodwork: They stood out as exemplars of the form even in the L.A. theater community, which boasts many brilliant set designers (all Iacovellis friends). Playwright Justin Tanner recalled the way Iacovelli's work transformed a space: "He managed a level of realism that made you forget," Tanner said, noting he first worked with Iacovelli in 2018 on his play "El Nino" at Rogue Machine. "If you didn't look at the audience, you felt like you were in a real environment ... just the detailing and his artistic eye ... it was a combination of fabulous and naturalist." Critics took note of the majesty of his set for the 2012 play The Heiress at the Pasadena Playhouse. Iacovelli had visited the preserved mansions of New Yorks Washington Square Park for inspiration, and many had trouble imagining that any of them could be as beautiful as what he created. Particularly the serene, ethereal blue of the walls, which served as a particularly effective backdrop for the brutal emotional experience that followed. Sheldon Epps, the former artistic director of the Pasadena Playhouse, who first worked with Iacovelli in 1999 on "The Importance of Being Earnest," remembered Iacovelli as singular in a profession known for individuality. "I know few people who've worked in the theater as long as John did who remained passionate about the art form. So constantly joyous about the act of creating both his own work and celebrating other people's work," Epps said. Theater enthusiasts recalled delighting in spotting Iacovellis work in theaters large and small all over Los Angeles: the way two unremarkable walls in DOMA Theatres revival of Young Frankenstein opened up to reveal a gloriously ornate mad-scientist laboratory. A foreshortened dining room visible through a glass door at Antaeus Theatre Companys production of The Little Foxes looked like a purely visual component until somehow, late in the play, the entire cast went in and sat around the table. There was never a gimmick or tell that screamed "Iacovelli." What tipped people off was an authenticity in the details, some ineffable harmony between the actors and their milieu. Iacovellis living spaces always looked livable. You could move in, his close friend, actor Alan Mandell, said of his set for Dance of Death. "There are any number of people who owe him a debt of gratitude for the scenic work he did," Mandell said. "He spoke his mind, clearly and forcefully about the work that he was doing and what he felt you should be doing right or wrong. In a field where disappointment is rampant, he was able to convey his appreciation for your attempt to do something significant. I shall miss him terribly." Iacovelli often said he didnt consider himself an artist. His father, he maintained, was the real artist in the family. His father and mother, a government worker, settled in Reno. When Iacovelli was 7 or 8, his father built him a puppet theater, to which he often attributed his enduring fascination with scenic design. Iacovelli spent his childhood forming theater troupes with friends; when it was time for college, he applied for and earned a scholarship in scenic design at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There, he recalled, he was taught that film and TV were a nasty business. But when he entered the masters program at New York University (renamed the Tisch School of the Arts), he was startled and then excited by its all-embracing attitude toward the screen as well as the stage. Classmate-turned-production-designer Larry Fulton ("The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable") persuaded Iacovelli to leave New York for L.A., where his career quickly caught fire and he never looked back. Throughout his life, Iacovelli remained devoted to learning as much as he could about his chosen art form. "I never knew him to travel anywhere without coming [back] with a new load of books," Epps said. "To the point where he actually had to extend his home so he could store his art collection and all of his theatrical memorabilia. Going to his house was like going to a theatrical library." Iacovelli is survived by sisters Violet Iacovelli, Angaela Iacovelli, Victoria Williams and Dariel Wines; brother Cameron Iacovelli; nephews Ian Van Rensselaer, Skylar Van Rensselaer, David Iacovelli and Spencer Williams; and nieces Melanie Lewis, Sylvia Micheli and Rochelle Iacovelli. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon has shared his thoughts about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, following Prince Harrys confirmation of attendance at King Charles IIIs coronation next month. The British-born punk musician, also known by his stage name Johnny Rotten, lives just 60 miles away from Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Montecito, California home. After the couple stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, the two relocated their family to Markles home state of California. Since then, theyve shared several bombshell revelations about their time in the royal family from their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, to their six-part Netflix docuseries, to Harrys memoir, Spare. In an interview with The Telegraph published on 12 April, Lydon expressed his sympathy with Harry and Meghans decision to leave the United Kingdom. However, he admitted that he doesnt like the noise theyre making since walking away from the royal family. So messy, Lydon said. If you want to be normal and outside of [the Royal Family], then f*** off. Just f*** off and shut up. The 67-year-old singer said he can relate to Harry and Meghan because he too had to leave the Sex Pistols in 1978 and briefly disbanded his own group, Public Image Ltd, in 1993. Ive had to make decisions like this in the past. I had to leave the Pistols, I had to break up PiL a couple of times because the situation was unsustainable, he explained. And if that was their dilemma then please go away, alright? And well love you for it. But they wont. And Ive never been one for kiss and tell books. He added: Theyre very, very spiteful to families and friends. As for whether hes looking forward to the upcoming coronation of King Charles on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey in London, the controversial artist replied: Bonnie Prince Charlie now being king. Well, hes got his finger in very many pies. He has promised to lay off his more left-wing leanings as king but I doubt that. Story continues The Sex Pistols singer has often shared his thoughts about the royal family. In 1977, the punk band released their iconic song God Save The Queen just before the silver jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Following her death in September 2022, Lydon said it was tasteless and disrespectful of the band to financially benefit from her passing after the track was re-released earlier that year. John Lydon wishes to distance himself from any Sex Pistols activity which aims to cash in on Queen Elizabeth IIs death, reps for Lydon tweeted at the time. The musicians in the band and their management have approved a number of requests against Johns wishes on the basis of the majority court-ruling agreement. They continued: John wrote the lyrics to this historical song, and while he has never supported the monarchy, he feels that the family deserves some respect in this difficult time, as would be expected for any other person or family when someone close to them has died. (Getty Images) Just four months before her death, the musician maintained his anti-monarchy stance but praised the late Queens sense of dignity ahead of her platinum jubilee. Ive always viewed the royal family as a bunch of German tourists with a Greek thrown in I dont want to pay no more tax to keep that institution alive. But I totally respect [the queen] as a real person, Lydon told Piers Morgan on Talk TV in May 2022. Shes enjoyed that and maintained a sense of dignity. Im always attracted to pageantry. On 12 April, Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Harry will attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla on 6 May. However, his wife Meghan will stay at home in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May, the Palace said in a statement on Wednesday. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The dukes confirmation at the Kings coronation comes after months of speculation over whether he would attend the ceremony. It was previously reported that Harry was seeking an apology from his father, Charles, and his brother, the Prince of Wales, before he made any commitment to the ceremony. Ahead of the publication of his tell-all memoir, Harry said in an interview that the door is always open for reconciliation. King Charles III will be crowned during a slimmed-down coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday 6 May. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office reported a teenager shot in the thigh during an argument in a Highlands neighborhood at 1100 De Paul Dr. JSO reported that around 5:00 p.m., Officers responded to the scene due to reported shots fired. When arriving they located a teenager suffering from a gunshot wound. JSO stated that two male teenagers got into an argument, which led to one being shot in the thigh. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect is currently outstanding, described as being in his late teens or early twenties wearing a red t-shirt and black pants. It is reported that both parties knew each other before the incident. It was not stated what their relationship was. If you have any other information about this incident, please call the JSO non-emergency number (904) 630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. The Texas judge whose recent ruling could have banned an abortion drug across the US was hand-picked by activists who want to prohibit the procedure, experts say. So what is so-called judge shopping? When Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk was growing up, his mother volunteered in crisis pregnancy centres and for anti-abortion organisations. When his sister became pregnant at 17, she gave the baby up for adoption, knowing "abortion wasn't even an option". As an adult, both siblings would join their mother in the family fight to end abortion, with Judge Kacsmaryk joining the board of the very same Christian home for women with unplanned pregnancies where his sister once stayed. Before he was appointed to the federal judiciary by then-President Donald Trump in 2019, he worked for a Christian legal organisation, where he argued against pharmacies carrying contraceptives. "He's very passionate about the fact that you can't preach pro-life and do nothing," his sister Jennifer Griffith told the Washington Post in February. "We both hold the stance of you have to do something. You can't not." Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk Given his background, some were not surprised when Judge Kacsmaryk ruled last week to overturn the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the abortion drug mifepristone. Georgia State law professor Allison Whelan said that in his ruling, he used language that was clearly biased in favour of the anti-abortion movement, such as referring to a foetus as an "unborn child" and calling doctors who perform abortions "abortionists". During his Senate confirmation hearing, Judge Kacsmaryk said, in accordance with federal law, he would "disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his partiality might be questioned". The Justice Department did not ask him to recuse himself, in this case. But it's no accident the landmark lawsuit was brought before him, experts say. Rather, it is the latest example so-called "judge shopping", a term some use to describe litigants who try to game the system hoping for a favourable outcome in their case. Story continues While the principle behind it is nothing new - litigants have always tried to maximise their chances - the practice has gone to new partisan extremes, says Steve Vladeck, a legal scholar at the University of Texas. Mr Vladeck says that Texas has become especially appealing to litigants on the right because of a quirk of how cases are allotted. In most states, cases are given to judges on a rotating basis, making it hard to guess which judge will preside over which case. But in Texas, there are several rural districts where only one or two judges handle the majority of cases. In Amarillo, Texas, Judge Kacsmaryk sees 95% of civil cases, which means any lawsuit filed in that court is almost certain to end up in front of him. The Alliance Defending Freedom, the law firm behind the Texas abortion drug case, did not respond to comment. Although Texas remains one of the most extreme examples and tends to favour conservative cases, examples of judge shopping can be found on both sides of the aisle. Several lawsuits aimed at dismantling Obama-era policies have been brought to the courtroom of Judge Reed O'Connor, who was nominated by Republican President George W Bush and serves, like Judge Kacsmaryk, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Meanwhile, Democratic states have attacked a number of Trump administration policies in courtrooms in Washington State, California, and New York, where they are more likely to get favourable rulings. The political leaning of courts of appeal can vary, too, from region to region, so a plaintiff can hope to get a second chance at a ruling they want. On Friday, following an emergency appeal from the Biden administration, the US Supreme Court temporarily halted a ruling that set limits on access to mifepristone, pausing restrictions so that justices can have more time to review the ongoing case. The restrictions had been imposed by a lower appeals court, which kept the drug available after the Texas decision, but with conditions. Protestors accuse Judge Kacsmaryk of running a farcical "kangaroo court" It has also asked for clarity on how the Texas case is affected by a conflicting ruling in Washington State. In direct opposition to Judge Kacsmaryk's ruling, Judge Thomas Rice in Washington ordered the FDA to keep the pill on the market in the 17 states - along with the District of Columbia - that had petitioned his courtroom. That lawsuit, which argued the FDA should lift restrictions on the drug, was filed months after the abortion pill lawsuit was brought to Judge Kacsmaryk. Mr Vladeck said it's clear that lawsuit was strategically timed to challenge the Texas case, and that the Supreme Court will have to weigh in to decide which ruling is correct by law. But, he says, it would be wrong to call the case in Washington "judge shopping" in the same way as the Texas case because it could have gone to several federal judges. Although most were all appointed by Democrats, and litigants may have assumed they had a good chance at a ruling in their favour, that is several degrees of difference from cherry-picking your judge, Mr Vladeck said. Nicholas Bagley, a law professor at the University of Michigan, said recent examples of judge shopping are different from just general manoeuvers to try and score advantage. Over the years, litigants - either private groups such as the Texas abortion case, or states suing the federal government - have increasingly used the courts to make sweeping national policy changes. "Stakes are higher when you have litigants who are bringing politically charged lawsuits, in an effort to give the US sitting administration a black eye," he told the BBC. He also cautioned that even the appearance of judicial bias can undermine the faith in the judicial system. "I think there's an intuition that we all share, that whether you win or lose your case shouldn't depend on the judge that you happen to draw," he said. Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Getty Kanye West named Donda Academy after his late mother. But according to one of its recently fired teachers, the deeply troubled school is an insult to her legacy. And the problems go much deeper than sushi. Cecilia Hailey, an ex-teacher at Wests secretive Donda Academy, told The Daily Beast that she believes the students are at least two years behind in math, and are not allowed to watch Disney or Pixar movies or see The Nutcracker. Hailey, who says she was fired from Donda Academy in March, spoke to The Daily Beast last week. Shes suing Donda for wrongful termination and discrimination based on race. Hailey says that when she was hired as a substitute in November of last year, she quickly formed the opinion that Donda was struggling to provide its students with a substantial education. We didnt measure science or social studies, but I know theyre behind in math, Hailey said of her now-former students at Donda Academy. What I was encouraging parents to do was to take their kids out of school now and homeschool them, and let them at least learn online so they can have legitimate grades and transcripts so they can transfer in the fall, because they cant get those from Donda. She says that while she believes most Donda students are learning at grade level in English, the majority of the schools students, save for a few exceptional standouts, are at least two years behind in math. Hailey says she knew from the start that things at Wests mysterious Christian private school were not quite right. The unaccredited academywhich holds daily choir sessions, reportedly requires parents to sign NDAs, and lists parkour as an enrichment coursewas founded just last year. In suing West and Donda Academy, Hailey and fellow ex-teacher Chekarey Byers are hoping to expose the schools allegedly substandard conditions. As an educator with over 25 years of experience and having served as the dean of two colleges, Plaintiff Hailey detected multiple health and safety violations, as well as unlawful educational practices at Donda Academy, the suit states. In an effort to bring attention to the unlawful and unsafe practices, Plaintiff Hailey complained to the director/principal of Donda Academy, Moira Love (hereinafter referred to as, Love), on at least three separate occasions. Story continues The Daily Beast has reached out to Donda and Wests attorney for comment. The original Donda Academy in Simi Valley closed in October 2022. It has since relocated at least one time. Mel Melcon Hailey said she was also given strict limitations in terms of what she could share with students. We were not allowed to let students watch anything on Disney, she recalled. Nothing with Pixar. Nothing about fairy tales. We wanted to take the kids to see The Nutcracker over the holiday, and they were not allowed to go to The Nutcracker. No African American History month, Hailey continued. Do not teach the Holocaust course. That was out. Dont even mention that. We wanted to do Asian American History Month in May, and that was not going to be allowed. Hailey also told TMZ about the Holocaust being left off the curriculum. At the height of Wests antisemitic spiraling last fall, Donda parents reportedly received emails on Oct. 27, 2022, saying the academy would close for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year. But according to Haileys lawsuit, she was hired as a substitute teacher at Donda on or around Nov. 12, 2022. If the school did shut down, it doesnt appear to have been for long. Despite substandard lesson plans, Donda was stringent in other ways, Haileys suit alleges. Defendant West did not allow color in the classrooms or artwork hung on the walls, the suit reads. It also alleges that children were only served catered sushi at lunchtime, as outside food was not permitted. Defendant West did not want children to use forks or utensils, the lawsuit states. The school was physically locked from the outside during the school day; and students were not allowed to go outside. The entire school had the same lunch/recess time which was taken indoors. Donda Academy did not have a school nurse on staff or medical access, it was not following nutrition guidelines, and it did not have any security precautions, Haileys lawsuit reads. We cant have sushi every day without anything else for the kids to eat, Hailey told The Daily Beast. This is not what the state says is a nutritional balance. And we didnt have janitorial services. We must have a janitorial staff to come in and clean up, wash the floors, et cetera, behind us, because we were all getting sick. According to the lawsuit, West reportedly did not allow chairs in Donda, forcing students and teachers alike to either stand or sit on foam pads. Obtained from the office of West Coast Trial Lawyers There were also dire bullying issues at the school, Haileys lawsuit alleges. In one incident, a student assaulted an eighth-grade student by slapping her, then attempted to assault another teacher, the lawsuit reads. The student had multiple accounts of bullying, both physically and verbally, that had gone without discipline. However, there are several students with bullying issues that remain unaddressed. Wed share classrooms with other teachers, and kids would come in and destroy it, she told The Daily Beast. Kids saw a lot of bullying going on, and they wanted something to be done about people coming into their classrooms and destroying it, and not cleaning up behind themselves. The kids were speaking out, and it fell on deaf ears. Hailey also described parents who, for the most part, seemed enthralled by Wests cult of celebrity to The Daily Beast. Tuition at the allegedly deeply dysfunctional Donda Academy costs $15,000. We had a couple of outspoken parents, but their focus was more on their individual kids learning and expecting more academically, Hailey said. But that's kind of what I don't understandthe parents didnt say anything. It was more about the parents wanting to be in control of the school so they could say they have influence with Mr. West, I think, than whats really going on day to day with their kids. On or around March 3, 2023, upon their arrival at work, Plaintiffs were met in the parking lot of the school where they were notified they were being terminated from their employment effective immediately, the lawsuit states. When asked why they were being terminated, Defendants did not provide them with a reason. Plaintiffs are informed and believe that they were terminated in retaliation for their complaints about Defendants unlawful and unsafe educational practices. Hailey said she and Byers were fired by Moira Love, who was the schools 10th principal in less than a year and a Kanye groupie with zero previous administrative experience. Love did not respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment. We were the only two African American women who taught at that school, Hailey told The Daily Beast of herself and Byers. Donda is a 99 percent Black school, and I think its very important that Black students have Black role models as teachers. And we were top-tier, Hailey added. We spent a lot of money out of pocket to make sure that our kids got what Donda wasnt paying for [and] didnt offer. On Friday, The Daily Beast reported that in recent months, West has been more focused on running his school than in his purported plans to run for president in 2024. Right now, I am living my lifelike Im concentrating on the school, The Donda Academy, and my new wife, and my kids, and thats it, West allegedly told a documentary filmmaker he initially hired as part of his campaign in November 2022. I just want to be left alone. During her time at Donda, Hailey was explicitly forbidden from communicating with West, whose wishes were strictly enforced but who was never himself physically present. What would she say to him now? Mr. West, I know that this is a vision you have, and you want this school to be a replica of your mother. That is not happening, Hailey said. My suggestion is if you want Donda to be the kind of school you envisioned, youve gotta get competent people to run it. You cannot have artists and your friends and friends off the street running an educational institution. Thats like me trying to produce an album; I [would] have no idea what Im doing. So you have to realize that you are in charge of the lives of children here, she continued, and that theyre highly affected by these decisions that are being made, and theyre not good ones. Campaign in Chaos: Kanye West Just Wants to Be Left Alone Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Fox News contributor and former George W. Bush aide Karl Rove went after former President Trump on Saturday, saying that he is worried about a potential challenge from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP primary. Rove commented on a new attack ad from a Trump political action committee that targeted DeSantis, making fun of the Florida governor for a reported story that he ate pudding with his fingers and is generally socially awkward. Donald Trump is worried about Ron DeSantis, otherwise why would he be out there now before DeSantis is even a candidate? Rove told Fox News Neil Cavuto. DeSantis, despite teasing a White House bid for months, has not officially declared his candidacy for president. Trump, however, has been leading the Republican race in hypothetical 2024 polls against DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and others who have been rumored to launch a bid soon, such as former Vice President Mike Pence. Rove said that Trumps singular focus on making fun of his political rivals and negative ads is not smart and wont likely help him to win. Every time Donald Trump sees somebody hes upset about, he demands that (his team) strike out at them and its not smart, Rove said. At the end of the day, if Donald Trump wants to win an election he lost in 2020, he had 94% of Republicans do you think this is going to encourage people who want to save Medicare and Social Security from going bankrupt? He needs to lay out his vision and spend less time worrying about personally assaulting other Republicans, he added. Rove also said that Republicans should be united in 2024, and that negative ads and personal attacks are not the way to do it. Hes sitting there at Mar-a-Lago thinking up insults about fellow Republicans and then expecting them to fall in line behind him in a November election if he wins the nomination, he said. Thats the wrong way to do it. The former White House deputy chief of staff also said that the attacks have scared off many independent voters that are critical to winning elections. While the strategy worked in 2016, it wont work again, he said. Story continues You can pull that act off a little bit when youre running against Hillary Clinton, Rove said. He couldnt pull it off running against Joe Biden and hes in worse shape today than he was two years ago. Recent polls have placed Trump far ahead of DeSantis, with a Morning Consult poll from earlier this month giving him a 33 point lead in a hypothetical primary. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) doubled down on his comments from earlier this week calling for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to resign, saying that the country should have someone who can vote. Feinstein, 89, has not voted in the Senate since February and remains in California while dealing with a severe case of shingles, which at one point required hospitalization. While Feinstein is out, Democrats can not nominate or vote through new judges because of her seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, as Khanna explained. I have a lot of respect for Sen. Feinsteins public service, but were in a crisis in this country, Khanna said Saturday on MSNBC. The single biggest thing this president can do with a Republican House is confirm judges and [Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)] has said were not able to confirm judges. Feinstein offered to step away from her seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, but that move requires approval from Republicans on the committee, and still hampers full-Senate votes in her absence. With Feinstein gone, Democrats only hold 50 seats in the body giving them a tie with Republicans. Every day that goes by is one less day this president has to appoint a judge to push back against the assault on womens rights and voting rights, Khanna said. He also said that multiple lawmakers have privately shown support for her resignation. Feinstein has already said she will not run for reelection in 2024, and a suite of younger California Democrats have gotten in line to take her place. Reps. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff and Katie Porter have all declared their candidacies for the seat. Khanna has supported Lee as Feinsteins replacement, and said that California Gov. Gavin Newsom should appoint her to the empty seat if Feinstein were to resign. Newsom has previously pledged that he would appoint a Black woman to the seat. [Lee] is one of the most extraordinary people in modern American history. The most consistent anti-war voice, he said on Saturday. Whether the governor appoints a caretaker or her, he should appoint an African-American woman. Story continues Theres not a single African-American woman in the United States Senate in 2023. That should be an embarrassment to our country, he added. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) has also been absent from the Senate for two months as he sought support for depression. He and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who was recovering from a concussion, will return this week following the April recess. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Russians are continuing to commit looting in the occupied territories, with the theft of transformer oil leading to power outages in settlements of Kherson Oblast. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 15 April Quote: "Russian invaders are continuing to loot the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In particular, in Novokakhovka district, Kherson Oblast, cases where oil has been drained from power transformers, causing power outages in individual streets of the district's settlements, have been recorded." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! King Charles III at the 200th Sovereign's parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on April 14, 2023. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images King Charles spoke of his "pride" in both Prince William and Prince Harry in a recent speech. Speaking to graduating cadets, Charles reflected on his sons going through the same process. The comment came after Harry discussed his complex relationship with his father in "Spare." King Charles gave a rare insight into his relationship with his sons during a speech at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on Friday. While congratulating a group of 171 officer cadets on completing 44 weeks of training, the king made a reference to Prince William, 40, and Prince Harry, 38, the Evening Standard reported. Both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex graduated from the Royal Military Academy in 2006, according to CBS News. "Speaking as a father of two alumni of this academy, I know they will be full of immense pride in witnessing you on parade," Charles, 74, told the crowd. "Having attended and survived two of the other military academies 50 years ago, I think I have some idea of the challenges which are inherent in military training," he continued. "I have experienced the nerves, the exhaustion even the self-doubt. But despite such recollections, it is the lifelong friendships which are forged through shared hardship, and the humor you find in the darkest hours of the coldest, wettest nights, which remain with you," he added. Charles with William and Harry at Sandhurst in 2006. Getty Images Charles' public words of pride toward William and Harry come after his youngest son shed light on their complicated relationship several times over the past year. Reports of a rift between Harry and Charles were confirmed by the Duke of Sussex himself following the release of "Harry & Meghan," his Netflix docuseries, in December 2022 and "Spare," his memoir, in January. The docuseries, the book, as well as several TV interviews Harry did with UK and US media outlets, painted a fraught relationship between father and son, Insider previously reported. In "Spare," Harry made several surprising claims, including that growing up Charles wrote him letters of praise instead of complimenting him to his face and that Charles initially did not want to pay for Meghan Markle to become a full-time royal a decision he believed wasn't related to money but rather his father's desire to not have "someone new dominating the monarchy" and "overshadowing him." Story continues Speaking directly on the state of their current relationship, Harry told Anderson Cooper in his "60 Minutes" interview promoting "Spare" in January that he's not on speaking terms with Charles or William, but would like to reconcile in private, People reported. Prince Harry in "Harry & Meghan" on Netflix. Netflix Whether reconciliation is on the cards remains unclear, but Charles has indicated he is also open to the prospect. Author Katie Nicholl, who frequently writes about the royal family, previously told Insider's Mikhaila Friel that Charles "has a great capacity for forgiveness, just like the late Queen." "He has shown his willingness to reconcile in the many olive branches he has extended to Harry and Meghan, not least how they were included at the Queen's funeral," she added. Another positive sign to come this week included Harry's RSVP to the coronation. While Meghan will be remaining in the US with their children, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke of Sussex would be flying to the UK for the royal event in a statement shared with Insider on Wednesday. However, Marlene Koening, a royal historian, told Insider that while Harry's attendance shows he has "recognized that it's important for him to be there for his father," it isn't likely a reconciliatory moment is on the cards at the coronation, which is taking place on May 6. "This is not the time for reconciliation. This is about Charles. This is his day," she said. Read the original article on Insider A 1945 typewritten wartime letter mailed to Duane Dolezal by his father, was carefully preserved by the family for more than 75 years, cherished for the sentiment and folksy nod to the small town news and typical of what was shared from the era. (Phil Potempa / Post-Tribune) After a three-year pandemic pause, it was good news to welcome this weekends return for our annual April gathering for alumni who attended our San Pierre schools, all of them now long-closed, yet wonderful memories still shared by all. The final graduating class from the San Pierre High School was the Class of 1964. Advertisement Our San Pierre Elementary School was built in 1960, a decade before my birth. I attended kindergarten there in 1975 and like all four of my older siblings, completed my first through fifth grades before heading off to junior high and then high school in our neighboring town of North Judson. Following the closure of the elementary school, a year or so later, the 15 acres of land, the building and its contents and furnishings were auctioned off in July 2010. Advertisement We had more than 125 guests return to town this weekend for the schools alumni banquet dinner held at the towns Catholic church hall to honor the students and memories from these school buildings which havent existed for decades. Having graduated from high school in 1988, I was included as one of the honored classes this year, marking 35 years, along with my desk mate Ann Scamerhorn, with the added bonus of April 15 also being her birthday. This year was also the 90th annual alumni dinner event, with myself as the evenings host since I serve as the president of the San Pierre Alumni Association, and fellow alumnus Monys Jones as secretary. This year was extra special, not only because my parents attended as well as my older brother David (class of 1980) and oldest sister Carol (Class of 1972), but also because of the delivery of a 75-year-old letter which I was able to share with guests, courtesy of reader Brad Dolezal of Valparaiso. Jeannette Wobith, left to right, Barb Eenigenburg and Anne Eckert, led the dinner meeting at the April 2019 San Pierre Alumni Association Dinner, the last gathering prior to a three-year pandemic hiatus, before the event returned in April 2023. (Phil Potempa / Post-Tribune) Brads father Duane Dolezal was an only child who inherited the family grocer business. He was also one of my first employers, when I worked at his family-owned grocery store in our small town. While recently sorting through the preserved correspondence from his late parents, Brad stumbled on a wartime typewritten letter his grandfather Otto Dolezal, who originally opened the family store at the turn of the century. He had written the letter to son Duane on June 26, 1945. Filled with town news, it also included a few references to the Potempa boys, prompting Brad to share the letter with me, along with this enclosed note: I really treasure all of the correspondence my grandfather (and occasionally my grandmother) sent to my dad. Also, occasionally, Aunt Ann and Aunt Julia would write to him as well. Enjoy this letter Phil and share it with your family and friends. Brad The typewritten letter, addressed to Pvt. Duane D. Dolezal at Fort Knox, Kentucky, reads: Dear Bud: Here is my nightly note again, and only a note it will be, as I havent anything much to tell you. We had another swell day today. Temperature was just right. The end of the week and first part of next week ought to be quite busy for you making preparations to come home, packing, etc. I expect you to send most of your stuff home so you will not have so much to carry. A lot of the boys are getting home now. Another one of those Potempa boys landed here today and stopped in the store when he got off the bus. He told me that he has had three years of service in the Pacific and probably would not have to go back as he has 79 points and I understand that they are going to start next month discharging the men who have 75 pointsat least this is the general opinion. He is in the Signal Corp. Guess he has had quite a bit of action. In other news, they will give the car a good cleaning and polishing tomorrow, so you will have a nice looking boat to spend your vacation with. It is quite clean tho and will not need so much done to it. I will write to you tomorrow night, until then, I leave you. Love Dad. Otto was referring to my Uncle Joe Potempa, my fathers oldest brother, who died in 1995. Advertisement I worked throughout high school for Duane Dolezal at his grocery store. Duane died at age 64 in April 1991. When I worked at his store, one of my favorite longtime co-workers was Stasia Stitch Hine, who was a cashier. She died at age 84 in 1994, and her daughter Jeannette, who is now 95 and also attended the alumni dinner, carried on her moms grocery store know-how working for many years at the A&P store just one town away. This years dinner also marked the first year without Jeannettes brother Larry Hine attending, since he died at age 80 in January 2021. Larry was owner of Larrys Barbershop in Crown Point until 2018. He decided to step away from his chair after 55 years behind the storefront barber pole near the Old Lake County Courthouse Square. A 1961 graduate of Wheaton Barber College, he opted to retire at the urging of his beloved wife Pat, and enjoyed fishing in his final years and spending more time with family. Larry had a favorite quote for his customers: Everything you hear inside this barbershop is the truth, or if its not the truth, it should be. Theres always an assortment of salads served at the annual catered San Pierre Alumni Association dinner, and Larrys widow Pat, 81, has wonderful and refreshing vinegar-based salad, also quite colorful, which she provided for me to share with readers. Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374. Pats Confetti Salad Makes 6 servings Advertisement 2 cups red cabbage, shredded 1 can (19 ounce) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (11 ounce) mandarin oranges, drained 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted 2 large scallions, sliced and including green tops 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Advertisement 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons orange juice Directions: 1. Combine cabbage, beans, oranges, walnuts in a mixing bowl and toss. Set aside. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and juice to create dressing. 3. Pour dressing over contents of bowl and gently toss to coat. The owner and a salesman at a used car dealership in Owensboro have been arrested and charged for rolling back odometers on vehicles they were reselling, police say. Owensboro police said in a news release that they launched an investigation into Discount Motors after receiving information about the alleged criminal activity in February. They said they found that Eddie Howard, 63, the dealership owner, and Donald Adams, 60, a salesman, were working together to use electronic devices to commit multiple acts of fraud. Owensboro police, along with federal and state agencies, executed a search warrant at the Daviess County dealership on Thursday and seized about $350,000 in cash, two vehicles, the electronic devices used to perpetrate the fraud, three guns and more than 100 oxycodone pills, according to the release. Howard and Adams, both of Owensboro, are both charged with 20 counts of tampering with a motor vehicle or motor home odometer; first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, greater than or equal to 10 dosage units of an unspecified drug, with a firearm enhancement; and having a prescription controlled substance not in its proper container, first offense. They were taken to the Daviess County Detention Center. The Owensboro Police Department said they believe there are more victims in the area, and they are still investigating. The departments traffic unit initiated the investigation and then called in federal and state law enforcement officers for help. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal in Washington on April 13 The Ukrainian prime minister refused to comment on whether he had discussed the leak of classified information about the upcoming counteroffensive of the Ukrainian military with his American partners. "We are crucially united and absolutely united with Americans and other international partners in preparation of our counteroffensive and we are sure that we will win this war," the Ukrainian official said. We will liberate our territories. Ukraine and the United States are united in such issues as training soldiers, supplying ammunition, and weapons supply, including long-range missiles, he said. Shmyhal refused to say whether he had discussed the leak of classified documents in meetings with officials in Washington, and whether any of his American partners had apologized for the leak of classified information regarding the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive. During the meeting, Shmyhal discussed "many very important strategic issues with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. "We discussed many very important questions and challenges and issues with all officials with whom we have meetings during [these] three days," the Ukrainian PM stated. The New York Times reported on April 6 that classified U.S. military documents from one month earlier were being circulated on social media, allegedly containing operational reports and assessments of the Ukrainianarmy's capabilities, and U.S. and NATO plans to prepare Ukraine's defenders for a counteroffensive. The Ukrainian intelligence service stated that the documents were a forged and a psyop of the Russian special services. According to NYT sources, the documents with data on Ukrainian and Russian losses could have been falsified. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov called the documents "a mixture of truth and lies." Subsequently, a new batch of U.S. "secret documents" was found on social media, allegedly describing U.S. national security principles related to Russia's war against Ukraine, China, and the Middle East. The number of documents leaked ranges from 50 to several hundred, and resemble summaries used for reports to senior management. Story continues The FBI on April 13 arrested a suspect in the publication of classified U.S. files in North Dighton, Massachusetts 21-year-old US Air National Guardserviceman Jack Teixeira. 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 You waited for the last minute to file your taxes, didn't you? It's almost Tax Day, but good news: You've got a bit of breathing room this year. Because April 15 falls on a weekend, and Monday is Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C., Tax Day for Michigan and federal taxes is April 18 this year. If that doesn't give you enough time to get your paperwork together and file online or via the mail, file an extension, which will push the deadline to Oct. 16. Your taxes, if you owe money, are still due, but the paperwork can be delayed. Taxpayers are warned to watch out for bad preparers. Fraud schemes have included situations where a preperarer shows a legitimate return to the taxpayer but then files a different false return that generates a substantial refund that the preparer pockets. File photo: A 2014 photo shows the Internal Revenue Service headquarters building in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File) For Lansing and East Lansing city taxes, the due date is April 30. East Lansing officials are currently finishing up taxes that were received before March 15. If you submitted taxes before then and haven't received a response, email the city at incometax@cityofeastlansing. Taxes filed after March 15 are processed in the order they're received. Can I just file an extension and forget it? No, you really can't. Many taxpayers, according to the Internal Revenue Service, believe they simply file Form 4868 for an automatic six-month extension and sit back and do nothing until Oct. 16. But your tax bill is still due on April 18. You're getting an extension to file, not an extension to pay. If you think you owe money, it's important to pay as much as you're able to by April 18. You should pay the full amount due to avoid interest and penalties. Tax filers are being warned that it's quite possible that many will see smaller refunds when they file 2022 returns than they what they saw last year. The IRS has estimated that more than 20.5 million forms nationwide will be filed either electronically or by paper requesting an extension in 2023. Among Michigan's tax filers, the IRS estimates it will receive 426,600 requests for an automatic extension in 2023. More than 7.4 million federal returns are expected to be filed by Michigan taxpayers in 2023, including returns from individuals and businesses, according to IRS forecasts. Site coordinator Lamis Alnajjar, center, helps a woman with information regarding an appointment to get her taxes prepared at the Accounting Aid Society Northwest Financial Hub in Detroit on March 16, 2023. Households with income below $60,000 can qualify for free tax preparation unless they include things such as including rental income; business use of the home; and someone who is self-employed with inventory or costs of goods sold. Is everyone required to file by April 18? The last Michigan automatic disaster extensions were offered in 2021 because of severe storms and flooding during July that year. Story continues The IRS is offering such relief to tax filers hit by disasters in 2022 in a variety of areas, including California, Alabama, Arkansas, New York, Mississippi and Georgia. Check the IRS.gov website for details. Taxpayers are warned that scammers use all sorts of tricks including texting consumers about a tax refund or tax rebate. The IRS not not sending those texts; scammers are. The IRS has a long list of federally declared disaster areas where the April 18 deadline will not apply. In those cases, you don't need to file a Form 4868 to get an automatic extension. Victims of severe storms and tornadoes in Tennessee that hit March 31 and April 1, for example, now have until July 31 to file and make payments for their federal income taxes. More:There's no secret way to get free money or a big refund, IRS warns Why should I even file a tax return? It's true many people aren't required to file because their incomes are so low they're not obligated to do so. But did you have taxes withheld from a paycheck that could be returned to you via a tax refund? Did you make estimated payments? Taxpayers are warned that their income tax refund could be smaller this year after many stimulus tax breaks ended. By filing a return, you might get some money back that was withheld. Many working, lower income households would get bigger refunds if they qualify for the earned income tax credit. More:People may not realize they're eligible for Earned Income Tax Credit on 2022 returns More:Companies can deduct full cost of business meals on 2022 tax returns The IRS has an online tool at IRS.gov called "Do I need to file a tax return?" to help you figure out whether you must file a tax return. You need your filing status, the federal income taxes withheld (shown on a W-2 or year-end paycheck) and other basic information to help determine your gross income. New filing thresholds are set each year. If you're single and under age 65, for example, you'd be required to file a federal income tax return if you made more than $12,950 in 2022. If 65 or older, the threshold is $14,700 for a single person, according to the IRS. If married and filing jointly, and if both spouses are younger than 65, the threshold is more than $25,900, according to the IRS. Your age is determined by how old you were on Dec. 31, 2022. The thresholds are slightly higher for those who are older. Thinking about just waiting to file? People who owe money or imagine that they owe a great deal of money might want to go into hiding, but ignoring your taxes only makes matters worse because you'll be hit by a steep penalty for a failing to file. A failure to file penalty of 5% of the unpaid tax is assessed each month or part of a month the return is late, up to a maximum of 25%. The National Taxpayer Advocate gave an example in a blog posted April 12. A person who owes $3,000 in federal income taxes who doesn't file a return or request an extension could incur $750 in penalties, plus interest, within five months," the blog noted. "Even when the amount of tax due on a taxpayers return is not large, but the return is over 60 days late, there is a minimum failure-to-file penalty that is the lesser of $435 or 100% of the tax required to be shown on the return," the blog noted. More:How inflation and taxes hit giant profit-sharing checks for autoworkers More:You can buy I Bonds with your tax refund: What to know about rates, deadline When should you amend a return? Sometimes, you file a return and then discover you've made a mistake: Maybe you didn't spot some paperwork, like a 1099 for a mutual fund held outside of a 401(k) plan, or maybe it's a math error. The IRS has a tool to help you decide if you need to amend a return. Taxpayers can use the Should I File an Amended Return? at IRS.gov to help decide if they should correct an error or make other changes. Tax filers saw $172.26 billion in federal income tax refunds head their way through March 24. While that's a great deal of money, the total dollar amount is down $16.4 billion or down 8.7% from a year ago. More:About $1.5 billion in unclaimed refunds awaits for those who haven't filed 2019 returns What happens when 2 plus 2 doesn't add up to 7? Don't file an amended return to fix a math error or if you forgot to attach a form or schedule. The IRS says it will correct the math error while processing the tax return and notify you by mail. You'd get a letter requesting any missing forms or schedules. File an amended return if there's a bigger issue, such as a change in income or the amount of tax you owe. If you made a mistake with a deduction, you'd need to file an amended return, too. See Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. You can file electronically for 2020, 2021 or 2022 in many, but not all, cases. Taxpayers who file an amended return electronically can receive any refund by direct deposit to their bank account. But that option is not available for those who file on paper. How can I check the status of my Michigan income tax refund? If you filed your state of Michigan income tax return, you can check online to find updates. See michigan.gov/taxes/iit/refund. Contact Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor. Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM Savers can direct all or part of their federal tax refunds up to $5,000 to I Bonds if they file Form 8888 with their 2022 tax return. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: I waited to file my taxes, what should I do in Michigan, last minute A pedestrian walks past the headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles. On Friday the district was found liable for the 2016 death of a teen who collapsed during a gym class. (Frederic Brown / AFP via Getty Images) The Los Angeles Unified School District was found liable Friday for the 2016 death of a 13-year-old boy who collapsed during a PE class at Palms Middle School and was not treated with a defibrillator by school staff, court documents show. The jury unanimously awarded the boy's family $15 million. The verdict stems from a lawsuit filed against the district in Los Angeles County Superior Court in July 2017. The case went to trial last week. The family is "gratified that the jury rendered a verdict in their favor" but "have been devastated by the loss of their son," attorney Gary Casselman said in an interview with The Times. "Nothing will bring him back, but they wanted accountability from the district," said Casselman, who filed the case on behalf of the family that was tried in court by attorney Haytham Faraj. District officials did not immediately respond to a request to comment on Friday evening. The boy was jogging around the school track on the morning of April 25, 2016, when he collapsed and began to gasp for air, according to the complaint. Multiple teachers attending to the boy, who was unresponsive. The called 911 but did not use an automated external defibrillator, or AED, that was in the school's front office. Emergency medical personnel arrived at the school around 10 minutes after the boy collapsed. He was hospitalized for two days before he died on April 27. The district had distributed the defibrillators to schools, but failed to properly inform staff and teachers that they were available, Casselman said. During the 911 call, a dispatcher asked a teacher if a defibrillator was available, Cassleman said. The teacher responded no. "They can't seem to get their act together to get lifesaving equipment into the schools and to get notice to this staff and the teachers," Casselman said. The case bears striking similarities to a lawsuit the district settled last fall for $9 million with the family of a boy who died after running laps at Dodson Middle School in 2018. Story continues After finishing his laps, the boy lay in the grass and did not get up with other children to drink water. Two teachers saw that the boy was unconscious but breathing and did not call 911, perform CPR or administer the AED. The school nurse did not know the school had a defibrillator, attorneys in the case said. "This keeps happening and, hopefully, this will be a wake-up call, but its way too late for the people who've died," Casselman said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Leaked U.S. military documents include Pentagon assessments that Taiwan may be poorly equipped to hold off a Chinese air attack, The Washington Post reports. The assessments say Chinese air power would likely overwhelm Taiwanese defenses and that Chinese use of civilian ships for military purposes, among other things, makes it difficult for U.S. spy agencies to see an attack coming, according to the Post. The assessments, obtained by the outlet, are reportedly among the wide array of sensitive and classified military documents recently leaked online. An Air National Guardsman was arrested this week in connection with the leak and charged with violating the Espionage Act. The leaks come at a time when Chinese-American relations are at a low point, and as the U.S. has underlined its commitment to Taiwans defense in the event of a potential Chinese attack. Last week, House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Los Angeles, becoming the highest ranking American to meet with a Taiwanese leader on U.S. soil. Former Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited Taiwan last year. The Pentagon analysis indicates that the Chinese Air Force would have a strong chance of asserting control in the skies early in a conflict with Taiwan, according to the Post. The assessments also find Taiwanese military and civilian preparedness inadequate, the outlet reported. They say that the Taiwanese policy to fire two air-defense missiles at each target could be overwhelmed by a high-volume Chinese attack, and that civilian air raid siren drills are not effective in preparing for a real-world event, per the Post. But other analysis in the documents predict that a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan would still be difficult, according to the outlet. One assessment reportedly notes that any amphibious invasion of Taiwan would likely be hampered by difficulties in delivering gasoline, meaning the U.S. and Taiwan could thwart it early on. It further noted that Chinas best strategy to enable refueling would be to seize Taipeis port, something its military has not trained how to do, the Post reported. Story continues China has ramped up military exercises near Taiwan in recent months as a show of force. That includes a ballistic missile barrage near the island following Pelosis visit. The assessments said the increased Chinese military activity around Taiwan makes it more difficult for the intelligence community to accurately gauge a potential escalation, according to the Post. Pentagon documents also criticize Taiwanese military planning, the outlet reported. They said air defense forces cannot see the location of all units at a given time and do not possess radios to securely communicate, and that plans to expand mandatory conscription next year from four months to a year would not significantly improve defense, according to the Post. Another assessment reportedly outlines Chinese space warfare capabilities. Documents say that China would be likely to attempt to disable U.S. satellites in the case of an invasion, and that it possesses a range of weaponry that could be used to deter, disrupt, and, if necessary, defeat U.S. attempts to defend Taiwan, according to the Post. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. At least 11 people were killed and 22 wounded after Russian missile strikes in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday. Crews also searched for four more people thought to be trapped under the rubble of an apartment building after Friday's missile strikes, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Donetsk region. Meanwhile, a 48-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter were killed Saturday after Russian forces shelled a neighborhood in southern Ukraine's Kherson, the city's regional administration said. Kherson was once occupied by Russian forces early in the war but was regained by Ukrainian forces in November, marking a significant battlefield victory for Ukraine. PREVIOUS UPDATES: Video purported to show beheading of Ukraine soldier draws outrage A local resident looks at his home, damaged by a Russian rocket attack in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Apr. 14, 2023. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. Latest developments: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a new law that allows the military to send draft notices electronically instead of delivering them in person, the United Kingdom Defense Ministry said Saturday. About 52,000 Russian men have received draft orders as part of Russia's regular spring call-up. Finland on Friday broke ground on the construction of a barbed-wire fence along its border with Russia. Border officials have previously acknowledged that Russia's invasion of Ukraine helped prompt the border fence's construction. Ukraine's air force prepares for additional weapons from US Ukraine's air force said it expects to soon have additional weapons, including a Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S., that would help prevent attacks like Friday's in Sloviansk, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told reporters Saturday. A group of 65 Ukrainian soldiers were trained last month at a U.S. Army post in Oklahoma and were expected to return to Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery, which typically includes six mobile launchers, a mobile radar, a power generator and an engagement control center. Story continues The weapons may prove especially helpful as Ukraine prepare for an expected spring counteroffensive from Russian forces, Ukrainian officials have said. Firefighters work to extinguish a fire as they look for victims after a Russian rocket attack in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Apr. 14, 2023. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. OPINION: USA TODAY stands with Evan Gershkovich US journalist arrested in Russia tells family he's 'not losing hope' Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent based in Moscow, told his family he is "not losing hope" in a hand-written letter, the newspaper said Friday. Gershkovich also said he continues to read, exercise and write during his detention. He was arrested in March while reporting in the western Russian city of Yekaterinburg and charged with espionage. The Wall Street Journal has repeatedly denied that Gershkovich is a spy, and the U.S. State Department has called him "wrongfully detained." Contributing: The Associated Press Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine, Russia war updates: 11 killed in Sloviansk missile strikes At least 12 inmates were killed in clashes that broke out in a prison in the Ecuadoran port of Guayaquil, the prosecutor's office said Saturday, the latest deadly violence to rock the city's penitentiary system. The dozen inmate deaths occurred after a bloody confrontation erupted Friday -- part of a spate of brutality that began when six detainees were found hanged in the same prison and three female guards were killed earlier in the week. Ecuadoran prisons are the scene of recurrent massacres between prisoners, against a backdrop of rivalry between criminal groups fighting for control of lucrative drug trafficking. "An investigation has been opened to identify those responsible for the death of 12 inmates from the Litoral Penitentiary," which is also known as Guayas 1, the prosecutor's office said, adding that the bodies had bullet wounds. The country's main port on the Pacific coast, Guayaquil has in recent years become the epicenter of drug trafficking in Ecuador, located between Colombia and Peru -- the world's main cocaine producers. Since February 2021, eight massacres have been recorded in these prisons, with more than 400 prisoners killed, most of them dismembered and burned. After the six hanged inmates were found on Wednesday, three female guards were shot dead Thursday by hired killers at a restaurant outside the prison complex. On Friday, AFP correspondents could hear gunfire from within the prison and were able to record aerial images in which five bodies could be seen lying on the ground. - 'Worst moment' - "We do not deny the reality and the fact that we are in the worst moment of violence in the country," Ecuadorian Defense Minister Juan Zapata said on Friday, when the clashes began. Overnight Friday to Saturday, the police and the army regained control of the prison, which houses around 6,800 inmates and is part of a large prison complex. Drug traffickers use prisons as centers of operation, leading to deadly clashes at regular intervals. Story continues In September, some 120 prisoners were killed in the Guayas 1 penitentiary during the deadliest massacre in the history of the country and one of the bloodiest in Latin America. Drug-related violence is endemic in Ecuador. On Tuesday, around 30 armed men opened fire in the small fishing port of Esmeraldas, in the north of the country, near the Colombian border, killing nine people. The assailants arrived by boat and car and, without a word, started shooting. "What happened in Esmeraldas were not acts of common crime, they were terrorist acts," said Zapata. Faced with the onslaught of violence, President Guillermo Lasso declared a 60-day state of emergency on March 3 in three provinces, including Guayaquil and Esmeraldas. According to the first census of the country's prisons carried out in 2022, Ecuador has about 31,000 prisoners in 36 prisons with a capacity of 30,000 people. lv/llu/jh/bfm/dhc Kimora Lee Simmons daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, has given her mom flowers on flowers while seemingly throwing shade at a high-end magazine within one post. In a recent Instagram upload, the 20-year-old praised her mother hours after Vogue Magazine dropped its newest cover honoring the late German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Aoki Lee Simmons shares a photo of her mother Kimora Lee Simmons and Karl Lagerfeld. (Photo: @aokileesimmons/Instagram.) Lagerfeld, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, was responsible for helping Simmons launch her modeling career after Chanel signed her at the age of 13. The Baby Phat founder worked closely under Lagerfeld, who was the designer for the luxurious brand at the time. In Vogues celebratory post, the outlet noted that the models on the cover, which included Naomi Campbell, Kendall Jenner, Liu Wen, and more, were who Lagerfeld loved most. But many noticed Simmons was nowhere in sight. This post appeared to have triggered the Harvard University student to share several photos of her supermodel mother, with Lagerfeld writing, Let us not forget the youngest Chanel bride. Aoki continued to shine a light on Simmons impact on the fashion industry, Karl muse and his face of the 21st century at age 13, straight from the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of a single mother and first gen immigrant, the maker of the wayyy @kimoraleesimmons Im always so proud of you mom! In 1989, her mother walked in the Chanel Haute Couture Show and closed the show as the beloved Bride. This major honor was gifted by Lagerfeld and given to the it models, per Brides.com. Aoki penned another message in the comment section, writing, flowers on flowers! Throwing flowers! @kimoraleesimmons Simmons shared her daughters post to her Instagram page, along with photos of her excursions as a young model and of herself with Lagerfeld. The 47-year-old model and fashion icon simply put a white heart as her caption. In the Chanel Haute Couture 1989 show, Kimora Lee was given the privilege to close the show as The Bride. Which is a huge deal for models then and now. She continued on walking for shows like Emmanuel Ungaro, YSL, Anna Sui, Fendi, and Karls namesake brand. pic.twitter.com/ukwKYjCcxk (@dolls4prada) April 9, 2023 While Vogue has not stated why they didnt include the model-turned-designer, several fans expressed their outrage about her exclusion from the cover. One said, I will say where was Kimora for that cover? If were talking Chanel/Karl girls she was the one!! Story continues Meanwhile, many under Simmons post continued to give the icon her well-deserved props for her impact on the fashion industry. Yass remind the people! Youve always been the doll You should have also been on the cover, kween! The original Chanel muse Referring to Aokis post, one fan said, Yes. Go hard for your mom. Shes a legend Vogues May issue dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld pic.twitter.com/YElRhUCay5 andriana (@MUGLERMIND) April 11, 2023 Supermodel Devon Aoki, who was featured on Vogues cover, also commented, calling Simmons, The most beautiful muse of all muses love you babe. Aoki seemingly followed in her mothers footsteps and has walked in several fashion shows. She previously hit back at critics for pursuing a model career while working on her college degree. In addition to Aoki, whose father is Russell Simmons, the model has four more biological children: 23-year-old Ming Lee Simmons, who also is a daughter of Russell Simmons; 13-year-old Kenzo Lee Hounsou, whom she shares with actor Djimon Hounsou; and 8-year-old Wolf Lee Leissner, whom Simmons shares with investment banker and estranged husband Tim Leissner. Simmons also has a 13-year-old son she adopted in 2020. Evan Gershkovich - AFP An American reporter jailed by Russia has said his mothers cooking had prepared him well for the gruel served for breakfast by his prison guards. In his first letter since being arrested and charged with espionage, Evan Gershkovich told his family he was not losing hope. The Wall Street Journal, the newspaper Mr Gershkovich works for in Russia, published extracts from a letter its correspondent had sent to his parents in Philadelphia. The letter was written in Russian and dated April 5. Mum, you unfortunately, for better or worse, prepared me well for jail food, he wrote. In the morning, for breakfast, they give us hot creamed wheat, oatmeal cereal or wheat gruel. I am remembering my childhood. Russia's FSB security service arrested Mr Gershkovich on March 29 while he was on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg in Russia's Ural mountains. He was officially charged with spying last week. He denies the charges. Mr Gershkovich, 31, is a respected reporter and has official accreditation from the Russian ministry of foreign affairs. His parents both emigrated from the Soviet Union to the United States in 1979 and Mr Gershkovich grew up speaking Russian at home. He also told his parents in the letter that he loved them and he had not given up hope of seeing them again soon. I want to say that I am not losing hope, he wrote. I read. I exercise. And I am trying to write. Protesters - Getty Mr Gershkovich is being held in Russia's notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow, where the Kremlin sends its most high-profile prisoners before they go on trial. People who have been inside the prison have said that he will be held in near-total isolation, although he will have access to a prison library. So far, only Mr Gershkovich's lawyer has seen him. He hasn't been allowed visits from friends, family or US diplomats, although he confirmed in his letter that he had received a "care" package which contained slippers, toiletries, T-shirts and socks. His mother, Ella Milman, told the Wall Street Journal that she felt great joy at receiving the letter. "These are my sons words, not someone else telling me, she said. And his spirit is shining. Mr Gershkovich is the first American journalist to be imprisoned by the Russian authorities and accused of spying since 1986. The US government has demanded his immediate release but analysts believe the Kremlin may want to use him as a pawn for future prisoner swaps. Lewis Capaldi has opened up about his attitude towards his appearance in a recent interview with The Independent. The Scottish singer-songwriter, 26, was involved in a number of candid conversations about his health and self-image in his new Netflix documentary, How Im Feeling Now. Viewers and fans have praised Capaldi for his honesty about his personal struggles with issues such as anxiety. The Before You Go vocalist has Tourettes, which can result in tics sudden and involuntary twitches, movements, or repeated sounds, and also suffers from panic attacks. In a new interview with The Independent, Capaldi spoke out about his image being a topic of public scrutiny and described how people feel an affinity with the way he looks. I exist as I am, Capaldi said in the conversation, published on Saturday (15 April). Dont get me wrong, I am a bit heavier than I would like to be right now. But I have no desire to be chiselled. To have a six-pack. That sounds boring and time-consuming to me, he said. Capaldi believes its important for fans to see celebrities like him and Lizzo, to show people that you dont have to be stick-thin or built like a f***ing brick s***house to be successful. But it is weird when you walk around some of these [A-list] parties and you do think, Im a bit of an odd one out here, he added. Noting how hes faced criticism for his habit of dressing casually to events such as the Brits or the Grammys, he remarked: Its an enduring look! But also: who gives a f*** what Im wearing?! he said. Lewis Capaldi (Getty Images) In January, Capaldi responded to a TikTok video of him twitching on stage at one of his live performances, reassuring fans who expressed concern for him. Im doing this quite a lot and sort of like look a bit uncomfortable. Its just Ive got Tourettes, so Im just twitching quite a bit here. Its not an issue in the slightest, Im absolutely fine, he added. Capaldi rose to fame when he released his second EP Breach in November 2018, which contained the song Someone You Loved, which became Lewiss breakthrough single. It spent seven weeks at number one in the UK. Capaldis second album, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, will be released on 19 May. A Massachusetts appeals court temporarily blocked a Texas- based federal judge s ruling that suspended the FDA s approval of the abortion drug Mifepristone, which is part of a two-drug regimen to induce an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy in combination with the drug Misoprostol. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images North America/TNS) Whats Quickly? Its where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com. Who cares whether the Republican nominee is Trump or someone else? As long as the GOP stands against gun control, abortion, access to affordable healthcare, making billionaires and corporations pay a fair share of taxes, and opposing Russian aggression, while defending the Big Lie and denying the consequences of the January 6 insurrection, they arent fit to govern. Their program remains a program of death, danger, and decline for most Americans. Leaders have a responsibility to lead and do whats right for the people. The Republican Party has abdicated that responsibility. Advertisement How many teachers have requested a change in the law to allow them to carry a gun into our childrens classrooms? I wonder how long before a teacher is behind a school shooting? Our legislators are goofy. The answer is not more guns. Are they trying to recreate the Wild West in Indiana? It seems so. Justice Clarence Thomas received millions in gifts from a millionaire donor. He even sold him a house for triple the market value and his mother was allowed to continue to live there. His wife earned $1.6 million from the Republican National Committee and he never disclosed it. Its all facts; hes guilty. If he had any decency, he would resign. However, he is a Republican. Decency isnt even in his vocabulary. Advertisement I never thought I would find a reason to agree with our in-residence Quickly writer who claims that Democrats dont work. I have been following the trial of former Democratic Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. Reports say that a number of his cronies were given jobs and a salary but did no work. At least they didnt do the work that was supposed to be required by the company. They were ghost payrollers! My only concern with our Quickly friend is he only criticizes Democrats. He never mentions individuals like Trumps accountant a Republican who is actually serving time for income he didnt work for and didnt report on his tax returns. We all know within both parties these examples are exceptions and not necessarily the norm. How long before this rabidly anti-abortion federal judge in Texas decides that the FDA didnt do a proper job in approving the other abortion-inducing drug, Misoprostol, either, and bans it too? Its all part of the right-wing playbook of Dont trust science and dont trust the federal government. Trumps lawyer is making a big deal out of Trump actually answering questions instead of pleading the Fifth Amendment during the recent deposition related to charges of financial fraud in New York. He fails to mention that Trumps answers to questions are very likely limited to I dont know and I dont recall. Can someone explain why Supreme Court Justice John Roberts hasnt removed Clarence Thomas? He has blatantly accepted gifts and never reported them from a republican donor for 20 years! We also learned that he sold property to the same donor. Who knows what this donor did for Mrs. Thomas the election denier that was at the Capitol on January 6th. If these offenses dont remove him from the highest court, what would? Looks like the FBI was too focused on Donald Trump witch hunts to keep possession of Joes secret papers on the Ukraine war. Somehow in the FBI transfers from Washington, D.C. to Florida, these secret papers ended up all over social media. Now Moscow knows as much as the Ukraine government on what goes on in Ukraine. Think this will get swept under the carper? It already has some DA in NJ is organizing the whole show. Read more at www.post-trib.com/opinion. Lewis Capaldi returns with his second album Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent in May (Alexandra Gavillet) I havent got to the point where any of this feels normal to me yet, says Lewis Capaldi. He points out that were speaking six years, to the day since he released his first single, Bruises, which quickly racked up 28 million plays on Spotify, making the Glaswegian the fastest unsigned artist to reach 25 million streams on the platform. The following year he wrote a song about the loss of his grandmother Someone You Loved that would be streamed a staggering 2.8 billion times. Now Forget Me the lead single from his second album, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent has turned platinum in the UK, and hes still finding his success just... pfffft... just f***ing bizarre, yknow? I dont think it will ever feel normal. Video-calling from a hotel room in Atlanta in the middle of his US tour, Capaldi seems more settled in himself than the sweary joker he became in earlier interviews. At 26, hes also more sweetly baby-faced. He shrugs and continues: I still feel out of my depth all the time. And I dont think thats a bad thing. Its fine to feel out of your depth. But I have to remind myself not to pile onto myself, not to give myself a hard time. Because Im trying to go easier on myself with the self-talk these days. Take breaks. Be calm. Because I used to think Id just go until the wheels came off... Fans will be able to see just how close Capaldi came to throwing his tyres in 2019 in the new Netflix documentary Lewis Capaldi: How Im Feeling Now. Its directed by Joe Pearlman, best known for making the near mockumentary Bros: After the Screaming Stops. Knowing how that film turned the struggles of the Eighties pop sensations into a succession of memeable moments, did Capaldi feel any trepidation about putting his private life under Pearlmans microscope? I didnt know what to expect, to be honest, he says. At no point did I think: the world needs to hear my story. Im the first person to acknowledge there are too many f***ing music documentaries being made just now. But they came to us just before Covid, when I was supposed to be going on tour. I thought: Oh, Ill be playing these shows and itll be like a heros documentary. But then Covid came along and forced us to make a much more intimate film. I didnt expect to be talking about my family and my mental health. Story continues Shot mostly in his parents home in Glasgow cockapoos on the sofa, WWF trading cards in Capaldis childhood bedroom, interviewees leaning against the fridge the film tracks Capaldis journey from quirky kid (with a glitchy wink), through his early songwriting days and underage gigging, to the Wembley gig during which his mounting anxiety and twitching shoulder forced him to leave the stage. Although internet trolls argued that Capaldis jerking body was a consequence of drug abuse, he was eventually diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, which helped him make sense of his lifelong tics. He tells Pearlman: When I have a panic attack, it feels like Im going insane, completely disconnected from reality. I cant breathe. I cant feel my breath going in. I get dizzy. I feel like theres something happening to my head. Im sweating. My whole body starts to do what my shoulder does. Like pure convulsing. The big thing for me with it is, Im always going to feel like this now, this is me. F***. This is it. Either I feel like Im going to be stuck like that for ever, or Im going to die. Today he admits: I didnt realise how much my anxiety and Tourettes was taking over my life until I watched [Pearlmans footage] back. When I saw the first draft, it was so depressing, I was surprised I didnt die at the end! He grins. I mean, theres always the sequel... Lewis Capaldi in Netflixs How Im Feeling Now (Netflix) Much of the documentarys charm comes from the relatable normality of the Capaldi clan and Lewiss old schoolfriends. He agrees that its good because of those juxtapositions. I havent seen a documentary where the contrast between someones home life and their thing is that glaring. Some documentaries feel like propaganda, but this... really isnt. And he concedes that he did feel nervous about putting his parents on film. My mums a nurse, my dads a fishmonger. Its not very glamorous! His parents contributions, though, are some of the most emotional. His father Mark reveals that Lewis can sometimes spend up to seven hours on the phone with his mother Carol as she strives to talk him down from a panic attack. In one of the most moving scenes, Carol breaks down and asks to stop filming when she talks about her sister, who died by suicide when Lewis was just six. His aunts death inspired Capaldis song Before You Go, on which he puts himself in his bereaved mothers shoes as he sings: Was there something I couldve said to make your heart beat better? When youre at your lowest, thats when you find out who you are He tells me that until he saw the documentary, he had never seen his mum watching him perform the song live. And Id never seen her talking about her sister like that. People are sometimes more comfortable saying things to a camera than they are to each other. Capaldi feels that he has always channelled his sadder feelings into his songs for the same reason. I think our grief, our pain, connects us more than our happiness, he says. When youre at your lowest, thats when you find out who you are. He knows that when hes feeling happy, then pretty much anything on the radio will do. But when Im down, then Ill seek out the songs I need. Radiohead are occupying all of my playlists at the moment. A song like True Love Waits? Its just outrageous how that leaves you feeling so f***ing sad. You feel so connected when youre hearing somebodys deepest melancholy. The depths of despair that Thom Yorke is expressing in that song are so beautiful when youre feeling the same... its a lovely feeling, to know were all suffering together. Lewis Capaldi won popularity on social media by clowning around (Netflix) He gets a similar response from his own fans: I meet people at gigs who say they played Someone You Loved at a cousins funeral. Or people whose family members have committed suicide will want to talk about Before You Go. My happiest song is probably Hollywood, and Ive never had anybody come up and want to open up to me about that one. I like the feeling that a song Ive written has made somebody feel comfortable enough that they can come up and talk to me about their darkest, most personal moments. By contrast, Capaldi won popularity on social media by clowning around while puncturing myths of the celebrity lifestyle. He donned Dame Edna sunglasses and mimed along with boy sopranos in a church choir. He photographed himself googling his rumoured net worth versus his actual bank account. He made jokes about the fact that he doesnt look like the standard yoga-toned pop star, and having recently filmed the video for Forget Me posing pastily in his swimming trunks remains proud that he has never felt the need to conform to the standardised pop-star physique. I exist as I am, he says. People feel an affinity with the way I look. Dont get me wrong, I am a bit heavier than I would like to be right now. But I have no desire to be chiselled. To have a six-pack. That sounds boring and time-consuming to me. And I think its important that there are people like me and Lizzo whos great to show people you dont have to be stick-thin or built like a f***ing brick s***house to be successful. He tips his head to one side. But it is weird when you walk around some of these [A-list] parties, and you do think, Im a bit of an odd one out here. Ive had some criticism on Twitter recently for the clothes I wear to things. I just stick with trainers, jeans, T-shirt. Its an enduring look! But also: who gives a f*** what Im wearing?! In your twenties you learn a lot about who you are as an adult. Its weird doing that when youre famous, when there are these videos of you that live online for ever (Rory Dewar) He also explains that, while his social media presence started out as a means of keeping things real being 100 per cent myself, fully me he ran into problems when what I was doing then became a commodity. It became part of his brand? Yeah. That word. Id hear: Your brand is being silly. Do more of that. It left me questioning myself again: is that the f***ing person I am? I mean, it is. But... He sighs. In your twenties you learn a lot about who you are as an adult. Its weird doing that when youre famous, when there are these videos of you that live online for ever. Everyone else has an opinion about who you are, too. Capaldi tackles this subject on new song The Pretender. He hums a few bars for me, including a line in which he offers to transform into whoever you want me to be, and explains: That was me talking about that imposter syndrome. I do have moments where Im thinking, Oh, that song shouldnt have done that well. I really thought Someone You Loved shouldnt have done as well as it did. Its like a defence mechanism, too. Your brains stopping you from becoming a completely insufferable c***... Another shrug. And also, I do have to put on a face, you know? This is a public-facing job. Sometimes youre going to have to go out and say everythings great when you dont necessarily feel that way. We all do, dont we? One of my earliest conversations with Ed Sheeran was about losing my sense of the value of money Capaldi says hes also retreated a little from his social media feeds, because my phone became quite a big thing for me after my first record. I was on Instagram a lot. Not because I had to, but because I enjoyed doing it. It was brilliant. I still do love it. But I really need to put a cap on the time I spend staring at a screen, because whenever I looked up or went out, I would get overwhelmed. I was just so used to looking at the screen. And I would look at s****. Any pish. TikTok. Its mental how it sucks you in. With fame comes an inevitable change in scale, and that involves staff. Capaldi is keenly aware that being able to outsource much of his basic life admin leaves him with even more time to either mess about online or get trapped in his own racing thoughts. When you take away the morning alarm, getting out of the house, working the 9-5... its easy to just slip into negative thinking. I think people experienced that in Covid. You had nothing to focus on. Does he worry about losing touch with normal life? Yeah. Its a fear Ive got. I remember one of my earliest conversations with Ed Sheeran was about losing my sense of the value of money. Im very, very, very, very concerned about getting too big for my boots, or thinking Im better than anyone else because I do this f***ing stupid job. It is ridiculous. We are overpaid. Capaldi was warned by Sheeran that fame might not change him but would change the people around him, and he was recently advised by his older friend to buy a 1.6m farmhouse on the outskirts of Glasgow. But Capaldi hasnt been impressed with the amount of investment the hellhole (at which he reportedly found a carrier bag full of live frogs) will require, and Sheeran has jokingly offered to buy it from him. Today, Capaldi tells me that he still considers Glasgow home. Ive bought a flat there. And Ive got a flat in London. But the farmhouse is where I see myself ending up in five years or so... itll probably take that long to get it fixed, anyway! While Sheeran (who co-wrote the song Pointless on Capaldis new album) has been hitting out at music critics lately, Capaldi says he still enjoys reading reviews of my music... even the bad ones. Thomas H Green of The Arts Desk said I sound like a constipated Hozier and I thought that was hilarious. I think I sound more like a Paolo Nutini knockoff. Or like if Adele was a guy and not as good. He grins, then rallies to his friends defence. Id say that Ed has been at it a lot longer than me, and he does get a lot of unfair criticism. I think hes one of the best songwriters of the past 30 years. But I think he gets overlooked because of his popularity. My twitch can go mental because when I start doing something good, thats when I stress that Im going to f*** it up Sheeran is just one of many co-writers to get a credit on Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent. Pearlmans documentary exposes Capaldis struggle to turn out emotionally authentic material by committee in LA writers rooms. Making an album is a f***ing slog, he says. Sometimes you walk into those rooms and everything just clicks. But youre in the weeds quite a lot with it, too. He shakes his head. Ive sat down at a piano for an hour and hated myself before something comes out. People talk about songwriting being cathartic, and I would agree to a certain degree. But catharsis isnt always a good feeling, you know? Catharsis can be really painful. My twitch can go mental because when I start doing something good, thats when I stress that Im going to f*** it up. He tells me his favourite song on the new album is probably How Im Feeling Now, which is the first song Ive written about my mental health. But he also really likes Wish You the Best, which, he says, is the last song he wrote. Im really bad with change and moving on, he explains. I look at people I went to school with on Instagram, and theyre having kids or buying houses with a partner, and I have a really hard time with that. You can feel things passing you by. I know Im not exactly 70 years old or whatever, but it does feel like a chapter in your life is closing when you dont know those people any more. He says hes put some of those emotions into the story of a relationship ending for the song, because he feels that break-ups can trigger that selfish thing in you that wants to hold on to the past. That slight anger in the feeling of abandonment. But you never actually tell them that. You just say Im pleased for you, and you swallow the other stuff. Lewis Capaldi in How Im Feeling Now on Netflix (Netflix) I do know that Capaldi is in a relationship at the moment, and he tells me his girlfriend is great, amazing. Its good to have somebody there after so long not having that. He also says that he has really cut back on my drinking. Its not like I was an alcoholic, waking up boozing or whatever. But I enjoyed the party a little bit too much and it made me anxious. He thinks he has drunk alcohol maybe... five times in three months. Ive been trying to exercise. Or just get outside of the house. Because Im someone who likes to stay indoors, just working on music. But Ive been getting out of my own f***ing bubble. And its paid off. My Atlanta gig, last night? That was my best ever night for tics on stage. But he would also like to reassure the many people with Tourettes out there: If Im tired, stressed, jet-lagged, then the tics will be back and thats fine. Im very lucky that if my tics are really bad, I can cancel and thats not a world-ending thing. But I think about this seven-year-old kid his mum messaged us, and I think his name was Leo and the thought of him having to go to school every day. How horrific that is for him on certain days, and he has to do it. Hes visibly moved by this boys plight. I want kids like Leo to know that Tourettes doesnt have to get in your way. You might get people bullying you, taking the piss, whatever. But it doesnt define you in any way. Its never, ever stood in the way of me doing what I love, and it shouldnt stop you from succeeding either. I might have the odd twitch on stage, and when Ive been open about it, I found that for the most part people have been very understanding and compassionate. He smiles and nods. I can still do what I need to do. Theres nothing to be ashamed of. Lewis Capaldi: How Im Feeling Now is available to watch on Netflix now; Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent will be released on 19 May via EMI Records A sunny day in Paris in May can be rare, but the Eiffel Tower shines in blue skies on May 17, 2017. Paris was listed as the worlds most powerful city by the World Travel & Tourism Council. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News You may have a favorite city you like to visit, but according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the city of love is the worlds most powerful city for tourism. What makes Paris the most powerful tourist city? How did the research determine Paris as the top ranking city? It analysed key indicators such as Travel & Tourisms contribution to GDP, employment and traveller spend, per the report. Its not just spend that is suggesting Paris as a top tourist destination. The French city also made the tops of U.S. News & World Reports travel rankings, which are based on analysis of expert and user opinions. However, that ranking listed South Island, New Zealand, as No. 1 and Paris as No. 2. It suggests visiting the beloved Musee dOrsay, shop the biggest designers on the Champs Elysees or hit the boutiques in Le Marais, take in the view atop the Eiffel Tower, or even plan a day trip to Versailles Palace. What other cities does the Travel & Tourisms ranking mention? The council did predict Paris will eventually drop to third place if trends continue in Beijing and Shanghai. Travel & Tourism predicts the Chinese cities will overtake the top two spots by 2032. The list also takes into account museum tickets, spend on hotel rooms and investment that local and national government and business put into the cities, CNN reported. Three cities in the U.S. made the list Orlando, Las Vegas and New York City. Red telephone booths are iconic London staples. This one remains on Great George Street in London, England, as of June 9, 2018. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News What were the top 10 most powerful cities in 2022? Heres the top 10 cities based on Direct Travel & Tourism GDP in real terms for 2022. Paris, France. Beijing, China. Orlando, Florida. Shanghai, China. Las Vegas, Nevada. New York City, New York. Tokyo, Japan. Mexico City, Mexico. London, England. Guangzhou, China. The evening view near the Central Business District is seen in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts Beijing will be the worlds most powerful tourist city by 2032. | Ng Han Guan, Associated Press The World Travel & Tourism Councils top 10 city predictions for 2032 Heres the top 10 cities based on Predicted Direct Travel & Tourism GDP in real terms for 2032. Joe Joyce, pictured, lost to Zhilei Zhang at the Copper Box Arena (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire) Joe Joyce suffered a crushing defeat by Zhilei Zhang after a sixth-round stoppage at the Copper Box Arena in London. Referee Howard Foster called off the contest with Joyce sustaining significant swelling to his right eye as Chinas Zhang secured the WBO interim heavyweight title. Londoner Joyce, 37, had been expected to successfully defend his position as WBO interim champion, and maintain his unbeaten record in his 16th bout. The referee had to call it off Joe Joyce's eye was not in the best way #FightNight | #JoyceZhang | BT Sport 1 pic.twitter.com/I4qox7QEgK Boxing on BT Sport (@BTSportBoxing) April 15, 2023 But 39-year-old Zhangs straight left hand did the damage, leaving Joyce on unsteady legs as early as the opening round. The ringside doctor examined Joyces damaged eye before the start of the sixth, and he was called for a second time during the same round before Foster stopped the fight. I am disappointed with my performance, said Joyce, the 2016 Olympic silver medallist. It was a good fight, but I could have done better. I have not fought against a southpaw for so long. Credit to him. He is a good fighter and I gave it my all. But I expected to win. I would like to apologise to all my fans and my supporters. I will be back and my journey is not over. Dozens of police officers in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Antioch are under fire after excerpts from their personal group chat filled with racist and homophobic text messages have been made public. Citizens and the citys mayor are outraged and question if the bigoted sentiments in the exchanges color how officers police the community. The texts came to light on April 11 after The Bay Area News Group obtained a copy of an investigative report written by Contra Costa District Attorney Senior Inspector Larry Wallace about the groups messages to each other. Mayor Lamar Thorpe is furious at some community members whore defending racism in the town. (ABC7 Screengrab) The texting scandal is at the center of an FBI investigation and Contra Costa County District Attorneys Office investigation into Bay Area police departments that dates back to 2019, according to ABC 7 News. The investigations identified 17 officers as participants in the chat, making up approximately a quarter of the Antioch Police Department, but the East Bay Times reports that 44 Antioch officers have gotten as least one message included in the investigation of the group. By Wednesday, April 12, 17 of those officers had been placed on leave. Some have resigned, and others are working on the force but not in roles that are public-facing. The texts excerpted in the reports from a second, 14-page report emerged Friday, April 14, reveal a pattern of officers using racial epithets to refer to African-Americans and expressing both a desire to use violence against them and satisfaction at doing so. Ill bury that n-r in my fields, Antioch Sgt. Joshua Evans texted Officer Morteza Amiri in December 2020. In February 2020 Amiri texted Officer Eric Rombough, No they didnt push it that far. Bunch of gorillas surrounding us and taunting a fight since we were hooking [epithet]. The messges, which werent always limited to Antioch officers, sometimes show officers openly admitting to violating citizens constitutional rights. Since we dont have video I sometimes just say people gave me a full confession when they didnt. Gets filed easier, Amiri texted an officer in Brentwood, another Contra Costa County city, in April 2020. The Antioch City Council voted the following year to equip its officers with body cameras. Story continues Other messages showed officers carrying out their expressed wishes for violence. In March 2021 Antioch officers were planning a raid to arrest 22-year-old Terryonn Pugh and Trent Allen. One report document shows Officer Rombough texting Detective Robert Gerber, Bro I cant wait to forty all of them, referring to using the nonlethal sponge rounds officers use during a raid. Days later, after the raid, Rombough messaged another officer, Bro, my foot hurts. Asked if hed kicked one of the men, Rombough replied, Yup, like a f field goal, before adding, Gotta stop kicking ns in their head. Pughs lawyer Carmela Caramagno told ABC7, It is clear that the Antioch Police Department has treated that community like a war zone, and the community members as if they were hostiles. Antiochs population is around 24% Black, according to 2020 census data. Mayor Lamar Thorpe called for a special meeting to discuss the text messages, a town hall discussion that ended with heated emotions and many up in arms. The mayor, an African-American man, said he was disgusted by what he learned about the text messages. The report showed that during a chat about a Black Lives Matter demonstration in June 2020 Officer John Ramirez sent a text saying hed buy a prime rib dinner at a steakhouse to officer who used .40mm sponge bullets against Thorpe. Im blown away that there were threats to my personal life in those text messages, Thorpe said this week about the threat, CBS News reported. The mayor is calling for all of the officers featured in the investigation to be fired. During the meeting, Thorpe snapped at one of his constituents. The person asked for the mayor also to be investigated. I am sick and tired of being attacked by these people in this community apologizing for the racism going on in this community, Thorpe said, adding, Youre the problem! Youre the problem! At one point, the mayor seemed to invite the man outside to a fistfight, saying, You want to go outside? Lets go! Its not just the police department who provides cover for people like this who are on these text messages, Thorpe later told local station KTVU. There are residents in this community who will put up a fight to protect the culture that exists in that department. The FBI began looking into the APD and the Pittsburg Police Department after reports suggested officers were engaged in illegal activity. The officers were not only accused of violating citizens civil rights but also alleged to be dealing cocaine and steroids, intentionally using excessive force, and accepting bribes. A mural in the Cambodia Town area of Long Beach. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) For the record: 12:07 p.m. April 17, 2023: A previous version of this story said that Cambodian Americans were key in pushing Long Beach to elect council members by district, rather than at-large. Cambodian Americans pushed for the creation of an independent redistricting commission council members were already elected by district. At Long Beach's first Sankranta festival to celebrate the Cambodian new year, people knelt and prayed at a mound of sand called a stupa, decorated with bright yellow flowers to honor ancestors. They snacked on Cambodian barbecue pork chops with Belgian waffles and browsed booths with shirts featuring Angkor Wat, the famous temple. A separate parade and celebration, which has been a fixture in the city for decades, followed the next day, April 2. Sankranta means "beginning of a new year" in Khmer, Cambodia's official language. But some Cambodian American elders have strongly objected to the new festival's name. Sophie Wherritt, Charles Song, Rita Sisowath, Tippana Tith and Sovachana Pou gather at a restaurant in Long Beach. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) At recent City Council meetings, they held signs reading "No Sangkranta in Long Beach" and "We always celebrate Cambodian New Year in Long Beach." They prefer an English name that incorporates "Cambodian" or "Khmer" to highlight their heritage and to acknowledge the other, decades-old celebration, which is community-led. Anything less, they say, makes them feel as if they are being erased. If the Khmer language must be used, they prefer Chol Chnam Thmei, which translates to "entering the new year" and encompasses all three days of the holiday, not just the first day. They also believe that Sankranta is too similar to Songkran, a term for the new year used in Thailand. Although Cambodia and Thailand generally get along, there have been occasional flashpoints, including Thailand's support of the Khmer Rouge regime. In Cambodia, the Angkor Sankranta festival is associated with the prime minister's son, Gen. Hun Manet, whose 2016 visit to Long Beach sparked protests because of his father's past as a Khmer Rouge commander and role in a government repeatedly accused of election fraud and human rights abuses. Story continues A shrine at Khemara Buddhikarama Temple. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) Sovachana Pou, a 66-year-old senior research fellow studying Southeast Asia at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, pointed to the community's history as refugees. Whatever we are left with is our identity and our culture," said Pou, who came to the U.S. from Cambodia in 1975. "We are trying to protect that. But for Suely Saro, the first Cambodian American council member in a city with the largest Cambodian population in the U.S., the new festival's name is an effort to embrace other Asian communities. It's also a way to go "back to our roots," said Saro, 42, highlighting Sankranta's origins in Cambodia's state religion of Buddhism. Her council office organized the festival and contributed about $50,000. Sankranta is a celebration that is being recognized in Cambodia, in Laos, in Thailand, in Myanmar, in Sri Lanka and some parts of India, Saro told a crowd at the festival, which included Hmong and Filipino dancers. This is about inclusivity. Community activists Sovachana Pou, Charles Song, Sophie Wherritt, Rita Sisowath and Tippana Tith gather in Long Beach. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) Nearly five decades ago, Cambodian refugees who fled the murderous Khmer Rouge regime began settling in Long Beach. The community eventually grew to about 20,000 Cambodian American residents. In 2007, the city designated a mile-long stretch of Anaheim Street as Cambodia Town. Cambodian Americans were key in pushing the city to form an independent redistricting commission, which ultimately unified all of Cambodia Town in one district. In Cambodia Town, some of Saro's constituents feel betrayed by her determination to use the Sankranta name. Inside New Pho restaurant, community activists Tippana Tith and Charles Song shared Chinese crullers called cha kway. Tith, 67, pointed to a flier from Saro's campaign, which pictured her standing next to Song. "We were her friend, said Tith, who arrived in Long Beach in 1978. We were her helper to get her elected. Tith was a founder of the long-running Cambodian New Year community celebration. Across more than four decades, organizers have sometimes had to fight for city support, he said. One year, the celebration had to move from its traditional home of El Dorado East Regional Park to Lancaster, about 90 miles north, because organizers couldn't afford the $40,000 cost of police overtime. The Cambodian New Year starts April 13 or 14, marking the end of the harvest season and the sun entering Aries. It is based on an ancient horoscope with roots in the solar calendar. Despite opposition from Tith, Song and other Cambodian elders, the Long Beach City Council twice voted unanimously, in February and March, to support Saro's proposal for the Sankranta festival. At the March council meeting, some praised Saro, saying she has educated the community about the word Sankranta and that it is used in Cambodia at different temples and pagodas. "I keep telling my children, to complete the full meaning of the Khmer New Year, we should add Sankranta," Linda Kim told the council through a Khmer interpreter. But some at the council meeting said they did not see the need for a separate festival. "Why would she come up with another event of the same thing just the day before, using a different name just to twist it and make it hers?" asked Sophie Wherritt, a 57-year-old retired corporate executive from Mission Viejo who came from Cambodia in 1980. Sophea Seng, an assistant professor of Asian American studies at Cal State Long Beach, said the controversy speaks to some elders' anxiety about being ignored while the neighborhood changes. Many Cambodian refugees came to the U.S. without any financial assets, said Sophal Ear, senior associate dean of student success and an associate professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, who has long studied the community. That, he said, has made some feel on unequal footing with other Southeast Asian American communities. For them, a new festival with an unfamiliar name similar to that used in another country might feel threatening. People genuinely feel that what is happening is the encroachment to what they consider to be their city, he said. Amid concerns about gentrification and struggling businesses , Cambodia Town restaurants like Phnom Penh Noodle Shack have gained widespread recognition. The park at the center of the neighborhood will undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation, and planning is underway for a Cambodian American Cultural Center . Those community leaders who disagree with the (Sankranta) term know Ive worked very hard to ensure that we prioritized these major, long-lasting investments, Saro said. Saro, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand , acknowledges the need to preserve the communitys history. She said she worked with organizations such as United Cambodian Community to organize the festival. Noting that her aunt is Laotian, Saro said that connecting diverse communities will give them collective power. I represent the Asian American community in Long Beach, she said. I feel thats part of my responsibility, to represent not just the Cambodian, Southeast Asian but the broader Asian community as well as Pacific Islanders too. Soup Pha, a 36-year-old musician, performed at the Sankranta festival, debuting an original Khmer single, "Kom Los Srok Chhngay," or "The Boy from a Faraway Country," about an L.A. guy falling in a love with a country girl in Cambodia. Wearing a traditional Cambodian-Thai jacket and breeches in shiny cream-colored silk, he danced and crooned as a crowd of hundreds milled around. He also debuted two other songs, one in Thai and one in Thai and Khmer. Pha, whose father is Cambodian and whose mother has Thai, Chinese, Cambodian and Vietnamese roots, grew up in Long Beach and has sung about his family's experience during the genocide in Cambodia. We want to make sure they still feel welcome too, Pha said of the citys Thais, Laotians and others. Nothing is being forgotten. Long Beach has Cambodia Town on every corner Everyone knows Cambodia Town. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Lukas Skinner is the first British surfer to win the Ripcurl Grom Search final Surfer Lukas Skinner has been given a hero's welcome home after winning a major international competition. The 15-year-old, from Perranporth, Cornwall, beat competitors from around the world to win the World Grom Search Finals in Australia. Lukas said being the first British surfer to hold the title was "special" and a "surreal" experience. It means he follows in the footsteps of world champions Gabriel Medina and Stephanie Gilmore. Lukas shows the form at home in Cornwall that took him to the top of the world 'So surreal' Lukas said the win was seen as the traditional "start of every world champs career". "It was so good to go to Australia for the first time and just experience new things, it was so surreal, I was surfing with the best surfers in the world and to be around them, it was the best thing I could ask for," he said. Lukas was also crowned the U16 champion at the Rip Curl Grom Search European Final 2023 in Morocco in February. Father Ben Skinner, 11 times European longboarding champion, said he believed his son had what it takes to surf at the 2028 Olympics Lukas started surfing at the age of three with his dad Ben Skinner - an 11 times European longboarding champion. Mr Skinner said: "We're just so proud of him, he's just achieving everything that he puts his mind to, got some big dreams and goals and just keeps going all the way. "I think 2028 is a huge possibility for Lukas to make it to the Olympics, I think this is proof of what he's just achieved." Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I. Season 5 Magnum P.I. is going strong with its first season on NBC , after original network CBS cancelled the show following its Season 4 finale. The fifth season has taken Magnum and Co. in some unexpected directions, and the next episode will in fact explore what star Jay Hernandez calls uncharted territory. The leading man stepped behind the camera to direct the April 16 episode and has previewed what to expect. The new episode on April 16 is called Out of Sight, Out of Mind and wont exactly cover a kind of case that Magnum and Higgins have investigated time and time again. In an NBC video ahead of the broadcast, Jay Hernandez previewed: With the episode Im directing this season, its kind of like uncharted territory in terms of visually how we can tell a story, because Higgins is drugged and shes having these hallucinations and theres a lot of space for creativity there that feels kind of like outside of the lines of a traditional Magnum P.I. episode. Yes, Higgins will be drugged in the new episode, which will send her inside of a psychiatric hospital. While viewers will have to tune in to see exactly what happens, it seems safe to say that something will go wrong if shes drugged inside of a psychiatric hospital while on a case! According to Jay Hernandez, exploring this uncharted territory made for a nontraditional episode of Magnum P.I., and it sounds like fans could be in for a side of Higgins that actress Perdita Weeks hasnt shown before. Out of Sight, Out of Mind wont be the leading mans first time behind the camera on Magnum P.I., as he directed an episode of Season 4 that also involved a character dealing with some unexpected hurdles, although not drug-induced. In that episode, Magnum spent the hour chatting with a guilt-induced version of Nuzo. Now, with his latest episode on the verge of airing, Hernandez went on to weigh in on what hes able to do as a director that he cant as an actor, saying: Jay Hernandez as Magnum P.I., theres a lane I gotta walk. Obviously the character evolves and stories change and all that, but thats just one particular path that I have to walk. As a director, you just have this scope of creative influence increases, and you can kind of let your vision define what the episodes gonna look like. Story continues The upcoming episode will also see Katsumoto and Dennis leave Hawaii for the mainland to look at colleges, but in true Magnum P.I. fashion it will take a harrowing turn, which may be bad news after he got a big win not too long ago . Higgins storyline sounds more well, psychedelic! It should be interesting to see how her hallucinations compare to the dream sequence from Season 4. The promo teases a possible Miggy proposal (after they finally came clean about their relationship to their friends without being caught in the act by all of them) as well as a possible explosion, with no way to currently say whats real and whats in Higgins hallucinations. Take a look: Friends of the man charged with killing 22-year-old Sedgwick County Sheriffs Deputy Sidnee Carter in an October crash west of Wichita told law enforcement that he had smoked marijuana before the fatal collision, according to a probable cause affidavit released Friday that gives new details about the case. Talking to investigators in the aftermath of the wreck, Kelvin Burgett admitted that he smokes marijuana every day and had used methamphetamine in the past, the affidavit says. Burgett and two of his friends interviewed by law enforcement confirmed that he had been at a friends home in Valley Center before the collision, at 29th North and 135th West, west of Wichita city limits. One friend told authorities Burgett smoked marijuana while at his home, and the second confirmed that, saying that the three of them had smoked a blunt containing marijuana that was made from a Swisher Sweet Cigarillo, the affidavit says. Burgett left some time between 9 and 9:30 p.m. to head home, the affidavit says they told law enforcement. The drive turned deadly when he ran a stop sign while heading westbound on 29th and slammed his Jeep Grand Cherokee into Carters patrol car while she was southbound on 135th. Carter, a recent academy graduate who had started patrolling on her own less than a week prior, was on her way to a disturbance call at the time. She died at the scene from was head trauma, bone fractures and internal organ damage when the Jeep hit the drivers side front door of the patrol car, a Dodge Charger, according to the affidavit and her autopsy report. Prosecutors have charged Burgett, 29, with involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and also with driving after his Arizona license was suspended in September for an accumulation of convictions, including three for speeding within a three-month span, according to the affidavit. Hes due in Sedgwick County District Court again on May 8 for a preliminary hearing, court records show. Story continues The night of the crash wasnt Burgetts first time driving while intoxicated; he has prior convictions for driving under the influence in Wichita in 2013 and 2015, the affidavit says. He also has prior drug and drug paraphernalia possession cases, Wichita Municipal Court records show. Investigators determined Burgett did little to avoid the collision; according to the affidavit, they found only very brief tire skid marks leading up to the point of impact even though Burgett would have had a clear line of sight that night. Investigators also noted that the stop sign was clearly visible and there were no weather conditions or other traffic present that might have obstructed his view. A download of the Jeeps airbag control module showed Burgett had been driving more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit 88 mph in a 55 mph zone about two seconds before the impact, the affidavit says. He was driving 85 mph when he crashed into Carters patrol car, the document says. He told authorities he thought he had been driving on a street several blocks north, on 53rd, when the crash happened, the affidavit says. He was about 5 miles south and less than a mile east of his intended destination, in the 15100 block of 70th Street North, authorities noted in the document. A blood sample taken from Burgett the night of the collision tested positive for cannabis-related substances including cannabinol, cannabigerol, Delta-9 THC and 11-hydroxy Delta-9 THC. At least two of those are psychoactive impairing cannabinoids, according to the affidavit. A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper involved in the investigation who is a drug recognition expert determined the circumstances of Burgetts crash show relaxed inhibitions, altered distance perception, lack of concentration, and difficulty with depth perception due to drug impairment at a level that prevented him (Burgett) from operating a vehicle safely, the affidavit says. The chief toxicologist at the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center also determined Burgett at the time of the crash had been under the influence of Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol, or marijuana, which has known intoxicating effects that can negatively impact the ability to operate a motor vehicle safely. Carter, a Bel Aire resident coworkers described as bubbly and always smiling, joined the Sedgwick County Sheriffs Office in September 2020 and spent 1 1/2 years working as a jail deputy before entering the academy in February 2022. She graduated a few months later, in July, completed field training and started to patrol solo on Oct. 1, six days before her death. A man has died following a two-alarm fire on Friday night in a Methuen home that had no working smoke alarms, fire officials and the district attorney said Saturday. A preliminary investigation found that the fire at 97 Phillips St. around 6 p.m. Friday was accidental and likely caused by smoking, Methuen Fire Chief Tim Sheehy, Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara, State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, and Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said in a joint statement. The fire began in a top-floor bedroom on the left side of the triple decker, officials said. When firefighters arrived, they found smoke showing and a fire on the third floor. Firefighters found a man inside and rescued him from the home. The man was sent to a local hospital and later died, officials said. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the unit of origin. Tragically, this was another case involving a fatal fire in a residence without working smoke alarms, Sheehy said. For your safety and the safety of people you care for, please be sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them every month, and if they take alkaline batteries then change the batteries twice a year. Replace the alarm itself after 10 years. I cant stress this enough, for every member of our community: working smoke alarms save lives. Ostroskey said careless disposal of smoking materials is the leading cause of fire deaths in Massachusetts and nationally. There is no truly safe way to smoke, but smoking in bed or when youre drowsy or impaired is especially dangerous, Ostroskey said. The Salem Fire Department provided mutual aid at the scene and the Lawrence Fire Department provided station coverage. The Red Cross of Massachusetts responded to assist three displaced residents. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW James Zhong was storing billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin in both an underground safe and a Cheetos popcorn tin. US Department of Justice A man convicted of stealing around 50,000 Bitcoin was sentenced Friday to a year in prison. At the it was seized, the Bitcoin was worth over $3.4 billion. Prosecutors said the crypto-currency was stolen from the Silk Road dark web marketplace. A man who stored billions of dollars worth of stolen crypto-currency in an underground safe and a Cheetos popcorn tin was sentenced Friday to a year and a day in prison. According to federal prosecutors, James Zhong, 32, stole more than 50,000 Bitcoin from Silk Road, a marketplace on the so-called "dark web" where users can buy anything from pornography to illicit drugs. Its founder, Ross Ulbricht, was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of drug trafficking, money laundering, and hacking, among other charges. Zhong was able to steal from the marketplace by creating multiple accounts and tricking Silk Road into releasing the Bitcoin to his accounts; per the Department of Justice. He never actually purchased or sold anything on the website, according to a DOJ statement. "Back in 2012, James Zhong committed wire fraud by stealing 50,000 Bitcoin from Silk Road, and for the next 10 years, he managed to conceal what he had done and how he obtained his fortune," US Attorney Damian Williams said in the statement. But in November 2021, US authorities obtained a search warrant to search his home in Gainesville, Georgia. There investigators recovered more than 50,000 Bitcoin, split between "an underground floor safe and on a single-board computer that was submerged under blankets in a popcorn tin stored in a bathroom closet." Authorities also recovered at Zhong's home more than $660,000 in cash, as well as silver and gold bars. At the time the Bitcoin was seized, it was valued at $3.4 billion and today is still worth more than $1.5 billion, according to the DOJ. A photo shared by the department shows that the crypto tin originally contained Cheetos-brand popcorn in both Flamin' Hot and Cheddar flavors. According to media reports, the tin and its promise of "2 favorites together" was available exclusively at Walmart during the 2020 holiday season. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider A sunbed addict whose tanning habit started when he was 16, and saw him lying under UV lights for well over an hour every week, is now campaigning for caution after a bleeding mole that appeared on his body resulted in a life-changing cancer diagnosis at the age of 21. Jak Howell, now 23, from Swansea, makes TikTok videos about his experience of melanoma, a type of skin cancer often caused by too much sun exposure, after he was using sunbeds five times a week by the age of 18. Tanning for 18 minutes at a time, Jak said he played down his sunbed addiction to his mum after she voiced concern about it. In April 2021 he noticed an aggravated mole that later started to bleed, which doctors told him was cancerous. Jak faced radiotherapy and then surgery to remove the lump, as well as lymph nodes from his groin but when the operation failed to cure the issue he endured a year of immunotherapy treatment and spent Christmas 2021 in a hospital bed. Now in remission after receiving the all clear in December 2022, Jak is working with charities including Cancer Research UK to raise awareness and push for greater regulation to prevent children from using sunbeds. Jak said: I never knew how dangerous sunbeds were, I just thought I was invincible as a teenager. I wanted to share my story in the hopes it would help other people, and Ive had comments from others who can relate to what Ive been through. I havent been on a sunbed since my diagnosis, I only use fake tan now. Jak first started tanning on sunbeds at 16, to fit in with friends. (PA Real Life) He said: Id finished school and just started college, and a lot of the people I was hanging around with were using sunbeds. I was just trying to fit into what I thought was normality back then. At first he would tan twice a week but by the age of 18 he was using sunbeds five times a week, for 18 minutes at a time. Hiding how often he was using them, Jak said his mum was concerned about his sunbed use. Story continues He said: She was definitely worried, but she didnt know how bad itd got. The first shop I used to go to didnt even have a receptionist, you just paid a machine like a parking meter. I didnt know how dangerous sunbeds were and as a teenager, I just thought I was invincible. (PA Real Life) In April 2021 Jak noticed a mole on his lower back had become irritable. Assuming it was a bug bite he ignored it, but one day, in the shower, he realised it was bleeding. He said: I went running to my mum and I could tell by the look on her face that she was really worried. He sent a photo of the mole to his doctor, who urged him to go immediately to hospital for tests. There the mole was removed and tested. Jak recalled sitting at the top of his stairs 10 days later when he received a phone call with his results. I was sat by myself when the doctor rang to tell me I had cancer. Even though Id been worried, I still wasnt prepared for how serious it was, he said. I was just speechless, I didnt know what to say. Everything went silent, my palms were soaking with sweat. I thought I was going to die. Afterwards, I rang my mum who rushed home from work. (PA Real Life) Between May and September Jak had different treatments, including two rounds of radiotherapy, but said that nothing was working for him. In September 2021 doctors found that Jaks cancer had spread from his back to his groin, without him having any symptoms to suggest this. That same month he had surgery to remove the cancer as well as lymph nodes in his groin. Jak said the recovery was hell and two weeks after the operation he was scanned. He was dealt a blow the surgery had been unsuccessful. The surgery hadnt worked, the cancer was still there and it was back with a vengeance, Jak said. I was told Id need further treatment and that it was my last option to fight it, which was just the worst news. Jak started immunotherapy treatment in December 2021. He spent Christmas in hospital and, over the coming year, he had a round of treatment every six weeks until Christmas 2022. The first two rounds of immunotherapy were hell, it was a big shock to my body. It improved after that, but my body has changed Im breathless a lot and my tastebuds have changed. I was nauseous and fatigued, he said. But I hate the thought of something controlling me and dictating my life, so I just tried my hardest to continue to be the person I always was, even though it was difficult at times. In December 2022, Jak finally received the all-clear and is now in remission. Since his diagnosis, Jak has been raising awareness about sunbeds and sharing his experience on social media, which has now become his full-time job. He said he has received comments on TikTok videos from other sunbed users. He said: I hope my story can be a warning to other people, I dont think enough people realise how dangerous sunbeds are. You need ID to buy an energy drink in a supermarket, but Ive seen kids being able to use sunbeds no problem. I use fake tan now instead because I dont want to go through another diagnosis. I work with a lot of charities now and Im just trying to raise as much awareness as I can. Jak is supporting Cancer Research UKs Race for Life 2023, in partnership with Standard Life, which is in its 30th year for more information, visit raceforlife.org. A man who was previously shot by Phoenix police in March was arrested and booked on Thursday on resisting arrest and aggravated assault charges. In the early hours of March 8, Phoenix police received a call from a man wanting to turn himself in for sexual assault, according to a police report. While the officers were responding to the location, 911 operators received a related call from a bus station employee near McDowell Road and 11th Street in Phoenix. In the critical incident briefing video that was released from the police, the 911 call from the employee can be heard. The caller informed the dispatcher that a man had "been yelling for like 10 minutes" and was disturbing other customers. Police believe the man causing a disturbance was the same man who had called to turn himself in. When police arrived, they found the man, identified as 27-year-old Ethan Fuller, and escorted him to talk outside in the parking lot. Once outside, Fuller assaulted the officer, who deployed his Taser, the report said. The officer attempted to take Fuller into custody, but Fuller was able to push him off, according to the police report. The officer claimed he lost control of his Taser during the struggle and believed Fuller had taken possession of it, so he drew his handgun, according to the police report. Fuller charged at the officer with the handgun drawn and the officer discharged two rounds, injuring Fuller, according to police. On Thursday, Fuller was released from the hospital and booked into Maricopa County Jail on charges of aggravated assault against an officer and resisting arrest. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ethan Fuller, shot by police in March, arrested in assault on officer Three Marines were celebrated after jumping into action during a stabbing that could have turned deadly. Stafford County Sheriffs Office officials said on April 1 at 1:41 p.m., deputies received reports of a disturbance at a Chick-fil-A on Dunn Drive in Stafford, Virginia. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Witnesses told deputies one man was approached by two others and engaged in a brief argument before a physical altercation began. During the altercation, the two males assaulted the victim, and one of them pulled out a knife. Officials said three nearby Marines quickly jumped into action and attempted to separate the men. During this, one of the Marines broke the knife in half to prevent further harm, and the two suspects fled the scene. TRENDING STORIES: The victim told deputies the two men stole his phone during the altercation. No injuries occurred during the altercation. Later that day, deputies identified a 17-year-old and a 14-year-old that matched the descriptions of the two men at a nearby CVS parking lot and took them into custody. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The 17-year-old was charged with assault, battery, robbery and attempted felony wounding. The 14-year-old was charged with assault, battery and robbery. U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Bradley Feldkamp, Corporal John Darby and Lance Corporal Nicholas Dural were awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for heroic acts performed while off-duty for their actions in the altercation. IN OTHER NEWS: Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene reportedly spent more than $65,000 of her campaign funds installing a fence at her home, according to Federal Election Commission records. Ms Greene's schedule B itemized disbursements show her various campaign expenditures. Included in that list is a $65,257.49 payment to Bartow Fence Company Inc for the installation of an "additional security fence for residence." The expenditure is not illegal; FEC rules allow candidates to spend campaign funds on personal security. However, the cost of the fence is more than $10,000 more than the median household income in her district, according to RawStory. HomeAdvisor estimates that a typical homeowner spends between $1,400 and $4,500 on fence installation. Even if a special security fence cost ten times the high-end average amount, it would still be less than Ms Greene spent on her fence. The Independent has reached out for comment. Some critics on social media questioned the cost of the installation. "Doesnt she own a construction company? 65k for fencing seems a little much for a fence or wall around her property. Sounds like just moving campaign funds into her pocket," one user wrote. There is no evidence Ms Greene pocketed the funds she used for the fence. Ms Greene and her husband purchased her father's construction company, Taylor Commercial, prior to her election to Congress, according to Yahoo News. Another user joked about the fence's true purpose. "Its not working, she is still getting out," they wrote. It's not working, she is still getting out. Ken Williams (@kwilliams1103) April 15, 2023 Ms Greene recently became a defender of the publics right to access information which would include her campaign spending when she began championing the US Airman who allegedly leaked sensitive US government documents that contained information about Ukranian troop movements. Story continues The US Airman, Jack Teixeira, 21, was arrested this week for the breach. The lawmaker defended Mr Teixera who was not acting as a whistleblower but was instead allegedly trying to gain clout in his Discord server by sharing the sensitive information and pointed out that he was white, male, Christian and antiwar. Ms Greene has been critical of the war in Ukraine, frequently complaining that the US is spending too much to help the nation defend itself from Russia's invasion. The congresswoman is not exactly an anti-conflict ideologue; she has called for the US to deploy its military to Mexico to fight Mexican drug cartels. May 1 parade in Moscow cancelled due to The FNPR recommended to refrain from May 1 parades or rallies this year as they consider the terrorism threat high, even in regions remote from the border with Ukraine. Read also: Only Moscow benefits from US intel leaks, Ukraines intelligence chief says A solemn meeting with the participation of trade union leaders is scheduled in Moscow for May 1 instead. Read also: Moscow relies on retired Belarusian officers to train troops, report says Along with the so-called Victory Day parade on May 9, the May 1 parade is one of Russias most beloved. Russian authorities have already canceled Victory Day parades in the border cities of Belgorod and Kursk, as well as in occupied Crimea. the borderline cities of Belgorod and Kursk, as well as in the occupied Crimea. 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 Oleksandr in a air raid bunker When Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a second, less visible battle in cyberspace got under way. The BBC's cyber correspondent Joe Tidy travelled to Ukraine to speak to those fighting the cyber war, and found the conflict has blurred the lines between those working for the military and the unofficial activist hackers. When I went to visit Oleksandr in his one-bedroom flat in central Ukraine, I found a typically spartan set-up common to many hackers. No furniture or home comforts - not even a TV - just a powerful computer in one corner of his bedroom and a powerful music system in the other. From here, Oleksandr has helped temporarily disable hundreds of Russian websites, disrupted services at dozens of banks and defaced websites with pro-Ukraine messages. He is one of the most prominent hackers in the vigilante group, the IT Army of Ukraine - a volunteer hacking network with a Telegram group nearly 200,000-strong. For more than a year, he has devoted himself to causing as much chaos in Russia as possible. Even during our visit he was running complex software attempting to take his latest target - a Russian banking website - offline. Ironically though, he admits the idea for his favourite hack actually began with a tip from an anonymous Russian, who told them about an organisation called Chestny Znak - Russia's only product authentication system. He was told all goods produced in Russia - including fresh food - have to be scanned for a unique number and a barcode supplied by the company from the moment of their creation at a factory, up till the moment of being sold. Oleksandr smiles as he describes how he and his team found a way to take the service offline, using a hacking tool that floods a computer system with internet traffic - known as a targeted DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack. "The economic losses were pretty high, I think. It was mind-blowing," says Oleksandr. Oleksandr says he is not scared of Russian reprisals and refuses to hide his identity In reality, it's hard to gauge the disruption prompted by the hack, but for four days last April Chestny Znak posted regular updates about the DDoS attack on its official Telegram feed. Traders were offered advice and a helpline to call for assistance. Story continues Eventually Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade was forced to relax some rules on food labelling to allow perishables to be traded. More recently, around the first anniversary of the invasion, Oleksandr joined a team of hackers, called One Fist, to hijack Russian radio stations and broadcast the sound of fake air raid sirens and an alert message telling citizens to take shelter. "We feel ourselves like military," says Oleksandr. "When my country calls me to pick up a rifle I am ready, but hacking Russia now, I feel that I am helpful." Many experts predicted that people like Oleksandr - hacktivists - might play a part in the Ukraine conflict, but the scale of the activity has come as a shock - with hacker armies emerging on both sides. Officially Ukraine is defending itself from cyber attacks, aided by Western cyber military teams and private cyber-security companies - funded by millions of dollars in donations. But unofficial links are also beginning to emerge between vigilante groups going on the offensive and carrying out criminal attacks and military officials. On both sides, lines between targeted, state-sanctioned cyber-attacks and ad-hoc vigilante hacking have been blurred. The consequences could be far-reaching. On a visit to Ukraine's cyber defence HQ in Kyiv, officials claim they have evidence that the Russian hacktivist gang, Killnet, which has a Telegram group of nearly 100,000, is working directly with the cyber section of the Russian military. "These groups, like Killnet or the Cyber Army of Russia, started off carrying out DDoS attacks - but have since recruited more talented and skilled people," says Viktor Zhora, deputy chairman of the State Service of Special Communications. He alleges the groups have consultants from the Russian military and are now capable of launching sophisticated cyber attacks. Russian commanders are uniting all of the hacktivist groups and activities into a single source of aggression in cyber-space against Ukraine and its allies, he claims. The link would be problematic for Russia if proven. Since the invasion, Russia has been relatively targeted in its cyber attacks - sticking to Ukrainian targets that are loosely linked to the war effort. But Killnet has called for and carried out disruptive - albeit temporary - attacks on hospital websites in both Ukraine and allied countries. A masked Killmilk - Killnet's leader - sent a video, responding to the BBC's questions The Geneva Convention, rules aimed to limit the savagery of physical wars, prohibit such attacks on civilians. But there's no Geneva Convention for cyber warfare. The International Committee of the Red Cross argues that existing codes should apply - so targeting hospitals, for example, would constitute a breach. The fact that hacker attacks are being carried out on Nato countries could also trigger a collective response if they caused serious harm. The Russian government did not respond to requests for comment from the BBC - so instead, we went directly to Killnet's leader, who goes by the moniker Killmilk. Killmilk refused to take part in a face-to-face interview, but after weeks of messages on Telegram he sent video responses to our questions - before breaking off communication. In his recordings, Killmilk boasts that the hackers devote 12 hours a day to Killnet. "I see no equal in the world to Russian hackers. Useless and stupid Ukrainian hackers cannot succeed in confronting us," he says. Killmilk insisted his group is completely independent of Russian special services, asserting that he has a regular job as a factory loader and is "a simple person". Before the war and Killnet, he says he started a criminal DDoS-for-hire business - but, when the invasion began, he was determined to dedicate his hacking efforts to disrupting Ukraine and its allies. "Wherever I am, my laptop and everything I need is always with me. In this, I am mobile and efficient and devote almost all my time to our movement." Killmilk posts dramatic videos to his group's Telegram account in order to rally support Whilst some hactivist vigilante groups, like the infamous Anonymous collective, have slowed down activities against Russia and moved on in the past three months, Killnet has increased its activity and is also focussing on the West - urged on by bombastic videos from Killmilk which show him urinating on flags representing Nato and the US. Over the Easter weekend, Killnet's Telegram channel was used to create a pop-up team called KillNATO Psychos. Within hours, it was hundreds of members-strong and proceeded to carry out a wave of attacks which temporarily disrupted Nato member websites. The group also published a list of Nato staff email addresses and encouraged people to harass them. The allegation that Russian cyber military is working with criminal hacktivists will not come as a shock for many in the cyber-security world, which for years has accused Russia of harbouring some of the most prolific and profitable cyber-crime groups. However our visit to Ukraine confirmed that lines are blurring there too. A year ago, as the capital Kyiv braced for attack, Roman was helping carry out criminal hacks and building software for the war effort - as part of a volunteer group he co-founded called IT Stand for Ukraine. But now, he has officially been recruited by his country's cyber military. Vigilante-turned-soldier Roman thinks cyber plays a huge part in the war effort We met in a park near his training headquarters in the city of Zhytomyr, two hours west of Kyiv. As a vigilante-turned-military man, Roman has a unique perspective. He chose not to go into details about his current role, but says part of his job is finding ways to comb through piles of data and leaked information from the cyber war. Even before he was recruited, Roman confirms his hacking team worked directly with Ukrainian authorities. "We started to communicate with state forces doing the same as us and we began kind of synchronising our operations. They basically started to give us some targets and say what to do, when to do," he says. Roman says one of the most impactful attacks was when his team disabled ticket machines for a southern Russian railway network. When challenged about the disruption this would have caused everyday people in Russia, Roman shrugs. It's the kind of attack that Ukraine's cyber military could never publicly carry out themselves. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been at pains to present itself as the defender, not the attacker. Could Ukrainian cyber commanders be using vigilantes to stretch the front line of the conflict into the Russian state? Mykhailo Fedorov says cyber-attacks by vigilantes are justified Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's deputy prime minister and minister for digital transformation, is responsible for the department which controversially set up the Telegram group for Oleksandr's IT Army of Ukraine. Since then, the government claims to have had no involvement in the hacktivist network. Mr Fedorov denies accusations he is encouraging offensive attacks against Russian civilian targets. But he said he is confident that Ukraine has the "moral right to do everything it can to protect the lives of our citizens". "I think that in a year of the full-scale war, Ukrainian hackers have shown that, despite such an invasion, they operate ethically enough - and do not cause excessive damage to any subjects besides the ones of the Russian Federation that are involved in the war," he says. The IT Army of Ukraine has a hacker leader board, suggesting the gamification of illegal hacking But Ukrainian hacktivists are not just hacking the Russian war machine. Despite the Ukrainian army not condoning the targetting of institutions like healthcare, hacks are being organised to cause as much disruption as possible to the Russian people. One of the co-ordinators of the IT Army of Ukraine, Ted, proudly showed us his collection of angry comments from ordinary Russian customers who have experienced disruption as a result of their activities. His website includes a hacker leaderboard - I ask whether his group could be "gamifying" criminal hacking - and whether this created a danger of escalation. "Talking from the standpoint of Western laws, I think, yes, there is a danger of gamification of illegal hacking. But what we need to realise is that when war is coming to your country, there are no good ways or bad ways to fight." Some predict the severity of attacks will increase from Russia as it struggles on the physical battlefield. Ukrainian officials say the worst attacks are not coming from hacktivists, but from the Russian military, which is co-ordinating cyber attacks with physical attacks on targets such as energy grids. Back at Ukraine's cyber defence HQ, Mr Zhora says Russia has so far failed to deliver the kind of cyber attacks that experts feared - but that's not due to lack of effort - and their attacks would be more disruptive if Ukraine was weaker. Some sources have also told me that Ukraine has been worse affected by Russian hackers than its commanders are admitting. As with all aspects of war, the fog of war is hard to penetrate and that's especially true in cyber-space. Additional reporting by producer Peter Ball Mike Pence was met with a chorus of boos Friday upon taking the stage at a National Rifle Association convention in his home state. Hello, NRA! the former vice president said at the gun rights event in Indianapolis. His appearance was met with loud objections from the audience. I love you, too, Pence deadpanned in response. holy shit Pence is getting booed loudly at the NRA event pic.twitter.com/iwhCntZ7Ac Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2023 The vocal disapproval came a week after Pence agreed to stop challenging a subpoena for him to testify in an investigation of former President Donald Trumps actions before and during the insurrection in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump previously suggested that Pence could have thwarted the peaceful transfer of power that day, when rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to halt the electoral certification of now-President Joe Biden. After Pence refused to do so, Trump supporters issued calls for violence against him. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told colleagues that Trump had expressed approval of rioters demands to hang the vice president. Pence has said that Trump later asked him if he was scared that day. Fridays boos were at the very least a marked improvement from this prior reception. Elsewhere in his convention speech, Pence criticized gun control opponents and called for the execution of mass shooters. The time has come to institute a federal death penalty statute, with accelerated appeal, to ensure that those who engage in mass shootings face execution in months, not years, Pence said, prompting hearty cheers from the NRA crowd. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has apparently decided not to run in the 2024 presidential election. Pompeo issued a statement on Friday saying that he and his wife, Susan, have concluded, after much consideration and prayer, that I will not present myself as a candidate to become President of the United States in the 2024 election. Pompeo offered Fox News host Bret Baier more details, saying, This isnt our moment. This isnt the time for us to seek elected office. He also declined to endorse another candidate until he sees how the primary plays out. Even though he served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2017 to 2018 and as secretary of state from 2018 to 2021, he hinted he might not support the man he served under, former president Donald Trump. While Pompeo said he wouldnt run this time around, he says hes not closing the door to his dream of higher office. To those of you, this announcement disappoints, my apologies, he said. And to those of you that this thrills know that Im 59 years old. There remain many more opportunities for which the timing might be more fitting as presidential leadership becomes even more necessary. Susan and I have concluded, after much consideration and prayer, that I will not present myself as a candidate to become President of the United States in the 2024 election. pic.twitter.com/hxujBzGgkI Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) April 14, 2023 Twitter users had strong opinions about the news. The truth is campaigns begin long before announcement day. Pompeo started running while he was Secretary of State. This is really a withdrawal from the campaign. We have our first loser of the presidential campaign. https://t.co/ToXED43Z8T Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) April 14, 2023 I have concluded, after much consideration and prayer, that I will not present myself to be the 1st Baseman for the Boston Red Sox. https://t.co/XA22ISW12y Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) April 14, 2023 this is like when guys who practiced ninjutsu were deemed too deadly for the Octagon. Mike Pompeo simply had too much charisma and appeal and it wasnt fair to the other competitors https://t.co/DWov0SV9rr iPad Expert (@ByYourLogic) April 14, 2023 well my prayers came true, at any rate https://t.co/m5DVzlbwzp Jesse Hawken (@jessehawken) April 14, 2023 Remember Pompeo said that God put Trump in office to save Israel? That was 2019. How long before he resumes his cult follower behavior? https://t.co/GYWJviv1HE Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) April 14, 2023 I don't think you should be allowed to drop an "I'm not running" statement if you never cleared 5% in polling https://t.co/I0JdhzzH8E Populism Updates (@PopulismUpdates) April 14, 2023 and by "prayer" he means "I begged pollsters to tell me I had a chance and they said 'no'" https://t.co/bAOEy8Scvy (@jonfmorse) April 14, 2023 Related... Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that he will not be seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024. "Susan and I have concluded, after much consideration and prayer, that I will not present myself as a candidate to become President of the United States in the 2024 election," Pompeo tweeted Friday evening. In a statement, Pompeo described the decision as "personal," adding the "time is not right for me and my family." "To those of you this announcement disappoints, my apologies," he said. "And to those of you this thrills, know that I'm 59 years-old. There remains many more opportunities for which the timing might be more fitting as presidential leadership becomes even more necessary." Pompeo had been exploring a presidential bid and began doing more public events as he published a memoir one he advertised on promotional materials as reading "like a thriller with stories from my heart." But in recent months, Pompeo largely disappeared from public view. He mostly eschewed visits to early primary states as other candidates and potential rivals began staking out ground. Pompeos travel schedule included a visit to Ukraine more recently than it a visit to Iowa. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who also served under former President Donald Trump, announced her campaign in February and has sought to carve out a foreign policy lane for herself a lane Pompeo would also have occupied in a primary. In recent days, Pompeo had started telling early state activists that he was going to sit out the presidential race in 2024, a person with direct knowledge of the conversations told NBC News. Money is definitely an issue, and it seems like his announcement window passed," the person said. "And whats his lane? Foreign policy but Nikki Haley has had a great rollout and is already harnessing that lane and has the donors lined up." Story continues On Friday, Pompeo delivered a roughly 30-second video message to attendees at the National Rifle Associations annual conference in Indianapolis. Speaking at last months Conservative Political Action Conference, Pompeo received a muted response when he expressed dismay with the GOPs disappointing midterm results, saying: We should have won big. Losing is bad because losing is bad, Pompeo said. But the principles that we stand for are whats really at risk. The problem is that the losses are a symptom of something much bigger. I think its a crisis in conservatism. We have lost confidence that we are right. Before serving as secretary of state, Pompeo was Trump's CIA director. Previously, he served in Congress as a representative from Kansas from 2011-2017. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com You are here: Business Workers assemble cars at Li Auto's plant in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. [Photo/Xinhua] Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China surged in March, helping the country's automotive market to accelerate its green transition, data from an industry association has shown. Last month, the retail sales of NEVs in China expanded 21.9% year on year to 543,000 units, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). During the first quarter, the retail sales of NEVs jumped 22.4% year on year to 1.31 million units. China-made NEVs remained popular in overseas markets. China's leading NEV manufacturer BYD saw its exports reach 13,312 units in March, while Tesla China exported 12,206 units, the CPCA said. Data from the association also showed the retail sales of passenger cars in China reached nearly 1.59 million units in March, up 0.3% year on year. Donna Ford Courtesy of Donna Ford Donna Ford was diagnosed with leukemia after being treated for a brain bleed. She's the third patient to be treated with a new procedure. This is Ford's story, as told to Kelly Burch. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Donna Ford. It has been edited for length and clarity. When I fell on my bottom one day after work, I knew it should have been fairly minor. I'm a nurse, but I didn't think too much of it. And yet, my head felt awful. It was so bad that I went to the emergency room, but they sent me home. The next day I vomited and heard a rushing noise in my ear. When I returned to the ER, things were much more serious. Doctors told me I had a subdural hematoma, a type of blood clot that puts pressure on the brain. They flew me to Memorial Hermann, a medical center in Houston about an hour and a half from my home. Strangely, I was calm even when they put me on the medical flight. I knew this condition was dangerous, but I was reassured that they were taking it seriously. Little did I know this was just the beginning. At the hospital, I was diagnosed with leukemia My memory of arriving at Memorial Hermann is foggy. But I do recall doctors coming in with unexpected news: I had leukemia. It turned out the fall was likely a good thing because I was already pretty sick. My husband and daughter immediately burst into tears. My medical training kicked in as I tried to tell them leukemia is treatable. For me, the diagnosis made a lot of sense. I had been tired all the time and had bone pain. I have spina bifida and a leg amputation, so I'm no stranger to pain. I had brushed the new symptoms off until the fall made them something I couldn't ignore. My oncologist, Dr. Rios, explained that leukemia likely caused my hematoma. The hematoma put me at risk for serious complications like hemorrhaging. In the past, I would have had two bad choices: monitor for serious complications, or undergo risky brain surgery. But now there was a new, less invasive treatment option. I would be only the third leukemia patient in the country to try it. Story continues Recovery from the procedure was easy; then I started chemo For the procedure, a meningeal artery embolization, doctors put a catheter into an artery in my groin. The catheter traveled all the way to my brain, where it cut blood flow to the hematoma. I wouldn't have to worry about hemorrhage or invasive brain surgery. When Dr. Rios explained that, I thought it was amazing. I knew that doctors could do some heart surgeries that way, but I had no idea they could access the brain. Recovering from surgery was easy. Facing chemo was not. I was in the hospital for a month and then needed eight rounds of chemo. I had to take a three-month break after losing my insurance. That was so scary I didn't know if I would have a flair-up and die. It was so frustrating to be unable to access care because of money. Now, I'm back in treatment. I have one more round of chemo left. I'm looking forward to ringing the bell to celebrate the end of treatment this spring. I'm proud to have an impact on medical treatments. The past year has changed my life. I'm on disability now, and I know my career is over. That's sad, but I hope to stay relevant by helping my daughters, who both work in health care. I'll spend time looking after my eight grandbabies. Despite those changes, I'm grateful. I've benefited from medical treatment my whole life. When I was born, my mom was told I would never walk because of my spina bifida, but I did because of treatment. Later, doctors were able to save me from infection by amputating my leg. In my 20s, I decided to donate my body to science when I die. I'm so lucky to have the best medical care in the world. I'm proud to contribute to that legacy, by donating my remains and by becoming one of the first people to undergo a procedure that will help other patients in the future. Read the original article on Insider AG Andrew Bailey Missouris Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey put out an emergency regulation on Thursday severely restricting gender-affirming care, claiming that gender-affirming care is already banned in the state due to a state law blocking some medical treatments deemed to be dangerous. A vast majority of the major medical association in the United States supports providing gender-affirming care to trans people youth and adults. Many health experts say bills targeting gender-affirming care are based on unscientific reports. In the regulation, any medical intervention for trans people would require psychological or psychiatric assessment and would institute a three-year waiting period. Those assessments would need to be 15 sessions across 18 months. Individuals who transition would have to get a medical follow-up in the 15 years following the intervention. The regulation goes into effect on April 27. Bailey, who is up for re-election in 2024, wrote on Twitter that he was putting the regulation in place, because gender transition interventions are experimental and have significant side effects, state law already prohibits performing those procedures in the absence of substantial guardrails that ensure informed consent and adequate access to mental health care." Gender-affirming care isnt experimental. In March, Bailey released a regulation demanding trans youth wait more than a year to receive care. Lets be clear gender-affirming care is based on decades of clinical experience and research and is not considered experimental. The Attorney Generals claims are maliciously cherry-picked and come from unverified sources that allow him to promulgate disgusting, obstructive, and misleading information into an emergency rule. It should be clear to anyone paying attention that the real threat to Missourians is the Attorney General himself, said a statement from the Missouri LGBTQ+ advocacy group PROMO. The group added, We are living through an all-out attack on transgender Missourians lives and very ability to exist. Story continues \u201c"In an effort to protect children..." If this were the case, @AGAndrewBailey, you'd have listened to the 700+ Missourians who showed up at your doorstep last week. You'd have listened to every major U.S. medical association. Instead, you choose to remain willfully ignorant.\u201d Robert Fischer (@Robert Fischer) 1681422609 Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri have said they will file legal action against the rule. The Attorney Generals so-called emergency rule is based on distorted, misleading, and debunked claims and ignores the overwhelming body of scientific and medical evidence supporting this care as well as the medical experts and doctors who work with transgender people every day. This rule is a shocking attempt to exploit Missouris consumer protection laws in order to play politics with life-saving medical care, the groups said in a joint statement. Transgender people in Missouri deserve the support and care necessary to give them the same chance to thrive as their peers. Gender-affirming care is critical in helping transgender adolescents succeed in school, establish healthy relationships with their friends and family, live authentically as themselves, and dream about their futures. This emergency regulation will have a drastically negative impact on transgender youth, compounding the prejudice, discrimination, violence, and other forms of stigma they continue to face in their daily lives. The groups note that The Equality Federation has tracked 117 healthcare bans targeting transgender people in the United States. A police car on Oct. 4, 2018, sits in the McDonalds drive-through in the Bronx where Sylvester Zottola was fatally shot in a plot hatched by his son Anthony. (Gregg Vigliotti/The New York Times) NEW YORK The murder plot Anthony Zottola initiated was chilling. Working with a leader of a notorious street gang, federal prosecutors said, Zottola planned to kill his father, a reputed Mafia associate with a Bronx real estate empire, and his brother, who helped the father install jukeboxes and pool tables at bars and restaurants. At stake were more than two dozen residential and commercial properties worth millions of dollars. Anthony Zottola wanted to control them, prosecutors said, and saw his father, Sylvester Zottola, and his older brother, Salvatore, as obstacles. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times As part of the plot, a group of brutal and bumbling assassins tracked Sylvester Zottola for about a year before fatally shooting him in late 2018 as he sat in his SUV at a McDonalds drive-thru in the Bronx. Anthony Zottola was convicted last year of murder-for-hire and conspiracy, and on Friday, a federal judge sentenced him to life in prison, the mandatory minimum. The judge, Hector Gonzalez, said Zottola had subjected his family to a reign of terror. Earlier in the day, Gonzalez had sentenced Himen Ross, who prosecutors said killed Sylvester Zottola and shot Salvatore Zottola, to life in prison. Before his brother was sentenced, Salvatore Zottola addressed him in court. You had everything in life, he said. What you did to Dad, to myself and to this entire family is unimaginable. Next up was a sister, Deborah Ann Zottola, who told her brother she loved him. I will not dig you a deeper grave, she added. In his own remarks to the court, Anthony Zottola did not apologize for what he had done but expressed love for his wife, his children and my sister Debbie and my brother Sal. During his eight-week trial, prosecutors described how Anthony Zottola had turned against members of his close-knit family, which lived for decades in the Bronx neighborhoods of Pelham Bay and Locust Point, a sedate enclave on Long Island Sound. Story continues The small cluster of brick houses his father built on adjoining Locust Point lots were meant for the family to live together in what they called Zottolas Court, Salvatore Zottola testified. Mottos such as Our foundation is built from love were carved into the homes facades. In making their case, prosecutors outlined a broad conspiracy that included a network of hit men hired by Bushawn Shelton, described by authorities as a high-ranking member of the Bloods street gang. At times, according to testimony and evidence, the hit men resembled the hapless criminals in Jimmy Breslins 1969 novel The Gang That Couldnt Shoot Straight. A tan minivan they employed as a getaway car often would not start, and a getaway driver parked on a quiet street near Salvatore Zottolas home once infuriated Shelton by smoking marijuana the gang leader believed might signal their presence. There were several unsuccessful attempts to kill Sylvester Zottola. Someone tried to shoot him as he drove on the Throgs Neck Expressway, prosecutors said, but he escaped by driving in reverse. Later, men lurking inside his home stabbed him in the neck. Another time, an assailant broke into the Zottola family office with a gun with the goal of killing Zottola but fled after he accidentally tripped a panic alarm. One hired killer, Ron Cabey, testifying as a government witness, described how he strode up to Sylvester Zottola on a Bronx street in summer 2018, pointed a pistol at him and pulled the trigger, only for the weapon to misfire. Cabey said Zottola began firing at him as he fled. Cabey was arrested within hours by police officers in Manhattan. He soon pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and began cooperating with authorities. Investigators subsequently arrested Shelton at his Brooklyn home and retrieved thousands of text messages he had exchanged with Anthony Zottola a step-by-step account of the assassination plot. Some texts showed that while expressing concern about the attempts on his fathers life, Anthony Zottola had given Shelton information about the older mans movements and whereabouts and those of other relatives. After Salvatore Zottola took a picture of a car used by two hired killers, Anthony Zottola warned Shelton that the men needed a new one. The two often texted in code, prosecutors said: Sylvester Zottola was the actor, and murder attempts were scenes. On the day Zottola escaped the attempted expressway shooting, Shelton wrote to Anthony Zottola that the actor had gone in reverse in the middle of shooting a scene. Zottola replied that he was changing the location of the last scene. We going to film in his dressing room, he wrote. Hours before the attack on Sylvester Zottola at his home, Anthony Zottola wrote: I get keys to dressing room. That night, prosecutors said three men entered Sylvester Zottolas home, waited for him and then stabbed him multiple times in the torso and neck before fleeing. Salvatore Zottola testified that he learned that his father had been attacked when a neighbor called to tell him. When he arrived at his fathers home, Salvatore Zottola said, he found him leaning against a wall. There was blood everywhere, he testified. Anthony Zottola arrived at the home too, Salvatore Zottola testified, adding that his brother waited for investigators to leave so he could go in and clean up the house. When a police officer asked for security camera footage, prosecutors said, Anthony Zottola provided video that did not show the attack. He also cleaned the blood up, prosecutors added, then charged his father $3,450 for the work. c.2023 The New York Times Company Montana's House voted in favor of a TikTok ban Friday afternoon. OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images On Friday, Montana became the first US state to pass legislation banning TikTok within state lines. The bill bans TikTok on nearly all personal devices and also bars app stores from offering TikTok. The bill is pending a signature from Montana's governor, Greg Gianforte, but would go into effect in 2024. On Friday, Montana legislators voted in favor of a bill to ban TikTok within state lines. Montana's House of Representatives voted 54-43 in favor of the bill on Friday afternoon after the state Senate approved the bill back in March, according to Helena news station KTVH. The bill is now pending approval from Montana's governor Greg Gianforte. If signed, it'll take effect starting January 2024. The bill, known as SB 419, effectively bans TikTok from all personal devices and also bars app stores from offering TikTok within the state. According to the bill, each discrete violation of the ban will result in a $10,000 fee, plus an additional $10,000 for each day the violation continues. Montana already banned the use of TikTok on state devices last year. According to KTVH, Senator Shelley Vance, one of SB 419's primary sponsors, said in February that "after years of investigative reporting we now know this to be true, TikTok endangers the safety of Montanans and Americans at large." Vance added, "We know that beyond a doubt that TikTok's parent company ByteDance is operating as a surveillance arm of the Chinese Communist Party and gathers information about Americans against their will." TikTok, meanwhile, is preparing to challenge the ban. Brooke Oberwetter, a spokesperson for TikTok, told Insider by email "The bill's champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices and that the bill's constitutionality will be decided by the courts." She added, "we will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach." Story continues Other groups like the American Civil Liberties Union are also protesting Montana's bill. In a letter sent to members of Montana's House of Representatives on Tuesday, the ACLU argued that the ban will violate the First Amendment rights of the "hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use the app to communicate, gather information, and express themselves daily." The vote is significant because it may lay the groundwork for other states to follow, though it still remains unclear how parts of the ban will be enforced in Montana. The office of Governor Gianforte did not immediately respond to Insider's request for a comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Spring is here and with temperatures rising, bird watchers across the U.S. are gearing up for one of the most awe-inspiring times of the year spring migration. The spring migration is a relatively short period of time between February and June when birds leave their winter homes in the south and begin their journeys north. And with this exciting time of year upon us, experts with the birding app Birda have revealed the top national parks you can travel to in order to check out the beauty of spring migration. 7 FACTS ABOUT US NATIONAL PARKS Birds at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona include the Peregrine falcon, California condor, Common raven, Stellers pinyon, Red-tailed hawk, Scrub jay and Canyon wren. Birda says that the park hosts at least 370 bird species, and while some species are of a more common there are also rare birds, like the California condor, Yuma clapper rail, and Mexican spotted owl. 7 WEATHER EXTREMES EXPERIENCED AT NATIONAL PARKS FILE - Unusual rock formations and oak and pine trees dot the western edge of Pinnacles National Park as viewed on April 12, 2018, near Soledad, California. Pinnacles National Park is a designated wilderness protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about 5 miles east of Soledad. Birds within Pinnacles National Park in California include the California quail, California condor, Turkey vulture, Golden eagle, Prairie falcon, Acorn woodpecker and Stellers jay. Birda says that although Pinnacles National Park is small and less visited, it is a great birdwatching location with more than 160 bird species. There are several woodland birds and birds of prey within the park, and its also one of few parks where you can see the California condor, a species released at the park after it was bred in captivity. WHY THE HOTTEST PLACE ON EARTH IS BEING USED TO UNDERSTAND ALIENS There are more than 300 species of birds within Florida's Everglades National Park, including the Wood stork, Roseate spoonbill, White ibis, Green-backed heron, Snowy egret, Red-tailed hawks, Anhinga, Indigo bunting and Red-bellied woodpecker. Birdwatchers at the national park can observe birds of prey, land birds and wading birds within the Floridian wetlands, according to Birda. Story continues Millions of birds live in the Everglades, so the chances of seeing your favorite bird species are high. Birda says the best birding spots include the Homestead, Anhinga Trail, Paurotis Pond, Nine Mile Pond and Mrazek Pond. 7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK FILE - Haleakala National Park 38-mile Haleakala Highway, Nene goose crossing sign. The birds in Hawaii's Haleakala National Park include the Hawaiian short-eared owl, Nene goose, Honeycreeper, Maui petrel and Mauri Parrotbill. Hawaii is one of the most remote archipelagos in the world, and the birds found there are unique, according to Birda. Many birds are native to the area, endemic, and have ancestors who landed on the island millions of years ago. Birda added that the best birding spot is on Hosmer Grove Trail, right near the campground of the same name. THE MOST POPULAR NATIONAL PARK SITES VISITED DURING THE SPRING FILE - A ranger giving a guided tour of Miller Woods at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Birds at Indiana Dunes National Park include the Virginia rail, Red-throated loon, Green heron, Great blue heron, Waterfowl and warblers, according to Birda. The national park is home to about 285 species of birds, as well as the endangered Karner blue butterfly. Birda suggests the best time to visit is during spring and fall, when thousands of birds migrate through. THESE ARE THE DAYS NATIONAL PARKS WILL HAVE FREE ADMISSION IN 2023 FILE - Cadillac Mountain located on Mount Desert Island, in Acadia National Park, Maine. According to Birda, Acadia National Park in Maine boasts 261 species of birds, including the Bald eagle, Atlantic puffin, peregrine falcon, Blackburn warbler and the woodpecker. The variety of birds is what draws many people to the park, with birds of prey, seabirds and boreal birds all in abundance. Birda added that many of the birds live there all year, but some species stop at Acadia on their treks north and south every year. WATCH: ROCKFALL IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK CRASHES DOWN THE SIDE OF EL CAPITAN FILE - Carlsbad Caverns National Park - New Mexico. According to Birda, Gray and Bells vireo, Vermillion flycatcher, Cactus wren, Ladder-backed woodpecker and varied bunting are the birds to be on the lookout for at New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Birders report anywhere from 310 to 357 bird species at the Carlsbad Caverns. Birda says more than 300 of those species have been seen at Rattlesnake Springs Park. THE TOP 10 MOST VISITED US NATIONAL PARKS AND MEMORIALS FILE - The Chisos Basin of the Big Bend National Park in Texas is seen on January 25, 2023. Big Bend is a remote region of the state of Texas along the US-Mexico border. Big Bend National Park in Texas is home to several bird species, including the Vermillion flycatcher, Colima warbler, Mexican jay, Lucifer hummingbird and Green kingfisher. Big Bend National Park borders Mexico, so Birda says it presents a unique opportunity to see birds rarely seen in northern parks. This is especially true of the Colima warbler, which you cant reliably find anywhere else in the USA, according to Birda. There are more than 450 different bird species at Big Bend National Park. HERE'S WHY THERE COULD BE PINK SNOW AT YELLOWSTONE THIS SUMMER FILE - Hoh River along the Hoh River Trail in Olympic National Park in Washington State on Saturday, June 25, 2022. The Bald eagle, Western gull, Red-breasted sapsucker, Woodpecker, Belted kingfisher, Stellers and Gray jay, Blue grouse, Peregrine falcon and Northern pygmy owl are all birds found in Olympic National Park in Washington state. Birda says you can find diverse scenery and even more variety while birdwatching. Located east of Seattle, the national park is full of beaches, forests, waterfalls, moss, ferns and mountains. There are more than 250 bird species at the park, according to Birda. 7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK Yellowstone National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the U.S. and is home to the Bald eagle, American white pelican, Canada geese, Common loon, Osprey, Sandhill crane, Trumpeter swan and American dipper, according to Birda. There are nearly 300 bird species in this park. More than half of all abortions in the U.S. these days occur through the use of medication. Two drugs mifepristone and misoprostol have been used in combination for more than two decades to safely terminate pregnancies without the need for surgery. But a recent court ruling has put that in jeopardy and North Carolina Republicans are jumping on board. The ruling, issued last week by a federal judge in Texas, suspends the Food and Drug Administrations 2000 approval of mifepristone. It asserts that the FDA succumbed to political pressure when it approved the use of mifepristone and did not adequately evaluate safety concerns. The ruling is unprecedented it would mark the first time a court has taken a drug off the market over the objections of the FDA. And, if it stands, it would be a devastating blow to abortion access nationwide. About 5 million people have used mifepristone since it was approved in 2000. As the case continues to move through the courts, 69 Republican members of Congress filed a brief in support of the ruling. Reps. Virginia Foxx, Richard Hudson, Greg Murphy and David Rouzer of North Carolina signed onto the brief. The brief claims that drugs like mifepristone pose serious threats to the health and safety of women and girls. Republicans should drop the act. Their position has little to do with safety, and far more to do with limiting the right to an abortion nationwide. If this were about safety, then Republicans would not be trying to sabotage what is widely accepted as the safest and least invasive means of terminating a pregnancy. Here are the facts: medication abortion is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy, and there is an abundance of evidence to support that conclusion. Its safer than both surgical abortion and childbirth. The rate of major complications is extremely low less than one percent. If the ruling stands, the consequences of it will not fall equally. Medication abortion isnt just safe its also cheaper and more accessible than other methods of abortion. Removing it as an option disproportionately impacts low-income people, people of color and people in rural areas with limited access to health care. Story continues For now, mifepristone is still available, even if its future remains in limbo. An appeals court on Wednesday temporarily blocked the part of the ruling that would remove the drug from the market. But the court did roll back a number of measures taken in recent years to expand access, including the ability for the drug to be sent via mail. Ahead of the weekend, the U.S. Supreme Court put both rulings on hold. (If that all sounds confusing, its because it is.) All four North Carolina Republicans who signed onto the brief have refrained from publicly commenting on the ruling. In fact, the GOP has pretty much avoided the subject altogether. According to The Washington Post, only one Republican has issued a press release in favor of the ruling. Why? They rejoiced in the end of Roe v. Wade. For years, they have made clear their intent to restrict abortion as much as possible. Why arent they out celebrating this victory? Perhaps its because Republicans are growing increasingly aware that their abortion stance is unpopular. So far, it certainly isnt helping them win elections. Earlier this month, Democrats flipped the Wisconsin Supreme Court by focusing heavily on abortion yet another example of the electoral momentum that also aided the party in the 2022 midterms. Polling has repeatedly shown that a majority of voters reject abortion bans and other measures that would heavily restrict access to the procedure. A Reuters poll conducted in March found that 7 in 10 Americans would oppose federal courts overturning access to mifepristone. The same poll found a month earlier that nearly half of Republicans believe medication abortion should remain legal. If North Carolina Republicans are going to support the elimination of a drug that has allowed millions of people to make their own health care decisions, they should do so loudly, so voters can know for certain exactly where they stand. This article was originally published in Nebraska Examiner. LINCOLN A proposal to require all Nebraska school districts to adopt a written dress code and grooming policy is just one stage away from becoming law. This time last week, the bills sponsor, State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, voiced concerns about whether Legislative Bill 630 would be scheduled for debate this year. But lawmakers on Tuesday amended LB 630 into a different bill that has advanced to the final stage of debate. Senators voted 37-0 to attach LB 630 to LB 298, proposed by State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn to require school districts to report information on dyslexia to the Nebraska Department of Education. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter McKinney said LB 630 is another step toward decreasing discrimination in the state. I was glad it got pushed forward because I wasnt sure what was going to happen, McKinney said. Some existing dress codes have racial or religious implications, such as prohibitions on headscarves and durags, disproportionately impacting students of color. In spring 2020, a school secretary cut two Lakota girls hair without parental consent. Each school board would be required to adopt a policy by July 1, 2025, consistent with a statewide dress code developed by the Education Department. Punishments for violating the written dress codes could not include long-term suspension or expulsion, under the bill. McKinney said LB 630 would provide a uniform policy instead of a hodgepodge of restrictions between districts. This could protect hairstyles, natural hair, certain head coverings and the right of Indigenous students to wear regalia statewide. Endless filibusters this session have come largely in response to LB 574, which is related to gender-affirming procedures, raising concerns some prioritized legislation may not be debated. McKinney and State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha criticized the zero-sum games of either side that hurt bills such as LB 630. Story continues Linehan, who is a member of the Education Committee, said she voted to advance LB 630 to the full Legislature and was happy to amend it into her bill. She added that shes been working on dyslexia issues since she took office, with LB 298 another step forward in work that she said is not yet done. Linehan said amending bills into one another isnt a new concept, nor is it unique. She said some bills have included more than a dozen amendments of this kind. Some observers have criticized the Legislature for not doing more in its 90-day session, having passed no legislation thus far. However, Linehan said lawmakers are still on track for a productive session. The first year I was here we argued about the rules for 30 days we still got a lot done, Linehan said. Were going to get a lot done this session. Linehan said this session is also one big fight going on instead of 20 little ones. LB 298 is now one debate stage away from being sent to Gov. Jim Pillen to become law. McKinney said his proposal sends a message that students can go to school and be themselves without fear of punishment for their hair or what they wear. Overall for the state, it shows that Nebraska is a place where people can come and raise their kids and not have to worry about discrimination at school based on how they wear their hair, McKinney said. Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and Twitter. LAS VEGAS (AP) U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland joined members of Nevadas congressional delegation and tribal leaders on Friday to celebrate Avi Kwa Ame, the states newly designated national monument, saying the recognition of the desert mountain heralds a new era of environmental conservation in which the federal government and tribal nations will work together to maintain protected areas. Haaland, the nations first Native American Cabinet member, said she visited Avi Kwa Ame on Friday to watch the sunrise and was moved by the desert mountains rich history. I was struck by the power and presence of the ancestors in tribal communities who have prayed on, protected and drawn strength from this special place for thousands of years, Haaland said later in Las Vegas at a celebration attended by tribal leaders and members of Congress. President Joe Biden established the monument last month, nearly a year to the day after U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat, introduced legislation to permanently protect the desert mountain region considered sacred by some tribes. The area stretches more than 500,000 acres (202,300 hectares) in southern Nevada and includes Spirit Mountain, a peak northwest of Laughlin called Avi Kwa Ame (ah-VEE kwa-meh) by the Fort Mojave Tribe and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Titus, in her remarks at the private Las Vegas event, described Avi Kwa Ame as a crown jewel. It just doesn't get any better than that, she said. So we celebrate today on this gorgeous southern Nevada day all the things that Avi Kwa Ame means to the tribes. Tribal leaders in Arizona said earlier this week they hope to build on the momentum of Avi Kwa Ame's national monument designation to persuade the the Biden administration to create similar protections for areas adjacent to the Grand Canyon, which they also consider sacred. An Illinois family of four missing for more than two months may be in grave danger, officials say. The Newton Police Department said the Lutz family was last seen Feb. 10 and last heard from four days later, according to WAND. Stephen Lutz, 44, was previously arrested on domestic battery charges and had been ordered to stay away from his wife, Monica Lutz, the Jasper County Daily News reported. The couple and the children, 9-year-old Nicholas Lutz and 11-year-old Aiden Lutz, were all reported missing the same day. Its left Brittany Lutz, Stephen Lutzs adult daughter, worrying about what happened. These boys could be in very serious danger and Im terrified for their lives, she said in a Facebook post April 1. The Missing Persons Awareness Network said a U-Haul was seen at the familys Newton home Feb. 10 attached to Stephen Lutzs Ford F-150. The family did not tell anyone they were leaving, and the truck was spotted leaving in the middle of the night. Before Stephen and Monica Lutzs phones were disconnected Feb. 14, they were pinged in Richmond, Indiana, on the same day, the Missing Persons Awareness Network said. They can be anywhere in the United States, according to the network, adding they are believed to be in grave danger. Brittany Lutz said in her Facebook post she dreaded making her post because she assumed her family members would have been back by now. But in the weeks that followed their disappearance, their home remained empty and mailbox untouched, she said. I just want my brothers returned home safely, they dont deserve any of this, she said. A warrant has been issued for Stephen Lutzs arrest, police told WAND. The FBI and Illinois State Police are now involved in the investigation, according to WCIA. I will say its been challenging having a whole family as missing, Newton Police Chief Riley Britton told WCIA. Anyone with information is asked to contact Newton police at 618-783-8478. Newton is in eastern Illinois about 125 miles northeast of St. Louis. Story continues Student mysteriously vanished from SC college town. What we know 25 years later Womans death in 1987 was never solved until digging into mans grave, NM city says Dad finds 11-year-old son dead as moms SUV found in ocean a state away, officials say [Source] Victoria police are looking for a man who allegedly exposed himself and performed lewd acts in front of multiple people at Melbourne, Australia, beaches. The incident, which involved at least two victims, occurred along Elwood foreshore and Brighton Beach between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. last Monday, April 3. Police said the man removed all his clothes and exposed himself along the beaches, which happen to be popular tourist spots. After stripping naked, the man allegedly performed a lewd act in front of two female victims. More from NextShark: Chinese rover discovers glass beads on Moon that may contain 330 billion tons of water Investigators today released CCTV footage and a computer-generated image of a man who may be able to assist with their enquiries, according to police. The man is perceived to be Asian, about 170 centimeters (approximately 5 feet 7 inches) tall and aged between 20 and 30. More from NextShark: Man gets Jollibee tomb in memory of his love for Chicken Joy He was last seen wearing gray track pants and runners carrying a black backpack and gray towel. Anyone with information about the incident or the mans whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or submit a report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au. More from NextShark: Police deputy fired, 5 under investigation over handling of group attack on female diners in Tangshan Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Student arrested after urinating on fellow passenger mid-flight from NYC to India The Ministry of Public Security of China has launched a campaign to crack down on fake information in cyberspace. The campaign, which will last 100 days, comes as false information related to certain high-profile incidents in recent years has caused disorder in cyberspace, the ministry said. Police will crack down on those who organize, plan or participate in the fabrication or distribution of false information on the internet, and groups that utilize incidents to create misinformation and attract attention for the purpose of acquiring profits illegally, according to the ministry. The campaign will see internet companies with serious issues in this regard rectified, and illegal accounts removed from relevant online platforms. The ministry has also called on the public to keep a cool head and be vigilant to help contain the spread of fake information in cyberspace. A stock image shows a dictionary's entry for 'Woman.' Getty Images A California man got a year in prison over threats to Merriam-Webster and other businesses. Jeremy Hanson made threats related to gender, including some related to the definition of "female". Hanson's lawyers said due to mental health issues it's unlikely he would have acted on his threats. A California man who pleaded guilty to making online threats to shoot up and bomb the offices of dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster was sentenced to a year in prison this week. Jeremy Hanson, 35, was arrested nearly a year ago over his comments to Merriam-Webster on a charge of interstate communication of threats. Hanson will serve a year in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, during which Hanson's attorneys suggested restricting him from owning firearms or accessing the Internet on non-monitored devices. They also asked that he continue to receive medication and mental health treatment. In October 2021, Hanson used an anonymous account to send several threatening messages and comments through the Merriam-Webster website's "Contact Us" page, and in the comment section for the dictionary entries for "girl," "woman," and "female." Hanson used the handle "@anonYmous," and under the definition of "female" called for whoever was responsible for including "gender identity" in the entry to be hunted down and shot, the DOJ said. While Merriam-Webster defines female as "of, relating to, or being the sex that typically has the capacity to bear young or produce eggs," it includes a secondary definition of "having a gender identity that is the opposite of male." Hanson was also accused of making threats to bomb or shoot up the dictionary publisher's headquarters in Springfield, Massachusetts, which forced that office and another in New York to close for several days. "You [sic] headquarters should be shot up and bombed," Hanson wrote in a message through the site's "Contact Us" page. "It is sickening that you have caved to the cultural Marxist, anti-science tranny [sic] agenda and altered the definition of 'female' as part of the Left's efforts to corrupt and degrade the English language and deny reality." Story continues He continued: "You evil Marxists should all be killed. It would be poetic justice to have someone storm your offices and shoot up the place, leaving none of you commies alive." Hanson's lawyers argued that he was diagnosed with autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder as a teenager, and that experts determined it is highly unlikely that he would be able to act on the threats, court records show. They also said that because of the Covid pandemic and the suspension of the therapy and other services he used at the time, he spent more time online, consuming content on conspiracy theories that eventually led to the threats. At the time of his arrest, prosecutors said Hanson also threatened several other brands and organizations online, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Land O' Lakes, and Hasbro, along with staff members of the University of North Texas and Loyola Marymount University. "Today's sentence cannot undo the damage Hanson did, but it can provide some comfort in knowing that threats to life are not protected free speech but criminal acts, and the FBI and our partners will vigorously pursue those who commit them," said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston division, per the DOJ. United States Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement that she hopes the sentence will demonstrate to LGBTQ communities that "this office will hold those who engage in threatening, hateful acts accountable." Read the original article on Business Insider Nuclear power plant We have seen that Russia is deliberately using energy dependence to exert pressure. Therefore, the federal government has called on the European Commission to impose sanctions on the civil nuclear sector as well. This should be part of the next sanctions package, he said. Read also: Russia preparing evacuation plan for Rosatom employees from occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP EU members should become more independent of Russia, which still supplies nuclear fuel rods for power plants and stores radioactive waste on its territory, Habeck said. "We have already come a long way in many areas, including energy. The nuclear sector is still open," the minister added. Read also: IAEA Director General Grossi arrives at Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP Loyalty to the Russian nuclear industry can't be justified, Habeck believed. Nuclear technology is an extremely sensitive area, and Russia can no longer be perceived as a reliable partner here, he stressed. While he recognizes that a transition period is necessary to sanction Russian nuclear power, it is important to start and not be afraid of decisive action, he said. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Nima Momeni appeared in court on Friday and is being held without bail - REUTERS The tech executive charged with stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee to death in San Francisco confronted him earlier in the evening about his ties to the suspect's younger sister, prosecutors said on Friday in court documents that outlined a possible motive. Nima Momeni, 38, was arrested on Thursday and charged with the April 4 murder of Mr Lee, who was found stumbling through the city early that morning bleeding from three stab wounds. Mr Lee later died at a nearby hospital. Mr Momeni, founder of the Bay Area software company Expand IT, briefly appeared in a San Francisco courtroom on Friday, where a judge postponed his arraignment until April 25. He was ordered held without bail until then. San Francisco prosecutors, who called the murder "planned and deliberate" in court papers filed for the hearing, wrote that a close friend of Mr Lee, identified only as "Witness 1", described spending time with the Cash App founder, Mr Momeni and his younger sister on the day before the murder. Witness 1 told investigators that on that afternoon Mr Momeni questioned Mr Lee, 43, over whether his sister was "doing drugs or anything inappropriate," according to the documents. The friend said Mr Lee assured him that nothing of the sort had taken place. Bob Lee died from three stab wounds Investigators who gained access to Mr Lee's phones following his death discovered a FaceTime call between him and Mr Momeni's sister, who is not identified by name in the court papers. They also found a text message from the sister reading: "Just wanted to make sure your doing ok Cause I know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you and thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class Love you Selfish p----s." Witness 1 said in the filings that it was not clear to him whether Mr Lee had engaged in an intimate relationship with Mr Momeni's sister. Surveillance camera footage shows Mr Momeni arriving at his sister's apartment at 8.31pm on April 3, the court documents said, followed by Mr Lee roughly four hours later. The cameras captured both men leaving the apartment some 30 minutes before the alleged murder. The two men are seen in camera footage driving to a remote area where prosecutors believe that the stabbing took place. A North Carolina murder suspect who was mistakenly released from custody this week due to an incorrect court order saying his charges had been dismissed turned himself back into authorities on Saturday. Jaylan Noah Davis, 25, was arrested late last year in the shooting death of Arthur Mikulski, 42, on Nov. 26. He was charged with murder, two counts of shooting into an occupied property and a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, according to FOX Carolina. Davis is being held without bond at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. The Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Department put out an alert on Friday, a day after he was released, calling Davis "dangerous." OREGON MURDER SUSPECT ESCAPES COURTHOUSE IN WILD SECURITY VIDEO Jaylan Davis was charged with murder last year and is being held without bond. On Saturday the sheriffs office said he was once again being held without bond and was expected to be back in court on Monday. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP ARIZONA INMATE MISTAKENLY RELEASED FROM JAIL AFTER PRETENDING TO BE ANOTHER INMATE "I am grateful that it appears that no one was harmed as a result of this mishap, though I am sure it was an emotional rollercoaster for the families involved. Our criminal justice system will never be flawless but we will learn from this experience and improve our processes accordingly," Sheriff Garry McFadden said in a statement. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is convinced that the alleged exhaustion of Ukrainians and partners as a result of the war is a Russian narrative. Source: Shmyhal in a comment to journalists after his visit to Washington DC, posted on Telegram Quote: "Exhaustion is a Russian narrative. In all senses of the word military exhaustion, donor exhaustion, partner exhaustion, exhaustion within Ukraine. We are very determined to win this war, to liberate our territories, we are very confident in all our partners, and we are very united with our partners. I repeat again no one is exhausted. We may be physically tired because this is a difficult war, but we are not exhausted, we are not frustrated, we will fight and we will go forward." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Former vice president Mike Pence was greeted with boos and a smattering of applause after taking the stage at the National Rifle Associations annual conference in his home state of Indiana. I love you, too, he joked in response. Later in his remarks, after calling his term as vice president under Donald Trump the greatest honour of his life, one person loudly shouted never again. His reception at the event was in sharp contrast to that for the former president, who pressured Mr Pence to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election while overseeing a joint session of Congress on 6 January 2021 as a mob of Mr Trumps supporters stormed the halls of the US Capitol. I hope you gave Pence a good, warm approval, Mr Trump said in his remarks at the NRA-ILAs event on 14 April. No, because he is a nice man, if you want to really know the truth, he is. Hes a good man. And I heard it was very rough. Mr Pence, who ultimately refused to join the former presidents attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, is weighing a run for the GOP nomination for president in 2024. Mr Trump remains the frontrunner while he continues to push a baseless narrative that the election was stolen from him. The former vice president, who served as governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, has repeatedly condemned Mr Trumps reckless rhetoric that fuelled the attack at the Capitol. President Trump was wrong, Mr Pence said last month. I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable. At the NRA event, prospective 2024 candidates relied on familiar tropes alleging Democratic overreach on gun control and committed themselves to defending the powerful firearm lobby and Second Amendment protections. Both Mr Trump and Mr Pence also invoked dangerous rhetoric against transgender Americans, with the former president baselessly calling the assailant responsible for the mass shooting in Nashville a trans activist. Mr Pence, a staunch opponent of abortion rights, called for accelerating the executions of mass shooters, saying that justice delayed is justice denied. I believe the time has come to institute a federal death penalty statute with accelerated appeal to ensure that those who engage in mass shootings face execution in months, not years, he said. Officer Baldemar Sandoval was off duty when he died early Saturday after apparently crashing into the back of a semi-truck on the 210 Freeway in Baldwin Park. (LAPD) An off-duty Los Angeles police officer was killed on his way home from work early Saturday when the car he was driving collided with the back of a stalled semi truck on the 210 Freeway in Baldwin Park, police said. Officer Baldemar Sandoval was driving his 2018 Honda around 2:30 a.m. when the accident occurred, police said. The truck was stalled in an eastbound lane of the freeway near Barranca Avenue, according to a news release from California Highway Patrol. The driver of the truck, who had stopped while authorities investigated another collision ahead of him, had switched on the trucks hazard lights, according to CHP. The truck driver was not injured. LAPD Police Chief Michel Moore identified Sandoval in a tweet Saturday morning, and said the department was grieving our loss of a peacemaker. Sandoval was 38 and worked in the police department's Central Division. With great sadness, I share that earlier this morning, a police officer on his way home from work was involved in a traffic collision on the 210 Freeway, Moore said in a statement. I send my deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and friends as we mourn this tragedy. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Ohio Wildlife Council has announced the dates for the 2023-24 deer season. >>RELATED: Ohios deer gun hunting seasons begin this weekend The schedule is as follows: Deer archery- September 30 until February 2024 Youth deer gun- November 18-19 Deer gun- November 27-December 3; December 16-17 Bag limits have decreased by two in Butler County for this year, the Ohio Wildlife Council said. As in years past, only one antlered deer may be harvested. Turkey hunting for this fall will also take place from October 14 until November 12. More information is available at wildohio.gov or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE (1-800-945-3543). One person was killed and four others, including a child under five, were injured in a shooting Friday night in a gas station parking lot at the corner of 35th Street and Prospect Avenue in Kansas City, according to police. Capt. Corey Carlisle, a department spokesman, described a chaotic scene as police officers were dispatched around 9:30 p.m. on an initial report of gunfire heard in the area. Responding officers located one man seriously injured who was taken by ambulance to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Two women were on scene with gunshot wounds as well. One was treated there and released, and the other was taken to the hospital, Carlisle said. Another female gunshot victim and the child arrived at the hospital by private vehicle. All of the gunshot victims who survived had injuries that were not believed to be life threatening. Circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unknown, Carlisle said, as detectives were interviewing witnesses Friday night. Police did not have anyone in custody, but Carlisle said police did not believe there was an immediate threat to the community. Other details, including whether there was more than one shooter, were not immediately known to police. Carlisle said there were many people in the area at the time of the shooting, including customers inside the convenience store. He said it appeared that all the gunshot victims were injured outside the building in the business in the parking lot. Any time where the normal to and from of our daily activities is interrupted by violence, its not something that we want to deal with as a community, Carlisle said, adding that police want anyone with information to come forward. We want to give peace to the families and we want to bring justice to the individuals that are involved. On Friday night, police kept the often busy intersection blocked off to traffic on all sides. Police searched the parking lot for physical evidence, placing orange cones in clusters on the ground. The killing Friday marks Kansas Citys 49th homicide of 2023, according to data maintained by The Star. Last year, the second-deadliest on record, 171 people were killed. Kansas City police were asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us ... George Washington Carver The words bring to mind myriad encounters during my nature walks. But this column is not about me. It is about Carver. Carver came into the world Black. His Black mother, his Black body, and even his last name belonged to a white man. In spite of being dealt such a harsh card, Carver became the first African American to earn a bachelor of science degree. The first African American to attend Iowa State University. Carver was known even by icons. Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford, Mahatma Gandhi all knew him. Time Magazine named him Black Leonardo for his art skills. Some think Carver belongs with legends like Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass. Carver was an adviser to U.S. presidents. Kudos to FDR for ordering a national monument to be built in Carvers honor. An honor once reserved for presidents. Carver mentored a young Henry A. Wallace, who became an Iowa icon. Kudos to Iowa for declaring Feb. 1 George Washington Carver Day. Inside his farming demonstration lab at Tuskegee, I can picture Carver nodding in agreement to a statement in President William Taft's 1908 acceptance speech: As the Republican platform says, the welfare of the farmer is vital to that of the whole country. Very true. Farmers were essential in 20th-century agriculture, as they had been in the Fertile Crescent 10,000 years ago. But Carver must have also known that Black American farmers were not doing well. Between 1910 and 1997, Black farmers lost 90% of their land. Their numbers as a proportion of all farmers declined from about 14% in the 1900s to less than 2% in 2020. The decline in the percentage of Black American farmers is a product of longstanding institutionalized racism. Even the United States Department of Agriculture refused to process loans for Black farmers. A group of Black farmers sued the government last year for reversing its promise to fix the wrongs after a group of white farmers decried reverse discrimination. Story continues George Washington Carver, who at the Tuskegee Institute developed crops like sweet potatoes and peanuts that helped free poor Southern farmers from their dependence on cotton. Carver lived in dangerous times. I can imagine his incredulity when he heard Taft say further in his 1908 speech: The Republican platform explicitly demands justice for all men without regard to race or color. Yet, that same year, in Springfield, Illinois, a Black man was accused of assaulting a white woman. Even though the accusation turned out to be untrue, a race riot ensued. Homes were torched, a couple of elderly Black persons were lynched. If Carver were here today, he might still insist: The road to achievement has no shortcuts. I agree. There are no shortcuts to true equality. Achieving true equality starts with our admission that inequity in agriculture was exacerbated even by President Abraham Lincoln. He signed the Homestead Act of 1862 to increase land ownership by U.S. citizens, yet only white Americans were considered citizens then. Black Americans became citizens in 1868 after the 14th Amendment was ratified. Native Americans became citizens in 1924 after the Indian Citizenship Act was passed. During my 20 years of employment at predominantly white universities (PWIs), I have listened to many talks about a need to increase the number of Black students in agriculture. The intention is good. After all, many PWIs once kept their doors shut to Black students. But what is frequently missed in these talks is how to retain students of color in a discipline born out of injustice. Some still fail to realize that past injustices contribute to negative perception of agriculture by students of color. Did Carver have a choice to be in agriculture? Thats a tough question. But if Carver were here to answer, he might say: The more information one has, the greater will be the inspiration. This is Carvers call for all Americans to support the teaching of the entire history of this country. We cannot inspire our children to fight injustice if we prevent them from learning what happened to Carvers forebears. Carver might also say: Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. Very true. The door to freedom is what every human seeks. To be free is to be in spaces devoid of racism, something Carver did not enjoy even after he became famous. But Carver was special. He saw Gods love in nature. He saw Gods love in Black and White hearts. How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong, because someday in your life you will have been all of these. These are words that epitomize Carvers life. Some named Carver a peanut man. But Carver was more than peanuts. The name Carver invokes his spirit, the spirit of Black excellence. Walter Suza, Ames Tribune guest columnist Walter Suza of Ames, Iowa, writes frequently on the intersections of spirituality, anti-racism and social justice. He can be contacted at wsuza2020@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Opinion: George Washington Carver Black excellence amid suffering Orchestral Tools Salu Orchestral Tools Salu: What is it? Orchestral Tools has always strived for perfection, notably through its fine collection of orchestral libraries, recorded at the Teldex scoring stage in Berlin. With a change of location, their latest project is described as Close-up soundscapes, and what better way to deliver this than from a location that really gets away from it all... Salu is a beautifully eclectic library, exclusively recorded at the Arvo Part Centre, which is set in the heart of a pine forest, 40 minutes away from Tallinn, in Estonia. Described as a cultural space and creative environment, this exceptional venue offers performance spaces, perfect for creating a contemporary sample library, employing a diverse collection of exemplary musicians. Orchestral Tools Salu Orchestral Tools Salu: Performance and verdict Installed within OTs Sine Player, there are five distinct instrument groupings; String Quartet, Voices, Plucked & Keys, Percussion and Processed. In all instances, the acoustics are up-close, personal and relatively dry. We are talking about small groupings of instrumentation, which begins with a string quartet. Theres an abundant set of 24 different articulations, captured from the M4gnet string quartet. While this includes two violins, it is the Viola and Cello that get the individual treatment, with a secondary-salvo of solo content, alongside the full ensemble. Also consider... Cinematic Studio Series Solo Strings Cinematic Studio Series Solo Strings This extensive library provides patching with an amazing amount of realism and expression. Spitfire Audio Eric Whitacre Choir A collaboratively produced library of choral samples, with controllable expression and purity throughout. The sonic identity is impressive; the purity of sound is undeniably contemporary, stylish and focused. Apart from some very useable legato options, which include octaves, there is the usual set of shorts, longs, plucks et al, plus a batch of swells, repetitions and irregular articulations. Story continues Anyone au fait with current TV soundtrack trends will hear immediate inspiration from the more abstract selections. There are played arpeggios, in both major and minor tonalities, which tempo lock to the DAW, although the triplet incarnation of arpeggio can sound a little truncated at speedier tempi. The next section focuses on voices, with samples drawn from the impressive Vox Clamentis choral ensemble. The previously mentioned purity continues here, with shorts and longs, the latter forming beautiful pads, using Ehs, Ahs and Uhs. The Hummed Crescendos are also impressive, while the Sustained Legato patching is sublime, albeit sluggish in use, as is often the case with legato patching. There is a small amount of dynamic timbral control in this setting too, but in keeping with Salus ethos, its calm and subtle. The up-close journey continues, with combined samples from Harp, Piano and an Estonian instrument called a Kannel. It looks much like a dulcimer but is played by plucking the strings. These three instruments are also combined in a sampling combo, or available as separate entities. Meanwhile, the Percussion section features 11 different instruments, from Tubular Bells and Glockenspiels to the Thundersheet and Wind Gong. Theres even a beautiful vibraphone sample, played with a string bow. Orchestral Tools Salu Final processing While the content contained within this library is overtly acoustic in nature, the final section described as Processed, yields an amazing bounty of sounds, collated into adjective-inspired menus. The content remains acoustic, but the reproduction feels otherworldly, verging on electronic. Moreover, dicing with the modulation wheel will reveal layers of interest in timbre. States vary from dreamlike and icy, to tense, dark and brooding. As a library, this may not appeal to all; its acoustic calling card, adopting an intensely personal stance, provides some astonishingly high-class samples. There is much to call upon here, for the contemporary composer, anyone writing music with a media slant, or just producers looking for pure sounds, derived from interesting acoustic sources. Despite its traditional point-of-origin, it will go way further than you might think, in production terms. MusicRadar verdict: Salu sits proud by providing some of the classiest acoustic samples weve heard, from a location which oozes creativity. Orchestral Tools Salu: The web says "Salu is an incredible collection of instruments, articulations, and patches. Its hard to find fault with something so beautiful and unique." Sample Library Review Orchestral Tools Salu: Hands-on demos Orchestral Tools Christopher Siu Simeon Amburgey Jesse Haugen Orchestral Tools Salu: Specifications An Oregon man threw thousands of dollars in cash out the window of his car on an interstate, but left his family members fuming after they claimed he took the family's money and left them penniless. The Oregon State Police (OSP) and local authorities received multiple phone calls around 7:23 p.m. Tuesday regarding money "floating" along Interstate 5 in Eugene, Oregon, according to an OSP statement to Fox News Digital. Callers told police that a handful of vehicles stopped along the roadway, in both the north- and southbound lanes, as people began collecting loose bills reportedly one-hundred-dollar bills. U.S. $100 bills The OCP said it quickly found the responsible party Colin Davis McCarthy, who told police he wanted to "bless others with gifts of money." Troopers asked McCarthy to stop throwing the loot out of his vehicle's window because it was causing a significant traffic hazard since cars were haphazardly pulled off of the busy highway, and people were out of their vehicles and desperately searching for money. FLORIDA DIVE TEAM FIND HUMAN BONES IN CAR REGISTERED TO MAN MISSING SINCE 2006 READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP McCarthy cooperated and agreed to stop tossing C-notes along the roadway, police said. McCarthy told them he had dispersed roughly $200,000 during the incident, although the OCP said that there was no way to confirm how much money he gifted the lucky motorists. Oregon state police asked Colin Davis McCarthy to stop throwing money out of his car since it was causing a roadside hazard. While those who happened to be in the area when cash began raining down on I-5 were overjoyed, McCarthys family wasnt too pleased. OSP told local TV station KEZI 9 that they later spoke with a relative of McCarthy. Troopers said that while the relative told them its was normal behavior for McCarthy, the relative also told troopers that McCarthy acquired the money by depleting his familys shared accounts. VIRGINIA DEPUTY TRADES 7-ELEVEN SLURPEES TO TRACK DOWN PRETEEN PORCH PIRATES "Because it's shared, they both have equal interests in the money," OSP Lt. Jim Andrews told KEZI 9. "To prevent something like that happening if you were estranged, you would definitely want to create a secondary bank account and then take out a portion of the money that you believe is rightfully yours." Story continues Colin Davis McCarthy's family said that he took the family's money from a shared bank account. Police said motorists did a thorough job at gathering the free money and by the next morning, when authorities searched area, they were unable to find any other bills along the highway. OSP is urging the public to avoid the temptation to go looking for money along the highway. No criminal charges are being considered, police said. Attorneys Tim Pribisco, at right, and Terry Shoemaker sat with their client Othal Wallace in the courtroom at the Volusia County Branch Jail, Friday February 24, 2023 for a hearing before Judge Raul Zambrano. Citing pre-trial publicity, yard signs and comments by police, attorneys for Othal Wallace, the man accused of killing Daytona Beach Police Officer Jason Raynor, are asking a judge to move his trial to Alachua County. Wallace, 31, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer in 26-year-old Raynor's death in 2021. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. The trial is set to start with jury selection July 31. But in a motion filed Friday, Terry J. Shoemaker, one of Wallaces attorneys states that potential jurors have been subject to constant negative publicity which would prevent the seating of an impartial jury in Volusia County or in the 7th Circuit, which includes, besides Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties. It goes on to say that an impartial jury could not be seated anywhere in Central Florida and asks the trial be moved to Alachua County. Bryan Shorstein, the spokesman for the 7th Circuit, declined to comment when reached Friday about the change of venue motion. Raynor was patrolling in an area of Daytona Beach on June 23, 2021, because residents had complained of criminal activity. Raynor went to question Wallace who was sitting in a car outside of an apartment building at 133 Kingston Ave., where Wallace was living with his girlfriend and their children, according to reports. Police said Wallace shot Raynor in the head. Raynors gun was found still in its holster. Raynor died 55 days later. Possible Othal Wallace defense strategy Othal Wallace defense: Black men 'brainwashed' into believing police will shoot them Othal Wallace 'situation': Man accused of shooting Daytona officer tells visitor he got caught up in a situation In honor of Raynor: Daytona Beach Police honors Officer Jason Raynor a year after his death from gunshot wound Wallace motion quotes law enforcement leaders The motion quotes Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood as saying: I think this was going to happen. In my opinion, any cop that stopped him was going to get it, he was going to try to kill. Story continues Chitwood also stated about Wallace: Listen to his manifestos, and see what hes posting ... you see the hatred that hes putting out there to police. We have to eradicate that, according to the motion. The motion states that Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young stated about Wallace, His heart is pure malice. He could care less. He did that with zero remorse. The motion states that more than 5,000 people, with a vast majority in Volusia County, have donated to Jason Raynors GoFundMe page. Many businesses have also donated to the fund, the motion states. The publicity on the case has been constant and uniformly negative about Othal Wallace, the motion states. The motion states that newspaper stories have said Wallace had a lengthy arrest history when he is not a convicted felon. It states that the Daytona Beach Police Department tweeted that the officer said on his radio that he was investigating a suspicious incident but there is no evidence that occurred. One of Wallaces defense attorneys, Tim A. Pribisco, stated in an affidavit attached to the motion that he has been in court proceedings throughout the 7th Circuit, which covers Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties. Pribisco's affidavit states that he has seen court personnel, lawyers and officers with Raynor memorabilia, including coffee mugs, shirts, pins, with a #Raynorstrong type message. Raynor strong yard signs Pribisco says he has seen numerous Raynor strong yard signs. Shoemaker's motion states that Volusia County had a population of 548,000 and a mean annual income of $56,786 in 2021 with a Black population of 10.5%. The motion states that Alachua County had a population of 276,171 with a mean annual income of $53,314 in 2021 with a Black population of 19.5%. Several past high-profile cases in the past have been moved from Volusia to St. Johns County. But the motion states St. Johns is not a similar situation and would not be suitable for the trial. The motion states that St. Johns County had a population of 265,724 with an annual mean income of $88,794 with a Black population of 5%. Wallaces next court hearing is April 21. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Jason Raynor killing: Attorney's want change of venue in Wallace's trial Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed In Pakistan, families are forced to make over 1,500 bricks a day to repay loans from the kiln owners. However, they are not told how much they owe, how long they must work, or how much interest is being attached to their loans. As this form of debt bondage spreads around the world, NGOs are working to free millions from modern-day slavery. In the Thar desert of Pakistan, generations of families are trapped in debt bondage, forced to work for years in brick kilns to repay loans from the kiln owners. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Facing brutal working conditions, including temperatures that can reach upward of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, around 150 families work every day to hand over their quota of 1,500 bricks to the kiln owners. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Many of these families are stuck in debt bondage and work to repay their loans. They make $1.50 a day and are told another $1.50 goes toward their debt. However, as there are no set contracts or conditions to these debt agreements, the families often don't know how much money they owe, how much interest is being added onto their debts, or how much longer they will have to continue to work before the debts are repaid. Source: Insider Earning low wages, they have to keep borrowing money from the wealthy owners just to survive. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Poonjo Meghwar, a brick kiln worker, believes he still owes about $560 dollars from a loan he borrowed years ago to pay hospital bills. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed His wife, 70-year-old mother, and 12-year-old son, Dileep, also all work at the kiln to pay off the same debt. The kiln owner could bring in that same amount in one week just by selling the very bricks the Meghwar family produces. Source: Insider The process of making bricks is laborious and physically exhausting. First, one must accumulate enough dirt to mix with water. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Then, the mud is kneaded until it becomes clay. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Donkeys are used to transport nearly 5,000 bricks from the plots to the fire kiln every day. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Workers stack the bricks in underground ovens where they bake for days, usually over a month. The kilns are estimated to reach nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Story continues Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Al Jazeera, Insider The kilns are covered with sand and gaps are filled with wood. Kiln workers risk their lives with the threat of cave-ins . Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed In July 2022, three workers died when they dropped into the blazing kiln. Source: Insider Once the bricks are fully prepared, construction sites use them for everything from building houses to supporting bridges and canals. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed There are nearly 20,000 of these brick kilns in Pakistan and over 100,000 across South Asia. In some cities, they account for 91% of pollution, according to the World Bank. As of November 2022, Pakistan's Environmental Protection Agency closed roughly 70 kilns because of overpopulation. Source: Insider In addition to the extreme heat, breathing in dust, and exposure to carbon monoxide and sulfur can result in death, especially among children. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Child labor, which is illegal in Pakistan, also runs rampant at brick kilns. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed It is estimated that 1 in 3 workers at brick kilns are underage. In some kilns, more than half are under 10 years old. Source: Insider What's happening at the brick kilns falls under the legal definition of debt bondage, which was outlawed in Pakistan's constitution in 1992. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Unfortunately, this kind of modern day slavery is not unique. The Global Slavery Index estimates nearly 25 million people are held in debt bondage just in Asia and the Pacific regions alone. Farming and brick production are the most common industries for debt bondage. Source: Insider Despite media evidence and reports, the Department of Labor in the Sindh province claims debt bondage can't be proven because there are no official records that the families or children work there. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed But experts say that many kiln owners have government ties that help them evade any punishment. Source: Insider Zahid Thebo works with Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, or SPARC, to monitor child labor at brick kilns. The NGO works to bring the cases for families stuck in bondage to court and has successfully helped free over 17,000 workers. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed "When we get people released, seeing the smiles and happiness on their faces, when we see the bright faces of young children we can't get that mental and emotional satisfaction anywhere else," Zahid said. Source: Insider Once released, the families have the option to move to a camp called Azad Nagar, which means "Free City." There, the families are able to earn wages by working at a kiln, but they do not owe anyone any money. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Many of the Azad Nagar residents say they feel lucky to have escaped the cycle of debt bondage. However, the camp has no running water or operating schools for children. The organization has appealed to the government for funding. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider "There is so much oppression. They wouldn't pay wages. They would lock us up in the kiln owner's office and beat us up," recalled Pannu Faqeer, an Azad Nagar resident who has been freed from debt bondage for over 20 years. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Now Pannu works with SPARC by traveling with other workers if they receive a court date. He still faces threats from kiln owners and was attacked during a workers' rights protest in 2013. Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider "We are free here because we are in this colony," Pannu said "If we were at the kiln, then we would have faced restrictions." Bilawal Bhatti and Maqbool Ahmed Source: Insider Read the original article on Insider House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat watch as Gov. Kevin Stitt signs legislation in 2021. Panasonic has committed to building a factory in Oklahoma, but the company also wants state leaders to spend another $245 million on community and infrastructure upgrades, Gov. Kevin Stitt said Friday. At a news conference, Stitt said Panasonic code-named "Project Josie" would be in line to receive nearly $700 million in capital investment rebates set aside in the Large-scale Economic Activity and Development Act (LEAD) passed by the Legislature last year. On top of that, however, Panasonic wants more site preparation and road infrastructure at the Mid-America Industrial Park near Pryor before it begins work on a $5 billion, 5 million-square-foot structure. "A few, maybe, daycare centers, more fire stations, there's some community investments that the Legislature would probably make to put that over the finish line," the governor said. More: Panasonic said to be interested again in Oklahoma factory But it's not certain whether the Legislature has the stomach to dig into their own pockets to meet Panasonic's demands. Despite Stitt's optimism, House Speaker Charles McCall said Friday that the LEAD Act requires a binding contract "which is easily identifiable, and one in which a company promises to do something free of contingencies." "The House reviewed the contract two days ago and notified the Department of Commerce, the governor and Project Josie to inform them that it does not meet the criteria and (to) give them an opportunity to correct it before the deadline," McCall told The Oklahoman. McCall's thinking puts the future of the project in doubt and suggests that unless Panasonic drops its request for additional spending, the LEAD funds will no longer be available for the current deal after Saturday. Under the recently revised LEAD Act law, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce had to receive a binding commitment by April 15 or else the $698 million would be sent back to the General Revenue Fund, the catch-all pot of money used by lawmakers for discretionary appropriations. Story continues The money was set aside last year as an incentive when the state was trying to convince Panasonic to build an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant at the industrial park. Panasonic ultimately picked Kansas but told officials they might be interested in building a second factory in Oklahoma. A Department of Commerce spokeswoman confirmed Friday that Panasonic has entered into an agreement with the state and that the department is continuing discussions with the company. More: Panasonic to build battery factory in Kansas despite heavy recruitment by Oklahoma What happens if the LEAD Act funds expire? The expiration of the LEAD Act isn't necessarily a death knell for the project, but it essentially puts negotiations at or near square one. Lawmakers could theoretically return to session next week and appropriate the funds needed to secure Panasonic's commitment, but the House, Senate and governor have spent weeks verbally sparring over education funding and tax cuts. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said Thursday the ongoing fight over school choice tax credits has "taken all the air out of the room on all other negotiations without a doubt." Panasonic could also decide to build their factory in Oklahoma without the guarantee of taxpayer funded incentives. House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson railed at the notion of spending more money on luring Panasonic to Oklahoma, saying that long-term investments in Oklahoma's workforce start with providing a "first-class public education for every student and ensuring we have the best teachers in the country." "Instead of prioritizing our public schools, Gov. Stitt continues to insist on huge giveaways to out-of-state corporations who consistently turn us down for other states and countries who invest in their people first," said Munson, D-Oklahoma City. "We have already set aside (more than) $600 million for the rumored Panasonic deal and now they are asking for another $250 million to move a plant here." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Panasonic agrees to LEAD Act funds, but wants another $245 million U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas arrives at a campaign kickoff event on Sept. 10, 2022, in Dover. Congressman Chris Pappas has introduced federal legislation that would spare future PFAS rebate recipients across the country from what his constituents in New Hampshire experienced this tax season. Private well users who applied for and received rebates from the state to remediate PFAS contamination in their wells or connect to a public water supply were surprised by 1099-G tax forms in the mail this winter telling them the rebates were considered federal taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service. It stunned many rebate recipients, considering theyd initially paid out of pocket to address contamination they didnt cause. Adding to the confusion, the state advised that it doesnt give out tax advice, and encouraged people to seek further clarification about the 1099 forms from their own tax professionals. On April 13, New Hampshire Congressman Chris Pappas introduced the No Taxation on PFAS Remediation Act to designate PFAS contamination reimbursements specifically as nontaxable income at the federal level. Introduced Thursday, Pappas proposed No Taxation on PFAS Remediation Act would designate PFAS contamination reimbursements specifically as non-taxable income at the federal level. Currently, theyre designated as state grants, which are subject to federal taxes. No one spending their hard-earned money to ensure that their water is safe to drink should face an added tax burden from the federal government, Pappas said. Ive heard from many of my constituents who did the right thing to safeguard their health, but when tax season hit, the bill came due. That is wrong, and were going to do something about it. Pappas called his new bill common sense legislation, and he urged the House of Representatives to take up this legislation to stop penalizing families for keeping their drinking water safe. Bringing the issue to the attention of the federal delegation was Michael Strand, a citizen representative from Bedford who serves on the states PFAS Commission. Hed fielded questions from a handful of confused residents, and escalated the topic through various channels. Collin Gately, spokesperson for Pappas office, said the bill, if passed, would allow New Hampshire taxpayers to receive a retroactive refund with an amended filing. Story continues New Hampshires PFAS Rebate Program is thought to be the first of its kind in the country. Those utilizing it are primarily private well users that werent included in the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics consent decree a designated area, as part of an agreement with the state, where the company is providing permanent clean water solutions to approximately 1,000 properties, located in portions of Bedford, Hudson, Litchfield, Londonderry, and Merrimack. In that sense, PFAS advocates have argued the consent decree does not fully encompass the scope of contamination attributed by the state to Saint-Gobain, though not legally attributed. The states Department of Environmental Services has said that if the Environmental Protection Agencys recently proposed PFAS standards go into effect, they expect an influx of people will utilize the rebate program. This story was originally published by New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Pappas backs federal legislation to address PFAS rebate tax issue NEW YORK (AP) Former Vice President Mike Pence ramped up his criticism of fellow Republicans at a GOP donor summit Friday night, trying to paint his would-be rivals as straying from party principles as he inches closer to an expected presidential run. Speaking at a Republican National Committee donor summit in Nashville, Pence planned to criticize former President Donald Trump and others who have questioned the war in Ukraine and oppose entitlement reform and further curbs on abortion rights. He argued the party will be better served by candidates who espouse more traditional GOP views, according to excerpts shared by aides ahead of his remarks. Its becoming clearer every day that the upcoming Republican primaries will not just be a contest of candidates but a conflict of visions," Pence was expected to tell donors. One vision grounded in traditional Republican principles, and another vision driven by the promise of winning at the expense of our highest ideals. He said the partys route to victory rests on a well-worn path" it has "traveled for the better part of half a century," including support for strong national defense, limited government and traditional social values. We will win if we run boldly as Republicans, he was expected to add. We will lose if we run away from that proven American agenda. Pence is widely expected to launch a campaign for the White House in the coming weeks that will put him in direct competition with his former boss, who is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination. Pence, who was a loyal lieutenant to Trump in the White House, has spent the years since he left office distancing himself from the former president. That has included criticizing Trump's actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump's supporters violently stormed the Capitol building as Pence was presiding over the certification of President Joe Biden's win. Trump was furious with Pence for refusing to go along with his unconstitutional scheme to overturn the results, and the two have been at odds ever since. Story continues In his speech at the retreat, Pence continued to tacitly criticize Trump as well as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another likely candidate, saying the party must resist the politics of personality and the lure of populism unmoored to timeless conservative values. "If 2022 taught us anything, its that candidates that were focused on the challenges facing American families did well. But candidates focused on the past, on litigating the last election, did not do well," he was expected to add. Elections are always about the future. To win in 2024, the Republican Party must be the party of the future." The comments came hours after both men spoke at the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Pence's home state of Indiana, where Pence was greeted with a smattering of boos from the crowd. It was a reflection of lingering animosity from Trump's loyal base, which continues to harbor resentments over Pence's handling of the 2020 election. Trump, who will address the donor summit in Nashville Saturday, took a dig at Pence from the NRA stage, telling the crowd he hoped theyd given the former vice president a warm introduction. Still, he called Pence a nice and good man." Pence, in his remarks, was expected to continued to criticize those in his party who have questioned U.S. support for Ukraine after Russia's invasion. "Joe Biden wants to cut defense spending. But for some reason, so do some prominent Republicans," he was expected to say. DeSantis last month walked back his characterization of the war as a territorial dispute following criticism from a number of fellow Republicans who expressed concern about the potential 2024 presidential candidates dismissive description of the conflict. Pence was also expected to call out Trump for opposing reforms to Social Security and Medicare, such as increasing the age of qualification once a standard GOP talking point. Sadly, our former president has echoed Bidens pledge not to touch Social Security. I think we owe my three granddaughters better, he was planning to say. He was also expected to criticize those in his party who are shying away from further restrictions on abortion rights following a series of GOP losses. On the heels of the biggest pro-life victory in history, too many Republicans want to run away from the cause that has animated our party for half a century," he was going to say, according to the excerpts. Trump has warned that the party risks fallout from tight abortion restrictions, while DeSantis late Thursday signed a 6-week ban into law. Warning: #13 in this post contains mentions of abuse. We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what happened when they traveled abroad for love. Here are the unexpected results: 1. "I moved to New Zealand to be with my partner. Im from the US, and my partner is from Bulgaria, but we met in the US when he was a student. At the time we were just friends, though it always felt like more was there. A few years later, he moved to New Zealand, and I thought I would never see him again. Fast-forward a few more years, during which wed been keeping in touch through email, and we both found ourselves single and things were definitely starting to develop." "A few months later, I flew to New Zealand to see him, stayed for three months, came back to US, and then permanently moved to New Zealand six months later to be with him. We now have a 2-year-old daughter and will celebrate our five-year anniversary this July. Just an American and a Bulgarian living half a world away from where we both grew up with our little Kiwi baby." 37, New Zealand Alistair Berg / Getty Images 2. "Im from Canada but moved to the UK to be with my fiance. We had met in France during my uni year abroad, then moved back to Canada for me to complete university. His visa expired at that point, so we moved to the UK. As he had moved to Canada for me, I definitely felt as though it was only fair for me to move to the UK for him. However, we moved in the summer of 2020 to a completely shut-down country, and it took me over a year to get a job and to make a single friend. It was the lowest we've ever been, and I really felt full of resentment for the entire experience; due to the pandemic, I inadvertently became way more reliant on him than I had signed up for (which was obviously not his fault)." "Im so proud that we managed to pull through. Now, we are doing better than ever, getting married this summer, and planning our next adventure." 26, UK Dermot Conlan / Getty Images / Tetra images RF 3. "It wasnt really abroad as such, but going from England to Scotland. I might a girl online on a forum about a show. We started messaging privately on the website and then decided to exchange numbers. I knew that this was risky, and I never gave away my address. We texted lots and talked every single day, so it turned into phone calls nearly every evening. That way, I could hear that it was a Scottish teenage girl on the other end of the phone. I still remained cautious, however. I was then given a computer, which meant I could set up MSN messaging in my bedroom and got myself a webcam. I know, dangerous territory, but when youre young, and you think youre in love, you do silly things." "Anyway, again it was a very beautiful teenage girl showing up in the pictures. We talked every day for hours, and if we werent online, we were texting. Eventually, we decided that after my A-Levels, I would go up to visit. Mum, of course, wasnt pleased, so wanted to meet her mum online. We both had to sit there on webcam while our mothers talkedmortifying. But it worked. After my exams, I headed up to Scotland and had a lovely week with her. I was definitely in love and was devastated to have to head back. Straight off the plane, we were messaging and then on webcam when I got home. We tried to find another time that I could go up and visit (her family was quite poor, so she didnt have the money to travel), but no dates worked out. It eventually became apparent that it wasn't going to work. I was going to uni in September, and she was going to college. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, and I dont think Ive ever been more brokenhearted. I look back on it now as quite a story to tell and that girl really helped me through my A-Levels. Without her, I wouldnt have gotten my grades to get to uni, so overall, Im grateful to her and hope wherever she is, shes doing well." Story continues 35, England Edwin Tan / Getty Images 4. "I came to Australia in 2020 just before COVID hit. I decided to stay instead of going back home to Brazil. I was trying to build a life for me here when I met my partner at church. He is sweet, kind, and super supportive. If not for him, I would have given up my dream of living abroad and would be living my sheltered and safe life back at home." "Life with him is fun and adventurous. I am very glad that we have met." 27, Australia Jacoblund / Getty Images / iStockphoto 5. "We met abroad, and while deciding where we wanted to settle (his country or mine), we continued traveling together and living on temporary visas. At first, it was great! All very romantic! He chased me across a country because we were both so in love. We got through some traumatizing times together. We laughed and shared a lot. But because we were traveling and partying a lot, I didnt realize how bad his drinking was and how dire his financials were. Then, we took a short break and went back to our countries. I couldnt stand it, so I went to stay with him in his parents home and my depression hit me hard (seasonal affective disorder). I didnt have access to healthcare or medication, so we just got visas somewhere new. Unfortunately, financially, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I paid for everything!" "When we arrived, his drinking and spending got worse, and he wasnt contributing anything because he had to send it all home. I grew resentful, and he got angry. I wanted so badly to end things, but we had a lease, and I didnt want to ask my parents for help. So, we stuck through it. After this visa ran out, we traveled a bit more, but finally went to our own homes. We didnt last two months apart, and I've never been paid back. Ive let that go, and we are on good terms now! I believe we are two good people who made each other fundamentally worse together, and the traveling made it harder to figure that out with all of the moving variables." 42, California Daniel Truta / Getty Images / EyeEm 6. "I traveled to New Zealand after high school graduation to experience the world before going to college. It was supposed to be five months, but I met a Kiwi, fell in love, and decided to move to NZ permanently! Thankfully, my family was really supportive. Eight years later, weve been married for six years and have a baby on the way. I miss my family, and there are cross-cultural things that are hard, but Ive never regretted moving overseas for love once!" "I love my life in NZ, and my husband." 26, New Zealand Fg Trade / Getty Images 7. "When I was 18, I met this guy on the internet on a teen site. He was from Australia, and I wasn't, but we got on really well, and became good friends. After a few months, he was coming on a group trip to the country I lived in, which happens to also be where his dad lives, and he had a lot of family here, so we made plans to meet up while he was here. He planned to stay for six weeks after the group trip ended, and by the end of those weeks, we were head over heels for one another and agreed that we wanted to try and make it work long-distance. And we agreed that I'd save up for a trip to Australia while we kept the relationship going. After a long and expensive eight months' worth of long-distance phone calls (this was back in 20032004 when cheap long-distance calls weren't really a thing yet), I finally saved up enough for my open-ended ticket to Australia with a month's stop in London to stay with family there." "From the first week I arrived in Australia, things started going not great. My original plan (approved by my boyfriend's parents) had been that I would stay with them for a week or two until I was able to find myself an apartment to rent. But on day two or three after my arrival, the first chance she got, my boyfriend's mom told me in no uncertain terms that she didn't like me, didn't think I was good enough for her son, and gave me until the end of the following day to be out of her house. I found a place and after a few weeks of her being awful to him as well, my boyfriend moved in with me. My plan had been to get a job and work while I was there, and that didn't really work out for me, so after three months when I ran out of money, I came home. We continued the relationship for another six months after that, but in the end, he decided to choose his mother over me, with part of his breakup speech including the words 'after all, blood is thicker than water.' (Never mind that the full quote is 'the blood of the battlefield is thicker than the water of the womb.') I feel lucky to have avoided having his mother as my mother-in-law." 37, Israel Oleksii Karamanov / Getty Images / Tetra images RF 8. "It wasn't solely to find love, but I moved to Canada for my study and career, with a hope to find a loved one along the way. I live in Toronto and have met a variety of interesting people from different cultures, from which I have a lot to learn. Men in Canada, from my experience, are overall nice and polite. I was lucky enough to not have any traumatic experience. I found my partner through a dating app, and we were able to connect on deeper levels, sharing many ideologies and views on life." "We have been together for five years now and still are going strong. Back in my home country, I never imagined myself in a relationship as Asian patriarchy is still heavily influenced." 23, Canada Oatawa / Getty Images / iStockphoto 9. "I never moved abroad to 'find love,' but I think it found me. I was studying in the US on a J1 Visa that was coming to an end. Instead of returning to the UK after finishing my college course, I opted to instead do a bit of solo traveling and make the most of the time I had left. I was in staying in a hostel in Philadelphia on the night before my 21st birthday when I met the most interesting, intriguing man I've ever met. I knew as soon as I saw him that I needed to talk to him. The draw was instantaneous from both sides. We traveled a bit together over the coming weeks, and eventually, I returned back to my home country, admittedly a little heartbroken." "We kept in contact at first, but like most long-distance romances, it fizzled out. It's been almost six years, and I still wonder how he's doing. I have a wonderful partner now, and I truly hope that he does too. I think he was my first love, and I'll never forget that." ghulammkhan Ixefra / Getty Images 10. "I come from the USA, and I moved to Germany over 10 years ago for a bit of a change. I had no job lined up and thought I would stay for three months at least and one year at the most. A month after moving here, I was lost on the U-Bahn, trying to find my way home. I asked a handsome man on the platform for directions, and it turned out he lived only one station away! We exchanged Facebook info as I didn't have a phone yet and started chatting." "We got married in 2020 after nine-and-a-half years together! Still in Germany living our best lives. Best decision I ever made :)." 34, Germany Kypros / Getty Images 11. "I moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2019 to start my master's degree. Not necessarily looking for love, but not opposed either. Long story short, COVID hit the following March, and we all went into lockdown. One of my classmates (who was dating another classmate, and they were going to live together during lockdown) invited me to live with him and his roommates since they had an empty room and didn't want me to be stuck alone for what was supposed to be two weeks. During lockdown (which turned into three months), I met my now fiance. He was one of the roommates, and we seemed to hit it off right away, but we were both too shy to say anything about it until the end of the three-month lockdown. Fast-forward to June 2020, we decided to start dating, but I had to move back to the US in January 2021." "We chose to do long-distance and spent 11 months apart until he could finally come to visit. The time apart was more challenging than I could have imagined, but it was absolutely worth it. We try to visit each other every three months and recently got engaged in December of 2022. We are still doing long-distance until the wedding next year, but I'm very much looking forward to the day when we finally get to come home to one another." 27, Georgia, USA Maskot / Getty Images 12. "We met almost four years ago on a pen pal app. It all happened just before COVID hit. He was from Tunisia and unable to get a visitor visa to visit me, so I traveled there a total of six times. We married almost two years ago, and recently, he finally received his PR. We are living our happily-ever-after in Canada now. It was a long and painful road; communicating only by video chat and text is the most painful experience I have ever gone through, but it makes every second together even more perfect." Anonymous, Canada Jasmin Merdan / Getty Images 13. "During summer 2022, I met an American visiting my hometown in France during his summer trip around Europe. We stayed in touch for months and chatted every single day despite the distance and the time difference (nine hours between France and the West Coast). In October, I decided to visit him for two weeks in Seattle, and it was a blast! We really enjoyed our time together, and I thought he was my soulmate. I then visited him in February 2023 for two weeks, and that time, things were different; he was stressed with work, and his life project as well as mine (I was relocating to Canada), but I was still very attracted to him. At the end of March, I decided to spend two months with him as things werent going well in Canada, and he agreed and was kinda excited about the idea. It turned out, this time was even worse." "He had many traumas that he was hiding with cannabis consumption and mostly alcohol. He became very violent verbally and physically toward me and even told me one time, when he was drunk and while I was hosted in his studio, that I had no rights in this country and that he could kick me out whenever he wanted. I stayed a few days after that, but this kind of event happened two more times. So the next week, I decided to pack my stuff and leave his place to go back to France without warning when he was at work. I regret how I did it, but not the fact that I did it because I felt really threatened at that time. It was a good decision overall, but still traumatizing to this day." 30, France Simonkr / Getty Images 14. "In the late '90s I had a romantic, weeklong fling with my friend in Paris. We went to different colleges and kept in touch via letters, but never dated. Then, he invited me to visit him when he moved to Paris after college. It was a fairy-tale romance walking around the city, looking at beautiful art, eating delicious food, and making love. I was in a photography class at the time, and I still have a beautiful black and white photo album from that trip." "We remained friends and are now married to other people. I'm so glad I had that magical experience in my early 20s." 41, USA Mark Lovatt / Getty Images 15. "We met while in business school in Madrid where we started off as friends. Did I think he was hot? Definitely. After asking me out a few times over the course of a couple of months and a gentle push from my friends, I accepted a first date. We had a blast! It was so easy to transition from friends to something more. After graduation, I landed a job in Chicago, and as we stayed connected, I went down to Mexico City to visit him, thinking it'd be a fun weekend. But instead, we decided to see if we could make it work. After a year and a half, I was laid off. I decided to try out Mexico for a few months. He made it clear that if I was going to take the leap and move there, it was his responsibility to ensure that I was going to be happy." "Ten years later, I'm still here, married to the love of my life, in a job that I love, and in a life that is more than I could have imagined. Who knew that I'd get both my MBA and MRS. degree!" pizzaandposies Sdi Productions / Getty Images 16. "This customer came into the Primark I was working at and asked me where in the US I was from, because she recognized my accent, which shocked me because I didnt recognize hers. I asked her what brought her to the UK and she simply said 'love.' Apparently, she took a in my opinion HUMONGOUS leap and moved to the UK 17 years ago for a man she barely knew, and theyve been happily together since." "Now, it kinda makes sense why her accent was unfamiliar, because it was a mix of British and American." laidedahunsi Alexander Spatari / Getty Images And finally... 17. "I was visiting Singapore for a short trip and was swiping on Tinder at the airport while waiting for my flight. I caught his profile, thinking he was cute, and swiped right, but was called for boarding immediately. When I landed, I got notification that it was a match, and he messaged me right away. We messaged each other, but nothing serious happened until he told me that he was visiting Indonesia for a business trip, which was a lie; he just wanted to meet me. We finally met after four months of talking online. After meeting me, he said he doesn't want to be friends with me anymore he wanted to marry me." "So, he asked to meet my family, and we planned our wedding right away, which made us always travel to see each other. Either he or I would fly to Indonesia or Singapore every two weeks. I finally moved to Singapore permanently two weeks before the wedding. We just celebrated our five years of marriage this year and have two children together. And fun fact: Changi Airport featured our story and made video about us as we were their frequent travelers during our long-distance relationship." 32, Singapore Oscar Wong / Getty Images If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website. Have you ever traveled abroad for love? Let us know your experience in the comments below. Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can share your story using this Google form Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. A missing senior citizen who was considered to be at risk due to his age has been found. Pittsburgh police said Richard Foreman has been safely located. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Man facing charges in relation to baby girls overdose death in Penn Hills Man arrested after alleged racially motivated knife attack in Downtown Pittsburgh Some neighbors upset by South Fayette Township government using taxpayer money to go to resort VIDEO: Legacy of doctor lost in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting lives on through memorial scholarship DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Scores of prisoners of war, including Saudis, were freed on Saturday as part of a cross-border exchange between a Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The flights connecting Saudi Arabia and Huthi-held territory in Yemen were part of a multi-day transfer involving nearly 900 detainees that comes amid peace talks which have raised hopes for an end to Yemen's eight-year-old war. The first flight of the day took off from the southern Saudi city of Abha before 9 am (0600 GMT), headed for Yemen's Huthi-held capital Sanaa with 120 Huthi rebel prisoners, ICRC public affairs and media adviser Jessica Moussan said. It was followed by a flight from Sanaa carrying 20 former detainees, among them 16 Saudis and three Sudanese. Sudan is part of the Saudi-led coalition and has provided ground troops for the fighting. In addition, 100 Huthis were due to be flown on three flights to Sanaa from Mokha on the Red Sea coast, a town held by Yemen's coalition-backed government. An AFP journalist in Abha said at least three buses brought the prisoners onto the tarmac at Abha airport, which has previously come under attack from Huthi drones and missiles. Wheelchairs were positioned near the buses to take some of the prisoners to the plane. On Friday, 318 prisoners were transported on four flights between government-controlled Aden and Sanaa, reuniting with their families ahead of next week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The total number of prisoners of war on both sides is unknown. The ongoing exchange is a confidence-building measure coinciding with an intense diplomatic push to end Yemen's war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead from the fighting as well as knock-on effects like food insecurity and lack of access to health care. - Path to peace? - Analysts say that eight years after mobilising a coalition to crush the Huthis, the Saudis have come to terms with the fact that this goal will not be met and are looking to wind down their military engagement. Story continues Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was a 29-year-old defence minister when the war began, has since become the kingdom's de facto ruler and is keen to focus on his sweeping "Vision 2030" domestic reform agenda. The Saudi exit strategy appears to have taken new impetus from a landmark rapprochement deal announced with Iran last month. The China-brokered agreement calls for the Middle East heavyweights to fully restore diplomatic ties following a seven-year rupture, and has the potential to remake regional ties. Saudi Arabia is also pushing for the reintegration into the Arab League of Iran ally Syria, more than a decade after its suspension over President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests. On Friday, the kingdom, which once openly championed Assad's ouster, hosted top diplomats from eight other Arab countries in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for talks on Syria, then issued a statement highlighting the "importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis". In Yemen, active combat has reduced over the past year following a UN-brokered truce that officially lapsed in October but has largely held. A week ago, a Saudi delegation travelled to Sanaa, held by the Huthis since 2014, for talks aimed at reviving the truce and laying the groundwork for a more durable ceasefire. The delegation, led by ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber, left Sanaa late on Thursday without a finalised truce but with plans for more talks, according to Huthi and Yemeni government sources. Even if Saudi Arabia manages to negotiate a way out of the war, fighting could flare up again among the different Yemeni factions. "Saudi Arabia has been struggling to draw down its military involvement in Yemen and... seeks a long term sustainable peace that will allow it to focus on its economic priorities," Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, told AFP. "Yet despite its intention, it will be the longtime broker, investor and conflict guarantor of Yemen." bur/rcb/kir Suspected leaker of U.S. intel docs charged under Espionage Act Xinhua) 09:27, April 15, 2023 Video screenshot shows U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland (Front) speaks at a press conference in Washington, D.C., the United States, on April 13, 2023. (Xinhua) Jack Teixeira, U.S. air national guardsman suspected of intelligence leaking, faced two charges: unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material, court documents showed. WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. air national guardsman suspected of leaking a trove of classified intelligence documents pertaining to national defense received two charges Friday under the Espionage Act for allegedly posting the sensitive material online. During his first court appearance at the Boston, Massachusetts-based U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Jack Teixeira was informed of the two charges he faced: unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material, court documents showed. Teixeira, 21, will remain detained through the next court hearing on Wednesday. The airman was arrested "without incident" by FBI agents Thursday afternoon at his mother's home in North Dighton, Massachusetts, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters at a news briefing. According to publicly available information, Teixeira enlisted in the Massachusetts Air National Guard in 2019. His job title is Cyber Transport Systems journeyman, and he has been promoted to the junior rank of Airman 1st Class. Teixeira is the leader of a private online chat group where the classified documents -- numbering more than 100 pages -- first appeared in January. From that point on, the material was widely circulated on a number of social media platforms, undetected by the federal government until early April. Teixeira was granted Top Secret security clearance in 2021 and was said to have begun posting classified information online since December 2022, according to an affidavit submitted by investigators. The U.S. government has been left in an awkward position in what is believed to be potentially the worst intelligence breach in a decade, partly because the revelation made clear Washington's deeper-than-perceived involvement in the day-to-day development of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and exposed continued U.S. spying on its allies. Amid the embarrassing fallout of the incident, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who until April 6 had been unaware of the leak, ordered a review of the "intelligence access, accountability and control procedures" within the department, according to a statement released Thursday evening. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Wu Chaolan) Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Xi said China will work with Brazil to create a new future for their relations in the new era, deliver greater benefits to the two peoples, and play an important and positive role for peace, stability and prosperity in their regions and around the world. Lula said he is honored and proud to head a large delegation on his fourth visit to China. This is his first visit outside the Americas since being elected President last year. This choice reflects Brazil's affection for China and commitment to Brazil-China relations. Set course for bilateral ties Xi extended a warm welcome to Lula for his state visit to China. He pointed out that China and Brazil are the two biggest developing countries and emerging markets in the Eastern and Western hemispheres. As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share extensive common interests. The overarching, strategic and global influence of the China-Brazil relations continues to grow. China always views and develops relations with Brazil from a strategic and long-term perspective, and sees the relationship as a high priority on its diplomatic agenda, Xi said. Xi noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership between China and Brazil, and the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year. "China is now promoting high-quality development and high-standard opening-up, and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. This will unlock new opportunities for Brazil and countries around the world," Xi said. Xi called on the two sides to maintain regular strategic communication and increase experience sharing on national governance. The two sides need to be steadfast in seeing each other as important development opportunities, in supporting each other's development paths which fit national realities, and in supporting stronger solidarity and collaboration among developing countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Friday. [Photo/Xinhua] The two sides need to deepen cooperation, steadily advance the major cooperation projects, and further unleash cooperation potential in agriculture, energy, infrastructure, space, aviation, innovation, etc, Xi said, adding that the two sides need to explore ways for stronger cooperation on green economy, digital economy, clean energy, etc. "China welcomes more high-quality products from Brazil into its market. China will actively explore greater synergy between its Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's reindustrialization strategy," the Chinese president said, adding that both sides need to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year to carry out more people-to-people exchanges, and cultivate stronger public support for Sino-Brazilian friendship. "China is an indispensable force in global politics, economy and trade, science and technology, and plays a vital role in promoting world peace and development. Brazil is committed to building closer relations with China from the strategic perspective of shaping a just and equitable international order," Lula said, adding that Brazil's legislature and society share this strong desire for building strong, multifaceted relations with China. Noting his delightful visit to Huawei where he met Chinese business representatives, Lula expressed deep admiration for China's 5G progress and his hope to expand Brazil-China cooperation in relevant fields. He welcomed Chinese investment in support of Brazil's digital transformation and low-carbon development. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva before the talks between Xi and Lula in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. [Photo/Xinhua] Lula expressed the belief that deeper and greater cooperation with China will contribute to Brazil's reindustrialization, help address poverty and other issues and deliver benefits to the people. Brazil stands ready to develop closer exchanges and cooperation with China in education and culture to enhance mutual understanding between their people. After their talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of various bilateral cooperation documents on trade and investment, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, information and communications, poverty reduction, quarantine, space and other areas. The two sides released a Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and the Federative Republic of Brazil on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Partnership beyond bilateral level Xi pledged China's firm support for Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to cement the sound momentum of peace, stability, independence, solidarity and development, advance regional integration and play a greater role in international affairs. China will work with Brazil to ensure the continued success of the China-CELAC Forum, take cooperation between China and LAC countries to a new level, and achieve common development. China will also work with Brazil to strengthen cooperation with the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Facing global changes of a magnitude unseen in a century, China and Brazil are resolved to stand on the right side of history, practice true multilateralism, advocate the common values of humanity, work for a more just and equitable international governance system, truly safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international justice and equity, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. China will step up strategic coordination with Brazil on global issues of mutual interest in the UN, BRICS, the G20 and other multilateral institutions, and enhance coordination on climate response, according to Xi. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Lula said Brazil and China share common views and interests on many important international issues. The two sides both uphold multilateralism and international equity and justice. Brazil stands ready to work with China to strengthen strategic coordination in the G20, BRICS and other multilateral institutions, enhance coordination and cooperation in international finance, climate response and environmental protection, and contribute to developing countries' effort to shake off unfair rules and realize fairer and more balanced development. Lula expressed his full confidence that Brazil-China relations will embrace a brighter future. The two presidents also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Both sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation is the only feasible way for settling it and that all efforts that are conducive to its peaceful resolution should be encouraged and supported. They appealed to more countries to play a constructive role for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents agreed to stay in communication on the issue. Prior to the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Lula at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People. As Lula arrived, a guard of honor lined up in salutation. The two presidents stepped onto a stand, after which a military band played the national anthems of China and Brazil as 21-gun salute was fired in Tiananmen Square. Lula reviewed the guard of honor of the People's Liberation Army and watched the march-past in Xi's company. Madame Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi, and Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva, wife of Lula, were also at the welcoming ceremony. Xi and Madame Peng hosted a welcoming banquet for Lula and his wife at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People in the evening. Wang Yi and Qin Gang participated in the events. Poland has temporarily banned the import of Ukrainian produce to defend its domestic agricultural sector. According to Polish Economic Development Minister Waldemar Buda, the ban includes grain, milk, eggs and poultry. The ban will last through June 30. Ukraine is a major agricultural producer whose grain feeds the world. Russia's invasion and control of the Black Sea interrupted Ukraine's ability to export produce in early 2022. It resumed in late summer after Ukraine and Russia signed the UN-led Black Sea Grain Initiative. Polish farmers have been actively protesting against the significant influx of Ukrainian grain because of a threat to their domestic market. Cheap Ukrainian grain has been flooding the EU market since the beginning of the invasion, helped by the European Union waiving customs duties and import quotas to keep Ukraine's agricultural sector running. Low-price grain prices prove too tempting for local buyers and traders, undercutting local producers. The dispute was reportedly settled during President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Poland on April 5, during which he met with top Polish officials. "We discussed the issues regarding Polish and Ukrainian farmers. We found a solution," Zelensky said. "Because there cannot be any questions or difficulties between such close partners and real friends as Poland and Ukraine," he said. He advocated for tariffs on all agricultural products from Ukraine, calling it a significant battle between the European Commission and Poland to protect Polish agriculture. Polish President Andrzej Duda has stated that Poland will supply Ukraine with MiG-29 fighters gradually as it expands its own fleet with FA-50 and later F-35 fighters. Source: Duda at a press conference with Alexander Van der Bellen, the President of Austria Quote: "We are currently sending MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine. Probably we will gradually supply what we have left from our resources [to Ukraine - ed.]. We will do this as these fighters are replaced by new NATO-standard aircraft that we are buying for the Polish army." Details: Duda said the new planes are FA-50 fighters that Poland has bought from South Korea, and that the first planes will arrive in Poland as early as summer 2023, as will F-35s from the US. Duda reported that the production of the F-35s for the Armed Forces of Poland has already started, and that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had discussions about this with the US manufacturer Lockheed Martin when he visited the US a few days ago. He stated that Poland is the third biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine after the US and UK. He added that Warsaw has supplied Kyiv with over 300 RT-91 and T-72 tanks, as well as Leopard 2 tanks, Krab self-propelled artillery systems and Piorun anti-aircraft missile launchers. So far, Poland has sent eight MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine and is preparing to send six more. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Bomb technician Keith Barton examined the military rocket in Maine. Maine State Police Facebook A Maine lobsterman discovered a large military rocket while checking his traps 20 miles offshore. Authorities could not determine whether or not the rocket contained active explosives. The rocket was eventually "rendered safe and disposed of properly," state police said. A Maine lobsterman discovered a large military rocket when collecting traps 20 miles off offshore this week, according to police. Cameron Pease who is based in Cushing, Maine pulled up the 5-foot rocket on Monday, and he alerted authorities the following day, Maine State Police said in a statement. Pease found the rocket, which weighed about 150 pounds, after he spotted something caught in his trawling ropes, ABC News reported. The Maine State Police Bomb Squad received information about the finding on Tuesday and sent a bomb technician to analyze the item. The bomb squad later identified it as a MK29 Mod-0 missile, a missile often associated with sea-based weapons systems. "They said there was three to five pounds of explosives in the tip of it," Pease told local news outlet WMTW. "It still should have been able to go off," he added. The MK29 Mod-0 rocket was found offshore near Cushing, Maine. Maine State Police Facebook The police statement, however, said technicians were not able to confirm whether or not the rocket contained active explosives. But the officers erred on the side of caution and "the decision was made to countercharge the item," with guidance from the Navy, the statement said. "The item was rendered safe and disposed of properly," it added. US military ships, including Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, can carry the MK 29 launching system, per the ABC News report. Read the original article on Insider Morrisville police are investigating the death of a woman whose husband is suspected of shooting her, a news release stated. Nabaruna Karmakar, 33, was found with two gunshot wounds after officers arrived at her home at 103 Seagrave Place after 9 p.m. Friday night. Police have arrested Karmakars husband, Michael Aaron Matthews, 40, and charged him with murder. News outlets reported a large police presence at the couples home on Friday night. Crews remained in the neighborhood for several hours before announcing the arrest, according to ABC11, The News & Observers media partner. The home is located off Northwest Cary Parkway. Police said the motive for the shooting is unknown. According to her LinkedIn page, Karmakar was a senior operations research specialist at SAS, where she has worked for four years. She us a graduate of NC State University where she earned a masters degree in industrial engineering and a PhD in philosophy. This is the second shooting in a Morrisville neighborhood this week. On Thursday morning, police said a 25-year-old man was shot and suffered life-threatening injuries in front of a home on the 5300 block of Sorrel Park Drive. Police have not released the identity of the victim and said four people are suspects in the incident. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Members of the MPSCA and Granby Police Department are looking to find the owner of a dog that was found injured and tied to a pole earlier this month. MPSCA says the dog is believed to be about two years old and was found tied to a pole on Porter Street on April 4. After being underweight when she was transferred to MSPCAs Boston Adoption Center earlier this week, the organization says she is improving day by day. Anyone with information on the dogs owner can call the Law Enforcement hotline at 800-628-5808. We and the Granby Police are seeking the publics help locating the owner of this female, mixed breed dog who was found... Posted by MSPCA-Angell on Friday, April 14, 2023 This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information beces 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 Post Malone performs at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer / Associated Press) Hundreds swarmed Utah's newest Raising Cane's restaurant in Midvale on Thursday, and it wasn't just for the chicken. They were there to see Grammy-nominated rapper Post Malone (real name Austin Richard Post) a resident of Midvale who helped design the restaurant after personally reaching out to the chain's CEO and founder Todd Graves. Both Malone and Graves were on hand early Thursday morning for its opening amid frigid temperatures, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. "I appreciate everybody waiting around in the cold and the snow," Malone told fans, according to the Tribune. Outside the restaurant, the "Circles" performer signed body parts, posted for selfies and gave high fives, the Tribune reported. He returned to interact more with fans after a tour of the new business. Graves told the Tribune that the restaurant's location at 850 E. Fort Union Blvd. was largely chosen because of its proximity to Post's Cottonwood Heights, Utah, mansion, where the rapper has lived since 2019. Can you put a Raising Canes close to my house in Utah? Graves recalled from a conversation with Post, speaking with a bullhorn to the crowd. "I said, Hell, yeah. The Midvale restaurant has been renovated from the inside out to reflect Posts bold style and enthusiastic personality, according to a company statement. Its walls are pink, unlike the other shops that tout a more neutral look. The restaurants outer walls feature prints inspired by the rappers signature tattoos, including a close-up of Post's tatooed face. As if the paint job wasnt Posty enough, several of the rappers outfits including two from the 2019 Grammy Awards are displayed inside the restaurant. His personal guitars will also be framed. Customers can order Posts go-to meal: four chicken tenders with fries, sauce, two slices of Texas toast and unsweetened tea mixed with lemonade. Midvale Mayor Marcus Stevenson said he hoped the new addition to the community would bring in new people who maybe wouldnt otherwise think of Midvale. Story continues Unique is the optimum word for what this is, Stevenson told the Tribune. Graves, who opened the first Raising Cane's in his native Baton Rouge, La., in 1996, described Malone as a friend, with their relationship built on mutual admiration. I was a fan of his music, and he was a fan of my chicken fingers, Graves told the Tribune. We talked about life, we shotgunned some beers, and a friendship was born. There are more than 600 Cane's locations across the United States, including 78 in California and four in Utah, according to the ScrapeHero database. Texas leads all states with 191 restaurants. Malone, who was born in New York, has referenced the Beehive state in several of his songs. In 2019, he told Variety that he considered Utah an oasis away from Hollywood. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Ryan Smukowski, 9, of Pewaukee shot his first wild turkey during the 2021 Wisconsin youth hunt while hunting in Richland County with his grandfather Jerry Smukowski of Pewaukee and his uncle Jim Smukowski of Oconomowoc. With about 150,000 participants each year, turkey hunting is the second-most popular form of hunting in Wisconsin, according to the Department of Natural Resources. As you likely know, deer hunting is No. 1. But turkey hunting outshines deer hunting in one respect: safety. There were no firearm injuries to hunters during the 2022 turkey seasons and just three shooting incidents and no fatalities over the last three years. One of those turkey hunting injuries was self-inflicted, and the other two were cases of hunters failing to properly identify their target, according to DNR incident reports. More: Outdoors calendar Zone rules help spread out turkey hunting Part of the relative safety of turkey hunting is linked to regulations put in place by the DNR and supported by the Wisconsin chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and hunters at large. Wisconsin has a permit system that spreads out turkey hunting pressure by geographic zones and time periods. It's designed to reduce hunter interference and improve the experience, but it also lowers the risk of shooting incidents. But as with all forms of hunting, one accident is too many. It's incumbent on participants to review and practice the best safety measures each time they go afield. The first Wisconsin turkey hunting period opens Wednesday With the Wisconsin regular turkey hunting periods set to start Wednesday, the NWTF offers the following turkey hunting safety tips reminders: Be sure that accessories you carry that are red, white, or blue and could be mistaken for a gobbler's head (decoys, diaphragm calls, box call chalk, candy wrappers, apples, cigarette packs, etc.) are not visible to other hunters. Always keep your hands and head camouflaged when calling. If you see another hunter, call out (rather than wave) to make them aware you are there. It is better to briefly disrupt a hunt than risk an incident. Wear dark-colored socks and long pants to keep your bare skin from being exposed. Story continues Many safety experts also recommend turkey hunters wear a blaze orange item when moving from one spot to another, especially on public land. And as with all hunting, follow the TAB-K rules of firearm safety: Treat every firearm as if it is loaded; always point the muzzle in a safe direction; be certain of your target and what's beyond; keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until ready to shoot. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Turkey hunting safety tips help keep Wisconsin season a success Lisa Edwards, 60, died of a stroke while in police custody earlier this month. z1b/Getty Images Two women one pregnant were suspected of shoplifting and one was shot by a Walgreens employee, per police. The employee said he used his firearm out of fear for his life after he was maced by one of the women, police said. His self-defense claim is under investigation, police said. A pregnant woman suspected of shoplifting at a Tennessee Walgreens was shot by an employee who confronted her and had to undergo an emergency C-section, local police said. The incident happened at a Walgreens location in East Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday night, according to a press release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Mitarious Boyd, 21, alleged that two women one who was 24 years old and seven months pregnant stole items from inside the store, according to MNPD. Police said Boyd allegedly spotted the woman placing items in the cart and in a shoulder bag, prompting him to start recording. Boyd started to film the women and continued to do so as he saw them leave the store without paying for the items, police said in a statement. "Boyd said as the women began placing items into the trunk of their car, he made his way to the rear side of the vehicle," the press release noted. "He said one of the women pulled a can of mace and began spraying it at him." This led Boyd to discharge his semi-automatic pistol and begin shooting, police said in a statement. The women left the scene and went to a local hospital after Ferguson was struck multiple times. The press release said that the baby did not suffer gunshot wounds, although it was in "critical but stable" condition. Officials are now investigating the self-defense claim made by Boyd, who told police he was in fear for his life and did not know if the women had weapons on them, according to police. Authorities said they took his phone and gun and noted that the probe into this incident would reveal if he would be charged. A Walgreens spokesperson told Insider in a statement that Boyd is no longer employed at the company. Story continues "The safety of our patients, customers and team members is our top priority, and violence of any kind will not be tolerated at our stores. We take this matter seriously and are cooperating with local authorities," the statement said. The Metropolitan Nashville Police did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry will be in attendance for King Charles IIIs coronation on May 6, while Meghan Markle will remain at the couples California home with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. News of the Duke of Sussexs confirmation on Wednesday, April 12 comes days after the palaces RSVP April 3 cutoff date passed, which left royal watchers wondering if the prince would attend his fathers ceremonial ascension as king at London's Westminster Abbey. Fox News Digital reached out to representatives of Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes for comment. SARAH FERGUSON BREAKS SILENCE ON KING CHARLES CORONATION SNUB While the reason for Harrys seemingly late reply is currently unknown to the public, etiquette experts, event planners and psychiatrists are advising everyday people to respect RSVP deadlines for special events. Up until April 12, 2023, it was unclear if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would attend King Charles III's coronation. Buckingham Palace let the world know Harry will be attending while the Duchess of Sussex will remain in the U.S. with their children. Here are eight questions event hosts and guests should consider before sending out formal invitations and reply cards. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Laura Windsor, a British etiquette trainer and founder of the Laura Windsor Etiquette Academy in London, told Fox News Digital that recommended timeframes for sending event invitations ultimately depends on the formality of the planned occasion. Invitations to casual suppers, dinner parties and similar small gatherings can be sent out a couple of weeks before the event date via mail, phone or email, according to Windsor. PRINCE HARRY TO ATTEND KING CHARLES' CORONATION WITHOUT MEGHAN MARKLE, PALACE CONFIRMS "Invitations for formal events should be sent out no more than six weeks before the event and no less than four weeks in advance," she said. "If invited to a big event such as a wedding, an invitation should be sent out at least 10 to 12 weeks prior with a reply card enclosed." Windsor noted that some hosts opt to send save-the-date cards in advance of a formal invite, which she thinks is a "rather American practice," but its also an "acceptable" practice for todays age, especially if a host wants to secure attendance from guests who live far distances from where the event will be held. Story continues Etiquette experts say hosts should send invitations months or weeks before an event, and it ultimately depends on how formal and far the event will be held. QUEEN ELIZABETH II: 10 FACTS AND STANDOUT MOMENTS FROM THE BRITISH MONARCH'S LIFE "Written invitations still remain the most elegant way to announce social occasions," Windsor said. "It not only sets the tone but prevents confusion about dates, timings, location, dress and the kind of hospitality provided." Windsor advises hosts to include a deadline to reply on invitations, so confusion and misunderstandings can be minimized for guests "who are not aware of RSVP etiquette rules." Ideally, guests who receive invites to an event should RSVP as soon as they've figured out that they'll be able to attend. Windsor told Fox News Digital she recommends invite recipients to respond "no later than 48 hours" of when they receive their invite. "Sending a reply right away prevents you from forgetting," she explained. NEWLYWEDS CREATE $240 'INVOICE' TO TEACH WEDDING NO-SHOWS RSVP ETIQUETTE: 'IT'S ABOUT INTEGRITY' Windsor noted that guests should also make sure they promptly submit their RSVP in the fashion thats listed on the invitation. Etiquette experts, event planners and psychiatrists agree that guests should respond to formal invitations as soon as they can. "If an address has been listed on the invitation, then it is correct form to reply by handwritten letter," she said. "Should the RSVP list a telephone number, then it is acceptable to call." Danielle Rothweiler, owner and lead event planner at Rothweiler Event Design in New York City, told Fox News Digital that last-minute and late RSVPs are a "constant issue" that hosts deal with when planning a wedding or a special event. While most guests dont intend to make event planning more difficult than it already is, indecision on attendance "can create huge issues" the longer it takes to submit an RSVP, according to Rothweiler. "The caterer and venue need a headcount to prepare the amount of food they will need," Rothweiler explained. "A seating chart and floor plan will have to be adjusted which can cause a ripple effect." PRINCE HARRY SAYS PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS HELPED HIM BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RISKS AND DANGERS? She continued, "These are not issues anyone throwing a party needs to deal with at the last minute." Party and event planners say invited guests should know that last-minute or reply can create inconveniences for hosts. Rothweiler noted that taking a few days to decide if one wishes to attend an event is fine, but she urges guests to send RSVPs right away. While most event hosts are likely to understand that life happens and there are various circumstances that can lead to hesitance or a late RSVP, but event planners and socialization experts say some reasons are more acceptable than others. "If you are invited without a plus one and that is your reason for not attending, then telling that to the host will only cause an argument," Rothweiler told Fox News Digital. "It's simple enough to say you have a prior obligation and leave it alone," she went on. "You do not need to give a reason for not attending and it would be inappropriate of the host to ask." QUEEN ELIZABETH II'S TIARAS AND THE SPARKLING STORIES BEHIND THEM Carole Lieberman, a Beverly Hills-based forensic psychiatrist with OnlinePsychiatrists.com, which has psychiatric practices in New York, New Jersey and Florida, told Fox News Digital she thinks guests can relay whats holding up their RSVP decision to hosts if they feel comfortable doing so. "Whether a guests delay in RSVPing is acceptable depends upon how much their presence or absence would disrupt the hosts plans and how serious the excuse is," Lieberman said. "In any case, the guest must be honest with the host as a courtesy, and sometimes the host can offer a solution to the problem." Honest communication can lift potential burdens for event hosts and guests, some experts say. Issues that hosts can help find solutions to include travel arrangement assistance, finding a reliable babysitter or suggesting budget-friendly options, according to Lieberman. "If scheduling or health may be a problem, depending upon how other commitments work out, or how quickly someone recovers, then give the host an idea of when you would know," Lieberman advised. Lieberman doesnt recommend guests hold out for other event invitations because doing so could backfire and make the invite recipient look worse if theyve left their RSVP unanswered. COUPLE'S WEDDING RSVP ALLEGEDLY OFFERS BETTER MEALS FOR GUESTS WHO GIVE EXPENSIVE GIFTS: 'THAT IS HORRIFIC' "Under no circumstances should a guest lie, because if they are waiting for some better invitation to come, the host may well discover this when a mutual friend happens to mention that they saw you at so-and-sos party," she warned. Guests who figure out that they can attend an event after the RSVP deadline shouldnt assume that their attendance is still welcome, according to Lieberman. "If a guest's RSVP would come after the deadline, it is only polite to apologize and check with the host beforehand to see if they are still welcome or if it presents a problem," she said. Etiquette experts and psychiatrists say guests shouldn't be afraid to apologize to a host if they're submitting an RSVP after the set deadline. WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS SAY THERE ARE 3 SIGNS THAT A MARRIAGE WON'T LAST "A late RSVP would likely change the seating arrangements, catering, activity plans and so on," Lieberman noted. In cases where invites are rescinded or cant be accommodated because an RSVP hadnt been received in time, aspiring attendees are entitled to their feelings, but they must respect the hosts prepared arrangements, according to Lieberman. "A guest may well feel disappointed or angry if their host tells them that their RSVP cant be accommodated," Lieberman told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Etiquette experts and psychiatrists warn that guests should be aware that an invitation can be rescinded if they don't RSVP in time. "If theres a good reason, the guest will just have to accept it as a life lesson and RSVP sooner in the future," she said. Lieberman believes invited guests who are related to or have a close relationship with an event host should know that theyre reasonably expected to provide a swifter RSVP. "Family members and close friends are expected to reply sooner, but sometimes these are the very people who expect the host to give them special treatment and include them even at the last minute," Lieberman said. From weddings, galas, birthday parties and backyard barbecues, Lieberman advises invited guests to send RSVPs as soon as they know they can attend, regardless of the formality of the event. Hosts who hold private events generally expect close family members and friends to RSVP first. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Lieberman also noted that RSVPs for childrens parties should be handled with special care. "The birthday child is often anxious that their friends wont show up, so parents should send out the invitations early and keep track, as the party gets closer, of who is definitely still coming," she explained. "This is not only to make sure there are enough ponies and party favors, but to be able to invite more kids if the RSVP count is too low." Lisa Mirza Grotts, an etiquette expert in San Francisco who has 23 years of experience advising corporations and private citizens, told Fox News Digital that she believes a sending prompt reply is the best course of action. "Just as it is polite to thank people for gifts and other acts of kindness, its polite to acknowledge an invitation," she said. "Instead of making your host agonize over your reply, why not be the guest who amazes them by giving them the courtesy of a lightning response?" The royal coronation of King Charles III (left) will be held on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. Prince Harry (right), son of King Charles III, will be in attendance, according to Buckingham Palace. Grotts warned that she doesnt advise people to follow Harrys reported example and that non-royal guests who are invited to special events can put their invites at risk of recision if a response is delayed too long. "Its impossible to think that Prince Harry has been straddling the fence to attend his fathers coronation," Grotts said. "We will never know what happens behind closed palace doors, but one thing is certain, the cutoff date had come and gone." A Pro-Donald Trump advertisement is using rumours that Ron DeSantis eats pudding with his fingers to attack the Florida Governor. The ad, paid for by the Make America Great Again Inc PAC, launches a direct attack on Mr DeSantis by saying he has dirty fingers while featuring a man eating chocolate pudding with his fingers. Ron DeSantis loves sticking his fingers where they dont belong, the advertisement says. Throughout the video, headlines from publications criticising Mr DeSantis appear over the man eating pudding. The advertisement accuses Mr DeSantis of cutting Medicare, Social Security, and raising the retirement age. Tell Ron DeSantis to keep his pudding fingers off his money, the advertisement says. And oh, somebody get this man a spoon. The pudding fingers imagery and analogy is a reference to a rumour that started from a report from The Daily Beast that claimed Mr DeSantis struggles with social skills. A former staffer for Mr DeSantis told The Daily Beast at the time that Mr DeSantis would, allegedly, often eat in front of people, even in meetings. According to the staffer, Mr DeSantis enjoyed a chocolate pudding dessert by eating it with three of his fingers while on a private flight from Tallahassee to Washington DC. Ron DeSantis has been on the receiving end of several insulting nicknames from the former president (AP) After the report was published, people mocked Mr DeSantis for the supposed rumour. Mr DeSantis denied any knowledge of pudding-gate while speaking with Piers Morgan in an interview on Fox Nation last month. He said, I dont remember ever doing that but added that he may have done that as a child. Pudding Fingers pic.twitter.com/PRCVAZlkw9 MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) April 14, 2023 Through Mr Trump did not directly authorise the advertisement, it was created by a Political Action Committee (PAC) aligned with Mr Trumps politics according to Open Secrets. Story continues MAGA Inc is a super PAC that began in September of last year, shortly before Mr Trump launched his campaign for president. As a super PAC, it can spend unlimited money on politics so long as its independent of individual campaigns. So far, MAGA Inc has spent over $1m on independent expenditures supporting Republican candidates like JD Vance, Mehmet Oz, Blake Masters, and more. Meanwhile, it has spent over $11m on independent expenditures opposing Democratic candidates like Raphael Warnock, John Fetterman, Mark Kelly, and more. According to a report from NBC News , Mr Trumps PAC called Save America transferred a vast majority of its funds to MAGA Inc before announcing his run for president. The advertisement falls in line with Mr Trumps recent attacks on Mr DeSantis who is expected to announce his campaign for 2024 president. Flash Leaked intelligence documents suggesting Washington spied on Seoul have put South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in a delicate situation ahead of a state visit to the United States, the first such trip by a South Korean leader in 12 years. The documents contain purportedly private conversations among senior South Korean officials about Ukraine, indicating that Washington may have conducted surveillance on a key Asian ally even as the two nations publicly vowed to reinforce their alliance. Since taking office last year, Yoon has put a bolstered military partnership with the US at the heart of his foreign policy. The April 26 summit with US President Joe Biden is seen as crucial to winning a stronger US security commitment and resolving grievances over the Biden administration's economic and technology policies, The Associated Press commented. The leaked documents were posted online as part of a major US intelligence breach. The papers viewed by media indicate that South Korea's National Security Council "grappled" with the US in early March over a US request to provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine. The documents, which cited a signals intelligence report, said then-NSC director Kim Sung-han suggested the possibility of selling 330,000 rounds of 155mm munitions to Poland, since getting the ammunition to Ukraine quickly was the US' ultimate goal. South Korea, a growing arms exporter, has a policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war. It has not provided arms directly to Ukraine, although it has shipped humanitarian aid and joined US-led economic sanctions against Russia. Yoon's government said it discussed the leaked papers with the US, and they agreed that "a considerable number" of the documents were fabricated. The South Korean government avoided any public complaints about the US and did not specify which documents were faked. "There's no indication that the US, which is our ally, conducted (eavesdropping) on us with malicious intent," Kim Tae-hyo, deputy national security director, told reporters on Tuesday at Dulles International Airport near Washington at the start of a trip aimed at preparing for the summit. Criticism from liberals Senior Biden administration officials have discussed the leaks with allies at high levels and sought to reassure them of the US government's commitment to safeguarding intelligence. The administration also sought to downplay the impact the leak would have on Yoon's upcoming visit. The Yoon government's stance invited criticism from liberal rivals, who called on the government to lodge strong protests with the US. They also suspected what they call Yoon's hasty relocation of his presidential office to a Defense Ministry compound in central Seoul may have left the office vulnerable to wiretapping. "As a sovereign nation, we must sternly respond to the spying of state secrets, even if it was committed by an ally with whom (South Korea) has bonded over blood," Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, said. The situation is unlikely to threaten the country's alliance with the US that was forged during the 1950-53 Korean War, many experts say. "No big damage is expected on the (South) Korea-US alliance as it seems both governments share the view that they would focus on the alliance, more concretely on a successful state visit by Yoon," Bong Young-shik, an expert at Seoul's Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies, said. If Yoon returns with some achievements, South Koreans will conclude that he put up with the spying allegations "because bigger matters were at stake", Bong said. But if the visit amounts to "a pomponly trip", people would question whether South Korea "made lots of concessions". Police officers respond to Animal Rising activists (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire) The start of the Randox Grand National was delayed after a number of protestors made their way on to the track at Aintree. Animal Rising had threatened to disrupt the four-and-a-quarter-mile race and were protesting from early on Saturday morning outside the track. As the National runners were in the parade ring, a number of protestors breached security fences around the Liverpool venue and ran on to the course. The horses were sent back to the pre-parade ring, with the race facing an indefinite delay. Abortion rights supporters gathered in front of the Supreme Court on Saturday in protest of a recent ruling by a federal judge that would have limited access to the abortion drug mifepristone. The rally, organized by Planned Parenthood, comes just one day after Justice Samuel Alito temporarily blocked the lower court ruling. The protest is part of a nationwide series of demonstrations planned for the weekend in support of safeguarding access to abortion pills. One protester in the crowd held a sign that reads: If my abortion is going to get me a murder charge I may as well kill my rapist. Another wore a costume from the TV show The Handmaids Tale. Protesters march past the U.S. Capitol following a Planned Parenthood rally in support of abortion access outside the Supreme Court on Saturday, April. 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard) A handful of anti-abortion counter-protesters were present as well. They shouted statements like Abortion is murder! and Abortion bans save lives! At one point, the two sides began shouting at each other. After the rally, some of the abortion rights protesters marched to Capitol Hill. Last week, District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Trump, suspended the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) decades-old approval of mifepristone, throwing access to medication abortion into question nationwide. Mifepristone is the first of a two-drug regimen, collectively known as the abortion pill, approved by the FDA to terminate pregnancies up to 10 weeks. The second drug used in medication abortions, misoprostol, was not affected by the ruling. Anti-abortion rights advocates were also present at the Planned Parenthood rally as access to abortion pills is in limbo across the country (Christina van Waasbergen/The Hill) Medication abortions accounted for more than half of the abortions performed in the U.S. in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research organization. Story continues The same day, a federal judge in Washington issued a contradictory ruling in a separate case, ordering the FDA to maintain the availability of mifepristone in 17 states and the District of Columbia. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked part of the Texas judges ruling. It kept mifepristone on the market, but it maintained other parts of the ruling limiting the drugs use to seven weeks of pregnancy and prohibiting it from being sent through the mail. On Friday, Justice Alito placed an administrative stay on the judges entire ruling until Wednesday night to give the Supreme Court time to receive further briefing and decide whether to issue a longer stay. A federal judge in Texas last week issued a ruling that said the FDA rushed their approval of an abortion drug over two decades ago. Protestors gathered outside of the Supreme Court to show support for safeguarding access to the drug mifepristone. (Christina van Waasbergen/The Hill) Dr. Kristyn Brandi, an abortion provider who spoke at the rally, criticized the constantly shifting rulings, saying it creates chaos for health care providers. Providers are making impossible choices about whether or not they can give the medicine they know is safe and effective or follow the law, Brandi said. Providers are having to figure out and scramble to wait for the next ruling to figure out what they can give for people. And thats not how health care should be, she added. Melissa Wasser, Policy Counsel at the Washington, D.C., branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, also spoke at the rally, saying a single judge should not be able to determine access to a medication for the entire nation. Today its mifepristone. Tomorrow it could be a vaccine, Wasser said. It could be another medication or life-saving treatment. And that means that every fringe group can just go pick a judge, and with the stroke of a pen, millions of people will not get the life-saving health care that they need, she added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A TV screen shows a news program reporting on the leaked Pentagon documents at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea (The Associated Press) Highly classified military documents shedding light on American intelligence gathered about other countries were released online this week, sending the Pentagon into full-speed damage control to assure allies and assess the scope of the leak. On Thursday, armed FBI officers arrested a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Authorities raided the home of 21-year-old Jack Teixeira who worked in cyber security for the Guard and took him into custody. The information has apparently highlighted potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine's air defence capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters, raising questions about whether the leak will erode allies' trust in sharing information with the US or affect Ukraine's strategic combat plans. Suspect in leak of Pentagon secrets, Jack Texeira, is arrested by armed FBI agents in North Dighton, Massachusetts (CNN) Funded at $90bn annually, US intelligence agencies have sweeping powers to tap electronic communications, run spies and monitor with satellites. The results of those powers are rarely seen in public, even in limited form. Overall, the leaked documents present a "very serious risk to national security," a top Pentagon spokesman told reporters on Monday. The Ministry of Defence has tried to play down the impact, referring to serious inaccuracies. Here are five of the key takeaways from the leaked Pentagon documents: UK special forces might have operated in Ukraine Claims that UK special forces have operated in Ukraine have been widely reported. Media outlets including the BBC and The Guardian reported that a document, dated March 23, indicates as many as 50 UK special forces personnel have been deployed to the country alongside other Western special forces. The Ministry of Defence warned against taking allegations contained in the reported leak of US classified information at "face value". An MoD spokesperson said in a message posted on Twitter: "The widely reported leak of alleged classified US information has demonstrated a serious level of inaccuracy. Readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation." Story continues The Pentagon was sent into full-speed damage control to assure allies and assess the scope of the leak (AP) Ukrainian casualties higher and air munitions lower The leaked documents point to Ukrainian casualty figures being higher than publicly stated by Kyiv, which was broadly known by those familiar with the conflict. Also, it suggests that Ukrainian air defences were running out of munitions. This again was known, but not to the extent suggested that they will start running out by the end of May. Much of the material is about Western efforts to keep Ukraine supplied with weapons. There were claims that Serbia, the only European state to refuse to impose sanctions on Russia following the invasion, with Alexander Vucics government repeatedly professing neutrality, had agreed to send arms to Ukraine, and may have done so already. The countrys defence minister, Milos Vucevic, denied the report; there is no comment, yet, from President Vucics office. US seems to spy on its allies The leaks have highlighted how closely the US monitors how its allies and friends interact with Russia and China. Officials in several countries have denied or rejected allegations from the leaked records. The AP has reported on US intelligence picking up claims from Russian operatives that they were building a closer relationship with the United Arab Emirates, the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation that hosts important American military installations. The UAE rejected the allegations, calling them categorically false. Other leaks have concerned allegations that South Korean leaders were hesitant to ship artillery shells to Ukraine and that Israels Mossad spy service opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus proposed overhaul of the judiciary. The leak has been described as a nightmare for the Five Eyes the intelligence-sharing nations of US, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada by a senior intelligence official speaking to The New York Times. Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon (The Associated Press) Egypt planned to supply rockets to Russia According to the leak, Egypt, which receives $1.3bn (1bn) in American military aid each year, was planning to sell rockets and munition to Moscow, with Egypts president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi instructing officials to keep production and shipment secret to avoid problems with the West. Russian officials, according to the documents, were boasting that the UAE has agreed to cooperate against US and UK intelligence. This was immediately denied by the UAE. But the allegation comes during a time of waning American influence in the region with China brokering a diplomatic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman refusing US requests to raise oil production after the shortages caused by the embargo on Russia and announcing this week that it will cut production. Rumour Putin is undergoing chemotherapy The recently leaked documents address the rumour that Russian President Vladimir Putin is undergoing chemotherapy. The recently leaked documents address the rumour that Russian President Vladimir Putin is undergoing chemotherapy (via REUTERS) The papers, labelled as Top Secret, also indicate that Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Russian National Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev devised a plan to sabotage Mr Putin while he undergoes medical treatment. Russia planned to divert resources from Taganrog, Russia to Mariupol, Ukraine and focus its attention on the southern front, the document says. According to [redacted] source, the plan for the offensive (no further information) was suspected to be a strategy devised by [Mr Gerasimov and Mr Patrushev] to sabotage Putin. The papers do not specify what alleged medical condition Mr Putin has that requires chemotherapy but there have been longstanding rumours that the Russian president has cancer. Visitors watch the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex named Trinity, during a preview by auction house Koller at the Tonhalle Zurich concert hall, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 in Zurich, Switzerland. The 11.6-meter-long, 3.9-meter-high and 67-million-year-old T. rex skeleton was assembled from three specimens excavated from 2008 to 2013 in the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations in the U.S. states of Montana and Wyoming. | Michael Buholzer, Keystone via Associated Press Are you a fan of dinosaurs? A giant skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus rex is going on auction if you have a few million dollars to spare. Experts speculate it will go for around $5.43 million when it goes on auction in Zurich, Switzerland, on April 18, CNN reported. Why is the T. rex skeleton named TRX-293 Trinity? The name of this skeleton is Trinity, because its built out of three individuals and all were found in the U.S., Cyril Koller, owner of the auction house conducting the sale, told CNN. The skeleton dates back 67 million years, Republic World reported. The numbers 293 go back to the 293 bones it has in its skeletal structure, per Reuters. Who will buy the T. rex skeleton? A private buyer will most likely purchase the T. rex skeleton, but Koller believes the public will still likely get an opportunity to see it at some point, per CNN. Its not a cast or a copy, its the original. And there are very few, very few, Hans Jacob-Siber, a paleontologist for the Aathal Dinosaur Museum, told Reuters. In fact, until about 1970 or 1980, there used to be less than a dozen Tyrannosaurus, most of them were already in United States museums. Beating Heart diamond (GJEPC) A company in Indias Surat says it has unearthed a unique diamond within a diamond one of the rarest of the rare when it comes to such stones. The firm V D Global has given the rare piece the moniker the Beating Heart, and says it consists of a piece of diamond that had another smaller piece trapped inside, and that was moving freely, according to Times of India. The 0.329-carat stone was initially found in the rough in October last year by the diamond manufacturer which operates from Surat and Mumbai and has a business spread globally. The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) set up by the Indian government noted in a statement that the Beating Heart joins a small group of similar natural diamonds such as the Matryoshka diamond from Siberia that was first recorded in 2019. The company reportedly reached out to the international corporation De Beers headquartered in the UK, and sent the stone for further thorough analysis at its facility in Maidenhead. The authenticity of the find was confirmed via further analysis using optical and electron microscopes. I have certainly never seen anything like the Beating Heart during my last 30 years in the diamond sector, Samantha Sibley, Technical Educator at De Beers Group Ignite said. Using the expertise of De Beers Group, we can shed light onto the formation and structure of this natural specimen and share these insights with a wider community of diamond professionals, Ms Sibley said, according to GJEPC. The rare diamond was found to have etch features visible on both the smaller diamond in the inner cavity. Experts say the cavity may have formed due to the preferential etching of an intermediate layer of poor-quality fibrous diamond. The Beating Heart is a remarkable example of what can happen on the natural diamond journey from formation to discovery, Jamie Clark, Head of Global Operations at De Beers Institute of Diamonds, said. A find like this demonstrates why natural diamond formation and origin is such a fascinating area of study and why it is important to strive for advancements in testing and analysis that can contribute to our knowledge of natural diamond growth, Mr Clark added. ufos aliens space pentagon us sean kirkpatrick harvard - SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY RF A Pentagon official who heads up a secretive unit studying unidentified flying objects has speculated that recent sightings in US airspace could actually be alien probes from a mothership sent to study Earth. Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the Pentagons All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), has claimed in a new academic paper that the objects, which appear to defy all physics, could be probes from an extra-terrestrial parent craft. The draft paper, co-authored by Harvard professor Avi Loeb and seen by Politico, that interstellar objects such as the cigar-shaped Oumuamua that scientists spotted flying through the galaxy in 2017 could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth. The authors compare the probes to dandelion seeds that could be separated from the parent craft by the suns gravitational force. The probes could use starlight to charge their batteries and the Earths water as fuel. Habitable planets would be particularly appealing to extra-terrestrial trans-medium probes, capable of moving between space, air and water, the authors write in the paper dated March 7. From a large distance, Venus, Earth or Mars would be equally attractive for probes. But upon closer inspection, Earth would show spectral signatures of liquid water and vegetation. An image released by the Pentagon last year which officials said was taken by Navy personnel The paper, which has not yet been peer viewed, demonstrates that the Pentagon is open to scientific debate of the origins of UFOs, Politico reports, an important signal to send to the academic world. Professor Loeb has a privately funded academic effort to look for UFOs called The Galileo Project. He and Mr Kirkpatrick, himself a respected scientist who has worked in the Department of Defence and US Space Command, speculate on the motive for aliens to send exploratory probes to Earth. What would be the overarching purpose of the journey? In analogy with actual dandelion seeds, the probes could propagate the blueprint of their senders, the authors write. As with biological seeds, the raw materials on the planets surface could also be used by them as nutrients for self-replication or simply scientific exploration. Story continues AARO was set up last summer and has already received hundreds of reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). The office works with other federal agencies to detect objects of interest near military installations or other areas of interest and is required to report regularly to Congress. Interest in UFOs has peaked in recent weeks after the US shot down what it described as a large Chinese spy balloon that entered American airspace. American jet fighters then shot down three unidentified flying objects, two in the US and one over Canadian airspace in quick succession. The incidents triggered the Pentagon to begin looking more closely at other airborne objects. David Jewitt, a professor of astronomy at the University of California Los Angeles, however, said some of the claims in the paper are highly questionable and called the fact that Mr Kirkpatrick is a co-author odd. The Air Force is very good at bombing things, but as far as their research on UFOs, I think Id trust them about as far as I can throw them, Mr Jewitt told the website. Its not clear that the Air Force and military capabilities are best suited to the study of aliens. By Tyler Clifford (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday he will not enter the 2024 presidential race, which would have pitted him against his former boss Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Pompeo, 59, said he decided with his wife that he would not be a candidate for the office due to personal reasons. "The time is not right for me and my family," Pompeo said in a statement. "This is not that time or that moment for me to seek elected office again." A former Kansas congressman, Pompeo developed a reputation as one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants when he served as secretary of state and director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He advanced Trump's pugnacious foreign policy as the top U.S. diplomat and was a magnet for controversy in Washington. Pompeo also initially backed Trump's false claims of a stolen presidential election following his 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, though Pompeo eventually cooperated with the incoming administration. In recent months he has indirectly criticized Trump, saying Republicans need leaders who do not dwell on the past. President Biden said on Friday he has decided to run for a second term in 2024 and would announce his campaign "relatively soon." With Pompeo out, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is the lone Trump administration official to announce she will challenge the former president. She served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump from 2017 to 2018. Among other possible Republican primary candidates are Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence. (Reporting by Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) The lineup for the forthcoming coronation concert was unveiled this week, with British pop band Take That and US star Katy Perry to headine. The official coronation takes place on Saturday 6 May, with a coronation concert taking place the following day on Sunday 7 May. Also on the line-up are Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli and Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel. They will be joined by singer-songwriter Freya Ridings and classical-soul composer Alexis Ffrench. More acts are still to be announced. The announcement comes amid a report that Harry and Meghans reply to their coronation invite was delayed because they were engaging in a back and forth over the seating arrangements. Former Sex Pistol John Lydon has lashed out at the royal couple, accusing them of being very spiteful to family and friends. His rant follows a report that King Charles III is seeking to mend divisions in the royal family ahead of the most important moment of his lifetime. Meanwhile, King Charles is not inviting Prince Andrews ex-wife Sarah Ferguson to his coronation, The Independent has learnt. Royals news - latest updates King decides Sarah Ferguson will not be invited to the coronation Prince Harry to attend Kings coronation without Meghan, Buckingham Palace annnounces King Charles 'reacts' to news Prince Harry will attend his coronation in May Ab Fab star Joanna Lumley to attend King Charles and Queen Camillas coronation Harry and Meghan coronation reply delayed due to extensive back and forth over seating plan Friday 14 April 2023 09:11 , Ellie Muir Prince Harrys reply to his and Meghans coronation invite was reportedly delayed because they were preoccuppied as to where they would be seated, a new report claims. The report claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were especially concerned with who would sit in front and behind them in the seating arrangement at Westminster Abbey on 6 May. A source reportedly told The Daily Mail: Harrys side was keen to find out, presumably because they wanted to rubber-stamp it, what the seating plan at the Abbey is. Story continues Read the full story below: Harrys coronation reply delayed due to extensive back and forth over seating King Charles III makes TIME 100 Most Influential People list Friday 14 April 2023 21:00 , Kate Ng King Charles III has been named as one of TIME magazines 100 Most Influential People of 2023. The new monarch appeared on the list under the Icons category, alongside author Salman Rushdie, Chinese dissident Peng Lifa, actor Jennifer Coolidge, trans journalist Imara Jones, and others. Read more: King Charles III makes TIME 100 Most Influential People list Deepak Chopra says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are struggling amid royal family rift Friday 14 April 2023 20:00 , Kate Ng Author Deepak Chopra has said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are struggling right now amidst their rift with the British royal family. The Indian-American mindfulness expert, who appeared on Prince Harry and Meghan Markles holiday special podcast back in 2020, recently gave insight into the Sussexes current state of mind as Harry prepares to attend King Charles IIIs coronation next month. Meredith Clark has the full story: Deepak Chopra says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are struggling King Charles to mend family divisions as Prince Andrew brought in from the cold, report claims Friday 14 April 2023 19:00 , Kate Ng King Charles III is using the coronation to heal family divisions, including reconciling with Prince Andrew, sources claim. Sources say that the King is using the coronation to mend family divisions, including bringing Andrew, the Duke of York in from the cold. The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment. Ellie Muir reports: King Charles to mend family divisions as Prince Andrew brought in from the cold Prince George to carry a sword at King Charless coronation to protect grandfather Friday 14 April 2023 18:00 , Kate Ng Prince George will carry a ceremonial sword at King Charles IIIs coronation in May as a traditional representation of him acting as a protector of his grandfather. The nine-year-old is second-in-line to the throne and will hold a small ceremonial sword in his role as the Page of Honour. Gabby Colvin reports: Prince George to carry a sword at King Charless coronation to protect grandfather Lenny Henry thinks King Charles has an interest in slavery and reparations: He might do something Friday 14 April 2023 17:08 , Kate Ng Lenny Henry has said that King Charles III may have an interest in the conversation around slavery and reparations in Britain. The 64-year-old actor, who last year wrote a play about the Windrush scandal that saw hundreds of Commonwealth citizens deported and denied their legal rights, reflected on a recent announcement by Buckingham Palace. Read the full story here: Lenny Henry thinks King Charles has an interest in slavery and reparations King describes immense pride in William and Harry at Sandhurst Sovereigns Parade Friday 14 April 2023 15:13 , Kate Ng King Charles III has spoken of his pride in his two sons as he observed military cadets completing their training, days after it was confirmed that the Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation. On Thursday (13 April), the King attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for the 200th Sovereigns Parade to see the 171 cadets who have completed their training as army officers and will receive their commission at midnight. Read more below: King describes immense pride in William and Harry at Sandhurst Sovereigns Parade Student who threw at least five eggs at King Charles guilty of threatening behaviour Friday 14 April 2023 14:41 , Kate Ng A student who threw eggs at the King before shouting friends with Jimmy Savile has been found guilty of threatening behaviour. Patrick Thelwell shouted the King is a paedophile after throwing at least five eggs towards Charles during a walkabout in York last year. Liam James has the full story: Student who threw at least 5 eggs at King Charles guilty of threatening behaviour Queen Elizabeth II was surprised when Meghan Markle dismissed her advice, new book claims Friday 14 April 2023 13:30 , Ellie Muir Queen Elizabeth II was surprised when Meghan Markle dismissed her advice for adjusting to royal life, according to the author of a new royal book. Royal commentator Robert Jobson made the claim in his new book titled: Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, set to be published on 13 April. Jobso alleges that the late Queen suggested the Duchess of Sussex seek advice from Sophie, now-Duchess of Edinburgh, after she joined the royal family because the monarch felt that her daughter-in-law could act as an advisor to Meghan. Read the full story below: Queen Elizabeth was surprised when Meghan dismissed her advice, new book claims King Charles tired and infuriated as Prince Andrew refuses to leave Royal Lodge, report says Friday 14 April 2023 13:00 , Ellie Muir King Charles III is said to be tired and infuriated by his brother, the Duke of Yorks resistance to moving out of the Royal Lodge. It was previously reported that the monarch offered the keys to Frogmore Cottage to Prince Andrew, after asking the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to vacate it. But the disgraced duke, who has not been a working royal since 2020, is understood to be resisting any attempts to move him out of his current residence and into the smaller royal property. Read the full story: King Charles tired and infuriated as Prince Andrew refuses to leave Royal Lodge Prince Andrews insane list of travelling demands revealed by ex-diplomat Friday 14 April 2023 12:30 , Ellie Muir The Duke of York had an insane list of demands while travelling abroad, including a 6ft ironing board and room-temperature water only, according to an ex-diplomat. Former UK diplomat Simon Wilson is set to describe Prince Andrews wishes in the forthcoming ITV documentary The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor, which will be released on 20 April. Wilson recalled receiving the list when he was working as the deputy head of a British mission to Bahrain in 2002. Andrew was the Special Representative for International Trade and Investment for the trip. Read the full story below: Prince Andrews insane list of travelling demands revealed by ex-diplomat 6 of the biggest claims about the royal family in new King Charles biography Friday 14 April 2023 12:00 , Ellie Muir A new biography about King Charles III, authored by royal biographer Robert Jobson, is set to be released on Thursday 13 April. The book, titled Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, charts the new monarchs trajectory from his birth to his ascension to the throne, which took place after the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year. According to his publisher, Jobson set out to reveal the real man behind the crown and examine Charless passions, purpose and motivations as the UK gears up for the coronation on 6 May. Read the full story below: The 6 biggest moments in new King Charles biography King Charles decides Fergie will NOT be invited to the coronation Friday 14 April 2023 11:30 , Ellie Muir King Charles is not inviting his former sister-in-law the Duchess of York to his coronation, The Independent has learnt. Sarah Ferguson, who still lives with Prince Andrew and is very close to him even though they divorced in 1996, will have to watch the 6 May celebrations at Westminster Abbey on TV. The news follows the Duchess of Sussexs decision to miss the coronation by staying at her home in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet while Prince Harry attends alone. Read the full story below: King decides Fergie will NOT be invited to the coronation David Dimbleby turns down offer to cover Kings coronation Friday 14 April 2023 11:00 , Ellie Muir Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby has turned down the chance to play a role in the BBCs coverage of the Kings coronation, according to reports. The BBCs coverage of the 6 May event will be led by Kirsty Young, 54, in a studio outside Buckingham Palace, with Huw Edwards, 61, and Clare Balding, 52, providing commentary. Dimbleby, 84, was offered a role in the coverage, according to a report in The Times, but opted against playing second fiddle in the presenting lineup. Read the full story below: David Dimbleby turns down offer to cover Kings coronation Inside Royal Lodge: Prince Andrews 30-room mansion that Prince William has his eye on Friday 14 April 2023 10:30 , Ellie Muir The Duke of York has resided in the Royal Lodge in Windsor Park for nearly 20 years, but his reported refusal to move out is said to have left King Charles III tired and infuriated. It is understood that the King wishes for Prince Andrew to vacate the royal property and move into the smaller Frogmore Cottage instead, with suggestions that the Prince of Wales has his eye on the mansion to reflect his new role as heir to the throne. Andrew first moved into the vast property in 2004 and made it his family home. He lives there with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Read the full story below: Inside Royal Lodge, Prince Andrews 30-room mansion that William has his eye on King Charles disappointed that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will be absent from coronation Friday 14 April 2023 10:00 , Ellie Muir King Charles III is reportedly very disappointed that his daughter-in-law the Duchess of Sussex nor his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will attend his and Queen Camillas coronation next month. Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday (12 April) that the Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation, but Meghan Markle will stay at home in California with their two children. Read the full story below: King Charles disappointed that Meghan will be absent from coronation Ab Fab star Joanna Lumley to attend King Charles and Queen Camillas coronation Friday 14 April 2023 09:30 , Ellie Muir Joanna Lumley will be among the 2,000 guests attending the Kings Coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6 May. Sky News announced on Thursday (13 April) that the Absolutely Fabulous star will be joining correspondents Alastair Bruce, Kay Burley and Anna Botting as a special guest in the news coverage on the day, fresh from attending the coronation service. The statement reads: The actress will join the Sky News line-up on Saturday fresh from attending the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey as a guest of the King and Queen Consort. Read the full story below: Joanna Lumley to attend King Charles and Queen Camillas coronation From Prince Harry to Joanna Lumley: Who is attending King Charless coronation? Friday 14 April 2023 09:00 , Ellie Muir King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will be joined by 2,000 guests at Westminster Abbey for their coronation on 6 May. Among the senior members of the royal family, a number of celebrities, actors, and politicians in attendance. The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct the ceremony. So far, Prince Harry, Joanna Lumley and Jill Biden are among the guests confirmed to be attending. Read the full story below: Who is attending King Charless coronation? King Charles III makes TIME 100 Most Influential People list Friday 14 April 2023 08:30 , Ellie Muir King Charles III has been named as one of TIME magazines 100 Most Influential People of 2023. The new monarch appeared on the list under the Icons category, alongside author Salman Rushdie, Chinese dissident Peng Lifa, actor Jennifer Coolidge, trans journalist Imara Jones, and others. Read the full story below: King Charles III makes TIME 100 Most Influential People list Camilla is the Yin to King Charless Yang, says insider Friday 14 April 2023 08:00 , Ellie Muir Queen Camilla is the yin to King Charless yang, a new report has claimed. Ahead of the new monarchs coronation on 6 May, the royal family have been preparing for the grand ceremony. Earlier this week, Prince Harry was confirmed to be attending without his wife, Meghan, and their two children. [Camilla] is the yin to his yang, an insider told People. She is the type to say, Itll all be fine, lets crack on and get on with things. Read the full story below: Camilla is the Yin to King Charless Yang, says insider Deepak Chopra says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are struggling amid royal family rift Friday 14 April 2023 07:20 , Ellie Muir Author Deepak Chopra has said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are struggling right now amidst their rift with the British royal family. The Indian-American mindfulness expert, who appeared on Prince Harry and Meghan Markles holiday special podcast back in 2020, recently gave insight into the Sussexes current state of mind as Harry prepares to attend King Charles IIIs coronation next month. While speaking to The Daily Mail at a red carpet event in London, Chopra said about his work with the royal couple: I enjoyed the podcast and interacted with them. It has been periodic theyre struggling right now. Read the full story below: Deepak Chopra says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are struggling Denise Welch calls Camilla Charless side piece as she says shes not a fan Thursday 13 April 2023 14:15 , Ellie Muir Loose Women panellist Denise Welch has called Queen Camilla Charless side piece as she admits she lacks enthusiasm for the forthcoming coronation. Welch, 64, admitted that the monarchy isnt the same since the late Queen Elizabeth II died in September. I feel like [for] a lot of people, the monarchy isnt the same since the Queen died, Welch said. She added that she was not a fan of Queen Camilla, Charless second wife. Welch continued: Im not particularly a Camilla fan, the fact is I just think she was there from the beginning of his marriage to Diana and I think its disrespectful to Prince Harry and and I cant get over that she was the side piece. Read the full story below: Denise Welch calls Camilla Charless side piece and declares shes not a fan Queen Elizabeth II was surprised when Meghan Markle dismissed her advice, new book claims Thursday 13 April 2023 13:45 , Ellie Muir Queen Elizabeth II was surprised when Meghan Markle dismissed her advice for adjusting to royal life, according to the author of a new royal book. Royal commentator Robert Jobson made the claim in his new book titled: Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, set to be published on 13 April. Chelsea Ritschel reports: Queen Elizabeth was surprised when Meghan dismissed her advice, new book claims King Charles tired and infuriated as Prince Andrew refuses to leave Royal Lodge, report says Thursday 13 April 2023 13:15 , Ellie Muir King Charles III is said to be tired and infuriated by his brother, the Duke of Yorks resistance to moving out of the Royal Lodge. It was previously reported that the monarch offered the keys to Frogmore Cottage to Prince Andrew, after asking the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to vacate it. But the disgraced duke, who has not been a working royal since 2020, is understood to be resisting any attempts to move him out of his current residence and into the smaller royal property. Read the full story: King Charles tired and infuriated as Prince Andrew refuses to leave Royal Lodge 6 of the biggest claims about the royal family in new King Charles biography Thursday 13 April 2023 12:45 , Ellie Muir A new biography about King Charles III, authored by royal biographer Robert Jobson, is set to be released on Thursday 13 April. The book, titled Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, charts the new monarchs trajectory from his birth to his ascension to the throne, which took place after the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year. According to his publisher, Jobson set out to reveal the real man behind the crown and examine Charless passions, purpose and motivations as the UK gears up for the coronation on 6 May. Read the full story below: 6 of the biggest claims about the royal family in new King Charles biography King Charles disappointed that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will be absent from coronation Thursday 13 April 2023 12:15 , Ellie Muir King Charles III is reportedly very disappointed that his daughter-in-law the Duchess of Sussex nor his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will attend his and Queen Camillas coronation next month. Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday (12 April) that the Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation, but Meghan Markle will stay at home in California with their two children. It comes after much speculation over whether the couple would fly to the UK to attend the crowning of King Charles on 6 May, amid tensions between them and the rest of the royal family. Read the full story below: King Charles disappointed that Meghan will be absent from coronation King decides Fergie will not be invited to the coronation Thursday 13 April 2023 11:31 , Ellie Muir King Charles is not inviting his former sister-in-law the Duchess of York to his coronation, The Independent has learnt. Sarah Ferguson, who still lives with Prince Andrew and is very close to him even though they divorced in 1996, will have to watch the May 6 celebrations at Westminster Abbey on TV. The news follows Buckingham Palaces announcement on Wednesday (12 April) that Prince Harry will attend the Kings coronation on his own, while his wife, Meghan, will stay at home in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The King and Queen Consorts decision means that Fergie will not be seated next to her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, who are 10th and 11th in line to the throne. Jane Dalton has the full story below: King decides Fergie will NOT be invited to the coronation Prince Andrews insane list of travelling demands revealed by ex-diplomat Thursday 13 April 2023 11:15 , Ellie Muir The Duke of York had an insane list of demands while travelling abroad, including a 6ft ironing board and room-temperature water only, according to an ex-diplomat. Former UK diplomat Simon Wilson is set to describe Prince Andrews wishes in the forthcoming ITV documentary The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor, which will be released on 20 April. Wilson recalled receiving the list when he was working as the deputy head of a British mission to Bahrain in 2002. Andrew was the Special Representative for International Trade and Investment for the trip. Read the full story below: Prince Andrews insane list of travelling demands revealed by ex-diplomat Ab Fab star Joanna Lumley to attend King Charles and Queen Camillas coronation Thursday 13 April 2023 11:36 , Ellie Muir Joanna Lumley will be among the 2,000 guests attending the Kings Coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6 May. Sky News announced on Thursday (13 April) that the Absolutely Fabulous star will be joining correspondents Alastair Bruce, Kay Burley and Anna Botting as a special guest in the news coverage on the day, fresh from attending the coronation service. The statement reads: The actress will join the Sky News line-up on Saturday fresh from attending the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey as a guest of the King and Queen Consort. Read the full story below: Joanna Lumley to attend King Charles and Queen Camillas coronation Inside Royal Lodge: Prince Andrews 30-room mansion that Prince William has his eye on Thursday 13 April 2023 10:45 , Ellie Muir The Duke of York has resided in the Royal Lodge in Windsor Park for nearly 20 years, but his reported refusal to move out is said to have left King Charles III tired and infuriated. It is understood that the King wishes for Prince Andrew to vacate the royal property and move into the smaller Frogmore Cottage instead, with suggestions that the Prince of Wales has his eye on the mansion to reflect his new role as heir to the throne. Andrew first moved into the vast property in 2004 and made it his family home. He lives there with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Read the full story below: Inside Royal Lodge, Prince Andrews 30-room mansion that William has his eye on Everything we know about 2023 coronation ceremony Thursday 13 April 2023 10:15 , Ellie Muir The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey in London where there are expected to be 2,000 guests in attendance, a stark contrast to the 8,000 guests present at the Queens coronation in 1953. Charles will turn 74 years old in November 2022, making him the oldest person to be crowned in British history. William, Prince of Wales is expected to play an important role in the committee organising his fathers coronation. Heres everything you need to know about the coronation ceremony: When is the coronation of King Charles III? Coronation coins with first ever crowned effigy of King Charles III revealed by Royal Mint Thursday 13 April 2023 09:40 , Ellie Muir A crowned portrait of the King will for the first time feature on a new range of commemorative coins created to celebrate the upcoming coronation. The collection, which includes a 50p and 5 coin, will be released later this month ahead of the historic 6 May celebration. Bronwen Weatherby reports. Coronation coins with first ever crowned effigy of King Charles III revealed King Charles 'reacts' to news Prince Harry will attend his coronation in May Thursday 13 April 2023 08:31 , Ellie Muir King Charles III is reportedly very disappointed that his daughter-in-law the Duchess of Sussex nor his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will attend his and Queen Camillas coronation next month. Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday (12 April) that the Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation, but Meghan Markle will stay at home in California with their two children. Read the full story below: King Charles disappointed that Meghan will be absent from coronation This is the official Twitter emoji for King Charless coronation Thursday 13 April 2023 08:20 , Peony Hirwani Buckingham Palace has revealed an official emoji to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The colourful cartoon motif depicts the 17th century jewelled solid gold St Edwards Crown with purple velvet cap the regalia which will be used to crown the King on 6 May. This is the official Twitter emoji for King Charless coronation Ex-diplomat reveals Prince Andrews insane list of demands while travelling Thursday 13 April 2023 07:50 , Peony Hirwani The Duke of York had an insane list of demands while travelling abroad, including a 6ft ironing board and room-temperature water only, according to an ex-diplomat. Kate Ng reports. Ex-diplomat reveals Prince Andrews insane list of demands while travelling Queen Elizabeth wanted William and Harry to go to war Thursday 13 April 2023 07:20 , Peony Hirwani Queen Elizabeth II believed her grandsons Prince Harry and Prince William should both do their duty by going to war in Afghanistan, a former head of the British army has said. It was decided, however, that the risk for the older sibling was too great as the heir to the throne, according to General Sir Mike Jackson, who served as chief of the general staff from 2003 until 2006. But for Williams younger brother Harry, who went on two tours of Afghanistan during the decade he spent in the military, the risk was acceptable, he said. Andy Gregory reports. They must do their duty: Queen Elizabeth wanted William and Harry to go to war Prince Harry to attend coronation without Meghan, Buckingham Palace announces Thursday 13 April 2023 06:50 , Peony Hirwani Meghan Markle will stay in California with her children as Prince Harry attends King Charless coronation on 6 May, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Following the announcement from the Palace, royal expert Omid Scobie tweeted: I understand that Archies fourth birthday (also on 6 May) played a factor in the couples decision. He added: Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Harry laid bare his grievances with the royal family in his controversial autobiography Spare, released in January, along with his and Meghans Netflix documentary series, Harry and Meghan. Roisin OConnor reports. Prince Harry to attend King Charless coronation without Meghan Markle Coronation coins with first ever crowned effigy of King Charles III revealed by Royal Mint Thursday 13 April 2023 06:20 , Peony Hirwani A crowned portrait of the King will for the first time feature on a new range of commemorative coins created to celebrate the upcoming coronation. The collection, which includes a 50p and 5 coin, will be released later this month ahead of the historic 6 May celebration. Bronwen Weatherby reports. Coronation coins with first ever crowned effigy of King Charles III revealed King Charles III coronation: Everything we know about 2023 ceremony Thursday 13 April 2023 05:50 , Peony Hirwani King Charles IIIs coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May, 2023. Below is what we know about the ceremony. When is the coronation of King Charles III? Thursday 13 April 2023 03:00 , Meredith Clark Prior to confirming his attendance at King Charles IIIs coronation, the Duke of Sussex said he was seeking an apology from his father and brother before committing to attending the ceremony in May. Prince Harry previously refused to commit to attending the Kings coronation on 6 May unless King Charles and Prince William are willing to sit down and talk about his allegations against the royal family. In an ITV interview earlier this year, ahead of the release of his memoir Spare, Harry said that the ball is in their court, but the door is always open for reconciliation. According to The Times, a source has claimed that Harry is keen to get an apology from Charles and William. However, another source said the royals do not believe that an apology is owed after he accused Buckingham Palace of leaking and planting negative stories about Meghan Markle to distract the media and public from less favourable coverage about other members of the royal family. Read the full story below: Prince Harry seeking apology before committing to King Charles coronation Thursday 13 April 2023 01:00 , Meredith Clark King Charles IIIs coronation will also be significant for his wife Camilla, who will be crowned Queen Camilla alongside him at Westminster Abbey. The invitation to the coronation invites guests to attend The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla By Command of the King the Earl Marshall is directed to inviteto be present at the Abbey Church of Westminster on 6th day of May 2023. Prince Harry, who has confirmed he will be attending the coronation without Meghan Markle, has previously made many comments about his relationship with Camilla following the release of his memoir, Spare. The Duke of Sussex previously described her as the villain and alleged in his book that Camilla had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar. He also claimed that she had launched a campaign to marry his father, King Charles. In an interview with Good Morning America, Prince Harry said that he and his stepmother havent spoken for a long time, but that he loves every member of his family despite their differences. Chelsea Ritschel has more: Prince Harry clarifies relationship with Camilla amid claims she was the villain Wednesday 12 April 2023 23:15 , Chelsea Ritschel Although Prince Harry will attend the coronation, it remains to be seen what role, if any, he will play in the ceremony, as he is no longer a working royal. According to reports, the duke is not expected to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside the rest of his family members on the day of the coronation. The occasion will also mark the first time that Harry has seen his family since the release of his best-selling memoir Spare, which included a number of details about his strained relationship with members of his family. 5 of the most revealing takeaways from Harrys memoir Spare Wednesday 12 April 2023 21:15 , Chelsea Ritschel Following the confirmation that Prince Harry will be attending the coronation without Meghan or their children, many have applauded the Duchess of Sussexs decision. Meghan made the right decision and I respect it, one person tweeted, while another said: Good for Meghan, its Archies birthday afterall. Wednesday 12 April 2023 20:18 , Chelsea Ritschel As of now, it is not clear how the Duchess of Sussex will celebrate the fourth birthday of her and Prince Harrys son Archie in California. However, the couple typically mark the occasion with a new photo of their firstborn. For Archies second birthday in 2021, the couple shared a photo of their son holding birthday balloons on their Archewell Foundation website, where they also asked fans to donate to Covid vaccine equity. We cannot think of a more resonant way to honour our sons birthday, the duke and duchess wrote at the time. Wednesday 12 April 2023 18:15 , Chelsea Ritschel Prince Harrys decision to attend his fathers coronation comes after he refused to say whether he would make the trip during an interview with ITVs Tom Bradby in January, at which point the Duke of Sussex said the ball is in their court. Theres a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open, Harry said during the interview about his memoir Spare. The ball is in their court. Theres a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it. Meghan Markle to stay in California with children as Prince Harry attends Charless coronation Wednesday 12 April 2023 17:12 , Ellie Muir Meghan Markle will stay in California with her children as Prince Harry attends King Charless coronation on 6 May, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Following the announcement from the Palace, royal expert Omid Scobie tweeted: I understand that Archies fourth birthday (also on 6 May) played a factor in the couples decision. He added: Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Harry laid bare his grievances with the royal family in his controversial autobiography Spare, released in January, along with his and Meghans Netflix documentary series, Harry and Meghan. Read the full story below: Prince Harry to attend King Charless coronation without Meghan Markle Meghan Markle snubs Kings coronation as Prince Harry to attend Wednesday 12 April 2023 15:19 , Ellie Muir The Duke of Sussex will attend the Kings Coronation but the Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, Buckingham Palace has announced. Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May, the statement said. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The news comes after months of speculation as to whether the couple would attend the event, which is taking place on Saturday 6 May. Following the announcement from the Palace, royal expert Omid Scobie tweeted: I understand that Archies fourth birthday (also on 6 May) played a factor in the couples decision. He added: Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Read the developing story below: Prince Harry to attend coronation without Meghan, Buckingham Palace announces Queen Elizabeth II was surprised when Meghan Markle dismissed her advice, new book claims Wednesday 12 April 2023 14:30 , Kate Ng Queen Elizabeth II was surprised when Meghan Markle dismissed her advice for adjusting to royal life, according to the author of a new royal book. Royal commentator Robert Jobson made the claim in his new book titled: Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, set to be published on 13 April. Chelsea Ritschel reports: Queen Elizabeth was surprised when Meghan dismissed her advice, new book claims Russian military The Defense Ministrys department notes that FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, ministers of the Russian security forces, and Russian General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov held a video conference to find new ways of putting pressure on the Ukrainian underground in the temporarily occupied territories. The stated purpose of the meeting was to improve counterterrorism activities in the field of education and youth, said the National Resistance Centre. Read also: Russians begin denouncing war criminal Girkin for discrediting Russian army "What is more, the enemy intends to pay special attention to countering the so-called ideology of terrorism and neo-Nazism among young people," the statement reads. Read also: Last convulsions of the Russian world in Lviv Suspect arrested in arson at church Pope John Paul II visite The Russians are, in fact, trying to come up with new ways to put pressure on Ukrainian partisans. After all, existing measures are hardly proving to be effective. Occupation administrations intend to increase responsibility for disseminating pro-Ukrainian information and identifying cells of the resistance movement, the National Resistance Center said. At its meetings, the Russian administration continues to discuss the occupation policy of the aggressor state, which is aimed at eradicating the Ukrainian identity and imposing the ideology of the "Russian world" on Ukrainian youth. Russias Defense Ministry added that Russians are afraid of the Ukrainian resistance, which is why they are increasingly putting these issues on the agenda, especially at meetings of law enforcement agencies. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The death toll from a Russian strike on a block of flats in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk climbed to 11 on Saturday as Moscow claimed advances near embattled Bakhmut. Sloviansk lies in a part of the eastern Donetsk region that is under Ukrainian control. According to Kyiv, it was on Friday struck by seven missiles which hit five buildings, five homes, a school and an administrative building. "The number of victims of the shelling of Sloviansk has risen to 11 people," a spokeswoman for the State Emergency Service in the region, Veronika Bakhal, said in televised remarks. A previous toll reported nine dead, including a two-year-old boy who was rescued from the rubble but died on his way to hospital, and 21 wounded. Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska sent her condolences to the child's family during this "indescribable grief". President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Russia for "brutally shelling" residential buildings and "killing people in broad daylight". AFP journalists on Friday saw rescue workers digging for survivors on the top floor of the typical Soviet-era housing block, and black smoke billowing from homes on fire across the street. The street below -- including a playground -- was covered in concrete dust and debris, including torn pages from school books and children's drawings. In southern Ukraine, a 48-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter were killed Saturday in Russian shelling in the city of Kherson, the regional administration said on Telegram. - Bakhmut advances - Sloviansk lies 45 kilometres (27 miles) northwest of the frontline hotspot of Bakhmut, the scene of the longest and bloodiest battle of Russia's invasion. Russian troops have been battling since last summer to capture the town in eastern Ukraine, which has taken on huge symbolic importance even though analysts say it has little strategic value. Kyiv has said the battle for the town is key to holding back Russian forces along the entire eastern front and Sloviansk is one of the cities that will be at risk if Kyiv loses the battle. Story continues Russia on Saturday claimed advances on the northern and southern outskirts of Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of 70,000 people. "Wagner assault units have successfully advanced, capturing two districts on the northern and southern outskirts of the city," Russia's defence ministry said in a briefing. The Russian Wagner mercenary group, headed by Kremlin-linked businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, has spearheaded much of the fighting for the city. According to the ministry, Ukrainian troops "while retreating, are deliberately destroying city infrastructure and residential buildings in order to slow the advance" of Moscow's forces. AFP was unable to verify the situation on the ground. The town has become a fixation of military commanders, leading to a brutal nine-month war of attrition. Both Russia and Ukraine are believed to have suffered huge losses in the battle for Bakhmut. - Brazil's Lula on Ukraine - Russia said Friday it was pushing to take the western districts of the heavily destroyed salt mining town. On Thursday, Moscow claimed to have cut off Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut. Kyiv denied the claim, saying it had access to its troops and was able to send in munitions. On the diplomatic front, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Saturday that the United States should stop "encouraging war" in Ukraine, as he wrapped a state visit to China. He also urged the European Union to "start talking about peace". Western capitals have been Ukraine's key backers, supplying Kyiv with arms, ammunition as well as financial aid. President Zelensky has said he will not negotiate with Russia as long as President Vladimir Putin is in power, while Moscow said this month it wants any Ukraine peace talks to focus on creating a "new world order". Russia has long said it was leading a struggle against Washington's dominance over the international stage, and argues the Ukraine offensive is part of that fight. bur/yad Russian troops are focusing their main efforts on conducting offensive operations on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinka fronts; the cities of Bakhmut and Mariinka remain in the epicentre of hostilities. Source: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Details: During the day, the Russians carried out 19 airstrikes and 4 missile strikes, as well as more than 15 attacks from multiple launch missile systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and the civilian infrastructure. The Russian forces suffer considerable losses, but do not abandon their plans to occupy more Ukrainian territory. They continue to focus their main efforts on conducting offensive operations on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinka fronts. The cities of Bakhmut and Mariinka remain in the epicentre of hostilities. During the day, 40 Russian attacks were repelled by our defenders on these sectors of the front. On the Volyn, Polissia, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, no signs of formation of Russian offensive groups were detected. A thorough check of the combat readiness of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus continues. There are still some units of the territorial forces of the Russian Armed Forces, which remain in Belarus. A number of Russian units are stationed in the border areas of Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts. During the day, the occupiers shelled the settlements of Buniakyne, Iskryskivshchyna, Volfyne, Shpyl, Yunakivka in Sumy Oblast, as well as Kozacha Lopan, Hatyshche, Vovchansk and Vovchanski Khutory in Kharkiv Oblast. On the Kupiansk front, the Russians mined the territory in the areas of four settlements. The settlements of Novomlynsk, Dvorichna and Berestove in Kharkiv Oblast were shelled. On the Lyman front, the Russians conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near the village of Dibrova. Stelmakhivka, Nevske, Bilohorivka in Luhansk Oblast, as well as Ivanivka and Spirne in Donetsk Oblast suffered artillery attacks. Story continues On the Bakhmut front, the Russians continue to conduct offensive operations. The battles for the city of Bakhmut do not cease. The occupiers launched an attack in the area of the village of Hromove, but it was not successful. The settlements of Minkivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, Dyliivka and Niu-York in Donetsk Oblast all suffered from Russian shelling. On the Avdiivka front, the Russians conducted offensive operations in the areas of Sieverne and Pervomaiske, but had no success. They also carried out shelling of more than 10 settlements located near the frontline. In particular, these are Keramik, Berdychi, Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Karlivka in Donetsk Oblast. On the Mariinka front, the Ukrainian forces repelled numerous attacks in the area of the village of Mariinka, Donetsk Oblast. At the same time, the settlements of Heorhiivka, Mariinka, Kurakhove, Pobieda, Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast were subjected to Russian shelling. On the Shakhtarsk front, as of now, the occupiers do not conduct any offensive operations. However, the Russian forces fired at the settlements of Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk Oblast. On the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson fronts, the occupiers continue to conduct defensive actions. During the day, the Russians shelled the settlements in the oblast. Among them were Vremivka, Novopil in Donetsk Oblast, Malynivka, Huliaipole, Charivne, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka, Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, as well as the city of Kherson. To replenish their losses in manpower, the Russian Federation is conducting a campaign to support mobilisation. All available methods are used to promote military service. The Russian leadership promises its citizens high remuneration and a social package. In addition to the media, propagandists use propaganda leaflets of appropriate content in public places. Recently, there has been an intensification of such campaigning in the city of Voronezh. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out 5 attacks on the clusters of Russian personnel. The units of Rocket Forces and Artillery hit 3 clusters of manpower, as well as a cluster of artillery, a radar station, an anti-aircraft missile system and an ammunition storage point. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian occupiers have attacked Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, injuring an employee of a medical facility. Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Details: The Russians fired on the border towns and villages of the Kharkiv, Chuhuiv and Kupiansk districts of Kharkiv Oblast over the course of 14 April. As a result of the attack, a medical facility was damaged in Vovchansk. A 62-year-old employee of the facility was injured and hospitalised in moderate condition. The building of the facility was significantly damaged. In addition, five private residential buildings were damaged by bombardment in Vovchansk. Starytsia, Strilecha, Dvorichna, Krasne Pershe and other settlements also came under Russian fire yesterday. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Rutgers University has reached a tentative agreement with unions to end a historic strike and resume classes next week, officials said. After five days of "intensive" bargaining at the Statehouse, the two sides announced the framework for a deal early Saturday morning. It was one of the largest strikes in higher education history and the first at Rutgers since its founding 257 years ago 10 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Now, the state school's 67,000 students can expect to return to classes and not worry about the possibility of missing final exams or having graduation put on hold. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who stepped in early this week to force the university and unions to the negotiating table, and Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway called the agreement a "fair and equitable" resolution that raises wages and benefits and improves working conditions for faculty. The three striking unions said in an email that they secured "profound victories" for students and faculty members ranging from pay increases to teaching conditions. "This framework sets a new standard. Our members have struck to transform higher education in the State of New Jersey and across this country, Becky Givan, president of the union Rutgers AAUP-AFT, said in a statement through Murphy's office. The framework we have agreed to today sets in place unprecedented gains for contingent workers, graduate students, and our communities. We look forward to working together with the university to realize President Holloways vision of a beloved community. We would not have gotten here without our members commitment and the support of our governor. According to Holloway's office, the agreement would: Increase salaries across the board for full-time faculty and counselors by at least 14 percent by July 1, 2025. Provide a 43.8 percent increase in the per-credit salary rate for part-time lecturers over the four years of the contract while strengthening their job security. Increase the minimum salary for postdoctoral fellows and associates by 27.9 percent over the same contract period. Provide "substantial enhancements" in wages, plus a commitment to multi-year university support for teaching assistants and graduate assistants. The graduate students, in addition to receiving health care coverage and free tuition and fees, will see their 10-month salaries increase to $40,000 over the course of the contract. Story continues It's unclear how these increases will get paid. Lawmakers are in the process of scrutinizing Murphy's $53.1 billion budget, which includes funding for Rutgers and higher education. Murphy's office declined to say how aspects of the new deal would be financed, saying only that the administration "looks forward" to working with Rutgers during the budget process. Three unions were on strike: Rutgers AAUP-AFT, which represents full-time faculty, graduate workers, postdoctoral associates and Educational Opportunity Fund counselors; the Rutgers PTLFC-AAUP-AFT, which represents part-time lecturers; and AAUP-BHSNJ, which represents workers at Rutgers health sciences schools. Those unions and other had been working without a new contract for several months. Under the agreement, the contracts would be retroactive to July 1, 2022, according to Rutgers. It must be voted on to ratify the contract. The unions said there are still some "open issues" to be resolved. "However, the framework shows the vital progress we have made on the core issues we prioritized during this contract campaign," an email to members and obtained by POLITICO said. The unions representing about 9,000 full- and part-time faculty, researchers and graduate students suspended plans to strike next week. They credited the strike with putting pressure on the school to reach this point. Givan also credited Murphy with stepping up his efforts and bringing the two sides to the Statehouse on Monday, "which was critical in getting far more movement from the administration in a matter of days than had taken place in months." Jaleo Disney Springs will feature its Gin & Tonic Festival to celebrate Spains national cocktail month from April 17 to April 30. From lavender and elderflower to lemon and thyme, guests will be able to experience Gin & Tonic from a variety of flavors. The festival will also feature a fan-favorite tapas menu, including Croquetas de Pollo and Patatas Bravas. Other options on the menu include fried eggplant, fried cod, and toasted slices of crispy bread served with Manchego cheese. Read: New sensory gym for kids with all abilities opens in Central Florida There wont be time for a siesta as this menu hopes to take the Gin & Tonic experience to the next level. For reservations, guests can click here. 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. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is now saying that a recent application for individuals looking to serve on state boards and committees that included a question asking them to note an accomplishment of hers that they admire was a "design error." News outlets in Arkansas, including the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, reported about the cloying question earlier this week. The form asked applicants to include an answer to the following question: "What is an accomplishment of the Governor's that you admire the most?" The day after the news about the question broke, the application form went dark. When it came back online, the questions had changed. Alexa Henning, Ms Sanders' spokesperson, said the question was not intended for the broader application, but instead was meant for summer interns looking to work for the governor, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. "Our web vendor was supposed to be editing the internship application but instead mistakenly made additions to the boards and commissions form," Ms Henning said in a statement. "That was never intended to be a part of the application. As soon as we realized it, we corrected it with the vendor. However, it should be news to no one that someone wanting to intern in any administration should support the work that principal and their team is pursuing." Members of the state's 257 boards oversee state agencies and licensing in Arkansas. Those include the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, the Livestock and Poultry Commission, state college boards of trustees, and the state's Medical Board. The question was removed from the form on Monday. Ms Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Governor-turned conservative media personality Mike Huckabee Sanders, was formerly the White House Press Secretary for former President Donald Trump. Heavy smoke in the vicinity of the Khartoum's airport on Saturday. AFP/Getty Images A Saudi airline says one of its jets was involved in an accident at Khartoum airport in Sudan. Sudan's doctors' union said two were killed at the airport after violence erupted in the city. Fighting has broken out in Sudan between its army and a group of paramilitaries. Two people have reportedly died at Khartoum airport while a Saudi airline said one of its planes was involved in an accident after violence broke out on Saturday. Two planes were damaged at the Sudanese capital's international airport as conflict between the army and paramilitaries escalated. Saudia, formerly called Saudi Arabian Airlines, issued a statement saying one of its Airbus A330 jets was "involved in an accident" at the airport before a flight to Riyadh. air plus news (@airplusnews) April 15, 2023 Saudia also said it had halted flights to and from Sudan following the incident. Sudan's doctors' union issued a Facebook post saying two civilians had been killed at the airport during fighting, though it did not confirm how, per BBC News and The Associated Press. A video posted social media appeared to show smoke coming from two planes emitting smoke at the airport, as did images issued by news agency AFP. According to data from FlightRadar24, the other plane damaged in the shelling was a Ukraine-based SkyUp 737, operating on behalf of airline Sunwing. The flight tracking website also found another Saudia jet was very close to landing in Khartoum before diverting back to Jeddah in Saudia Arabia. Fighting has broken out in Sudan after a month of escalating tensions following a military coup in October 2021. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a tweet he was deeply concerned about reports of fighting between the Sudanese army and rapid support forces. "We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilizations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues," Blinken said. Read the original article on Business Insider The Snake River dams cant be studied enough, it appears. Washington state lawmakers are still working through the budget, but it looks like millions of dollars will once again be spent on trying to find a way to replace the benefits of the dams. Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick and Sen. Perry Dozier, R-Waitsburg, recently spoke on the Senate floor against the state transportation budget because it includes $5 million to study how the state can stop barging and, instead, use roads and rail cars. The Columbia Snake River System provides farmers from all over the nation access to international markets through West Coast ports. Supporters of the dams have repeatedly said that barging is the most efficient and environmentally clean way to get wheat and other products to port. But after last years draft report on the Snake dams commissioned by Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, its no surprise that this year more money is being allocated to study ways to justify the dams demise. The two high-ranking Democrats from the west side of Washington led the process last year that focused on what it would take to restore the states salmon and steelhead populations. Their report concluded that breaching the dams would provide the greatest benefit to fish runs, but acknowledged that the benefits the dams provide especially hydropower cannot be easily replaced and breaching them is not feasible at this time. In fact, replacing the clean energy, irrigation and transportation benefits the dams provide was estimated to cost from about $10 billion to $27 billion. So now, this year Inslee is following through and taking steps that would eventually make breaching the dams a feasible option. In addition to the $5 million in the transportation budget, theres roughly another $500,000 in the Senate operating budget that asks the state Department of Ecology to look at how to support irrigation to the farmers of our region if the dams no longer helped provide it. Story continues And then there is another $2 million in the Senate operating budget to study what the region needs to achieve its clean energy goals, which includes figuring a way to do that without the dams. Sen. Boehnke noted that the dams provide 5% of the Pacific Northwests electricity, enough to power the city of Seattle. We cant afford to lose that power not unless we want to see California-style rolling blackouts, he told the Herald. Rather than deal with this reality, proponents of breaching want yet another couple of studies, to the tune of $7.5 million spread out over the operating and transportation budget proposals. It is a waste of time and money, and I will continue to work to remove that spending from the budget up until the gavel drops on this legislative session, Boehnke said. We care deeply about salmon and the environment. Our concern is that a laser-focus on breaching the Snake dams takes away from other problems that harm fish and orcas especially pollution, predators and boats. And what have some of these studies accomplished? In 2019 the state spent $750,000 for a task force to study the effects to Eastern Washington if the lower Snake dams are breached, which resulted in summaries of both sides of the issue but no hard and fast conclusions. Then, in 2020, the federal, comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released, which was a massive undertaking by scientists, engineers and experts who specialize in fish recovery and hydropower. The study found that breaching the dams would double our regions risk of power shortages and significantly raise power rates. It concluded the Snake dams and fish can coexist. Then last year, a federal report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration favored breaching. And lets not forget that in 2021 Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, revealed a plan that estimated it would take more than $30 billion to mitigate the damage to the region if the Snake dams were torn down. With the Inslee-Murray report last year, and now more studies in the works for this year, the battle over the Snake dams looks like it will never end. At some point maybe there should be a study on these repetitive Snake dam studies, and whether theyve been worth the money. The environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, has resulted in a rare display of bipartisanship from the states two senators, a hardline, Trump-endorsed, vocal critic of President Biden and a progressive populist facing the reelection fight of his life. In the wake of the February train derailment that released toxic chemicals into the Ohio town, Sens. J.D. Vance (R) and Sherrod Brown (D) have been atypically united in their efforts to pass legislation bolstering railroad safety and to ensure residents are not forgotten as they grapple with the damage and dangers left behind by the crash. Vance told The Hill his collaboration with Brown on the rail safety bill shouldnt necessarily be taken as a signal of deeper bipartisan cooperation, either between the two men or the two parties, but rather that its an issue the two of them have a particular stake in. I dont necessarily think its a model for any particular issue, [but] I think that East Palestine was an issue I cared a lot about, an issue where there was some common ground with Senator Brown, Vance said. He signaled, however, that he would be open to working across the aisle on other issues in the future. I dont know that its a model, [but] I certainly want to get more things done, so I hope so, he said. In an interview with The Hill, Brown noted that this is far from the first time hes found common ground with a Republican colleague from Ohio. He said hes been doing so since his election in 2006, first with former Sen. George Voinovich and then Vances predecessor, Sen. Rob Portman. The Buckeye State has grown steadily redder during Browns time in office, voting for former President Trump twice even as other ancestrally Democratic states like Pennsylvania and Michigan flipped back to Biden in 2020. The progressive senator has handily won reelection twice, but his collaboration with Vance comes ahead of what promises to be a tough battle. In 2024, Brown will face a contest with a presidential race at the top of the ballot for the first time in more than a decade. The three-term Democrat is considered one of the most vulnerable senators in his party in the coming cycle, along with other red-state senators like Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.). Story continues The conservative Vance, meanwhile, is more in line with the states current voting patterns though he recently won his seat only after a hard-fought contest of his own. He triumphed in a bitter 2022 GOP primary after securing an endorsement from Trump, of whom Vance was once a harsh detractor but who he embraced after entering politics. The first-time candidate went on to defeat former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) in a similarly bruising general election. The Ohio senators political differences have not prevented them from working shoulder to shoulder following the East Palestine crash, however. Vance has even blasted libertarian elements of his own party that oppose reforming federal oversight of rail safety, though he has seldom named names. The senators response has not been entirely nonpartisan Vance has excoriated the Biden administration for its response as well. But both Brown and Vance have aimed much of their fire at Norfolk Southern, the railroad that operated the derailed train and that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding financially responsible for cleanup. The Feb. 3 East Palestine derailment spilled several cars worth of hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing substance used in the production of plastics. Norfolk Southern conducted a controlled burn days later, citing fears of an explosion. While local and federal officials have said the town is safe for residents, testing and cleanup are ongoing and both EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) advised residents to use bottled water in the weeks following the derailment. The disaster has provoked widespread scrutiny of Norfolk Southern and the freight railroad industry more broadly over railroads history of lobbying against stricter safety regulations. I think that Vance and I have been to the same places and spoke to the same people who expressed the same concerns: that [Norfolk Southern] is a corporation that abused the public trust, Brown told The Hill in an interview. Theyve spent decades and decades and decades exercising their power in Washington to avoid safety regulations, he said, adding that Vances conservatism may set them on opposite sides of other issues, but the two are united in seeking accountability from the railroad. Shortly after the derailment, Brown and Vance introduced the Railway Safety Act with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Pennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman (D) and Bob Casey (D). The bill would impose a number of safety standards that rail worker unions have repeatedly pressed for, including two-person crews on trains. It would also give the federal government, rather than private railroads, oversight over railroad-track heat sensors. The sensors on the tracks running past East Palestine were shown as growing steadily hotter leading up to the February crash, but they did not reach the temperature at which trains are required to stop until it was too late to avoid derailment. Whether the measure will pass in the GOP-controlled House is uncertain, but Brown expressed confidence to The Hill that backers of the proposal could secure a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate. Both Brown and Vance testified in March before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, speaking in favor of the bill. Vance said Senate colleagues have approached the negotiations in complete good faith, but expressed frustration that people who he did not name seem to think that any public safety enhancement for the rail industry is a violation of the free market. Vance has pushed for the bill to go directly to the Senate floor as part of a bipartisan deal, while his Republican colleagues have indicated they prefer it to go through the regular order process in the Senate Commerce Committee. Vance was less sanguine than Brown about the bills chances but still optimistic, telling The Washington Post, I understand the baseline caution [among GOP senators], but I dont think that caution is going to turn into the bill dying. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Nearly 30 years after the siege of the Branch Davidians ranch in Waco ended, a new limited series follows the aftermath of the event. Waco: The Aftermath follows the impact of the 1993 standoff between the FBI and the religious cult led by David Koresh. The first episode of the series is now streaming on Showtime and Paramount+. Michael Shannon stars in Waco: The Aftermath, described as a five-part drama series portraying the searing aftermath of the disastrous FBI 1993 standoff at the Branch Davidian compound an event that galvanized American militia movements and helped radicalize Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols and many others. The Aftermath serves as a sequel series to 2018s Waco, which starred Taylor Kitsch as Koresh and Shannon as FBI agent Gary Noesner. Waco chronicled what led up to the siege and the 51-day standoff between the FBI and Branch Davidian group. John Leguizamo and Shea Whigham return for the sequel show, after appearing in the 2018 Waco series. Keean Johnson, Abbey Lee, J. Smith-Cameron, Gary Cole and Giovanni Ribisi, round out the cast for The Aftermath. Waco: The Aftermath comes from creators Drew and John Erick Dowdle. The first episode of the five-part series is streaming now on Showtime and Paramount+, with new episodes releasing every Friday. Keean Johnson as Vernon Howell in WACO: THE AFTERMATH, Truths and Consequences. Photo Credit: Ursula Coyote/SHOWTIME. Ursula Coyote/Ursula Coyote/SHOWTIME What happened during the 1993 Waco Siege? On February 28, 1993, over 80 agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms raided the religious Mount Carmel Center compound near Waco. The raid commenced after the ATF received reports that leader David Koresh and the Branch Davidian group were violating federal firearm regulations. Four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians were killed in the raid before a cease-fire was arranged. The 51-day siege that followed drew the attention of both Texas and national media. After several attempts at negotiations, the FBI fired tear gas canisters into the Waco compound to force out the Branch Davidians. Fiires broke out burning down the compound. Nine Branch Davidians escaped the inferno. Federal investigators found 76 bodies inside the compound, including 25 children, according to the History Channel. Of the bodies discovered, Koresh was found with fatal gunshot wounds. MILAN Capri is buzzing again with retail activity in the lead-up to the summer season. Following Saint Laurents revamp of its store at the resort destination and the unveiling of a second location also rich in marble displays, wooden shelves and local handmade stucco earlier this week, Colombian-born designer Silvia Tcherassi is landing on the island, too, opening the first store of her namesake brand in Italy on Saturday. More from WWD Located on Capris Via Fuorlovado street, neighboring the iconic Piazzetta central square, Tcherassis unit marks another step in the European retail expansion of the luxury womens wear label, after the boutique unveiled in Madrid in 2015. Dominated by a turquoise shade, the interior concept was conceived by Tcherassi herself, who also opted for preserving the locations original patterned flooring. Midcentury Italian furniture and finishing were given a modern revamp in collaboration with local artisans to add to the local flair of the store. As for the offering, the boutique will carry styles developed exclusively for the Capri debut, in addition to the brands spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection and accessories. The Silvia Tcherassi store in Capri. Capri has always been very close to my heart, as it did not only inspire one of my collections, but I have also partnered with well-known local brands from the area, Tcherassi said about the location. Italian labels the designer previously tied up with include footwear label Giaborghini and handmade bags brands Rosantica and Le Nine. Italy has always felt like home to me and not just because of my heritage. My debut in Milan launched my career in an international sense and I have long produced the majority of my textiles in Como, where I spend a significant amount of the year, continued Tcherassi, who in 2003 was invited by the Italian fashion chamber to present her fall collection as part of the Milan fashion schedule. Story continues Tcherassi also noted that her penchant for casual luxury and effortless elegance is very much aligned with the style of Italian women, many of whom became clients and will now have access to my pieces in their own country. The Silvia Tcherassi store in Capri. The designer aims to replicate such an access for her customers in other markets as well, as the Capri store is part of a broader strategy of activating brick-and-mortar locations to expand in a strategic manner globally. While the company confirmed several other openings are slated for the coming months, details on the number of new units expected and their locations were kept under wraps. The brand has nine stand-alone stores globally and a robust wholesale presence that was boosted in the past five years, when the Silvia Tcherassi brand landed at prime international retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods, Moda Operandi, Net-a-porter and Lane Crawford, among others. The seeds of the brands international expansion were planted in 1997, when Tcherassi opened her first store outside of Colombia in Miami. She established the fashion brand a decade before, in 1987, after beginning her career as an interior designer. A look seen at the Silvia Tcherassi store in Capri. In addition to Milan, in 2004 Tcherassi was invited by the Federation Francaise de la Couture to present her collection during the official Paris Fashion Week programming. The same year she was also presented with one of Frances highest honors, the Officier de lOrdre des Arts et Lettres (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters) for her contributions to the fashion world. The brand shows in New York and is represented by three generations of women, including Tcherassis mother Vera with whom she launched the brand and her daughter Sofia, who joined the family-owned business as its director of ready-to-wear after graduating from Parsons School of Design. The brand has also a demi-couture Atelier line. In addition to the fashion business, Tcherassi is the founder and creative director of the brand extension Tcherassi Hotels, which is focused on the development of hospitality and real estate projects, including the Tcherassi Hotel + Spa in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) reported raising $2.1 million in the first three months of the year, trailing her likely Democratic challenger Ruben Gallegos total but still positioning her with significant financial resources if she chooses to run for reelection. The former Democrat, who left the party in December, brought in funds from several prominent Republican donors and Wall Street sources. She raised more than $280,000 from employees of Blackstone, the private investment company, and $196,000 from employees of the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, according to her campaigns filings. Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci also gave her campaign the maximum $3,300, while the No Labels Problem Solvers PAC gave $10,000. Her campaign reported nearly $10 million cash on hand. Sinema has kept mum so far on whether she plans to run for reelection in 2024. Should she decide to launch a bid, it could spark a three-way race as Democrats have largely coalesced around Gallego, whose campaign reported raising $3.7 million between his January launch and the end of March. His campaign committee reported $2.7 million cash on hand in documents filed with the FEC on Friday. Mark Lamb, the Pinal County sheriff who has built a national profile as a supporter of former President Donald Trump, became the first major GOP candidate to jump into the race last week. Republicans are expected to make Arizona, which has hosted close Senate races in each of the past three election cycles, a top priority in 2024 as they look to flip back the upper chamber. National Democrats have largely shied away from addressing how they would approach an election that includes both Gallego and Sinema pending the latters announcement. Sinema saw her standing among Republican and independent voters improve after her party switch, according to polling from Morning Consult, but her overall approval rating still remains underwater. Holly Otterbein contributed to this report. If asked, most people would define an island as a terrestrial habitat surrounded by water. Some might add that the plant communities and animal inhabitants of water and land are ecologically distinct from each other. Fair enough. But not all islands are surrounded by water. Some, called sky islands, are surrounded by land. Last summer, I drove with my son and grandson through deserts around Tucson. We passed creosote bushes and saguaro cactuses on our way to a different world. In two hours, we had left the triple-digit temperatures behind and found ourselves alongside a mountain stream bordered by oak trees and lush grasses. We had ascended from the desert to a sky island. The Sky Islands of the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona and New Mexico are quite distinct from the encircling deserts. The cooler air was a blessing. Trying to catch our breath at nearly 7,000 feet was not. A sky island spruce-fir forest in the Pinaleno Mountains of Arizona offers a lush contrast to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts that surround it. [Photo provided by William Wells and Gordon Schuett] Daily temperatures and the amount of water lost to evaporation are two major environmental differences between montane and desert habitats, resulting in greater tree canopy, shadier conditions and more luxuriant ground cover on the mountain. In Amphibians of the Sky Islands (ECO Natural History Series, 2023) Gordon W. Schuett, Charles F. Smith and William Wells address the biodiversity and dramatically different habitats of sky islands. Interspersed with photographs of frogs, toads and the spectacular western tiger salamander are pictures of lush mountain canyons and aspen forests with an understory of bracken ferns. The habitat contrast between these cool, wet mountain ecosystems and the hot, dry desert surrounding them cannot be overstated. Sky islands are a worldwide ecological phenomenon. In the broadest sense, sky islands occur in South America (the Andes), Africa (Kilimanjaro) and Asia (the Western Ghats of India). The common denominator is high elevation habitats (islands) separated from others in the region by desert or grasslands. Story continues Another common feature is that the biological composition of each sky island differs not only from the surrounding sea of flat land but also from its nearest mountainous neighbors in all directions. As is true for oceanic islands, sky islands differ from each other in size, ecology and bio-personality. The term "sky island" was first used in the mid-20th century in reference to the Madrean Sky Islands along the U.S. and Mexican borders. Some species may be found on all or most sky islands in a region, although they are isolated from one another by uninhabitable terrestrial habitat, much like species on islands separated by water. More: Wind power comes with environmental costs, hazards | ECOVIEWS The Chiricahua leopard frog, which the authors describe as a handsome frog, was found historically to inhabit several sky islands in Arizona and New Mexico. It is now protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Like plant and animal populations anywhere, those isolated for eons may evolve into new species or subspecies. For example, the Mount Graham red squirrel in Arizona is distinctive enough from other red squirrels, which are found throughout most of the western states and Canada, to warrant designation as a subspecies. It also is protected by the Endangered Species Act. Legislative protection is vital for many wildlife species today. Unfortunately, several of the sky island species are declining due to habitat disruption and the introduction of nonnative predators, including game fish. The disappearance of sky islands is especially disquieting because some species are found on only a few mountains or even a single one and have little chance of repopulating on another. Anyone who has an opportunity to visit a sky island will appreciate the remarkable change from arid desert to montane habitat. Temperatures drop as altitude increases; flora and fauna change dramatically. Imagine moving with astonishing speed up the East Coast from a southern clime to a northern one. I recommend that outdoor enthusiasts who visit sky-island country in southern Arizona and New Mexico have a copy of "Amphibians of the Sky Islands" in their backpack. Whit Gibbons is professor of zoology and senior biologist at the University of Georgias Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Whit Gibbons is professor of zoology and senior biologist at the University of Georgias Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. If you have an environmental question or comment, email ecoviews@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Sky islands are a natural oddity | ECOVIEWS A photo-bombing sloth interrupted the livestream of a rocket launch to Jupiter from French Guiana and stole the hearts of viewers. The fuzzy creature sat in tall grass at eye level with the camera. It appeared to be gazing just past the camera as a rocket was poised for launch behind it. Aside from the actual launch, this guy is definitely the star of (the European Space Agencys ...) telecast, Dr. Nadia Drake, physics editor of Quanta Magazine, said in a Facebook post on the European Space Agencys page. JUICE, which stands for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, is the name of the mission, which launched from French Guiana, a small country in northern South America, just before 2:15 p.m. on April 14, according to the European Space Agency. The mission is set to explore Jupiters environment and below the surface of its icy moons, according to the agency. Jupiter has between 80 and 95 moons, one of which, Europa, is considered one of the best places to look for life beyond Earth in our solar system because it has a salty ocean beneath its shell of ice, according to NASA. The JUICE mission is expected to arrive at Jupiter by July 2031, according to the European Space Agency. But many people viewing the livestream of the launch were more interested in the certain earthly animal enjoying his moments of fame. Internet users even named the sloth Gerard or Jerry for short and created hashtags such as #gojerry and #ohhurryupjerry. How did he get there? one commenter wrote on the European Space Agencys Facebook post. I have questions. He just wanted to go hang around in space, wrote another. I thought it was a penguin, another person said. Even the space agency itself admitted that the sloth stole the show. Although we were focusing on a certain rocket and spacecraft, we tend to agree, the agency wrote. Forget man on the moon. Theres a bear on Mars and these NASA photos prove it What time is it on the moon? Scientists want to create a shared lunar clock Giant space doughnut? New NASA mapping reveals longstanding mysteries of iconic nebula Kali Roque, left, was found dead at her home in Salem March 30. Her mother, Theresa Hethorn, was found dead at her home in Monmouth Nov. 9. A Monmouth man was charged Friday with allegedly murdering his 62-year-old mother at her home in November. Questions have surrounded the death of Theresa Hethorn, a beloved educator, for months as police continued their investigation. Theresa Hethorn's daughter, Kali Lou Roque, 37, and Roque's husband, Juan Roque-Delaguarda, 37, were found dead at their northeast Salem home March 30. Investigators did not state whether the couple's death was connected to Hethorn's homicide. Marion County District Attorney officials said the investigation into the Roques' death remains ongoing. More: Salem couple found dead months after mother's suspicious death in Monmouth Monmouth Police Nov. 9 discovered Theresa Hethorn inside her residence on Yellowstone Drive near Madrona Park. Police said her death was "suspicious." Read more: Police investigate suspicious death in Monmouth Robin Hethorn, who was facing unrelated charges of strangulation and fourth-degree assault shortly after his mother's death, was indicted by a Polk County Grand Jury on second-degree murder, first-degree robbery vehicle theft, first-degree theft and identity theft charges. His next court date is April 24. Roque was named her mother's personal representative in a probate case following her mother's death. Court records for the case reported Roque's death. Both Hethorn and her daughter had careers in the educational system. Hethorn worked in the Dallas School District as an English Language Learner teacher and director of migrant education. She won several awards for her work. In a GoFundMe page created for her family, she's described as the ultimate grandmother, educator and staple of the local community. Family members said online that Hethorn's death was a homicide and police had a person of interest in the case. They declined to publicly discuss it as the legal system worked to "bring her murderer to justice." Charging documents accuse Robin Hethorn of murdering his mother while trying to rob her. He is also accused of stealing her car and committing fraud using her identity. Story continues He was convicted of strangulation and fourth-degree assault in February for attacking a man in 2021. Court documents questioned his mental fitness to proceed with trial. He attended Central High School in Independence and graduated from Winema School, a high school completion program at Chemeketa, in 2011, according to Statesman Journal archives. This story includes reporting from Capi Lynn. For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Son charged in mother's Monmouth murder Inside what used to be Beacon Hill Elementary you can still find colorful artwork and hear lots of chatter because its home to a non-profit that was born in the 70s. El Centro de la Raza which we translate as The Center for People of All Races, has been serving the community for over 50 years, said Miguel Maestas. Miguel is the Associate Director at El Centro. His uncle, Roberto Maestas, was one of the original founders. It was a multi-racial coalition There was support from the Black community, the Indigenous community, Asian and Pacific Islander community, said Miguel. At that time, Miguel says there was a desperate need for basic resources among these communities. In the Latino community, there were no centers, or places people could go to find help or even to connect, said Miguel. When El Centro first started, they offered English classes at South Seattle Community College, shortly after they moved into the school building. Today the non-profit offers 43 different services, including daycare, educational programs, and affordable housing. They also run a food bank three days a week. Estrella Constanzo is the woman greeting everyone. She came to El Centro at the age of 15, shortly after arriving from Chile. I came in 1978, with my parents. My father was a political refugee, said Constanzo. She learned about English classes from other immigrants. I came from a little town in my country, very poor and came to this big country, it was a big deal nobody speak Spanish, said Constanzo. Estrella and her mother spent a lot of time at El Centro, helping however they could. She eventually landed a job at the daycare. Constanzo says the children she took care of reminded her of herself. Ninos que cuidaba de refugiados Argentinos, said Constanzo. Translation: Children I looked over were Argentinean refugees. After five years at El Centro, Estrella moved on, but life eventually brought her full circle, and she now works alongside her daughter. Primero volvio mi hija, por la historia que yo le conte del Centro, said Constanzo. Translation: First my daughter returned because the story I told her about the center. Estrellas family is one of many who have come back to El Centro. She says by giving back they are supporting communities and uplifting tomorrows generations. Michael Thompson (left) and Xander Memije, both students at St. Mary Catholic Central High School, carry a banner to lead a procession at the front of the 2022 Monroe Walk for Life. About 280 attended last years walk. A rally, nationally known and regional speakers, and an emphasis on educating youth will highlight the 2023 Monroe Walk for Life May 13 in downtown Monroe. Changing Hearts One Heart at a Time is the theme for the event that will begin at noon and end at 4 p.m. at the St. Mary Catholic Central High School gym, 118 W. Elm Ave. The opening rally will feature an address by Monica Miller, Ph. D., founder and director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society based in Ann Arbor, and a video. Following the opening, the assembly will walk to Trinity Lutheran Church, 323 Scott St., for an address by John Agubosim, a recent graduate of the University of Toledo. From there, participants will walk back to SMCC to hear Dr. Donna Harrison, an anti-abortion obstetrician and gynecologist, speak followed by concluding remarks. Walkers will be allowed to carry signs they make or those provided by organizers. Walkers also can bring donations of baby clothing, diapers, wipes and other infant items to distribute among several pregnancy resource centers in Monroe County. Walkers also will receive free pro-life merchandise and information materials, while all mothers and grandmothers in attendance will receive a special gift. Participating organizations will have an information table at the school. The lus Vitae Foundation is the main sponsor of the walk. Bill Terrasi, founder of lus Vitae and coordinator for the walk, said as secular society slips further from a respect for human life, we must change the current culture. It takes every single one of us to change a heart. We must empower our youth the future pro-life generation. Miller, a pro-life activist for over 30 years, was among five persons arrested during a protest at an abortion clinic Dec. 2 in West Bloomfield. The five were charged with trespassing and interfering with a police officer, both misdemeanors. Story continues Miller told the Michigan Catholic the protest was an effort to save unborn lives by speaking to women about alternatives to abortion, part of a national effort called the Red Rose Rescue. Miller said the group entered the waiting room at the Michigan Womens Center to speak to women waiting to have abortions. They prayed and offered roses with cards attached offering information on pregnancy help. The five spoke to several women before law enforcement officers arrived and ordered them to leave. Harrison, recently retired as chief executive officer, is currently serving as director of research of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Agubosim majored in computer engineering at UT. Terrasi said that even as a lifelong Catholic, Agubosim thought he was a liberal and favored pro-choice thinking. But his view changed in recent years after reconsidering that perhaps what the pro-choice side espoused was not in line with his values. Terrasi said, In short order, he realized where his belief system truly fit, and he joined the UT Students for Life group, became the treasurer the following year and then president in his final year. Monetary donations for the walk can be made to lus Vitae to be used for pro-life initiatives in the county. Checks should be mailed to lus Vitae, 3244 N. Custer Road, Monroe, 48162. Those attending the opening rally can remain in the gym and wait for the ending rally. Music will be provided by Celestial Blues. Further information is available by emailing lusvitae@aol.com or calling Terrasi at 734-770-1478. This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Speakers, rally to highlight Monroe Walk for Life, set for May 13 A check of a trail cam just west of Benton City turned up a surprise for the cameras owner. About 9:30 p.m. Monday, April 10, a cougar strolled past the camera that Joseph McCollum had placed in an easement by his house and an agricultural area. In the six to eight months hes had the camera there it has captured images of coyotes, rabbits, skunks and raccoons. But this was the only cougar McCollum has seen so far. Last spring, several cougars were spotted near Tri-Cities area homes between late March to May. One was shot in a Finley orchard in March 2022. Then a cougar was caught on camera loping down a West Pasco sidewalk. In May 2022 a cougar was spotted near Zintel Canyon in Kennewick. Construction workers also reported a cougar in south Kennewick in April 2022 in a new subdivision, but did not get it on camera. McCollum said hes heard stories about cougars in the neighborhood where he lives and has assumed they were out there but weve never seen one before, he said. His family has young children and a miniature dachshund and have taken precautions since they moved to their home three years ago to keep them safe there because of the many coyotes in the area. Joseph McCollum found this video on his trail camera he placed near his home not far from Wahn Drive and the Old Inland Empire Highway just west of Benton City. He says in the last 6 to 8 months the trail camera has also recorded coyotes, rabbits, skunks and raccoons, but this is the first cougar. Mountain lions spotted in parts of the Tri-Cities area where people live or work likely are passing through, rather than animals who live long-term nearby, said Jason Fidorra, a Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist for Benton and Franklin counties, last spring. There are some that live in the wildland habitat of the Columbia Basin surrounding the Tri-Cities, just not many, he said. Most cougars in Washington state live in forested areas. Young males may mature and be ready to disperse to find their own territories and seek a potential mate in the spring. However, thats not the only time of year they may pass through since cougars can breed throughout the year. There have long been cougars moving through the area, perhaps finding cover along its rivers, Fidorra said. Rivers are easy for cougars to follow as they disperse over long distances. Story continues McCollum lives west of Whan Drive and Old Inland Empire Highway, which is near the Yakima River. In almost all cases cougars are looking to avoid contact with humans, Fidorra said. Cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare, according to the Washington state cougar information website. It lists two fatal cougar attacks on humans, one in 1924 and another in 2018. Since 1924, 19 other human encounters with cougars left a person injured. There are steps people can take to help make sure they are not among the very few who meet a mountain lion in the Tri-Cities area, particularly if they live in outlying areas. The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends securing garbage and not leaving out pet food or other food that could draw in wildlife. Garbage and pet food can attract small mammals that, in turn, attract cougars. Bring pets inside at night to prevent them from being prey to a cougar or coyote, and be aware that cougars may prey on small farm animals, including goats and chicken. If you meet a cougar Few people will ever catch a glimpse of a cougar, much less confront one. If you do come face to face with a cougar, heres what state wildlife officials say you should know: Pick up small children and pets. but dont run. At close range, a cougars instinct is to chase. Face the cougar and talk to it firmly as you slowly back away. Leave the animal an escape route. Try to look larger than the cougar. Hold your jacket open to look larger and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone you may be with. Dont take your eyes off the cougar or turn your back. Do not try to hide. If the cougar does not flee or shows signs of aggression crouching with ears back, teeth bared, hissing, tail twitching and hind feet pumping in preparation to jump wave your arms and throw anything you have, like a water bottle, at the animal. If the cougar attacks, fight back and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who fought back using sticks, rocks, shovels backpacks, clothing and even their bare hands. If you are aggressive enough the cougar will realize it has made a mistake and flee. Doctored pictures that appear to show star-shaped grapes have circulated online for months, misleading some social media users into believing they are a genuine fruit from Japan. However, viticulture experts said there was no such thing as star-shaped grapes and AFP found various videos demonstrating how to create the pictures using editing software. The doctored photos were shared in a Facebook post saying they showed "a new type of grape" launched in Japan. The post, shared by a page with more than 170,000 followers on March 27, appears to show pictures of star-shaped grapes, alongside a screenshot of a Japanese tweet that says: "Star-shaped grape. This is cute." Screenshot of the Facebook post sharing the doctored images, taken on April 10, 2023 The images have circulated online since at least September 2022 in posts in various languages, including English, French and Japanese, and resurfaced in March 2023. Some social media users appeared to believe they showed real grapes. "They also "MAKE" their watermelons grow in squares by growing them in boxes and I'm sure they do the same with the grapes," one Facebook user commented. Another user wrote that they would buy the grapes for a friend they tagged in the comments. Edited videos Reverse image searches on Google found various videos posted online demonstrating how to use editing software to give a star-shaped edge to photos of normal grapes. One video shared on Twitter -- attracting more than one million views -- shows an internet user using Chinese image editing app Meitu to make a similar picture to the one circulating in misleading social media posts. Screenshot of a video showing how a photo of grapes was edited using Chinese app Meitu A search for the term 'star-shaped grapes' on the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, found a post showing an internet user editing a photo showing the same purple grapes seen in misleading posts. The Douyin post, shared on September 7, 2022, reads: "#StunnedByAStringOfGrapes This is how they produce the star-shaped grapes that have gone viral #AreYouSurprised #Grapes #GrapesHaveRiped" in simplified Chinese. Story continues Screenshot of a Douyin post showing how the purple grapes were edited Furthermore, the picture of the green grapes in misleading posts features a telltale sign that it has been edited. The edges of the cardboard box surrounding the grapes are deformed, likely resulting from the blending together of those of the grapes and the box during the editing process. Screenshot of edited grapes, with the cardboard box's deformed edges highlighted by AFP Viticulture experts said that star-shaped grapes like the ones in the pictures did not exist. "Grapes of this kind do not exist in nature," Luca Brillante, assistant professor of viticulture at California State University, Fresno told AFP. He added that the grapes in the doctored pictures were missing the black dot found at the bottom of real grapes. Megan Bartlett, assistant professor of viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis said it was possible to grow grapes to form a certain shape, such as a square, by using a container. However, she said the effect of such a process was limited, and "they still look mostly like (ordinary) grapes". "Trying to make them take a shape as complicated as a star is not likely to work." Dekalb County teachers are watching closely to see how the board of education responds to a recommendation from the state Superintendent, Richard Woods. Woods is asking the DeKalb County Board of Education to pause its search for a new superintendent. Channel 2 Action News has obtained a copy of a letter Woods sent to the school board on Friday in which he states the school district is at a critical juncture. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Within the letter to the district, Woods recommended the board pause its plan to hire Dr. Devon Horton as superintendent and allow Interim Superintendent Dr. Vassane Tinsley to remain in her position. In her brief tenure as interim superintendent, Dr. Vasanne Tinsley has been responsive and has produced results for DeKalb County Schools. Shes worked hard to form a partnership with my office and repair relationships with the DeKalb County community, the letter reads. One teacher, Lillian Bittaye, said she applauds the letter. From talking to a number of teachers, its my understanding that she was on the track to be able to clean up this district, said Bittaye. TRENDING STORIES: Woods letter ultimately asks the board to pause the selection process for a new superintendent and allow Dr. Tinsley to get the district on solid footing. Though the selection of a superintendent falls within your purview as the local board of education, I respectfully urge you to pause the selection process, the letter read. The district hosted three town hall meetings this week to hear public input on the finalist for superintendent. Channel 2s Tyisha Fernandes reported during Channel 2 Action News at 6 p.m. on Tuesday that Horton was also named in a federal lawsuit filed in 2021 that accuses him of violating the Civil Rights Act by treating white and Asian students differently than Black and brown students in his Illinois school district. Story continues Some in the crowd questioned his ability to handle a district of 94,000 students and 14,500 staff. His last district in Illinois had 7,000 students. In Louisville I was over 172 schools. So, I wanted to make sure parents understand as Chief of Schools, Ive worked for very large organizations making decisions and guiding and building systems, said Dr. Horton. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] DeKalb County Board of Education Chairman Diijon DaCosta Sr. responded to Woods letter with one of his own, thanking Woods for his support. I hope this letter finds you well. Thank you for your concerns and partnership with the DeKalb County School District and Board of Education. As the newly appointed Board Chair, I have seen our board work diligently to follow policies, processes, and protocols to achieve the best governance practices. We are committed to making informed decisions that prioritize the best interests of our scholars, teachers, staff, and community. We also want to express our appreciation to our Interim Superintendent, Dr. Vasanne S. Tinsley, for her willingness to step in during this interim period. We appreciate your support as we carry out our responsibilities and look forward to continuing our partnership to pursue excellence in education. Diijon DaCosta Sr. This letter comes just days after the Board of Education announced they have a sole finalist for the superintendent position. Dr. Horton, who would be the fourth superintendent in four years, is currently superintendent of a small school district outside of Chicago that has about 7,000 students. DeKalb currently has approximately 93,000 students. It is unclear when Horton could officially take over the role or if Woods concerns will have bearing on the boards decision. Dance teacher Damon Keller and librarian Phyllis Harris were placed on leave due to a personnel matter, the district said. Students flocked out of a Portland, Oregon middle school by the hundreds on Friday in support of two Black faculty members who were recently placed on administrative leave for reasons students say are unfair. Ockley Green Middle School, which opened in 2016 and boasts one of the most diverse student bodies in the city, is under scrutiny from students and parents after dance teacher Damon Keller and librarian Phyllis Harris were placed on leave due to what the district said was a personnel matter, according to Portland Mercury. (Photo: Adobe Stock) Portland Public Schools reportedly declined the outlets request for further specification regarding the decision that prompted students to march around campus on Friday shouting Black teachers matter! Per the report, concerns surrounding the schools inclusivity of staffers of color are not new, according to Chris Riser, a Black teacher who stepped down from his teaching role at Ockley Green earlier in 2022. The issues with administration go all the way back to the first year of consolidation (as a middle school), said Riser, who now teaches at a charter school which specializes in culturally-specific curricula for students of color, Portland Mercury reported. At the same time the district is talking about retention, theyre actively hemorrhaging educators of color, added Riser, who was also placed on leave himself in 2018 for assisting in another student-organized protest. Ockley Green parent Shannon Shambaugh echoed Risers sentiments and mentioned an alleged lack of adequate building maintenance. Ockley is one of only a handful of minority-majority schools in the state and the building is literally falling apart, Shambaugh wrote in a letter, per Portland Mercury. She also said there are huge class sizes and unfilled teaching positions. Students cannot learn in this environment, Shambaugh added, the outlet reported. The principal does not seem to have experience with culturally responsive instruction or an understanding of how white supremacy culture operates and how it has caused great harm in North Portland. PPS has invested in at least 15 YEARS of racial equity training for district staff and THIS is the best they can do??!! Story continues The school is facing additional complaints stemming from a student-recorded video allegedly showing vice principal Spencer Crum entering a girls bathroom and locker room, an incident for which students protested in March, according to the outlet. Crum is reportedly also named in a federal Title IX complaint filed earlier this year regarding accusations that a P.E. teacher was unfair and dismissive of female students, the outlet reported. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Students at Oregon middle school walk out after Black teachers placed on leave appeared first on TheGrio. A power struggle between Sudan's army and a notorious paramilitary force has rocked the country, with more than 50 civilians reported dead. Residents dodged gunfire in the capital, Khartoum, as rival forces battled over the presidential palace, state TV, and army headquarters. Twenty-five people, including 17 civilians, have died in the city, a doctors' organisation said. The clashes erupted after tensions over a proposed transition to civilian rule. Both the army and its opponents, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), claimed they had control of the airport and other key sites in Khartoum, where fighting continued overnight. Heavy artillery was heard in Omdurman, which adjoins Khartoum, and nearby Bahri in the early hours of Sunday morning. Eyewitnesses also reported gunfire in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan. The army said jets were hitting RSF bases, and the country's air force told people to remain in their homes on Saturday night while it conducted a full aerial survey of paramilitary activity. Residents of Khartoum told the BBC of their panic and fear, with one describing bullets being fired at the house next door. At least 56 civilians have been killed in cities and regions around the country, a Sudanese doctors' committee said, adding that dozens of military personnel were dead, some of whom had been treated in hospitals. In total, at least 595 people had been injured, it said. Three employees for the World Food Programme (WFP), a UN body that delivers food assistance to vulnerable communities, were killed after the RSF and armed forces exchanged fire at a military base in Kabkabiya, in the west of the country. Generals have been running Sudan since a coup in October 2021. The fighting is between army units loyal to the de facto leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Sudan's deputy leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. Hemedti said his troops would keep fighting until all army bases were captured. Story continues In response, Sudan's armed forces ruled out negotiations "until the dissolution of the paramilitary RSF". 'So much panic and fear' In Khartoum, people were filmed running away and taking cover as black smoke rose over the city. A Reuters journalist said there were armoured vehicles in the streets, while video showed a civilian plane ablaze at Khartoum airport. Saudi airline Saudia said one of its Airbuses came under fire. Numerous airlines have suspended flights to Khartoum and neighbouring Chad has closed its border with Sudan. "We don't have any electricity," a British-Sudanese doctor, who is visiting relatives in Khartoum, told the BBC. "It is hot. We can't afford to open the windows, the noise is deafening." Another eyewitness speaking to the BBC via her Kenya-based sister said: "Shooting is still ongoing and people are staying indoors - there is so much panic and fear." Residents had not been expecting the clashes, she said, and many had been caught in transit, with bridges and roads closed and many schools in lockdown. Duaa Tariq was speaking to the BBC when a military plane flew over her building. "They're shooting live ammunition at the roof of the house next door and we're just now taking shelter," she said. Smoke rises above buildings at Khartoum's airport The UK, the US, the EU, China and Russia have all called for an immediate end to the fighting. The UN's secretary general has spoken to Gen Burhan and Gen Dagalo, urging them to end the violence. US Ambassador John Godfrey said he "woke up to the deeply disturbing sounds of gunfire and fighting", and that he was "sheltering in place with the embassy team, as Sudanese throughout Khartoum and elsewhere are doing". The RSF on Saturday claimed control of at least three airports, the army chief's residence and the presidential palace, but Gen Burhan denied this in an interview with al-Jazeera. There are also reports of clashes at the state TV station, which eyewitnesses say is now controlled by the RSF. Earlier, the RSF had said that one of its camps in the south of Khartoum had been attacked. And on Saturday evening, Reuters reported that the army launched airstrikes on an RSF base in the north-west of the city, citing eyewitnesses. The army has said that RSF fighters have been attacking army camps and trying to seize the military headquarters. "Clashes are ongoing and the army is carrying out its duty to safeguard the country," the AFP news agency quoted army spokesman Brig Gen Nabil Abdallah as saying. The Reuters news agency also cited witnesses as saying that there was gunfire in the northern city of Merowe. The RSF released a video that it said showed Egyptian troops who had "surrendered" to them in Merowe. The Egyptian military said its soldiers were in Sudan to conduct exercises with their Sudanese counterparts and that it was co-ordinating with Sudanese authorities to guarantee the safety of its personnel. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo heads the Rapid Support Forces Generals run Sudan through the Sovereign Council. Gen Burhan is its president, while Hemedti is its vice-president. A proposed move to a civilian-led government has foundered on the timetable to integrate the RSF into the army. The RSF wanted to delay it for 10 years, but the army said it should happen in two years. Hemedti was a key figure in the conflict in Darfur that began in 2003 and has left hundreds of thousands dead. Western powers and regional leaders had urged the two sides to de-escalate tensions and go back to talks aimed at restoring civilian rule. There had been signs on Friday that the situation would be resolved. The 2021 coup ended a period of more than two years when military and civilian leaders were sharing power. That deal came after Sudan's long-term authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown. There have been regular pro-democracy protests in Khartoum since the coup. The ongoing fallout from the leak of classified documents from the Pentagon and the legal battle over a widely used abortion pill will likely dominate this weeks Sunday shows circuit. The Justice Department and Pentagon launched investigations last week following the revelation that about 100 classified records were leaked online on websites like Discord and Twitter, possibly as early as January. The documents detailed information about the war between Ukraine and Russia and U.S. spying operations. The information included expectations that Ukraine would run out of munitions for its Soviet-era air defense systems soon, doubts about the success of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive this spring and concerns that Taiwan would not be able to effectively defend itself from a Chinese air assault. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Neil Cavuto earlier this week that the leaks were very damaging to the United States and its allies, specifically with it giving a roadmap to the countrys strategy in Russia. The leaked documents do not appear to include information about specific battle plans but do include analyses of the military situation. McCaul, who will appear on Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures, said he is worried that the documents reveal could further motivate those who have argued against continuing to send large amounts of funding to support Ukraine against Russias invasion. He said backing Ukraine is the main deterrent to prevent China from moving in to try to take Taiwan. What this leak does is it undermines the confidence there, and it undermines this administration and what they are doing in this conflict in Ukraine, he said. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who will appear on CBS Face the Nation, might also address the documents leak as he traveled to Ukraine earlier this week along with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and country music artist Brad Paisley, to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Story continues Kelly pledged to keep working with his colleagues in Congress to get Ukraine the weapons and support they need to win the war. Manchins office said the senators discussed military readiness, accountability for foreign assistance and how to rebuild parts of Ukraine with Zelensky. Congressional Democrats have remained almost completely united in maintaining support for Ukraine, while some Republicans, like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (Fla.), have raised questions about the amount of aid being sent. As for the leaks themselves, multiple officials, including Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), said in the days after the federal government began its investigation that the leaks could amount to espionage. Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested on Thursday and has been charged with violating the Espionage Act and another law that prohibits the unauthorized removal of classified documents. Officials believe Teixeira posted the documents on a Discord group called Thug Shaker Central. Turner told CBS News that the documents showed the extent to which the U.S. and Ukraine are aware of what actions Russia is taking. We dont know what else might be coming or what else they have access to, Turner said. Thats why its so important to find the source and to close down this source. Turner will appear on Face the Nation. The debate over the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) approval of mifepristone, one of two abortion pills approved in the U.S., also will likely be discussed during the Sunday shows. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryks ruling last week that the FDA improperly rushed the approval process for the pill more than 20 years ago shined a national spotlight on abortion pills, which is the most commonly used method for abortions in the country. The federal government appealed the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which allowed the pill to remain on the market but with certain restrictions on changes that the FDA recently made to make accessing the pill easier. The Biden administration then asked the Supreme Court to step in to remove the restrictions. The court briefly paused the appeals court ruling in an emergency order on Friday, ordering the status quo to remain in place until at least Wednesday while it reviews the administrations request for a stay on the appeals court ruling. The response to Kacsmaryks ruling from Democrats was swift and highly critical, arguing that he is revoking access to a drug that has been proven to be safe and effective. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said in comments reacting to the decision along with other New York Democratic officials that reproductive rights have been intensely under attack since Roe v. Wade was overturned last June. She argued that the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned Roe, denied women the right to privacy. This Texas decision goes the next step, further defining what the denial of right to privacy looks like, she said. It means no right to privacy in the mail. Gillibrand, who will appear on CNNs State of the Union and Fox News Sunday, warned that the ruling could have implications of allowing the government to read someones mail and do whatever they want with someones personal information. This decision is not going to stop here, she said. The next type of medicine they will deny, why wouldnt they deny your reproductive care for birth control? The Biden administration, Democrats and abortion rights advocates have argued that the ruling could undermine the FDAs ability to approve other medications. Almost all congressional Democrats filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court on Friday to urge it to prevent the restrictions on mifepristone. The perils of this unwarranted judicial intervention into science-based determinations can hardly be overstated, they said. Republicans have been largely silent in the days following Kacsmaryks ruling, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), former President Trump and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) not addressing it. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has also remained mostly quiet on the issue despite having proposed a national 15-week abortion ban in September in the aftermath of Roes overturn. Graham, who will appear on ABCs This Week, said on Fox News Sunday earlier this week that he believes in common-sense restrictions on abortion, which he said is where the country is at too. He said the Republican Party needs to have reasonable positions on abortion or it could cost the party elections. Some lawmakers have also called on the FDA to ignore the opinion from Kacsmaryk and continue to distribute the pill. They include Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina. Mace, who will appear on Fox News Sunday, has been open about favoring abortion rights and pushing back against extreme views on abortion. She said most of the country is somewhere in the middle on abortion. I think that that 90 percent would be OK with listening to the FDA rather than a judge who used an old law that was determined unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, she said. Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this weeks Sunday talk shows: ABCs This Week Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.) NBCs Meet the Press Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.); Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu CBS Face the Nation Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.); Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio); former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R); Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank CNNs State of the Union Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.); Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.); Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) Fox News Sunday Gillibrand; Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.); Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.); Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas); former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson; Michael Milken, chairman of the Milken Institute For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Eliza Anderson, Deseret News The conflict started with an Amazon contract. Before it, Gerald Groff had been happy with his work as a rural mail carrier and happy to be able to have Sundays off. After it, he still enjoyed the work, but he faced increasing pressure to take shifts on his Sabbath and thereby violate his religious beliefs. Groff, who identifies as an evangelical Christian, initially solved the problem by transferring to an even more rural post office, one that didnt yet need to deliver on Sundays. But Amazons demands eventually found him there, and he ultimately resigned from his position after a sustained battle with supervisors over his religious accommodation request. Soon after he left the job, Groff filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service. He alleged unlawful religious discrimination, arguing that his supervisors could have and should have done more to accommodate his Sabbath-related beliefs. It was all working out until the post office decided it wasnt going to work out anymore, said Hiram Sasser, who is executive general counsel for First Liberty Institute and part of Groffs legal team. On Tuesday, Groffs case will be in front of the Supreme Court, where it could become the vehicle through which the justices redefine what employers owe to religious workers. Groff and his supporters hope the court will restore the balance between workers rights and employers rights, a balance they feel was lost in a decision handed down nearly 50 years ago. But others worry a ruling for Groff could go too far and show so much deference to religious workers that other employees will be harmed. Related Interpreting Title VII The key question in Groff v. DeJoy is how to interpret and apply Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The statute prohibits, among other things, discrimination in the workplace on the basis of religion. Employers violate it when they refuse, for example, to hire a Muslim or Jew due to a bias against Muslims or Jews, as well as when they refuse to grant a variety of faith-based accommodation requests. Story continues The statute anticipates that there may be general rules (in the workplace) that present a problem for a member of a religious minority group, such as a requirement to work on a non-Christian religious holiday, said Holly Hollman, general counsel and associate executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. But Title VII also includes protections for employers. It states that they may reject an accommodation request if they can demonstrate that granting it would pose an undue hardship on their business. The government is not trying to force employers to incur significant costs or face severe workplace disruptions, despite its interest in protecting religious workers, Hollman said. In his case, Groff argues his need to have Sundays off to observe the Sabbath does not pose an undue hardship on the Postal Service. To prove his point, hes highlighted his willingness to cover extra shifts on other days, as well as his co-workers apparent willingness to claim the Sunday shifts he doesnt want. Several people were happy to work on Sunday and loved that Gerald would do a double shift on Saturday, Sasser said. But the Postal Service, which, like other federal entities, is represented in court by the Solicitor Generals office, argues that Groffs Sabbath observance fueled morale problems and workplace conflict. (Groff) ultimately missed at least 24 shifts that were not filled with shift swaps, it explains in one of its Supreme Court briefs. In other words, the Postal Service maintains that it did not violate Title VII by refusing to guarantee Sundays off for Groff. The record shows that granting petitioners requested accommodation would have imposed an undue hardship on USPS by requiring it to violate its memorandum of understanding with the union, operate with insufficient staff, and burden workers burdens that actually contributed to other employees quitting or transferring. Those significant burdens on the conduct of USPSs business qualify as an undue hardship under any standard, the brief says. The governments position won out at both the district and circuit court levels. But in January, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Groffs case and consider when an employer can refuse to grant a religious accommodation request and whether or not the potential impact on other employees should factor into the employers decision. Revisiting Hardison By taking up Groff v. DeJoy, the Supreme Court turned a spotlight on a very similar case from 1977, which led to a controversial interpretation of Title VII that Groff and his supporters would like to see changed. Trans World Airlines v. Hardison centered on an airline employee who believed it was wrong to work on the Sabbath, which he observed on Saturdays. When he lost seniority in TWAs scheduling system after a job transfer, he also lost the ability to always take Saturdays off. He ultimately sued his employer and the airline workers union for religious discrimination, arguing that Title VII required them to do more to accommodate his faith-based needs. In June 1977, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 against the former TWA employee, determining that anything that imposes more than a de minimus cost on a company should trigger Title VIIs undue hardship exemption. The two justices in the minority issued a scathing dissent, arguing that such an interpretation of undue hardship undermines the whole point of the Civil Rights Acts protections for religious employees. The Court holds, in essence, that, although the EEOC regulations and the Act state that an employer must make reasonable adjustments in his work demands to take account of religious observances, the regulation and Act do not really mean what they say. An employer, the Court concludes, need not grant even the most minor special privilege to religious observers to enable them to follow their faith, the dissent said. In the 46 years since the Hardison decision was handed down, the spirit of that dissent has lived on in the work of a wide variety of faith groups and religious freedom advocates, who have been fighting to see either Congress or the Supreme Court revisit and redefine the undue hardship standard. By agreeing to hear Groff v. DeJoy this term, the court finally heeded their calls. In search of a new standard The long history of faith-based activism against the Hardison ruling helps explain why so many religious organizations filed Supreme Court briefs in favor of Groff. They include the Sikh Coalition, the American Hindu Coalition, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the National Association of Evangelicals, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and many others. Religion involves practices and observances, not just identity, Hollman said. Religious entities are in a position to explain that the prohibition on (religious) discrimination includes a duty to accommodate religious needs. But there are some organizations that work on religious freedom issues that dont want the court to give Groff exactly what hes asking for. They generally share his sense that the undue hardship standard needs to be revisited, but object to his legal teams claim that the new interpretation shouldnt account for potential harms done to other employees. The court has got to be aware of third-party harm when it comes to religious freedom, said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed a Supreme Court brief focused on the co-worker question. Laser described the case as a wolf in sheeps clothing, noting that its not hard to imagine how a ruling for Groff, if worded too broadly, could fuel workplace conflict over issues like gender equality or LGBTQ rights. If the court does not account for potential harm done to co-workers, employers may feel pressured to allow religious workers to refuse to work with members of the LGBTQ community or someone of the opposite sex, she added. Drawing a clear line in the sand that religious freedom is a shield that protects not a sword to harm others is vital to preserving true religious freedom in America, she said. Hollman agreed that hard questions may come up in the future about what to do when a request for a religious accommodation is in tension with other civil rights, but added that Groff v. DeJoy does not seem to raise them. In the context of the current case, the justices need to make it clear that an undue hardship represents a significant difficulty or expense, not basic scheduling adjustments, for example, she said. The fact that (an accommodation) may affect other employees or how a business does things at least in some respect should not diminish the right to a reasonable accommodation, Hollman said. Sasser fears that focusing on a religious employees co-workers opens the door to a kind of popularity contest in which the co-workers would get to determine whether the employee is worth adjusting their own schedules for. Thats not a workable standard. Its not appropriate to put someones religious liberty in the hands of people who may disagree with their particular faith, he said. Sasser hopes that the Supreme Court will instead issue a ruling in favor of Groff that defines undue hardship in terms of business operations. He noted that the text of Title VII says undue hardship on the conduct of the employers business, not on other employees. The text of the statute should prevail, he said. The Supreme Courts ruling in the case is expected by the end of June. A suspect wanted in a shooting and attempted robbery from February was arrested and faces a charge of capital murder, the Arlington Police Department announced Friday. Arlington police arrested Dontrevan Kenner in connection to the killing of 27-year-old Camereon Foster, who was shot multiple times during an attempted robbery on Feb. 23 in the 2200 block of Lincoln Green Circle. Police found Foster inside a 2010 Chevrolet HHR. The SUV was still running and appeared to have reversed into a parked car. Foster was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead by medical staff. Following a thorough investigation, homicide detectives obtained an arrest warrant for 17-year-old Dontrevan Kenner on one count of capital murder, Arlington police said in a news release. Members of the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force found Kenner at an apartment complex in Arlington and took him into custody without incident. In addition to the capital murder charge, Kenner was booked into the Arlington City Jail on two warrants on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection to a Jan. 20 shooting that injured two people. He has since been transferred to the Tarrant County Jail. Detectives believe Foster and Kenner were engaging in high-risk drug activity when the shooting occurred, according to police. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible. After years of secrecy and questionable dealings, the Tarrant Regional Water District board has improved its governance and transparency. Work remains to be done, but its important that the momentum continues in the right direction. Of the four candidates for the two board seats on the May 6 ballot, Paxton Motheral and Charles C.B. Team are the best options to ensure that it does. Both have the knowledge and judgment needed to further settle the board and the districts overall business. Paxton Motherall, candidate for Tarrant Regional Water District board Team a 40-year-old Fort Worth commercial real estate broker, has observed the boards operation and run for seats for years. Just a few months ago, he joined it as an appointee, filling the seat of director Jim Lane, who died in November. Motheral, a 39-year-old Fort Worth real estate developer, has been chairman of Streams and Valleys Inc., the nonprofit group that seeks to protect and develop the Trinity River. Both understand that after years of talk about recreation and development, the district needs to reinforce its core missions: long-term water supply and flood control. Team and Motheral can bring their real-estate background into oversight of complex land transactions that the district staff must execute as the development of Panther Island shifts into a new phase. Charles C.B. Team, candidate for Tarrant Regional Water District Courtesy of the C.B. Teams campaign In our interview with the candidates, most seemed pleased with the performance of general manager Dan Buhman, who oversees the districts entire operation and reports directly to the board. Like any elected board, its important that members find the balance of not meddling in the districts work while ensuring strong oversight of budgets, planning and focus. Our unceasing population growth creates a constant challenge for long-term planners. A consistent, affordable water supply is vital not just to residents but also as a recruiting tool for business. No company wants to move substantial operations here if essentials such as power and water dont seem assured. And yet, water planning requires thinking over a span of decades and trying to factor in changing variables. Story continues Panther Island, the ambitious project to reroute the Trinity with a bypass channel and create a high-value district north of downtown, is finally moving forward with federal funding. The water district boards role will be to ensure contracting is transparent and frugal and to keep the focus on flood control. Development of the island, as the candidates notes, properly falls to the city. Joe Ashton, the outgoing mayor of River Oaks, says he wants to join board member Margaret Kelleher as a disruptor. Ashtons critiques include contracting issues and the construction of board committees if theyre small enough, he laments, they can meet outside the public view. The 40-year-old, who works as city manager of Pantego, would bring good oversight skills but cant match Motheral and Team in overall knowledge. A fourth candidate, locomotive engineer Chad Moore, was unable to attend our candidate interview. Voters in certain parts of Tarrant County cities that are stakeholders in the district can choose two candidates. Those cities include significant portions of Fort Worth, Azle, Edgecliff Village, River Oaks, Sansom Park, Westover Hills and Westworth Village, as well as smaller parts of several others. Some unincorporated areas near Eagle Mountain Lake are also included. The district provides an online lookup tool, or eligible homeowners will find the code 223 Tarrant Regional Water District on their property tax statements. The district levies taxes for flood control, not water supply. Early voting begins April 24 and ends May 2. Election Day is May 6. A view of a taxidermy bird drone for wildlife monitoring developed by researchers at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico, U.S. March 22, 2023. Liliana Salgado/Reuters Scientists in New Mexico are working to turn taxidermic birds into drones to study flight patterns. For now, the bird drone prototype can fly for a maximum of 20 minutes, scientists told Reuters. The research has no relation to the Gen Z conspiracy that "Birds Aren't Real," a project lead told Insider. The birds aren't real, but their bodies are. A research team in New Mexico is converting taxidermic birds into drones in order to study flight patterns, Reuters reported. Mostafa Hassanalian, a mechanical engineering professor leading the project at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, said the team started looking into deceased birds after mechanical bird drones weren't yielding good results. "We came up with this idea that we can use ... dead birds and make them (into) a drone," Hassanalian, who has extensively studied drones, told Reuters. "Everything is there," he added. "We do reverse engineering." Scientists hope to use them to study birds' formations and flight patterns, which can in turn be applied to the aviation industry, Hassanalian told Reuters. The taxidermic bird drones are currently being tested at the university in a customized cage, according to the outlet. "If we learn how these birds manage energy between themselves, we can apply (that) into the future aviation industry to save more energy and save more fuel," Hassanalian said. The bird drone prototype can only fly for a maximum of 20 minutes, Hassanalian told Reuters, so scientists will work to develop a drone that can spend more time in the air and perform tests among live birds. The research also, unwittingly, narrowly aligns with the peculiar Gen Z conspiracy theory that suggests "Birds Aren't Real." Dating back to 2019, the quirky conspiracy suggested that the birds in the sky are artificial, and they're actually drones put in place by the US government to spy on its citizens. (While the movement's facetious followers are in on the joke and acknowledge that birds are real animals, the US government does in fact spy on its citizens in other ways.) Story continues In a comment to Insider, Hassanalian said his research was not inspired by the "Birds Aren't Real" campaign because he had never heard of it prior to his research being published. "I actually did not know about the people of 'The birds aren't real,'" Hassanalian told Insider. "I found out about them once my story came out for the first time." Read the original article on Business Insider A 17-year-old boy died after he fell approximately 25 feet while hiking in Maine's Acadia National Park, according to school officials. The teen was hiking with his friends prior to the fall. It is unclear what events led to his fall. The group of friends were reportedly near Otter Cliff when the accident happened, the Miami Herald reports. The site is noted for offering a spectacular setting for sea cliff climbing not commonly available elsewhere, according to the National Parks Service. National Park rangers and Bar Harbor police and fire crews responded to the scene of the accident around noon and attempted CPR, according to CBS 5. It is unclear when the teen was pronounced dead. The incident has been referred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for further investigation. Brewer High School, where the teen attended classes, opened its doors Saturday between 10am and 1pm to offer students counseling services. The school's superintendent, Gregg Palmer, identified the teen as Bryce Basso, who was in his junior year at the school. "Please keep Bryce and his family in your thoughts and prayers as we support and take care of one another in this time of loss," the superintendent wrote. The Pentagon, in Arlington, Va., April 13, 2023. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times) It is hard to predict how the case against Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents to friends on a gaming server, will play out both because the matter is still very preliminary and because the facts are so unusual that there is limited value in comparing it to the general pattern of leak cases. Based on the charging documents in his case, Teixeira does not appear to have been acting as a foreign agent, differentiating him from classic spying cases. He also does not appear to have been acting as a whistleblower or otherwise trying to educate the general public by sharing secrets with the news media for publication, making his case different from another sort that has become more common in the 21st century. He also does not fit a third category of past cases of mishandling classified information: the hoarder. Prosecutors have charged people who are neither spying nor trying to enlighten the public for taking files home and keeping them. But because Teixeira is accused of transmitting large numbers of files to other people who were not authorized to see them, his case is more serious. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times These differences show how past cases may be poor guides for how this will play out. For example, leak-related cases have often been resolved by plea deals. Prosecutors have an incentive to avoid a trial so the government does not have to deal with the legal and bureaucratic problems from discussing classified evidence in open court. Defendants also have an incentive to make a deal so they can ensure a shorter sentence than the threat they are facing under the Espionage Act, which criminalizes the unauthorized retention and disclosure of national-security secrets. It carries a sentence of up to 10 years per count, and each leaked document could be its own count. Plea deals in leak-related cases have typically resulted in a few years of prison. Story continues But prosecutors may be less willing to offer a relatively attractive prison sentence in a case as serious as Teixeiras, which involved hundreds of classified documents that revealed sensitive matters, such as how extensively the United States has penetrated Russian military communications. Notably, in two other cases involving the leaking of archived material rather than a discrete secret or two, prosecutors and the defendant did not reach a plea deal. Joshua Schulte, a former CIA computer programmer, was accused of sending highly classified files about agency hacking tools to WikiLeaks. Schulte went to trial and was found guilty last year by a jury; he has not yet been sentenced. Similarly, the military court-martial trial of Chelsea Manning, the former army intelligence analyst who sent hundreds of thousands of military and diplomatic files to WikiLeaks, played out to a verdict even though Manning pleaded guilty to a lesser version of the charges she was facing without any deal. Prosecutors wanted to convict on more serious charges. Manning was convicted of some but not all of the more serious charges, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013, then released in 2017 after President Barack Obama had commuted most of the remainder of her sentence. Another question is where the prosecution of Teixeira will play out. Because Teixeira was in the Massachusetts Air National Guard and took the files from a military base, he could be prosecuted in the military court-martial system instead of federal court. But Eugene Fidell, a specialist in military law and lecturer at Yale Law School, said it was unimaginable that the Justice Department would give up the case because of its high visibility, adding that the Justice Department had more experience prosecuting these cases than the Defense Department. A related question is where he will be prosecuted. Teixeira was arrested in Massachusetts, and the case is playing out there. But it would not be surprising if the Justice Department eventually were to seek to prosecute him in the Eastern District of Virginia, which is home to the Pentagon the victim agency. The federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, has been the site of numerous leak cases, and the U.S. attorneys office there whose district also includes the CIA is experienced in handling such matters. It also appears that the FBI investigation that resulted in Teixeiras arrest is based out of the Washington Field Office, whose area of responsibility includes the Pentagon, not Boston. The special agent who filed an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint and arrest warrant said he worked in the Washington office. Still, moving venue raises legal and bureaucratic complexities. Notably, Schulte was prosecuted in the Southern District of New York, where he lived and was arrested, even though the CIA was the victim agency and the Justice Departments main WikiLeaks investigation has been conducted with a grand jury based at the Alexandria courthouse. The U.S. attorneys office in Massachusetts has some experience in leak-related cases. In 2020, it obtained a guilty plea from a former Raytheon systems engineer for illegally retaining 31,000 pages of information that was marked as classified, some of which pertained to U.S. missile defense. He was fined $10,000 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. c.2023 The New York Times Company The Texas Air and Space Museum will be hosting ground and flight deck tours of a rare, restored B-29 Superfortress through Sunday, at its location at 10001 American Drive near the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. In conjunction with the arrival of the historic piece of flight history, an event Saturday night will be held with music, food and a chance to meet the plane's crew. The crew of the B-29 Doc looks over the aircraft Thursday at the Texas Air and Space Museum at 10001 American Drive in Amarillo. While 1,644 B-29s were manufactured during World War II, the plane on display, known as Doc after one of the seven dwarfs, is one of two Superfortresses that has been restored to flight status worldwide. Built in Wichita, Kansas in 1944, this aircraft was part of a squadron of B-29s at Griffiths Air Force Base in New York that were named after characters from the Disney film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Texas Air and Space Museum is hosting the B-29 Superfortress "Doc" this weekend at their site in East Amarillo, at 10001 American Drive. A crewmember of the B-29 "Doc" looks over the aircraft Thursday at the Texas Air and Space Museum at 10001 American Drive in Amarillo. This particular craft never saw combat and was used as a radar calibration aircraft in 1951. It was retired from service in 1956. Originally acquired by the United States Aviation Museum in Cleveland, the plane was restored to flight status at the Boeing plant in Wichita. After being acquired by the non-profit Docs Friends, the aircraft was brought back to flight for the first time since it was retired, with a flight in 2016. According to its website, the mission of Docs Friends is to honor the men and women who served the country for the freedom of others. The cockpit of the B-29 "Doc," a model which inspired George Lucas's design of the Millennium Falcon in "Star Wars," is available for ground and flight tours this weekend at the Texas Air and Space Museum. The cockpit of the B-29 "Doc," a model which inspired George Lucas's design of the Millennium Falcon in "Star Wars," is available for tours this weekend at the Texas Air and Space Museum. A crew member in the cockpit of the B-29 "Doc" looks over the aircraft Thursday at the Texas Air and Space Museum at 10001 American Drive in Amarillo. The cost to enter and tour the inside of the plane is $10 per person or $20 per family. Rides scheduled for Saturday and Sunday mornings begin at $600 and may be booked and purchased through the B-29 Superfortress website. The ride will include a briefing on the aircraft and a 30-minute flight. A raffle for a ride will be held by the museum as well. The plane will be available for ground and flight deck tours Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m., with a meet-and-greet with the crew party Saturday night from 6 to 9 p.m. A crewmember of the B-29 "Doc" looks over the aircraft Thursday after it landed at the Texas Air and Space Museum at 10001 American Drive in Amarillo. For more information about the event and the Texas Air and Space Museum, go to http://www.texasairandspacemuseum.org . For more information on Docs Friends, go to http://www.texasairandspacemuseum.org/ . This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Air museum hosts WWII-era bomber B-29 for ground and flight tours A U.S. Army soldier stationed in Texas is facing a murder charge after authorities reversed a determination that her husband, also a military service member, did not die from suicide after he was found with a gunshot wound to the head on Christmas Day 2019. Sgt. Carmen J. Ironhawk. is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her husband, Sgt. Hector A. Cervantes. The couple was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Cervantes was a father of three, his obituary said, and one of his daughters is named for Ironhawks older brother, who died in 2014, the Army Times reported. PENTAGON LEAK SUSPECT JACK TEIXEIRA CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT, TELLS DAD I LOVE YOU Army Sgt. Hector A. Cervantes died in 2019 and his wife is now charged with murder. Authorities said Ironhawk shot Cervantes on Dec. 22, 2019. "The charges referred against SGT Ironhawk are merely allegations and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty," said 1st Armored Division spokesperson Lt. Col. Kimbia Rey in a statement accompanying the charge sheet to the news outlet. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Ironhawk pleaded not guilty at an arraignment earlier this month, Stars & Stripes reported. She is not under confinement while she awaits a court-martial with a jury panel scheduled for Nov. 6, according to court documents. The Army's Criminal Investigation Division began investigating the death as a murder after reconsidering the matter. "The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Divisions investigation is ongoing. It would be inappropriate for us to provide any further information at this time due to the ongoing legal proceedings," CID told Fox News Digital. Cervantes was an infantryman assigned to the Company C, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor and Ironhawk is a signal support systems specialist. Three people broke into the Marion Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram dealership early Saturday and stole three vehicles, police stated in a news release. Video shows two people breaking the glass to a side door to get in while a third waited outside the dealership on Worley Road. Police said, once inside, the car thieves broke into a lock box to get the car keys. After some time, the three vehicles were seen driving off the dealership floor. The vehicles that were stolen are: 2023 Chrysler 300 Touring L with comfort group, white 2020 Dodge Charger (4-door sedan) R/T Scat Pack, granite crystal metallic clearcoat 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 TRX 4WD, black pearl All of it is frustrating, said Phil Moore, the general manager at the dealership. You feel violated. You feel like youre not safe and I just hope it doesnt happen to anyone else. The investigation is ongoing. This is the latest in a string of similar crimes from Asheville to Raleigh. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: We do feel that some of these may be related so we starting to reach out and collaborate with those other law enforcement agencies that have had this in their jurisdiction, said Chief Allen Lawrence, Marion Police Department. The dealerships have increased its security. VIDEO: Thieves strike another local car dealership, steal nearly $500K in cars Thousands of Christians thronged Jerusalem on Saturday for the traditional Holy Fire rite ahead of the Orthodox Easter, despite a security clampdown in the holy city. The ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the thousand-year-old rite takes place, was built over the site where Christian tradition says Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected. The ceremony, when a flame which the faithful believe sparks miraculously each year is brought from the tomb, marks the most important event in the Orthodox calendar. Clutching candles, so they flame can be passed from one to another, pilgrims attended the church this year in reduced numbers. The church is in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, and for the second consecutive year Israeli police had told church leaders access would be considerably restricted. In the past about 10,000 worshippers would fill the church, with many more crowding outside, before the flame was flown to Orthodox communities internationally. This year's ceremony also comes after deadly attacks and clashes in Israel, east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, and cross-border fire several days ago between Israeli forces and militants in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria. On Wednesday, Israeli police said attendance inside the church would be limited to 1,800 people including 200 police officers as a safety measure. AFP journalists said thousands of Palestinian believers and foreign pilgrims also gathered in the square outside the church, in adjacent streets and outside the walls of the Old City on Saturday. Theophilus III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, emerged from the Edicule built over the presumed tomb of Jesus shortly before 3:00 pm (1200 GMT), bearing two bundles of lighted candles. Cries of joy, cheers and singing broke out as the flame was passed between believers. - 'I feel in heaven' - "It's like I'm dead and alive again... I feel in heaven," said Laura, a 47-year-old Romanian tourist. Story continues Georges, a Palestinian retiree living in the Old City, said he regretted that "many Christians from the West Bank cannot come" because of the lack of permits issued by Israel. Police say the restrictions are intended to ensure safety after a stampede left several dead during a 2021 Jewish pilgrimage to Israel. But many Palestinian Christians say they are proof of discrimination against them. Ahmad Tibi, an Arab-Israeli member of parliament, said on Saturday: "All Palestinians in east Jerusalem, Muslims and Christians, are suffering from the occupation. We must do more to end these restrictions, violations and police violence." Police spokesman Dean Elsdunne said the event was "very special, including for us the police". "Of course we want a lot of people to be able to come. But our number one priority is human life," he added. "We want to ensure that people can come and celebrate safely," Elsdunne said of the restrictions. - Fasting for 55 days - Palestinian teacher Tamar Ashariyeh, 45, said she could only get within 100 metres (yards) of the site. "I'm a local here, so I have to be inside this church, praying. I've been fasting for 55 days. It's Easter time, so we have to celebrate," she said. Abed, a Palestinian merchant in the Old City, accused Israel of having "closed everything" for the ceremony. But Maria, 25, said she lives in the area and was used to the measures. "It's a security issue. It's much safer that way," she told AFP. Last year there were scuffles between worshippers and police who had set up barriers throughout the city's Christian quarter. Christians comprised 18 percent of the Holy Land population -- today's Israel, occupied Palestinian territories and Jordan -- when the State of Israel was created in 1948, according to the Latin Patriarchate, but now they are fewer than two percent, mostly Orthodox. mj-jjm/dv Severe storms were expected to blow from central Kansas and into the metro area by Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Kansas City. The service warned residents of the possibility of severe thunderstorms and showers moving through swaths of Missouri and Kansas, including the metro area. The severe thunderstorms were expected to start at 2 p.m. just south of Interstate 70 and East of Interstate 49. Extreme weather may continue until 7 p.m in cities across central Missouri. Most of the severe, evolving storms have moved east of the metro area, the weather service said. Residents can be prepared for large hail and damaging winds. Over social media, the service also suggested there may be an isolated tornado. Strong to severe storms are expected to start across southern & central MO later this afternoon. Showers & t-storms currently across east central KS will move into the area later this afternoon. The severe risk for these storms is lower, but hail & high winds are possible. pic.twitter.com/v3j15zd9hz NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) April 15, 2023 Showers and thunderstorms from east and central Kansas were expected to move into the metro through the late afternoon. Hail and high winds are possible for these storms as well. Colder air was expected to move into the area behind the storms, sending temperatures tumbling into the mid-30s overnight Saturday, according to a prior report by The Star. Snow could mix in with rain as the temperatures drop. However, it may be difficult for snow to accumulate since surface temperatures are expected to be too warm. The temperatures are expected to stay in the low 50s through Sunday, before returning to normal on Monday and the upper 70s on Tuesday through Thursday. HELENA, Mont. Montanas House gave final passage Friday to a bill banning the social media app TikTok from operating in the state, a move thats bound to face legal challenges but also serve as a testing ground for the TikTok-free America many national lawmakers envision due to concerns over potential Chinese spying. The House voted 54-43 in favor of the measure, which would make Montana the first state with a total ban on the app. It goes further than prohibitions already put in place by nearly half the states including Montana and the U.S. federal government that prohibit TikTok on government-owned devices. The measure now goes to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, who declined to say Friday if he plans to sign it into law. A statement provided by spokesperson Brooke Metrione said the governor will carefully consider all bills the Legislature sends to his desk. Gianforte banned TikTok on state government devices last year, saying at the time that the app posed a significant risk to sensitive state data. TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter promised a legal challenge over the measures constitutionality, saying the bills supporters have admitted that they have no feasible plan to enforce this attempt to censor American voices. The company will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach, Oberwetter said. TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny over worries it could hand over user data to the Chinese government or push pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation on the platform. Leaders at the FBI and the CIA and numerous lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, have raised such concerns but have not presented any evidence that it has happened. Ban supporters point to two Chinese laws that compel companies in the country to cooperate with the government on state intelligence work. They also cite troubling episodes such as a disclosure by ByteDance in December that it fired four employees who accessed the IP addresses and other data of two journalists while attempting to uncover the source of a leaked report about the company. Story continues Congress is considering legislation that does not single out TikTok specifically but gives the Commerce Department the ability more broadly to restrict foreign threats on tech platforms. That bill is being backed by the White House, but it has received pushback from privacy advocates, right-wing commentators and others who say the language is too expansive. TikTok has said it has a plan to protect U.S. user data. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, whose office drafted the states legislation, said in a social media post Friday that the bill is a critical step to ensuring we are protecting Montanans privacy, even as he acknowledged that a court battle looms. The measure would prohibit downloads of TikTok in the state and would fine any entity an app store or TikTok $10,000 per day for each time someone is offered the ability to access or download the app. There would not be penalties for users. The ban would not take effect until January 2024 and would become void if Congress passes a national measure or if TikTok severs its connections with China. The bill was introduced in February, just weeks after a Chinese spy balloon drifted over Montana, but had been drafted prior to that. A representative from the tech trade group TechNet told state lawmakers that app stores do not have the ability to geofence apps on a state-by-state basis, so the Apple App Store and Google Play Store could not enforce the law. Ashley Sutton, TechNets executive director for Washington state and the northwest, said Thursday that the responsibility should be on an app to determine where it can operate, not an app store. Knudsen, the attorney general, has said that apps for online gambling can be disabled in states that do not allow it, so the same should be possible for TikTok. Items found in the dig will be added to an exhibition Archaeologists have found Polish toothpaste as they look for evidence from a group of children who survived the Holocaust death camps. About 300 orphaned Jewish refugees began new lives when they were brought to the Lake District in 1945. Although there are documents of their stay on the Calgarth Estate near Windermere, few personal items remain. A Staffordshire University team has been digging at Troutbeck Bridge and a tube of toothpaste is among its finds. Kevin Colls previously worked on a dig at Treblinka concentration camp in Poland Kevin Colls, a genocide archaeologist, who is leading the dig, said: "We're finding a lot of evidence from the site is being lost, so we've got documents and archives but we haven't got the evidence and artefacts from the site." A squashed tube of toothpaste has been one of the most significant finds. Mr Colls said: "It's interesting as it was made in the former Czech Republic so there's a link to the ghetto where the children who came here were from." His work with the university also took him to the Treblinka concentration camp in Poland where some of the youngsters who stayed in Cumbria lost family members. Student Goziem Ikediuwa with the toothpaste find The children described the stay in Cumbria as "paradise". They lived in wartime accommodation which had been built for workers and their families employed by the Sunderland Flying Boat Factory. They were gradually moved to other homes throughout the UK, and had all left Calgarth Estate, which was later demolished, by early 1946. Items and artefacts found in the dig will be added to the exhibition by the Lake District Holocaust Project at Windermere Library. About 300 children were brought from concentration camps to the Lake District in 1945 Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Gov. Roy Coopers chief of staff declined to testify before a state House oversight committee next week about the SBI directors handling of personnel matters unless the director signs a waiver allowing a public discussion of the concerns. Chief of Staff Kristi Jones said in a letter the governors office released Friday that she is concerned the Republican chairmen of the House Oversight and Reform Committee are siding with SBI Director Bob Schurmeier in advance of Tuesdays meeting. Last month, at a committee meeting that had little advance notice, Schurmeier told legislators that Coopers top aides were trying to force him out of his post with an unfounded discrimination claim, WRAL reported. I observed your March 28 hearing as well as your April 12 editorial published in the News & Observer, Jones wrote to chairmen Jake Johnson and Harry Warren. I am deeply concerned that you have chosen to focus on the Director of the State Bureau of Investigations description of our conversations while appearing to ignore the serious concerns about workplace practices that he referenced in his own comments. Neither Schurmeier nor the governors office have provided specifics on the personnel matters. But in a previous letter to the committee chairmen, Jones said concerns included a lack of racial diversity among sworn SBI agents, promotion decisions and practices, and access to training, among others. Jones said the personnel matters should get a fuller airing before state lawmakers take action. Dispute unveiled at legislature Johnson and Warren invited Jones and Eric Fletcher, Coopers general counsel, to testify before the committee on Tuesday. Jones in her letter said secrecy provisions in the personnel law severely limit what she and Fletcher could say. The law prevents many personnel matters from being made public. Two areas Jones cited were personnel investigations and performance evaluations. Jones said Schurmeier needs to sign a waiver that protects Fletcher and her from legal exposure if they testify. Story continues In particular, during his testimony, Director Schurmeier chose to make some of his own personnel file information public, but we are constrained in responding to questions about his testimony because of the legal protections afforded to the Directors personnel file. Jones wrote. For example, the Director chose to make public that he felt intimidated in certain meetings with the Governors Office, but the Director has not waived confidentiality so that we can share all the details of those meetings. Kristi Jones, chief of staff to Gov. Roy Cooper In addition, she wrote, the Director acknowledged personnel complaints in his testimony, but cited personnel confidentiality in declining to answer questions about any such complaints. In your recent editorial, you referenced the Directors testimony in suggesting that personnel complaints were pretext, but I have been informed that without his consent state law prevents us from disclosing the full story showing that those complaints were not pretext. The law allows a department head to release otherwise secret personnel information when essential to maintaining the integrity of such department or to maintaining the level or quality of services provided by such department. But Jordan Monaghan, a governors spokesperson, said in an email the law doesnt provide enough leeway to let Cooper release the information. The Directors waiver is critical to provide certainty in light of the SBIs hybrid legal status and protection for all involved considering the privacy requirements of state personnel laws, he said. Jones letter closes saying a waiver from Schurmeier would allow us to have a more meaningful discussion about our personnel conversations with Director Schurmeier and ultimately help provide the most productive workplace for the men and women of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Changes sought at SBI The SBI investigates and prepares evidence for criminal cases, election law violations, environmental crimes, when police officers shoot civilians and more. It assists local law enforcement in some cases and provides background checks for state agency employees, people who work with children, people with disabilities and others. Shortly after Schurmeiers testimony, the House released a state budget bill that includes a provision moving the SBI from the Department of Public Safety, which Cooper oversees. It would become an independent agency whose director would still be appointed by the governor, but could be removed by a three-fifths vote of the legislature. Schurmeier is a 2016 appointee of Coopers predecessor, Pat McCrory, a Charlotte Republican. Cooper is a Rocky Mount Democrat. The Republican-controlled state legislature had moved the SBI from the Department of Justice, which was run by then Attorney General Cooper, to the public safety department in 2014. SBI testimony letter by Dan Kane on Scribd Travis Barker and Landon Barker attend the boohooMAN x Landon Barker launch party on June 14, 2022. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images Landon Barker, 19, almost missed his dad's wedding due to his fear of flying, in Hulu's "'Til Death Do Us Part." Landon backed out of two commercial flights to Italy before boarding Kim Kardashian's private jet. Travis Barker survived a plane crash in 2008 that killed four of the six passengers. In the Hulu special "'Til Death Do Us Part Kourtney & Travis" released on Thursday, fans learned that Landon Barker's fear of flying almost caused him to miss Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian's Italian wedding in May 2022. In the 90-minute special, Travis reveals that Landon backed out of two commercial flights to Italy before finally hopping on Kim Kardashian's private jet. "We didn't know if Landon was gonna make it because he's so afraid of flying. I think he walked off two commercial flights," Travis said in the special. "When we saw him, I was so happy." Once Landon arrived in Italy, he told his dad, "The scariest part was just landing and taking off." In the special, Travis also talked about his fear of flying after surviving a September 2008 plane crash that killed four out of the six passengers on board. Both pilots, Travis' assistant Chris Baker, and his security guard, Charles "Che" Still died in the crash. Travis' best friend Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, who survived the plane crash, died from a prescription drug overdose in August 2009, according to BuzzFeed News. "As everyone knows, I'm kind of shook just flying anywhere. My plane crashed on takeoff, so takeoffs are terrible for me," he said. "I'm still equally afraid of flying as I always was, but it's not something that can hold me back or I can be afraid of anymore. But, yeah. I'm getting better." In August 2021, Travis flew for the first time in 13 years with Kourtney by his side. In November 2022, Travis told GQ that Kourtney "stuck by me and toughed it out" as he faced his fear. Story continues Travis' daughter Alabama Barker, 17, also had a fear of flying after her dad's accident. However, Alabama eventually overcame her fear and traveled with her dad in November 2021 to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to celebrate the Blink-182 drummer's 46th birthday, E! News reported. Travis praised his daughter in the comments section of his Instagram post after the trip, writing "I'm so proud of you for flying." "'Til Death Do Us Part" is available to stream on Hulu. Read the original article on Insider Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed confidence that Ukraine will win the war against the Russian Federation, and also stated that Canada will continue to support Kyiv. Source: Ukrinform, citing Trudeau's statement Quote: "I have no doubt and am fully confident that Ukraine will win." Details: Trudeau emphasised that Canada "will never stand aside" and will continue to support Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. "We will continue to provide military, economic, humanitarian, trade and commercial support, deal with grain and work with friends to build a successful future for ourselves and all those who share our values," the prime minister said. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Former President Donald Trump points to the crowd during a speaking appearance at the National Rifle Association Convention in Indianapolis, Friday, April 14, 2023. | Michael Conroy, Associated Press Declared and expected 2024 GOP presidential candidates spoke at the National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis on Friday. Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave dueling speeches, marking the first time the two Republican frontrunners were featured at the same event. Unsurprisingly, all of the Republican candidates said they supported the Second Amendment and many of them called for fewer gun restrictions. DeSantis spoke from Florida in a recorded video. He said the U.S. Constitutions Second Amendment right for individuals to bear arms is the last backstop of freedom and the foundation upon which all our other rights rest. The Sunshine State governor criticized activists who called for the defunding of law enforcement and said it is curious they tend to be the same people who express hostility to individual gun rights. He said the capacity of people to defend themselves is the basis of their ability to rule themselves. As Florida governor, he said he called on his state legislature to pass a constitutional carry bill, which he signed into law. Additionally, he said Florida will restrict ESG (environmental, social and governance issues) and woke capital from threatening the financing of Americas Second Amendment rights. Although DeSantis has yet to announce a 2024 presidential campaign, he is expected to declare in the coming months. Polls consistently show Trump and DeSantis as the leading candidates for the Republican Partys presidential nomination. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd at Adventure Outdoors gun store in this Thursday, March 30, 2023 file photo, in Smyrna, Ga. DeSantis addressed the National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis in a prerecorded video on Friday. | John Bazemore, Associated Press Trump was the keynote speaker at the convention. He spoke to a roaring crowd. His nearly hourlong speech covered domestic and foreign policy issues, and he made comments on recent criminal charges filed against him. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted Trump earlier this week and grand juries in Georgia and Washington, D.C., could press charges as well in the months ahead. He called the criminal charges and investigations against him election interference on a historic scale. Story continues Trump said if reelected he would pass legislation that would levy federal penalties for prosecutorial abuse. Related He also said he would ask Congress to establish national reciprocity for concealed carry. Just like your drivers license or your marriage license, your Second Amendment must apply across state lines, Trump said. Trump criticized Democrat run cities for a rise in crime and promised to end the weaponization of our government including the ATF, the FBI and the DOJ. He blamed Democratic mayors and federal agencies for not prosecuting crime. Trump said school shootings across the country are not a gun problem, but a mental health problem, a cultural problem and a spiritual problem. He said he wants to set up a program to train school teachers to carry firearms. If we can send billions to Ukraine then we can afford to spend one-tenth of that amount to protect American children and American schools, Trump said. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks at the National Rifle Association Convention, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Indianapolis. | Darron Cummings, Associated Press Additional highlights from other speakers Other 2024 GOP candidates and hopefuls also addressed the NRA convention, including declared candidates Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor, as well as former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Haleys short recorded video featured her support for the castle doctrine and constitutional carry as well as license reciprocity with like-minded states. Hutchinson also discussed his support of the Second Amendment and brought up the 2024 GOP nomination. He said that (President) Biden is praying right now to have a repeat of 2020, a presumed criticism of Trump. Hutchinson recently launched his campaign for president and called for Trump to drop out of the race due to the criminal charges filed against him related to hush money payments to an adult film actress. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who launched a presidential exploratory committee earlier this year, also attacked Trump for saying in 2018 that law enforcement should take the firearms first and then go to court. Sununu ended his speech by saying NRA and GOP members need to recognize that they need independent Americans votes to win the White House again. He concluded by posing a question: Are we going to go home and whine about losing in 2024, or are we going to get it done? Related Ramaswamy gave a speech outlining his campaign promises if elected president. He said he would dismantle the FBI and the ATF because he said they weaponized their agencies against their political opponents. Former Vice President Mike Pence kicked off the days political speeches with a call for an expedited federal death penalty for mass shooters. I believe the time has come to institute a federal death penalty statute with accelerated appeal to ensure that those who engage in mass shootings face execution in months, not years, Pence said. He also said there needs to be more legislation addressing mental health needs, and said calls for gun control in the wake of mass shootings are misplaced. President Biden and the Democrats have returned to the same tired arguments about gun control and gun confiscation. But we dont need gun control, we need crime control, he said. Donald Trump claimed Friday that thefts at retail stores in major cities include hundreds of people running out carrying pilfered refrigerators. The former president, in a speech Friday to the National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis, said that gangs of hundreds of young people in major cities attack department stores. And they run in by the hundreds, and theyre running out carrying refrigerators and carrying air conditioners and big stuff big, little, everything, Trump said. Fur coats, non-fur coats, everything theyre carrying. They empty out the stores. Trump: They run in by the hundreds and theyre running out carrying refrigerators, air-conditioners, and big stuff.. big, little, everything. Fur coats, non fur coats everything pic.twitter.com/BU5WBAYjFN Acyn (@Acyn) April 14, 2023 Twitter users werent buying the claim about the thefts, and one quipped that carrying fridges weighing hundreds of pounds would be good for their back. Seems totally real. In fact, many people strongly say that they see people running with 300 lb refrigerators strapped on their backs while wearing fur coats, believe me. https://t.co/t6TL7yzDTX Spiros Ghost (@AntiToxicPeople) April 14, 2023 I'll take things that didn't happen for $500. colette flanigan (@FlaniganColette) April 14, 2023 But the refrigerators and air conditioners can run by themselves if theyre plugged in. Gary (@GaryKoepnick) April 14, 2023 Tell me youve never been to an apartment store in your entire sheltered life without telling me. Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) April 14, 2023 His remarks at the NRA convention also included him taking aim at transgender health care, enlisting the Food and Drug Administration to conduct an investigation if hes reelected. Related... NEW YORK (AP) Former President Donald Trump has raised more than $34 million for his 2024 White House run since the start of the year, buoyed by a big bump in donations since the announcement of criminal charges against him in New York, according to his campaign. His total after the March 30 indictment approached what he took in over the previous three months. Trump's latest fundraising report due to be filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission will show he raised more than $18.8 million between his main campaign account and a joint fundraising account over the the first three months of the year, the campaign said. Of that total for the Jan. 1-March 31 period, $4 million came in after Trump was indicted March 30 by a grand jury in Manhattan on charges related to a hush money case stemming from the 2016 election. The fundraising numbers were first reported by Politico. Trump began raising money off the news of his indictment, and his campaign said he took in $15.4 million since the announcement of charges and Saturday's filing deadline for the fundraising report. Trump, who is also facing several other criminal investigations, has tried to use his legal troubles to galvanize supporters, claiming all the cases are politically motivated. He has portrayed the New York charges as election interference but also suggested they may help him win support. Trump has dominated the GOP field in the early stages of the 2024 presidential race. But many high-dollar GOP donors have been looking to send their support elsewhere this time. Until his indictment, his campaign fundraising had lagged behind the massive amounts he used to raise in days or in hours when he was president. Only a few candidates have officially entered the race, Trump's U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor; former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who announced days after Trump's indictment was filed; and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. More candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are expected to enter the race by the time next fundraising reports are due in mid-July. INDIANAPOLIS Former President Donald Trump vowed to defend and expand gun-owners rights in a speech to the National Rifle Association's annual meeting here Friday. "I was proud to be the most pro-gun, pro-Second Amendment president you've ever had in the White House," Trump said to an audience that leapt to its feet, cheered and chanted "U-S-A" when he was introduced. "And with your support in 2024, I will be your loyal friend and fearless champion once again as the 47th president of the United States." Against the backdrop of recent mass shootings in Tennessee and Kentucky, a stampede of 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls and possible candidates rushed to pledge their loyalty to the NRA before several thousand gun-rights activists in a spacious hall at the convention center here. And they scoffed at the notion that gun and ammunition restrictions would reduce violence. "It is a scandal and a tragedy that year after year, Democrats in Washington continue to hold commonsense school safety measures hostage to their radical gun control agenda, which, in virtually all cases, would do nothing to prevent attacks by demented and disturbed individuals," Trump said. "This is not a gun problem," he added, as he batted cleanup for a long list of Republican officials and office seekers. "This is a mental health problem, this is a social problem, this is a cultural problem, this is a spiritual problem." 14: Former President Donald Trump at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum in Indianapolis on April 14, 2023. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) In addition to Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy spoke in person. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered brief remarks in prerecorded videos. The NRA has been weakened in recent years by a scandal involving the use of the nonprofit organization's funds and a related lawsuit pursued by the state of New York. But the rush by presidential contenders and possible candidates to make promises to the group demonstrated that its single issue remains a powerful one in Republican primaries. Story continues "I am the NRA," Noem said before signing a South Dakota order, on stage, that she said would prevent financial institutions from discriminating against gun owners. In jockeying for the favor of the crowd, the politicians pointed to the escalating stakes of a presidential race that is still taking shape. Trump, seeking his third consecutive nomination, has held a commanding lead in nearly every national poll. DeSantis has distinguished himself in surveys as the clear second-place choice among GOP voters at this early stage. They were the two candidates NRA members chattered about as they waited in line, some for hours, to claim seats in the convention hall. And long before he took the stage, Trump was mentioned by name and by implication in some potential rivals' speeches. "Its not in our DNA as Americans to say that the leadership of yesterday is gonna be our best chance for the leadership of tomorrow," Sununu said in a thinly veiled swipe at Trump. "Are you kidding?" Pence, a former Indiana governor who is considering a presidential bid, was received in his home state by a mix of lusty boos and loud applause. The split reaction underscored part of the challenge Pence would face in a campaign after he enraged Trump and many Republican voters by certifying President Joe Biden's election in 2021. But he would also be hamstrung in a race against Trump by an obvious truth he nodded to in his remarks: his accomplishments as vice president flowed from Trump's as president. Referring to the Trump-Pence administration, he said, "We stood without apology for the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms." In an interview with NBC News, former Sen. Larry Craig, an Idaho Republican and a member of the NRAs board of directors, said hes undecided about the contest for the GOP nomination. Ive been a supporter of Donald Trumps, but I see the options, too, and I like DeSantis, Craig said. Im not sure Donald Trump can be stopped for the nomination. Therein lies the question. Though many attendees wore Trump-branded hats and shirts, the former president's positions on firearms have not always aligned with those of the most ardent activists. "He could have been better on that," said Liza Danno, 48, who traveled to the convention from suburban Chicago. "But you know, anyone you vote for, you dont back 100 percent of everything they approve." Her husband, Joe Danno, 47, identified as problematic Trump's support for a ban on bump stocks accessories that enable shooters to fire semi-automatic weapons more quickly and his call to raise the age limit for gun purchases to 21. The couple reflected the range of sentiments of Republican primary voters who spoke to NBC News Friday. Liza Danno said she will vote for Trump. Her husband said that's his plan, too, but that he will give DeSantis a chance to make the case for himself. "He would probably be my vote if it wasn't Trump," Joe Danno said. "I'm definitely open because I don't know enough about Ron DeSantis to count him out." On Friday, DeSantis was in New Hampshire, site of next year's first-in-the-nation GOP presidential primary, to speak at a Republican fundraising dinner. But he had fans at the convention, which featured a massive exhibit hall filled with all manner of weapons, accessories and apparel from handguns to long rifles and an automatic feeder for speed-loading rounds into magazines. Evelyn Kuhn, a 65-year-old nurse from Payne, Ohio, just across the border from Fort Wayne, Indiana, said she's worried that Trump would lose a general election and finds his "attitude" unsettling at times. That has led her to DeSantis. "I like his views and his demeanor and what hes done with Florida," she said. In his prerecorded remarks, DeSantis said the Second Amendment is "the last backstop of freedom, the foundation on which all of our other rights rest." His appearance was greeted with applause in the convention hall. During his speech, Trump made several specific policy promises. He said he would prod Congress to pass legislation creating a national system of reciprocity to allow people to carry concealed weapons while visiting other states. He also said that he would establish a tax credit to subsidize gun purchases and training for teachers, and that he would direct the Food and Drug Administration to study the effects of transgender hormone therapy on "extreme depression, aggression and even violence." Noting that he appointed three justices to a Supreme Court that has expanded gun rights, Trump also pledged to release a list of potential Supreme Court picks as he did during his first two campaigns before the general election in 2024. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A Tucson man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a human smuggling charge along with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A Tucson man was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week after he pleaded guilty to a human smuggling charge along with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The U.S. Attorneys Office announced on Friday that 39-year-old Adrian Duran-Estrada conspired with others to transport undocumented immigrants in southern Arizona between at least May 2019 through May 2021 and coordinated their movement using WhatsApp and phone calls. The office noted that Duran-Estrada had a child co-conspirator lead a group of undocumented immigrants by Highway 286 near Sasabe when the child became lost and died in the desert. Authorities searched his home on May 4, 2021, where they found evidence that he owned a .22 caliber rifle to poach deer on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge despite having two prior felony convictions. Duran-Estrada will be under supervised release for three years after his time in prison and will also have to pay a $20,000 money assessment. The office announced that Duran-Estradas co-defendants Kaitlan Cox, Arturo Alday Cordova, and Bruce Rivera all previously pleaded guilty to similar charges. Cox and Cordova were sentenced to 27 years and eight months in prison respectively while Rivera received three years probation. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tucson man sentenced to 10 years in prison for human smuggling Ali, a 23-year-old student, lost everything in Turkey's earthquake. His parents are missing and his ancient hometown, Antakya, lies in ruins. To fight back, Ali, who like many survivors declines to give his full name, has launched a drive to ensure that more than three million people displaced by the February disaster can vote in next month's general election. The May 14 ballot promises to be perilous for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a dominant leader forced into the unusual position of apologising for his government's response to Turkey's worst disaster of modern times. Rescuers and relief workers took days to reach some ravaged areas, creating a sense of abandonment and directing anger at officials for a death toll that has topped 50,000. "It's important to reflect this anger at the polls," said Ali, who now lives in Ankara. With friends, he launched an appeal on Twitter asking political parties to pay the bus tickets of students who had to leave Antakya but want to return to cast their votes. The main opposition CHP party has pledged its support. People who sought shelter in cities such as Ankara, Istanbul and Mersin on Turkey's southern coast had until April 2 to register their new voting address. Those who missed out have to return to their ruined cities to cast ballots. Erdogan's opponents view the early deadline as a covert government effort to suppress the protest vote. "People lost loved ones and everything that was precious to them. Most were in no condition to take care of their election registration," said Ali Oztunc, a CHP deputy representing Kahramanmaras, near the epicentre of the 7.8-magnitude quake. - 'Afraid of the victims' - Only 50,000 of the 820,000 registered voters in Kahramanmaras were able to change their registration, according to Oztunc, who estimates that half of the province's residents have left. That means hundreds of thousands will have to somehow find their way back to take part in what is widely seen as Turkey's most important election in its post-Ottoman history. Story continues "It is impossible to transport so many people," said Oztunc. "It would take thousands of buses and that would create a giant traffic jam. No party can organise that." The CHP's leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is the opposition's joint candidate in the knife-edge vote. The party's vice president, Onursal Adiguzel, openly accuses officials of trying to tamp down turnout among the displaced. "The authorities could have extended the deadline to assist with the registration," Adiguzel said. "But they are afraid of the victims," he said. "They are doing everything to hinder the vote." Forced to leave Kahramanmaras, father-of-two Abdullah said he was actively discouraged by civil servants from changing his registration address. "I was told that I would lose my rights to public aid for earthquake victims," Abdullah said at his temporary home in Ankara. "So I kept my address in Kahramanmaras. But I don't know how I'll be able to go there and vote." - 'Free elections impossible' - At a shelter in the suburbs of Ankara, only 120 of the 525 displaced families had taken the necessary steps to change their legal address. Eymen Gassaloglu, 34, who lives at the shelter with her two daughters, was determined to return to Antakya on election day -- even if it meant sleeping in a tent. "It's about my future," said Gassaloglu. "I'll vote no matter what." Some said returning to the province would also give them a chance to monitor voting and report any irregularities. Erdogan's critics fear that voting lists will include people who went missing but not officially declared dead, creating room for manipulation by election officials. "The authorities do not openly disclose the number of missing people. This is a concern," Adiguzel, the CHP vice president, said. Ozgur Yusuf Kavukcu, 45, managed to register to vote in Ankara. But most of his friends will have to return to Antakya, a ghost town where just a tiny fraction of the buildings has survived unscathed. "I think free elections are impossible under such conditions," Kavukcu said. "But there is no other choice. We have already lost a lot with the earthquake. Losing the expression of our free will would be another disaster." bg/rba/zak/gil/ach Jacksonville Sheriffs Office responded to two people shot on 100 King Street. When officers arrived they found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Both victims were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Detectives from the Robbery and Violent Crimes Unit, along with the Crime Scene Unit have responded and are conducting an investigation. The initial investigation revealed a dispute occurred at the apartment community when an unknown suspect shot both victims. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the JSO non-emergency number at 904-630-0500 or they can remain anonymous and submit a tip through Crimestoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Man shot at local park, suffering life threatening injuries Read: Elementary student hospitalized after taking edibles, police report Read: JSO Officer recovering after brutal beating in Jacksonville Walmart, reveals plans for the future [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Prosecutors in the United States will not bring charges in what was previously a federal investigation into the death of Shanquella Robinson, a woman from Charlotte, North Carolina, while in Mexico last October. Officials with U.S. Attorneys' Offices in two districts in North Carolina announced the decision in a statement on Wednesday, issued shortly before the woman's family members were scheduled to speak about the probe and Robinson's killing at a televised news conference. "The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Ms. Robinson has been a priority for federal prosecutors and the FBI," read the statement issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the western district of North Carolina. "As in every case under consideration for federal prosecution, the government must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a federal crime was committed," it continued. "Based on the results of the autopsy and after a careful deliberation and review of the investigative materials by both U.S. Attorneys' Offices, federal prosecutors informed Ms. Robinson's family today that the available evidence does not support a federal prosecution." The killing of Shanquella Robinson was being investigated as a femicide, an unfamiliar term for many in the United States as this gender-motivated crime has not been defined by U.S. legislation despite being a global issue. / Credit: CBS News Citing "a detailed and thorough investigation" and an autopsy conducted by the medical examiner's office in North Carolina's Mecklenburg County, officials said they found that "the available evidence does not support a federal prosecution." Speaking on behalf of Robinson's family at Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon, attorney Sue Ann Robinson said they were "disappointed but not deterred" by the outcome of the U.S. investigation and would continue to seek justice in the wake of the killing. The attorney also shared that the decision by U.S. authorities not to press charges partly relied on results of the domestic autopsy, following an initial autopsy conducted in Mexico. The U.S. post mortem exam was conducted after Robinson's body had been embalmed and transported back to America, "which means that there was a delay, obviously," the attorney said, adding that it ruled Robinson's cause of death "undetermined." Story continues Federal prosecutors and authorities at the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened a probe into the circumstances surrounding Robinson's death in November, about three weeks after it happened, the FBI confirmed in a statement to CBS News at the time. According to that statement, Robinson died "on or about" Oct. 29 in Cabo San Lucas. The previous week, authorities in Mexico had said that her death occurred in San Jose del Cabo, located about 20 miles northeast of Cabo San Lucas in the same Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Mexican prosecutors opened an investigation into Robinson's death a few days earlier. By then, news of her killing had garnered considerable public and global attention owing to a viral cell phone video that showed Robinson being violently assaulted, apparently at the luxury villa where she was staying while on vacation. She had traveled from the U.S. to Mexico with a group of six friends, some of whom initially told Robinson's parents that she had died from alcohol poisoning. However, the death certificate later listed a spinal and neck injury as the cause. The attorney for Robinson's family said on Wednesday that the U.S. autopsy did not identify a spinal cord injury, although she called it "disheartening" that U.S. authorities "allowed there to be such a delay in this case" and noted that delays can lead to "discrepancies." She told reporters that civil action is "certainly" a possibility for Robinson's family moving forward. Authorities in Mexico said in November that they were investigating Robinson's death as a femicide, a crime that refers to the killing of a woman because of her gender. In a statement released at the time, prosecutors in Baja California Sur said they were seeking to extradite a woman from the U.S. back to Mexico in connection with the alleged murder. Second expelled Tennessee lawmaker reinstated Toxic fire continues to burn in Indiana Chilling 911 calls released in Louisville bank shooting KYIV, Ukraine The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukraine's air force said the country would soon have weapons with which to try to prevent attacks like the one on Friday. The delivery of the Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S. was expected in Ukraine sometime after Easter, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said. The primarily Orthodox Christian country is preparing to observe Easter on Sunday. Speaking Saturday on Ukrainian state TV, Ihnat declined to give a precise timeline for the arrival of the defensive missile system but said the public would know as soon as the first Russian aircraft is shot down. A local resident looks at his home, damaged by a Russian rocket attack in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Apr. 14, 2023. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. A group of 65 Ukrainian soldiers completed their training last month at Fort Sill, a U.S. Army post in Oklahoma, and returned to Europe to learn more about using the defensive missile system to track and shoot down enemy aircraft. Officials said at the time that the Ukrainians would then go back to their country with a Patriot missile battery, which typically includes six mobile launchers, a mobile radar, a power generator and an engagement control center. Germany and the Netherlands also have pledged to provide a Patriot system each to Ukraine. In addition, a SAMP/T anti-missile system pledged by France and Italy should enter Ukraine in the near future, Ihnat said this week. The Ukrainian military is looking to beef up its ability to intercept missiles as it prepares for an expected spring counter-offensive to retake Russian-occupied areas of the country. Although more than a year of fighting has depleted weapons supplies on both sides, Russian forces have intensified their 8 1/2-month campaign to seize the city of Bakhmut, the focus of the war's longest battle so far. Bakhmut and Sloviansk are located about 45 kilometers (28 miles) apart in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk province. Story continues Rescue teams in Sloviansk recovered the bodies of two people from under the rubble of a house hit in Friday's missile strikes, according to the State Emergency Service. They also searched Saturday for five people who remained in the wreckage of the apartment building, as well as the residents of three units who were reported missing, Vadym Liakh, the head of the local government, said. People look at a building damaged by a Russian rocket attack in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Apr. 14, 2023. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. Separately, a 48-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter died Saturday after Russian forces shelled a neighborhood of the city of Kherson, the regional administration said on Telegram. The southern port city was occupied by Russian forces in the early months of the war, but Ukrainian forces regained control of it in November, one of the most notable battlefield defeats for Moscow. A new law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that allows military offices to send draft notices electronically instead of delivering them in person is part of Russias preparation for a protracted war in Ukraine, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in a Saturday morning assessment. According to British intelligence, a unified registry of individuals eligible for military service will be digitally linked to other government services, allowing Russian authorities to punish draft-dodgers by automatically limiting employment rights and restricting foreign travel. Since the law does not come into force until later in the year, the U.K. Defense Ministry said the e-notices do not automatically point to a major new wave of enforced mobilization but rather form part of a longer-term approach to provide personnel as Russia anticipates a lengthy conflict in Ukraine. patriot_ft_sill Meanwhile, 52,000 young Russian men already have received draft orders as part of the country's regular spring call-up, and 21,000 of them qualified for military service, Col. Andrey Biryukov, who is in charge of mobilization, said Saturday. Biryukov addressed concerns that the new electronic conscription law presaged a broader mobilization of reservists, like one Putin ordered in September. Id like to stress that all army deferrals for citizens will still be valid. And e-draft orders will not be mailed in bulk, Biryukov said. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ukrainian soldiers await Oklahoma-trained Patriot missile batteries KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukraine's air force said the country would soon have weapons with which to try to prevent attacks like the one on Friday. The delivery of the Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S. was expected in Ukraine sometime after Easter, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said. The primarily Orthodox Christian country is preparing to observe Easter on Sunday. Speaking Saturday on Ukrainian state TV, Ihnat declined to give a precise timeline for the arrival of the defensive missile system but said the public would know as soon as the first Russian aircraft is shot down. A group of 65 Ukrainian soldiers completed their training last month at Fort Sill, a U.S. Army post in Oklahoma, and returned to Europe to learn more about using the defensive missile system to track and shoot down enemy aircraft. Officials said at the time that the Ukrainians would then go back to their country with a Patriot missile battery, which typically includes six mobile launchers, a mobile radar, a power generator and an engagement control center. Germany and the Netherlands also have pledged to provide a Patriot system each to Ukraine. In addition, a SAMP/T anti-missile system pledged by France and Italy should enter Ukraine in the near future, Ihnat said this week. The Ukrainian military is looking to beef up its ability to intercept missiles as it prepares for an expected spring counter-offensive to retake Russian-occupied areas of the country. Although more than a year of fighting has depleted weapons supplies on both sides, Russian forces have intensified their 8 1/2-month campaign to seize the city of Bakhmut, the focus of the war's longest battle so far. Bakhmut and Sloviansk are located about 45 kilometers (28 miles) apart in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk province. Story continues Rescue teams in Sloviansk recovered the bodies of two people from under the rubble of a house hit in Friday's missile strikes, according to the State Emergency Service. They also searched Saturday for five people who remained in the wreckage of the apartment building, as well as the residents of three units who were reported missing, Vadym Liakh, the head of the local government, said. Separately, a 48-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter died Saturday after Russian forces shelled a neighborhood of the city of Kherson, the regional administration said on Telegram. The southern port city was occupied by Russian forces in the early months of the war, but Ukrainian forces regained control of it in November, one of the most notable battlefield defeats for Moscow. A new law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that allows military offices to send draft notices electronically instead of delivering them in person is part of Russias preparation for a protracted war in Ukraine, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in a Saturday morning assessment. According to British intelligence, a unified registry of individuals eligible for military service will be digitally linked to other government services, allowing Russian authorities to punish draft-dodgers by automatically limiting employment rights and restricting foreign travel. Since the law does not come into force until later in the year, the U.K. Defense Ministry said the e-notices do not automatically point to a major new wave of enforced mobilization but rather form part of a longer-term approach to provide personnel as Russia anticipates a lengthy conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile, 52,000 young Russian men already have received draft orders as part of the country's regular spring call-up, and 21,000 of them qualified for military service, Col. Andrey Biryukov, who is in charge of mobilization, said Saturday. Biryukov addressed concerns that the new electronic conscription law presaged a broader mobilization of reservists, like one Putin ordered in September. Id like to stress that all army deferrals for citizens will still be valid. And e-draft orders will not be mailed in bulk, Biryukov said. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ This version corrects the name of the U.S. Army post in Oklahoma to Fort Sill, not Fort Still. (Bloomberg) -- Russia said Saturday that mercenaries in the Wagner group captured two districts of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where battles have raged for months. The death toll from Fridays Russian missile attack on residential buildings in Slovyansk in eastern Ukraine rose to 11, including at least one toddler found under the rubble. Most Read from Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin signed a hastily-passed law that will impose harsh new penalties on Russians evading military call-up, adding to fears that the government plans another mass mobilization as its invasion of Ukraine drags on. Some of Kyivs European allies are skeptical its military will be able to make a decisive breakthrough this year. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russias Wagner Group whose mercenaries are fighting alongside regular Russian troops, said Moscow could declare it has met the goals of what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine and focus on holding onto territory already seized. Key Developments Ukraine Says Polish Ban on Its Grain Violates Recent Agreement Airman Charged Over Leak as Biden Clamps Down on Secrets What We Know About the Leak of US Military Documents: Q&A Putin Paves Way for New Call-Up as Ukraine Invasion Drags On Summers Warns US Getting Lonely as Other Powers Band Together (All times CET) Prigozhin Says Russia Should Declare It Has Met Its Goals (5:19 p.m.) Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said Russia could simply declare victory if it ended its more than year-old invasion of Ukraine today, reasoning that its forces have seized a fat chunk of territory. The ideal scenario is to declare an end to the special military operation, and tell everyone that Russia has achieved the results it planned to, he said in an article published by his press service and on Telegram. The thing to do now, he wrote, is to firmly hold onto the territories that we already gained. Story continues Prigozhin, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, later clarified his remarks. He said the main point was to underline his support for an honest fight and no back deals and alert to the risk of the what he called the deep state hindering that fight. Zelenskiy, Frances Macron Talk by Phone (5 p.m.) Ukraines president said he discussed with Frances Emmanuel Macron preparations for the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, and its expected results, in particular regarding Ukraines obtaining effective security guarantees even before joining the Alliance. Yellen Backs Making Russia Pay for Damage (4 p.m.) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Russia should pay for damage caused by its war in Ukraine, though there are legal constraints on what we can do with regards to frozen Russian assets. I think Russia should pay for the damage it has done to Ukraine and the US is discussing the matter with partner nations, she said on CNN in response to a question by correspondent Fareed Zakaria. Ukraine will require at least $411 billion for recovery and reconstruction, the World Bank said in an estimate in March. Ukraine Pushes Back on Polish Plan to Ban its Grain Imports (4:30 p.m.) Poland has banned imports of grains and some other food products from Ukraine to protect its market, the countrys ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Saturday. Earlier this month, the nations agriculture minister resigned following a widespread farmers protest over grain imports from neighboring Ukraine. Farmers are an important constituency for the ruling Law and Justice party, which faces a tight election in the fall. Ukraines agriculture minister said Warsaws move violates and agreement reached earlier this month about the transit of grain through Poland. Read more: A Grain Glut Is Straining the Goodwill That Ukraine Badly Needs Blinken Says US Still Has No Consular Access to Gershkovich (1 p.m.) US consular officials still have no access to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Hanoi on Saturday. We continue to call for his immediate release, and certainly we need to see consular access now, Blinken said in a press briefing after meetings with Vietnamese officials. Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in late March and has been charged in Russia with espionage, which the newspaper and US officials continue to deny. Russia Says Wagner Captures Two Districts in Bakhmut (12:33 p.m.) Russias defense ministry said Saturday that mercenaries in the Wagner group captured two districts of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Interfax reported. The areas seized by the fighters lie in the northern and southern outskirts of Bakhmut, where fierce fighting is taking place, the ministry said. Russia forces led by Wagner have been waging costly battles for months in a bid to take control of the city, which could open the way for efforts to attack other major population centers in the Ukrainian-held part of the Donetsk region. The severely devastated town in Ukraines Donetsk region faced 158 missile and artillery strikes from Russian side in the past day, Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for the eastern grouping of the armed forces, said on TV. There were 17 skirmishes that led to 80 Russias soldiers killed and 100 injured, he claimed. The figures couldnt be verified. Intense fighting continues in the Lyman-Kupyansk axes as well, he said. Russia Prioritizing Recruitment Efforts, UK Says (9 a.m.) The measure signed by Vladimir Putin late Friday will allow Russian authorities to serve call-up papers electronically, rather than by letter, removing one obstacle which has previously allowed some to dodge the draft, the UK defense ministry said. With individuals call-up data now digitally linked to other state-provided online services, it is likely that the authorities will punish draft-dodgers by automatically limiting employment rights and restricting foreign travel, the UK said in a Twitter thread. For now, until those measures are in place later this year, Russia is prioritizing a drive to recruit extra volunteer troops, the UK said. Brazils Lulu Says US Needs to Stop Encouraging War (8 a.m.) Russia and Ukraine are having problems making decisions to end the war, and countries that maintain good relations with the two should help them reach a solution, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told journalists in Beijing, where he met with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. It is important that the US stops encouraging war and starts talking about peace, Lula told reporters. Death Toll in Slovyansk Missile Strike Continues to Rise (8 a.m.) The updated death toll from a Russian missile strike on Slovyansk in the Donetsk region rose to 11, including a two-year-old who died on the way to hospital, with rescue efforts continuing. Three five-storey buildings were hit in the S-300 missile attack, with one partly destroyed. Surrounding houses were also damaged. At least seven explosions were heard around the city, according to Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraines president. Kramatorsk was also targeted by missiles, and Kremlin troops also launched multiple airstrikes and MLRS attacks on military and civilian positions. Russian Continues to Press Bakhmut Offensive (7 a.m.) Moscows forces continue their efforts around Bakhmut, Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka in the Donestsk region, with Ukrainian troops repelling more than 50 attacks in those areas on Friday, Ukraines armed forces said in a morning update. Putin Paves Way for New Call-Up as Invasion Drags On (10 p.m.) The Kremlin introduced harsh new penalties for people who evade military call-up, adding to fears that the government is planning another mass mobilization. President Vladimir Putin Friday signed the law, which was rushed through parliament earlier this week, according to the Tass state news service. Former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov described the changes as a big shock for Russia, with even those who have left the country not spared as theyll also receive the summons electronically and will face the same restrictions as people living inside Russia. This is a new world, he said on Telegram. Finnish Embassy in Moscow Gets Envelopes With Powder (8:41 p.m.) The Russian foreign ministry said Finlands embassy in Moscow received an envelope containing white powder and two other identical envelopes that it left sealed. The envelopes, addressed to the embassys military attache and aides of the diplomat, were handed over to Russian law enforcement authorities, it said. The incident took place about 10 days after the Nordic state bordering Russia joined NATO, abandoning its traditional neutrality because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Finland Starts Building Fence on Parts of NATOs Eastern Flank (4:32 p.m.) NATOs newest member has kicked off a project to build a barrier to better protect its border with Russia. An initial 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) stretch of fence went up near a border crossing in the southeast, Finlands Border Guard said on Friday. Finland joined the military alliance this month after putting in an application triggered by Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In addition to gaining NATOs Article 5 collective security guarantees, it has also increased defense spending and procurement of weapons and ammunition. The Finnish fence wont span the entire 1,343-kilometer length of its frontier with Russia. Instead, the plan is to cover the riskiest spots, especially around crossing points, against targeted mass entry. Read more: Finland Starts Building Fence on Parts of NATOs Eastern Flank US Charges 21-Year-Old for Taking, Leaking Classified Documents (5 p.m.) The US charged an Air National Guardsman with unauthorized transmission and retention of classified material in connection with a massive leak that exposed a variety of intelligence secrets, including maps, intelligence updates and an assessment of Russias war in Ukraine. Jack Teixeira, 21, made his initial court appearance Friday in Boston federal court after being arrested for allegedly accessing and disseminating classified national defense information. He faces at least 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges. Teixeira, who was refused bail, didnt enter a plea and was given a public defender. Hes scheduled for another hearing in Boston on Wednesday. Read more: Airman Charged Over Leak as Biden Clamps Down on Secrets Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine needs effective security guarantees even before it joins NATO. Source: Zelenskyy's evening address Quote: "Our joint position at the summit in Lithuania the position of all the participating states can be just as ambitious as European security needs. I am sure of that. Effective security guarantees for Ukraine that is, for the international rules-based order, in fact are needed even before we join the Alliance." Details: The President described the Ukrainian Peace Formula as totally realistic and very specific. "Russia must withdraw from the territory of Ukraine. All of Ukraine and all the occupiers. And every point of the UN Charter must start working again none of Russia's violations of international law can be ignored. These are the principles on which security and peace will return to international relations," he emphasised. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! PrivatBank PrivatBank has blocked card accounts and cancelled contracts with Belarusian residents. They can now only withdraw money with restrictions and are forbidden from transferring money to other people via the Privatbank app. They can only transfer money to another account in person. To do this, Belarusians must bring their ID and the details of their personal account at another bank. Read also: UBS withdraws nationalization lawsuit against Ukraines PrivatBank Many Belarusians do not have accounts in other countries, nor do they have the possibility to exit Ukraine. Read also: London court green-lights worldwide seizure of earlier undisclosed assets of PrivatBanks ex-owners Specifically, accounts belonging to Belarusians with only temporary residence permits in Ukraine have been restricted, while those who have a permanent residence are able to still use their accounts without additional limitations. Ukrainian banks had already blocked Belarusian accounts following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some companies and individuals managed to unblock their accounts in summer 2022 after thorough inspection by Ukraine's SBU security service. Two large Georgian banks, the Bank of Georgia and TBC, restricted the issue of new cards to Russians in March 2022. 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 DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - APRIL 14: Ukrainian soldiers load ammunition into the 2s9 artillery vehicle in the direction of Avdivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on April 14, 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A fire has reportedly broken out at a tank training ground in the city of Kazan, southwest Russia, where witnesses say they heard a loud bang followed by a column of smoke. The Russian Emergencies Ministry claimed it had not received any reports of explosions, blasts or fires in the area, according to inkazan.ru, the outlet that broke the news. However, footage showed grey smoke rising to the height of a multi-storey building, which residents say followed a blast that shook their homes. Windows were shaking in the Lesnoy Gorodok residential complex, Kazan residents said in the comments under the posts. Kazan is home to the Tank Command School called the Kazanskoye Vyssheye Tankovoye. Its not yet clear if this was the training ground that caught fire or another one in the area or if there are any casualties. 05:01 PM Today's top stories That's it for today. Thanks for following our live blog. We'll be back tomorrow with another. Fighters of Russia's Wagner mercenary group have captured two more areas of the eastern city of Bakhmut, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday Russia shelled a block of flats in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing 11 people, authorities said on Saturday Two powerful explosions were reported in Mariupol this morning, according to Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that the United States should stop "encouraging war" in Ukraine "and start talking about peace". The delivery of the Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S. was expected in Ukraine sometime after Easter, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said 04:55 PM Powerful blast reported at tank training ground in Russia Residents of #Kazan are reporting a powerful explosion near the tank range. Local authorities deny everything as usual. pic.twitter.com/5TEQYygZg2 NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 15, 2023 04:54 PM Russian mercenaries seize more ground in Bakhmut Fighters of Russia's Wagner mercenary group have captured two more areas of the eastern city of Bakhmut, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday. Story continues Wagner has spearheaded Russia's attempt to take Bakhmut since last summer in what has been the longest and deadliest battle of the war for both sides. Both Wagner and Ukraine have disputed each others territorial claims in Bakhmut, with Ukraine saying it controls more than 20 per cent and the Wagner Group saying it had seized more than 80 per cent. If the Defence Ministrys claims are true, they will likely embolden the Group whose leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has portrayed his men as playing an outsized role in the war while the Kremlins war machine has sputtered as a result of a decadent elite. Mr Prigozhin said on Saturday the Kremlins armies will fail to repel a major Ukrainian counteroffensive. 04:10 PM Zelensky denounces Russia for "brutally shelling" apartment President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Russia for "brutally shelling" residential buildings and "killing people in broad daylight". The death toll from a Russian strike on a block of flats in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk climbed to 11 on Saturday. AFP journalists on Friday saw rescue workers digging for survivors on the top floor of the typical Soviet-era housing block, and black smoke billowing from homes on fire across the street. The street below - including a playground - was covered in concrete dust and debris, including torn pages from school books and children's drawings. A local resident looks at his home, damaged by a Russian rocket attack in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Apr. 14, 2023. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. (Roman Chop via AP) - Roman Chop via AP Firefighters work to extinguish a fire as they look for victims after a Russian rocket attack in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Apr. 14, 2023. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. (Roman Chop via AP) - Roman Chop via AP 03:51 PM Mapped: Russian forces continued to advance in Bakhmut, says ISW #Bakhmut Update:#Russian forces continued to advance in Bakhmut on April 14. Geolocated footage showed that #Wagner Group forces made marginal gains in northwestern Bakhmut and advanced in southwestern Bakhmut.https://t.co/fgj818U037 pic.twitter.com/XX0Vc6qDX4 ISW (@TheStudyofWar) April 15, 2023 03:34 PM Poland bans Ukraine grain to protect local farms Poland has banned imports of grain and other food from Ukraine to protect local farmers, the governing party's leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said. Ukraine's grain exports have been transiting through the European Union to other countries since the war-torn country's traditional Black Sea routes were blocked by Russia's invasion. But because of logistical issues, the grain had been piling up and driving down local prices, which led to protests from farmers and the resignation of Poland's agriculture minister. 03:16 PM Ukraine awaits US missile system after latest Russian strike Ukraine's air force said the country would soon have weapons with which to try to prevent attacks like the one on Friday in which 11 died. The delivery of the Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S. was expected in Ukraine sometime after Easter, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said. The primarily Orthodox Christian country is preparing to observe Easter on Sunday. Speaking Saturday on Ukrainian state TV, Mr Ihnat declined to give a precise timeline for the arrival of the defensive missile system but said the public would know as soon as the first Russian aircraft is shot down. 02:55 PM Zelensky says discussed Macron's China visit with French president Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he discussed with Emmanuel Macron his visit to China after the French president's remarks made to journalists on his way home drew criticism in Europe and the United States. "I had almost an hour and a half conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron... The results of President Macron's recent visit to China were discussed," Zelensky said on social media. 02:30 PM Wagner has captured northern and southern districts of Bakhmut, says Russia "Wagner assault units have successfully advanced, capturing two districts on the northern and southern outskirts of the city," Russia's defence ministry said in a briefing on Saturday. According to the ministry, Ukrainian troops "while retreating, are deliberately destroying city infrastructure and residential buildings in order to slow the advance" of Moscow's forces. 02:00 PM Toddler among 11 dead in Russian missile strikes Russia shelled a block of flats in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing 11 people, authorities said on Saturday, including a two-year-old boy who was rescued from the rubble but died on his way to hospital. Friday's strike on the quiet neighbourhood came as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill that will make it easier to mobilise citizens into the army and block them from fleeing the country if drafted. Russia also said it was pushing further into the hotspot of Bakhmut, 27 miles south-east of Sloviansk, which is one of the cities that will be at risk if Kyiv loses the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. Sloviansk lies in a part of the Donetsk region that is under Ukrainian control. According to Kyiv, it was struck by seven missiles which hit five buildings, five homes, a school and an administrative building. Vadim Lyakh, the head of Sloviansk's military administration, on Saturday said nine people had died - including a woman whose body was recovered from the rubble overnight - and 21 were wounded. The spokesperson for local emergency services later said two more bodies had been found. 01:36 PM Two more dead in Russian missile attack in Sloviansk The death toll from a Russian missile attack on an apartment block in Sloviansk has risen to eleven after two more bodies were reportedly found beneath rubble. The figure was given by the spokeswoman for the local state emergency services in an interview with local radio station Suspilne, but details of the victims have yet to be made public. 12:59 PM Pictured: Destroyed Russian military vehicles near the city of Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast The photo has been posted by Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the Tavria Tactical and Strategic Group. He said: "Our artillery is working precisely, and every soldier in the foxholes performs at the highest level." 12:43 PM Canada deploys three Leopard gunnery simulators to Ukraine In addition to the eight Leopard 2 tanks that weve delivered to Poland, Canada has deployed three Leopard gunnery simulators to help train Ukrainian tank crews on the operation and tactics of these tanks. Our support for Ukraine is comprehensive and it will continue. pic.twitter.com/653xfpNISv Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) April 14, 2023 12:32 PM Latest update on Russian attacks from the head of the Ukrainian army "Over the past day, the enemy launched 9 air and 19 missile strikes, 13 of them from S-300 air defence systems on the peaceful cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, and carried out 42 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems at the positions of our troops and civilian infrastructure of the settlements. There are dead and wounded among the civilians, and multi-storey and private residential buildings, as well as other civilian infrastructure, were destroyed and damaged." 12:10 PM Two powerful explosions reported in Mariupol Two powerful explosions were reported in Mariupol this morning, according to Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city. Mr Andriushchenko posted the news on his Telegram channel at 8:42 am, offering no further details. Putin made a surprise visit to the city in March after Russia captured the territory early last year. 11:45 AM Russian losses so far, according to Ukraine "Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically... Weve got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen." D.H. Lawrence Total combat losses of the enemy from February 24, 2022 to April 14, 2023: pic.twitter.com/GR8E25OYpe Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 14, 2023 11:28 AM In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers load ammunition into a 2s9 artillery vehicle in Donetsk Oblast DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - APRIL 14: Ukrainian soldiers at their artillery position in the direction of Avdivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on April 14, 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - APRIL 14: Ukrainian soldiers on a 2s9 artillery vehicle in the direction of AvdivkaAAAAAAA in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on April 14, 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - APRIL 14: Ukrainian soldiers load ammunition into the 2s9 artillery vehicle in the direction of Avdivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on April 14, 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images 11:06 AM A government advisor says he too was targeted by bots I am experiencing the same.@elonmusk, we are grateful for Twitter as a platform to reach people with information. Please help us keep this space well functioning, clean, and free of trolls and bots. We need your help with this. https://t.co/qVooluMAvV Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 14, 2023 10:42 AM Media critical of the war in Ukraine say they have been targeted by thousands of Russian bots We were attacked by Kremlin bots About 10 thousand Kremlin bots have subscribed to our account in the last 24 hours. Soon they will start mass unsubscribing so that Twitter algorithms will not promote our posts and account. We have seen similar attacks on the accounts of pic.twitter.com/mQQ2lOFZrL NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 14, 2023 10:11 AM Inside the US arms factory churning out shells for Ukraines war effort Workers and robots at the Pennsylvania plant toil round the clock as Kyiv burns through ammunition faster than the US and Nato can produce, writes Nick Allen Just off the President Biden Expressway in Scranton, Pennsylvania - the town where Joe Biden was born - a military production effort not seen since the Korean War is underway. Inside a sprawling 500,000 sq ft brick former locomotive factory, giant robots toil around the clock, plucking newly forged 155mm artillery shells out of a 2,000-degree furnace. In the coming weeks and months, these shells will be fired from hundreds of howitzers toward Vladimir Putins forces during Kyivs spring counter-offensive. But Ukrainian forces are already burning through ammunition much faster than the US and Nato can make it, with troops fighting the Russians in Bakhmut among those facing shortages. Read the full story 09:52 AM Update from the Ministry of Defence on Russia's new draft system Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 15 April 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/erIQRdS2j7 #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/d6r1i48JOO Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) April 15, 2023 09:36 AM Putin signs electronic military draft system into law President Putin signed a bill on Friday to create a digital draft system, greatly facilitating mobilising Russians into the army, more than a year into the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive. The law creates a digital conscription notice system that could bar men from leaving the country and make dodging the draft nearly impossible. The Kremlin has insisted it does not plan another mobilisation drive and that there is nothing unusual about the bill. 09:33 AM Lula in China says US should stop 'encouraging' war in Ukraine Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that the United States should stop "encouraging war" in Ukraine "and start talking about peace". "The United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace, the European Union needs to start talking about peace," Mr Lula told reporters in Beijing at the end of a visit to China where he met with President Xi Jinping. A Ukrainian tank near the frontlines in Bakhmut Ukraine is front and centre of a number of classified Pentagon documents which a 21-year-old US National Guard airman is suspected of leaking online. The leaks include details about the West's military assistance to Ukraine, such as weapons deliveries and training, and perhaps more revealing, dire assessments of the war by US officials, making public concerns that for some time had been discussed in private. The timing of the leaks is sensitive for Kyiv. The military is expected to launch a counter-offensive within weeks, in what is likely to be a crucial phase in the nearly 14-month-long war that is believed to have killed tens of thousands of people. Such is the anxiety here that, last month, the defence ministry urged people to stop discussing potential plans. One leaked document, quoted by the Washington Post, said the Ukrainian army faced challenges in massing troops, equipment and ammunition, and could fall well short of its original goals for an expected counter-offensive. The document warned that only modest territorial gains could be achieved in Russian-occupied areas. It is grim but hardly surprising. One senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that the problems faced by the army were already known, and that the revelations would not affect relations between the two countries. "[The leaks] aren't the main problem. The problem is what's happening on the front line," the official said. "The decision to provide weapons doesn't mean they get to the front lines immediately. It takes weeks, sometimes months." Ukraine has come to rely on the delivery of Western aid, like this Himars system For months, President Volodymyr Zelensky has talked openly about ammunition and weapons shortages; others have repeatedly complained of delays in the delivery of aid promised by Western countries, while the Ukrainian army grapples with difficulties in mobilising fresh troops. Major territorial gains for Ukraine would undoubtedly boost morale and could also help efforts to secure additional military support. But the opposite could result in pressure on Kyiv to consider negotiating with Moscow. Story continues Few Ukrainian officials have reacted in public to the leaks, and the revelations have not attracted significant media coverage. Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said the leaks did not affect the military's plans as "everything will be decided at the last moment". "All the speculation about the plans of the Ukrainian military," he said, "in particular regarding the counter-offensive, are utterly baseless". Top official Oleksiy Danilov was quick to dismiss the allegations Earlier this week, Biden administration officials tried to reassure their allies in Kyiv of their enduring support despite the leaks. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Ukrainian military had "much of the capability that they need to continue to be successful". Crucially, the leaks have so far not included Ukraine's plans for its much-discussed counter-offensive. The documents, which are from February and March, reveal the timeline for the training of Ukrainian brigades, details about tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces being provided by Western countries, and concerns that Kyiv might run out of critical missiles for its vital air defence systems. The front lines have remained largely static since Ukraine recaptured the southern city of Kherson, in November, and nearly a fifth of the country remains under occupation. Most of the recent fighting has been in the east, especially around Bakhmut, where a months-long battle has destroyed most of the city and inflicted heavy losses on both sides. In the south, satellite images show that Russian forces are fortifying some of their positions, including in areas around Melitopol, seen as a main Ukrainian target. In Russia, meanwhile, the deputy foreign minister suggested the documents that have appeared online might be an intentional US leak aimed at deceiving Moscow as part of a "hybrid war". The main suspect, Jack Teixeira, a junior member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, has been accused of the unauthorised removal and retention of classified documents and the unauthorised retention and transmission of national defence information. The senior Ukrainian official, who spoke anonymously, said it was "insane" that officials at that level had access to this kind of sensitive information. "Can you imagine the reaction from our Western partners if it had happened in Ukraine?" By Andrea Shalal and Jorgelina do Rosario WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new international economic support package of $115 billion gives Ukraine more confidence that it can prevail in battling Russia's invasion, amid growing recognition that the war could continue for longer than expected, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said on Saturday. Marchenko said Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers assured him during this week's International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington that they will support Ukraine for as long as needed, a shift from last year, when there was more pressure for Ukraine to agree to end the war. He said the fresh pledge of economic support - unlocked by a new four-year, $15.6 billion IMF loan - was "tremendously" important for Ukraine, now in a second year of war after Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. "It helps us tremendously because it provides certainty that the IMF, together with G7 nations and supporters of Ukraine, will step in with money to cover our needs for four years," he said. "Compared with the last spring meetings, I'm feeling more confident that we can prevail in this war." "Financial support is very necessary, as well as military support," he said, acknowledging growing acceptance that the military conflict could drag on. "We should be ready that this war will last longer than we expected, he said, noting that G7 partners were no longer pushing Ukraine to accept an end to war - as they had last year - but were now signaling their support for a longer conflict. Marchenko underscored Ukraine's appreciation for U.S. economic and military support - some $50 billion since the start of the war - and said he was confident the U.S. Congress would maintain bipartisan support for Ukraine, despite calls by some Republicans to scale back funding. He also underscored the urgency to begin some reconstruction, including energy infrastructure, roads, schools and housing, and that Ukraine needed to expand its capacity to absorb funding. He said one key step would be development of war insurance, something already underway with the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), to reassure global companies to participate in rebuilding the country - an undertaking estimated to cost at least $411 billion. Story continues On over $20 billion of debt owed to overseas bondholders, the minister said that he is not yet in talks on whether to extend a two-year debt moratorium agreed in August. "It is necessary to protect the reliability of the markets for future reconstruction," he said. "We will have time to find a solution." Marchenko said there was also growing openness among donor countries to explore using Russia's frozen assets to pay for Ukraine's reconstruction than even six months ago. "Our partners are thinking about the possibility of using Russian assets as a necessary tool to support Ukraine. They don't want to wait until the war ends, they want to find a solution faster," he said. Marchenko said U.S. Treasury officials had told him the United States had a low amount of Russian assets, but the issue was of greater concern in Japan, Switzerland and EU countries. He said G7 officials had told him they were broadly supportive of finding a way to utilize Russian assets, but still needed to find a legal solution to "a very complicated question." U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Saturday cautioned in an interview with CNN there were legal constraints on using frozen Russian assets to pay for damage to Ukraine. Marchenko also said there were intense discussions about financial stability during the week's meetings after the collapse of two U.S. banks and one Swiss bank last month, but he saw no signs of spillover on the Ukrainian banking sector. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Jorgelina do Rosario; Editing by Andrea Ricci) Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the Tavria Tactical and Strategic Group, has posted a photo of destroyed Russian military vehicles near the city of Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast. Source: Tarnavskyi on Telegram Quote from Tarnavskyi: "Orcs [Russian troops] are resting [i.e., lying dead ed.] near Vuhledar. Defence forces are holding positions near the town and preventing the enemy from approaching [the city of ed.] Avdiivka. Our artillery is working precisely, and every soldier in the foxholes performs at the highest level." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has called on the democratic world to put Russia's transformation on the agenda. Source: Reznikov on Facebook, after his speech at the Black Sea Security Conference of the International Crimean Platform in Bucharest Quote: "The issue of Russias transformation should be on the agenda... Russia should become a democratic federation. It has to go through denazification, extradite criminals and compensate for the damage. Otherwise, there will be no trust. There must be a common position, including the position captured through a system of powerful sanctions, that without transformation into a true democratic federation, Russia will not be able to restore relations with the civilised world." Details: The minister has stressed that the free world must change the paradigm of its actions in the context of countering aggression and must have a strategic initiative, being ready to act quickly and preventively. He has also highlighted that there is no alternative to Ukraine's membership in NATO, as "we need a system of preventive guarantees that will minimise the desire to solve anything by force". "Any models or conversations about security in the region that do not include the liberation of Crimea from Russian occupation are illusions. We must say goodbye to these illusions. We should not deceive ourselves that there are any other options. They do not exist. Therefore, in the context of Crimea, there should be only one perspective how to liberate it?", Reznikov also wrote. The minister has pointed out that delaying or "freezing" the war is against the interests of the entire region. "The region will lose dynamics while others develop. Therefore, the common interest is to achieve a breakthrough on the battlefield in 2023. To do this, Ukraine needs prompt and sufficient support," the minister said. He has added that he met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana at the conference to discuss current projects, including NSPA's systematic involvement in modernising defence procurement in Ukraine. "We are preparing a number of very specific initiatives for the NATO Summit in Vilnius," Reznikov announced. Story continues Before that, Ukraine's defence minister also said that he had visited Athens, Nicosia, Madrid and Bucharest with his ministry's team within 10 days of his trip. "I had fruitful meetings with my counterparts Greek Defence Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, Cypriot Defence Minister Michalis Georgallas, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles, Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tilvar and their teams. The goal remains the same weapons and other forms of support that strengthen the Ukrainian Defence Forces," Reznikov stated. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! By Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber GENEVA (Reuters) - Before arriving in Geneva for a renowned piano competition, Ukrainian pianist Roman Lopatynskyi rehearsed in the dark and played concerts by candlelight as air raid sirens resounded across his native Kyiv. The 29-year-old is participating in the International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz, which is being held outside Ukraine for the first time since its inception in 1995 due to the Russian invasion. In his fourth appearance at the competition, which concludes on April 21, Lopatynskyi hopes to give his nation a reason to be proud. "If everything works out ... it will be a definite victory for Ukraine on the cultural front," he told Reuters as he rehearsed in the basement of the Geneva Conservatory on Friday. As a male of military age, Lopatynskyi requires permission to leave the country for competitions and concerts abroad. But after he performs, he always returns to Ukraine, despite having received numerous offers to relocate. "If everyone leaves, what will be left there?" said Lopatynskyi, who finished first in the intermediate category in the 2010 edition of the Horowitz competition. "We are doing everything for there to be life there and for people to look at Ukraine as a country with prospects, possibilities. That there are musicians there, and businesses and even maybe a future." Like all his compatriots, the war has transformed Lopatynskyi's daily life. When Russia attacked Kyiv's electrical infrastructure last fall, the city's cultural life forged ahead in darkness. "We held concerts by candlelight," he said. "We had to come to terms with it. We rehearsed in the dark or used little hanging lightbulbs." In the first months of the war, Lopatynskyi raised funds to support his country by holding recitals on YouTube. He then transitioned to concerts for soldiers and charity performances abroad. Story continues He said music is a "spiritual salvation" in a war-ravaged country. "As long as there are people of the arts, a balance in the world will remain," he said. "I do what I am able to do. Every person who represents the arts must work honestly and bring some kind of meaning and some light. Something positive." (Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Josie Kao) Caesar's SAU Read also: West may by summer decide to send fighter jets to Ukraine, says acting Danish defense minister The Danish government decided to transfer all of its 19 CAESAR guns to Ukraine back in January. In addition, Denmark pledged to train Ukrainian crews to operate these modern howitzers. Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen visited the proving grounds and observed the last group of Ukrainian troops finish their training program. This is a large and very significant donation, which is in great demand by Ukraine, said Poulsen. Read also: Denmark to transfer 100 Leopard-1 tanks to Ukraine There is no doubt that it is needed and with the end of the training and education course, the Ukrainians can put it to use on the battlefield, where it will make a clear difference. Read also: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway pool their air forces together The ministry also noted that in total, Denmark has provided Ukraine with EUR 830 million ($921 million) in security assistance. 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 Police Chief Christopher Cook has authorized all White Settlement police officers to wear western-style hats as part of a new uniform change. Many people are not aware of the historical significance of our community with the early pioneers settling along the Farmers Branch Creek around 1838, said Cook in a news release. The western-style hats also protect officers from the harmful sun rays and can provide shelter from other weather elements. They also are a great addition to the police uniform in Texas. Each officer is authorized to wear straw western-style hats during the warmer seasons and black felt hats during the cooler seasons. Lazy J Ranch Wear, a Texan apparel store in Fort Worth, was chosen as the business location to produce the hats for the officers. We are grateful for the community support that assisted our team in this endeavor. The feedback from officers and our community members has been overwhelmingly positive, said Cook. We are a suburb of Fort Worth and this region certainly has a lot of western culture and history. To learn more about the history of White Settlement, visit here. At midnight Friday, the University of Memphis struck access to the widely popular social media app TikTok in a move to fall in compliance with a new Tennessee law that bans colleges and universities from allowing users to access the app through campus Wi-Fi. "This means students, faculty, staff and members of the general public will be blocked from accessing all other social media platforms operated or hosted by a company based in China while using the University of Memphis IT network," the university said in a statement. The University of Tennessee network banned the app in late February. Students, faculty, and staff will still be able to use their personal devices to access TikTok. But, the app's functions largely rely on Wi-FI strength. The bill was signed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Thursday. While the language of the bill bars campus access to any Chinese-owned or -operated social media network, TikTok is the only such social media app that is ubiquitous in the U.S. The move is aligned with 30 other states that have bans of varying degrees. Congress has already banned the app from government-owned devices. The U.S. armed forces have also banned TikTok on devices from the military. At the core of the bans is concern the company that owns TikTok, Chinese-owned ByteDance, could gain access to information through the app or use it to spread misinformation. Banning TikTok? Restrictions on the popular video app are spreading across the US In March, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew defended the app in Congressional hearings against accusations from lawmakers that the company was gathering private user data for nefarious purposes. But lawmakers struck and maintained an adversarial tone that indicated Chew was not changing any hearts. The reaction on the social media site largely was disbelief and outrage among users who rely on the app for information, small business promotion, community, and in some cases payouts to content creators who maintain large audiences on the app. Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering issues tied to education, access, and equity. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: TikTok access banned on Tennessee college campuses under new state law This coverage is made possible through a partnership with WABE and Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. One of Georgias oldest longleaf pine forests grows in the midst of Ceylon Wildlife Management Area, state-owned land on the coast between Brunswick and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. The trees there were planted shortly after the Civil War. The soaring longleaf pines stand generously spaced apart, with knee-high, golden wiregrass in between. Its ideal habitat for unique species like the gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker and indigo snake. It's a pretty phenomenal place, said Jason Lee, program manager for the Wildlife Management Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Lee and his team are working to transform much of the 27,000-acre wildlife management area back to the longleaf pine forest that originally grew there. The state bought this massive area of undeveloped land over several years, culminating in 2021, with a lot of help: from state and federal grants, from conservation groups, from private foundations and from the US military. Partnerships like this are common across the state, where sprawling military installations sit adjacent to land thats ripe for development. The bases often prefer tortoises and woodpeckers for neighbors, rather than communities full of humans. State land managers and conservation groups, meanwhile, need funding to compete with industry and developers for land to conserve and to improve climate resiliency in the state money that the military has. More: Dont sweat prescribed burns, they're imperative to a healthy Coastal Georgia environment Second Round Development next to Chatham, Effingham, Bryan counties' water intake back on the table Its just this happy coincidence that it works out, said Lee. Were really fortunate to have the bases in our backyard, and weve been able to do a lot of conservation. Story continues By partnering, the bases here have helped protect more than 150,000 acres in the state and could help Georgia get its first national park. Conservation advocates and military base officials say their counterparts in other states could do more of the same. Interests aligned The Department of Defense has long recognized the value of keeping land near military installations undeveloped. You don't want airplanes falling on people; that tends to be what you want to avoid, joked Dan Rhoades of Robins Air Force Bases 21st Century Partnership, a program that works to support the middle Georgia base and its relationship with the surrounding community. While crashes arent very common, Rhoades said people living near bases often complain about noise from planes and base activities. Lights from housing, meanwhile, can interfere with nighttime training. It all has the potential to create conflict between bases and neighboring communities. To help prevent this, the DoD launched the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program in 2003. The program uses cost-sharing agreements to prevent what the military calls land use conflicts in other words, to prevent land around bases from being developed. It helps enable projects like the Ceylon WMA, in which the state bought land with a mix of REPI funds, money from Georgias Outdoor Stewardship program, federal grants and a host of conservation groups. That's what this project was partially all about, was to try to protect this big developable area, said Lee of the Ceylon project. Jason Lee of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources looks out on one of the state's oldest stands of longleaf pine, in the Ceylon Wildlife Management Area near Woodbine. In 2013, DoD expanded on the work of the REPI program by creating the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership with two other federal agencies, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture. That project aims to strengthen military readiness, conserve natural resources, bolster agricultural and forestry economies, and increase climate change resilience, according to its website. It covers 11 landscape areas across the country, including Georgias coastal plain, an area that encompasses the coast and parts of Middle and South Georgia. Georgia has 151,035 protected acres in its designated Sentinel Landscape, more than any other landscape in the program. Unlikely partners The military and conservation communities arent always natural allies, in part because of a history of pollution on military installations. Just last year, the Environmental Protection Agency warned of water pollution at hundreds of bases from the dangerous forever chemicals called PFAS. But advocates said in Georgia, the benefits of protecting important habitat outweigh pollution concerns that bases and regulators are working to address. I see absolutely no downside to partnering with the Air Force base that is working on their environmental issues to protect more habitat forever, said Altamaha Riverkeeper Fletcher Sams, who has worked with Robins Air Force Base on projects including the effort to create a national park at Ocmulgee Mounds. In February, an addition to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park more than doubled the size of the park and provided additional protection for some of the most significant prehistoric Indigenous mounds in North America. The addition was announced by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, National Park Service, Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, National Park Foundation and Open Space Institute. Robins, like many military air bases, has used firefighting foam with PFAS chemicals in it. There is also a superfund site on base, at the site of a landfill and sludge lagoon. But both of those issues are in the regulatory pipeline, Sams said. And advocates agreed that partnering on land conservation can also streamline the process of addressing any pollution issues that do arise, because the key parties are already in touch. It's not like the parks happening over here and the base is over here. They're going to be a part of this conversation, said Tracie Revis, director of advocacy with the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative. Georgias bases also have a history of forest stewardship. Georgia's elusive nocturnal bird: Conservationists' search for the chuck-will's-widow The longleaf pine forests that once covered much of the state rely on regular fires to thrive. Fire clears away overgrowth that can choke out trees and other key plants in the ecosystem. Longleaf pines are specifically adapted to withstand fires, and grassy understory plants rely on fire to spread their seeds and grow. Before Europeans colonized Georgia, indigenous tribes like the Creek encouraged the fires that kept forests healthy and ideal for grazing animals like deer. For much of the twentieth century, forest managers suppressed fires, allowing forests to become overgrown. That wasnt just bad for longleaf pines themselves: it also harmed the habitat for species that rely on longleaf forests, like red-cockaded woodpeckers and gopher tortoises. But Army bases were a different story. They continued to have regular fires as an inevitable result of their training exercises, which often use live ammunition that can spark fires. It's been really fortunate, biologically, conservation-wise that those bases have coincidentally been managing how we do now, said Lee, who explained that DNR and other land managers have returned to managing forests with controlled fire. They actually became havens for many of the species that we're now managing for. While this helped those species survive in Georgia, Lee said it also placed an unnecessary burden on bases to protect the species, since bases held some of their only habitat. By helping expand that habitat beyond the borders of the installations, bases have more leeway in how much impact their operations can have on critters living on military land. The road to a national park While many of these dynamics exist around bases nationwide, Georgias military conservation partnerships stand out, people involved in the collaborations say. When Ive gone to, like, REPI conferencesGeorgia is often called out as a great example of REPI programs at work, said Anne Flinn, the director of land protection for the Nature Conservancy. Now, the relationships between military bases, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and conservation groups could even help Georgia get its first national park. Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park, near Robins Air Force Base, was the site of the capital city of the Creek Confederacy, before the federal government forcibly removed them. Theres now a push to expand the current site and get it designated as a national park. Sunset at Clay Ponds in Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Macon, Georgia. The Air Force base is helping. They've been an incredible ally in this whole process, said Revis, whos a Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen as well as a part of the national park effort. They have signed on to any letters of support. They've had theirsustainability report that's come out. They're looking at REPI funds, obviously, all of that to make sure that they're putting their dollars into what they're supporting. For the base, the benefits of a national park next door would go beyond the usual buffer zone and habitat protections, according to Rhoades. It would also provide recreational and educational opportunities for base personnel and could help ensure the base and region thrive in the long term. In the end, if it has national park recognition, you're not going to be changing that anytime soon, he said. That is an act of Congress. Decades of partnership One reason Georgia has been able to participate to such a great extent in the REPI programs is the sheer volume of military installations in the state: between Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Airfield, Townsend Bombing Range and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay on the coast; Fort Benning near Columbus; Fort Gordon near Augusta; Robins Air Force Base in Middle Georgia and several other installations dotted around the state, the military has a huge footprint here. But leaders in both the military and the conservation worlds in Georgia said the states many partnerships also come down to decades of joint work and trust. We have the right people in the right places across multiple agencies that are not scared to pick up the phone, talk with one another, have a sincere interest and work together very well, said Ken Bradley, the Sentinel Landscape coordinator in Georgia. You just don't see that in a lot of landscapes across the country. In the 1980s and '90s, when Bradley was a young lieutenant at Fort Benning, he remembers discussions about how to manage the installations population of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. Advocates with groups like the Nature Conservancy and Georgia Conservancy told similar stories. Now, hes working with groups focused on coastal resilience in the face of climate change. A lot of those bridges have been crossed and theres just a lot more mature effort now after its been worked on for 25, 30 years, he said. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Sentinel Landscape military conservation partnerships climate resilience Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, has said that agreements were reached during his visit to the USA that Ukraine would receive more than US$5 billion in additional financial aid. Source: Shmyhal on Telegram Quote: "Following negotiations with the finance ministers of the G7 countries within the Spring Meetings, we have received assurances of additional support for Ukraine in the amount of more than $5 billion." Details: In particular, Shmyhal said that Ukraine has agreed additional support packages with France, Germany and the UK. "Switzerland will also provide Ukraine with 1.8 billion francs over the next six years. Denmark is creating a special fund and plans to fill it with 1 billion. Spain, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland, and the Netherlands will provide additional support to Ukraine," the prime minister said. Background: Denys Shmyhal has said that France was ready to provide a total of 2 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! U.S. officials and travelers inside the African nation of Sudan are being encouraged to shelter in place as gunfire and explosions rocked the capital of Khartoum. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are clashing with Sudan's army, and the RSF claimed Saturday it had seized the presidential palace and taken control of the city's airport. "Due to reports of heavy gunfire in several locations in Khartoum, Embassy staff have been ordered to shelter in place," the U.S. Embassy in Sudan wrote in a warning. "American citizens are encouraged to shelter in place." SUDAN'S MILITARY WARNS OF POTENTIAL CLASHES WITH POWERFUL PARAMILITARY FORCES People walk past a military vehicle in Khartoum on April 15, 2023, amid reported clashes in the city. The violent confrontation of the national army and RSF groups has escalated threats of a civil war for control of Sudan. The latest tensions between the army and paramilitary group stem from a disagreement over how the RSF should be integrated into the military a key condition of an unsigned transition deal for Sudan. The army-RSF rivalry, however, dates back to the rule of autocratic President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Under al-Bashir, the paramilitary force, led by powerful Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, grew out of former militias known as the Janjaweed that executed a brutal crackdown in Sudans Darfur region during the decades of conflict there. REFORMIST SUDANESE GENERAL SAYS MILITARY LEADERS REFUSE TO STEP DOWN Smoke rises after clashes erupted in the Sudanese capital on April 15, 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Although both the army and the RSF together carried out a coup in October 2021 that upended Sudan's transition to democracy, friction between them became increasingly visible in recent months, with conflicting public statements, heavy military presence in Khartoum and parallel foreign trips by military and RSF leaders. RSF leaders claimed Saturday to have taken control of both the airport and the presidential palace. "I just arrived late last night in Khartoum and woke up to the deeply disturbing sounds of gunfire and fighting. I am currently sheltering in place with the Embassy team, as Sudanese throughout Khartoum and elsewhere are doing," said U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey. Story continues Military vehicles can be seen as smoke bellows above buildings in the vicinity of the Khartoum airport on April 15, 2023, amid clashes in the city. He continued, "Escalation of tensions within the military component to direct fighting is extremely dangerous. I urgently call on senior military leaders to stop the fighting." The 2021 coup removed a Western-backed, power-sharing administration and dashed Sudanese aspirations for democratic rule after three decades of autocracy and repression under al-Bashir. A months-long popular uprising forced the militarys overthrow of al-Bashir in April 2019. Since then, the former president, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide in the Darfur conflict, has been imprisoned in Khartoum. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Mexican Navy and the United States Coast Guard are searching for three U.S. sailors who have been missing for 11 days. The sailors identified as Kerry OBrien, Frank OBrien and William Gross were last heard from on April 4, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a press release Friday. At the time, they were near Mazatlan, Mexico, a city in the coastal state of Sinaloa. When the three left Mazatlan, they were headed to San Diego. The sailors planned to stop in Cabo San Lucas on their way "for provisions and to report in" on April 6, the U.S. Coast Guard said. There is no record of the three Americans arriving in Cabo San Lucas or the group providing a report of their location, the Coast Guard said. Nation:18,000 cows killed in a Texas explosion. Now, there's the massive, messy task of disposing of them. Robots in the Big Apple: Robo-trash cans patrolling New York plaza make friends, creep out some Authorities have also not received any sightings of the group or the 44-foot LaFitte boat, named "Ocean Bound," that they were sailing with. "Search and rescue coordinators have contacted marinas throughout Baja, Mexico, with negative sightings of the vessel," the Coast Guard wrote. "Urgent marine information broadcasts have been issued over VHF radio requesting all mariners to keep a lookout for the missing persons and vessel." The Mexican Navy, with the assistance of the #USCG, is searching for three American sailors, last heard from April 4, near Mazatlan, MX. en route to San Diego. Kerry and Frank O'Brien and William Gross were sailing aboard the 44-foot S/V Ocean Bound.https://t.co/0bzFQVsYC3 pic.twitter.com/GCcbGBvkQH USCGNorCal (@USCGNorCal) April 15, 2023 The Mexican Navy is searching for the sailors with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard. Anyone with information about the "the whereabouts of Kerry OBrien, Frank OBrien and William Gross or the sailing vessel Ocean Bound" is asked to contact authorities. Story continues According to ABC News, traveling from Mazatlan to Cabo San Lucas by boat requires a more than 200-mile sail across the southern Gulf of California. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing American sailors prompt Mexican Navy, US Coast Guard search WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday he was deeply concerned about reports of escalating violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the country's main paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, and called for an immediate end to hostilities. Blinken described the situation in Khartoum as "fragile." "We are in touch with the Embassy team in Khartoum - all are currently accounted for," Blinken wrote on Twitter. "We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilizations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues." The Rapid Support Forces said on Saturday it had taken control of the presidential palace, the residence of the army chief and Khartoum international airport on Saturday in an apparent coup attempt. In response to a question during a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Blinken said the major parties in Khartoum had reached a very important framework agreement on how to proceed with a transition to civilian government some weeks ago. There had been progress, though there were still some important issues that needed to be dealt with, he added. "But I think there's a real opportunity to move forward on the agreed framework, and certainly that's what we're strongly supporting," said Blinken. "It's a fragile situation. There are other actors that may be pushing against that progress. But this is a real opportunity to finally carry forward the civilian-led transition, and one that we and other countries are trying to bolster." (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Diane Craft) HANOI (AP) Fifty years after the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam, Secretary of State Antony Blinken looked Saturday to strengthen Americas ties with its old foes in Hanoi as it seeks to counter Chinas growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Blinken and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh pledged to boost relations to new levels as they met just two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the U.S. troop withdrawal that marked the end of Americas direct military involvement in Vietnam. And it came as Blinken broke ground on a sprawling new $1.2 billion U.S. embassy compound in the Vietnamese capital, a project the Biden administration hopes will demonstrate its commitment to further improving ties less than 30 years after diplomatic relations were restored in 1995. Despite concerns over Vietnams human rights record, Washington sees Hanoi as a key component of its strategy for the region and has sought to leverage Vietnam's traditional rivalry with its much larger neighbor China to expand U.S. influence in the region. We think this is an auspicious time to elevate our existing partnership, Blinken told reporters after meetings with Chinh, Vietnam's foreign minister and Communist Party chief. "This has been a very comprehensive and effective relationship and going forward we will continue to deepen relations, Chinh said. We highly appreciate the role and responsibility of the U.S. towards the Asia Pacific, or, in a larger scheme, the Indo-Pacific. He added that Vietnam's communist government is keen to further elevate our bilateral ties to a new height. Along with a number of China's smaller neighbors, Vietnam has maritime and territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. The U.S. has responded by offering diplomatic support and bolstering military cooperation with the Philippines and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as a renegade province. Blinken noted that the U.S. is currently finalizing the transfer to Vietnam of a third Coast Guard cutter, which will complement existing maritime security cooperation that has seen Washington give Hanoi 24 patrol boats since 2016 along with other equipment and training. Story continues "All of these elements bolster Vietnamese capacity to contribute to maritime peace and stability in the South China Sea, he said. Just last month, China threatened serious consequences after the U.S. Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in a move Beijing claimed was a violation of its sovereignty and security. The Paracels are occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. U.S. officials are reluctant to describe any visit to Asia in terms of China, preferring instead to discuss the importance of improving bilateral ties. But they frequently speak to broader concerns in the region that are clearly directed at China. We focused on how our countries can advance a free and open Indo-Pacific; one that is at peace and grounded in respect the rules-based international order," Blinken said. And five decades after the Nixon administration pulled U.S. combat forces out of Vietnam on March 29, 1973, Blinken said the U.S. is seeking a more strategic orientation with the country. Blinken's visit comes as the administration grapples with its own record of troop withdrawals and is facing congressional criticism and demands to explain the chaotic U.S. departure from Afghanistan two years ago. Some have likened that to the Vietnam experience, especially as it relates to the fate of Afghans who supported the 20-year military mission but were left behind when the Biden administration pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021. The United States and Vietnam said Saturday they hoped to upgrade diplomatic ties, days after a flare-up in tensions with China over Taiwan. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, passing through Hanoi on his way to a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting in Japan, met Vietnamese leaders on Saturday to pave the way for a potential diplomatic upgrade to a "strategic partnership". The two countries have increasingly close trade links, while both share concern over China's growing strength in the region. "We think this is an auspicious time to elevate our existing partnership," Blinken told reporters. "We've had for the last 10 years this comprehensive partnership that has created an incredibly strong foundation of cooperation across many different areas. As a result, we think this is a good moment to go even further." He said that their teams would be working on this "in the weeks and months ahead", adding that they were also finalising the transfer of a third US Coast Guard cutter to Vietnam, to "bolster Vietnam's capacity to contribute to maritime peace and stability in the South China Sea". Analysts say Hanoi may be more reluctant to elevate relations, wary of upsetting Beijing despite rival claims in the South China Sea. Their neighbour to the north is also a key economic partner. Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh indicated that Hanoi had given the go-ahead for "elevating our bilateral ties to a new height". The visit follows a call last month between US President Joe Biden and the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist party, Nguyen Phu Trong. China completed military drills around Taiwan on Monday in its latest show of force against the self-governing island. The drills were staged as retaliation against Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen meeting lawmakers in the United States. Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held rare joint talks with their Philippine counterparts in Washington a day later following a deal for US forces to use a growing number of bases in the Philippines, including one near Taiwan. Story continues The visit to Vietnam is Blinken's first as secretary of state. He also participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new eight-storey US embassy in Hanoi. "This groundbreaking - and the new embassy that we'll build - represents another significant step toward strengthening a vital partnership between our countries and between our people," Blinken said. The trip comes after the US called for the immediate release of Vietnamese journalist Nguyen Lan Thang, who was sentenced to six years in jail earlier this week for spreading "anti-state propaganda". Vietnam has strict curbs on freedom of expression and the government moves swiftly to stamp out dissent and arrest critics, while independent media is banned. Blinken said he continued "to underscore how future progress on human rights is essential to unleashing the full potential of the Vietnamese people". aph/lpm/leg Insurance for the Uvalde, Texas, school district is paying for the legal fees that its former police chief is incurring from lawsuits over his conduct during the shooting at Robb Elementary School last year. Gary Patterson, the interim superintendent for the school district, told The Hill that the district is not providing additional funds for former chief Pete Arredondos legal fees, but its insurance is covering it. He said insurance money has also been given to Mandy Gutierrez, who was serving as principal during the shooting. Patterson said the school district has a general liability policy for catastrophes, as do other districts. Our particular coverage offers protection for all employees, he said. If any employee is named in a suit, or meets the criteria for liability coverage, they can apply to our third party carrier. He added that Arredondo was able to apply for coverage since he was an employee at the time of the incident and has not been arrested or charged with any crime. Patterson told ABC News that he could not say how much the legal fees cost so far. Arredondo and Gutierrez have been the subject of multiple lawsuits since the shooting on May 24, 2022. An 18-year-old armed with an AR-15-style rifle opened fire at the elementary school, killing 19 students and two teachers before he himself was killed by police. The police response to the shooting was panned over their delay in confronting the gunman. More than an hour passed between when officers arrived on scene and they ultimately shot the gunman. Arredondo, who was the officer in charge of the response, was fired from his position in August over the delayed response. He has said that he believed the situation progressed from an active shooter to a barricaded suspect, causing the delay in confronting the shooter. Patterson said Arredondo being fired from his position does not make a difference in terms of his ability to receive insurance coverage. Story continues Gutierrez was placed on administrative leave in July shortly before being reassigned to serve as assistant director of special education for the school district. The San Antonio Express-News first reported on the districts insurance paying for their legal fees. ABC reported that a local district attorney is planning to have a grand jury review the events of the shooting to decide if any criminal charges against anyone would be warranted. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The author visited Helen, Georgia, a small German-inspired town. Alison Datko In March, I spent two nights in Helen, a small Bavarian-inspired town in Georgia. Helen is the third-most visited city in the state, and was redesigned with German influences in the 1960s. I thought it was a great weekend getaway and loved the interesting architecture, outdoor activities, and German food and drinks. Helen is a small Bavarian-inspired town in Georgia, and the third-most visited city in the state. The author in Helen, Georgia. Alison Datko I grew up in South Carolina less than two hours from Helen, Georgia, but I'd never visited personally until recently. Growing up, I always knew Helen as a popular weekend getaway spot for my friends and family, who enjoyed the city's Bavarian-themed architecture and outdoor activities. In March, I spent two nights at a hillside cabin in the quirky village, which sits on the banks of the Chattahoochee River at the edge of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. I've always loved the mountainous landscape of northeastern Georgia my husband and I even honeymooned in the area so I enjoyed the winding, scenic drive leading into town. It was too early to check into my cabin accommodations when I arrived the first day, so I found a public parking lot near Main Street, which cost $10 for the day. I parked and spent the afternoon exploring the area on foot. At the Helen Arts & Heritage Center, I learned the town's alpine theme originated in the 1960s from a local artist and group of businessmen. A book inside the Helen Arts & Heritage Center. Alison Datko One of my first stops was the Helen Arts & Heritage Center, a local art gallery, gift shop, and museum chronicling the town's history, which I found fascinating. Inside the center, I saw paintings and sculptures from current local artists, models of ancient indigenous villages, and scrapbooks of newspaper clippings about the town. There was also a small room where a short history film was being displayed on a projector and an exhibit dedicated to John Kollock, a former local artist who sketched designs for Helen's renovation in the 1960s. Story continues In the museum, I learned that before today's Bavarian-themed town, the Southern Appalachian region encompassing Helen was home to Native American tribes, including the Creek and Cherokee Nations. Later, there was the arrival of settlers, miners during the gold rush era, and a major timber company in the early 1900s. According to the exhibit, it wasn't until 1969 that Kollock created the vision for the town as it exists today. In the gift shop, I bought a book called "The Spirit of Helen," which explains the origin of the town's renovation. It began with a group of local businessmen in 1968 who wanted to make the town more appealing to tourists. I read that Kollock was inspired by having been stationed in Bavaria during World War II years before, and given Helen's mountain landscape, he drew up a set of sketches for an alpine-inspired town. I admired the town's Bavarian-inspired architecture, which included elaborate wooden trim and colorful designs. A group of colorful buildings surrounding a biergarten. Alison Datko I noticed most of the town's colorful buildings were decorated with wooden framing, gingerbread trim, and reddish-brown roofs. I saw a biergarten with people eating outside and wandered through narrow alleyways lined with small storefronts. I was glad I learned about the town's history in the heritage center at the beginning of my visit because it gave me a better understanding of my surroundings while exploring. According to the book I bought at the heritage center, residents embraced Kollock's vision for a German-themed town right away, and the newly themed town was opened for business in 1972. I was amused to see that even hotels and fast food chains were designed with German aesthetics. A hotel with Bavarian-style wooden trim. Alison Datko. The book I bought also explained that the town has strict rules to make sure businesses adhere to the alpine theme, including a city color chart with approved paint colors, and limitations on large or illuminated signs. I enjoyed seeing how so many different businesses, from restaurants and gift shops to tattoo parlors and fast food chains, melded together to create the feeling of a European mountain village. Colorful murals, inspired by traditional Bavarian frescoes, covered the sides of buildings throughout town. A mural on the side of a building in Helen. Alison Datko Around town, I spotted dozens of outdoor murals, most depicting flowers or rural village scenes. During a conversation with a local shop owner, I learned that these paintings were inspired by traditional Bavarian street art known as "Luftlmalerei," which roughly translates to "air painting." The murals reminded me of images from fairy tales, which seemed fitting since I knew the town's theme came from the imagination of an artist. I enjoyed walking along Main Street, which has a bridge that crosses over the Chattahoochee River. A hotel and restaurant along the Chattahoochee River. Alison Datko I paused to admire the view on a pedestrian bridge overlooking the Chattahoochee River, which crosses right through town. Near the river, I saw a restaurant with a large outdoor patio, and next door, the Helendorf River Inn, a hotel dating to the late 1970s that's now also a conference center. For lunch, I stopped at a restaurant next to the river, where I enjoyed a German drink and an Eastern European meal. Lunch consisting of German beer and pierogi. Alison Datko. For a late lunch, I stopped at a restaurant called Alpine Brew Deck, which had a covered patio overlooking the river. I ordered a canned radler, which was a grapefruit-flavored version of a German drink that typically contains a mix of beer and lemon-lime soda. I also ordered a plate of pierogi, a dumpling-style eastern European dish stuffed with mashed potatoes, which is one of my favorite foods. Because of my family's Slovak heritage, I ate these often growing up, and was excited to see them on the menu. I watched chocolate candies being made at Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen, which has several locations throughout Helen. The sign for Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen. Alison Datko I stopped at a shop called Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen, which I noticed had two separate locations in town, both on Main Street and about a 12-minute walk from each other. Inside, I saw cases filled with sweets like candied apples, fudge, and chocolate truffles. There were also packages labeled "Chattanooga River Rocks," which were small pieces of chocolate that resembled colorful pebbles. In the back of the shop, there was a glass wall with a sign that said "Welcome to our factory." Behind it, I saw a room where chocolate candies were being made. An employee told me that many, but not all, of the chocolates sold at the store were made on-site. I picked out a few locally-made truffles to go, which I enjoyed later that evening. Before checking into my cabin for the night, I explored a few more gift shops and bought groceries at Betty's Country Store. A large selection of German beers at Bettys Country Store. Alison Datko I went to some of the town's many boutiques, which had a mix of unique local goods and typical gift-shop souvenirs like shirts and keychains. One store I visited, Honey On the Hill, sold local honey and bee-themed gifts in addition to offering free honey samples. Another shop, Christmas & More, had holiday decorations for sale and a life-size Santa Claus mannequin at the entrance. At a T-shirt shop, I bought a sweatshirt with an "Alpine Helen" emblem on it. Before checking into my cabin, I stopped at Betty's Country Store, which is Helen's only grocery store. Inside, I found standard supermarket staples like produce and refrigerated goods, specialty items like locally canned relishes and general store-style candy bins, and a large selection of wines and German beers. I bought a few groceries and headed to my cabin for the evening. On my second day, I walked to the Georgia Mountain Coaster, one of Helen's many popular outdoor activities. Steps leading from the street to the entrance of the Georgia Mountain Coaster. Alison Datko Helen has a variety of seasonal outdoor activities, like zip lining and river tubing, that are open to visitors in the warmer months of the year. There are also hiking trails and several waterfalls within driving distance of town. One attraction is a mini roller coaster, called the Georgia Mountain Coaster, which winds through Helen's wooded hills. The mile-long ride is open year-round, but because it was raining that day, I decided not to ride it. I did, however, walk up the tall steps leading to the entrance, where I enjoyed a bird's-eye view of the businesses along Main Street. I enjoyed good conversation and southern hospitality at Paul's Steakhouse, which overlooks the river and dates back to 1965. The lounge at Pauls Steakhouse, which overlooks the Chattahoochee River. Alison Datko To escape the rain during my second afternoon in town, I stopped at Paul's Steakhouse, a restaurant that sits at the edge of the river. I'd read that it was the place where local business owners, along with Helen's then-mayor, had first discussed a need to spruce up the town. I sat at the bar and had a friendly conversation with the bartender and four other local residents, one of whom turned out to be another former mayor. I thought the group demonstrated to me the town's welcoming southern hospitality when I told them it was my first time visiting, they offered tips about their favorite activities and restaurants in the area. The bartender said she loved to go hiking with her family at Unicoi State Park, and a fellow patron recommended a few of his favorite German restaurants for dinner and breakfast. The group also told me about Helen's annual activities, like the German-themed Christmas market called Christkindlmarkt, the town's Oktoberfest, and the Helen to the Atlantic hot air balloon race, which involves hot air balloon crews racing from Helen to the Atlantic coast over about two days. At the recommendation of a local, I stopped by Bodensee restaurant for dinner and enjoyed an authentic German meal. A German dinner at Bodensee restaurant. Alison Datko For dinner, I walked to the German restaurant Bodensee, which one of the locals at the bar had recommended. According to the restaurant's website, the spot is named after an alpine lake and owned by a couple who moved to Helen from Germany. Inside, I saw a sign that said, "Guten Tag, Y'all," which to me perfectly encapsulated the mix of German ambiance and Southern charm at the restaurant and throughout town. The staff at Bodensee, just as I'd experienced everywhere in Helen, were warm and helpful. I asked the server for his recommendation and decided to order what he said was his favorite meal: hauspfaennle, a pork dish made with mushroom cream sauce, and a side of spaetzle, which is a traditional European egg noodle. It was delicious. For breakfast on my last morning in town, I grabbed a bite at Hofer's, a German bakery and deli. The sign for Hofers Bakery (L) and baked goods in a glass case inside the restaurant (R) Alison Datko One of the locals I met at the bar said that he thought Hofer's had the best German breakfast in town, so I stopped there after checking out of my cabin. The cafe-restaurant had a covered biergarten out front, and inside, there was a dining room, a bakery counter, and a deli counter serving up German classics like bratwurst and knackwurst. I saw it was a popular place the restaurant was full when I arrived and I saw a long line of people waiting to be seated. Because it was busy, I was happy with the option to purchase items directly from the bakery counter, so I decided to buy a raspberry pastry to go. I took a short drive to visit Unicoi State Park for a scenic hike around the edge of Unicoi Lake. A bench at the edge of Unicoi Lake. Alison Datko Because Helen is popular for its outdoor activities, and since the bartender I met had recommended Unicoi State Park, I knew I wanted to spend some time in nature before leaving town. The drive to the park, which sits in the Chattahoochee National Forest surrounding part of Helen, took just five minutes. I'd checked the park map online before arriving, so I knew the park had a lodge, rental cabins and campsites, activities like fly fishing and paddle boarding, and multiple hiking trails. I considered one of the longer trails leading to Anna Ruby Falls, a waterfall with observation decks, but decided instead to take a shorter trail that wound around Unicoi Lake. I parked at the entrance to the lake trail, which was two miles long. I saw a few other hikers, along with some picnic tables, a public restroom, and multiple signs warning of bears. With a watchful eye and a backpack containing my pastry from Hofer's, I headed down the dirt walking trail around the lake. I eventually came across a wooden bench, where I stopped to rest and eat my breakfast while enjoying views of the calm lake below. After my hike, I drove 10 minutes to Habersham Winery, which is part of a wine trail that spans northern Georgia. The front of Habersham Winery (L) and the author holding a drink sample in the winerys covered patio. Alison Datko There are multiple wineries around Helen and across northern Georgia, so I knew a visit to a winery was a must. After my short hike at the lake, I stopped at Habersham Winery and ordered a tasting flight, which came with five wine samples of my choice. I was thankful it was sunny and warm that day because I was able to enjoy my drinks outside on the covered patio. I loved all of the wines I tried, especially a couple of varieties that were made with peaches and Muscadines, fruits that are both grown in Georgia. On my way out of town, I stopped by the Nacoochee Mound and paused to read a sign explaining the historic site. A historical marker with the Nacoochee Mound in the background. Alison Datko At multiple points during my stay, I heard about the Nacoochee Mound, an archaeological site just a couple minutes drive from the center of town. Today's mound is a replica of the original mound, which dates back hundreds of years and was once used as a burial ground by people of the Mississippian culture. The current mound was rebuilt after the original was excavated in 1915. I passed the site on my way out and stopped to read the historical marker at the edge of the road. It felt like an important reminder of the millennia-long history of people who once called this region home, long before settlers, gold miners, and travelers like myself came to visit. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this quirky, creative town, and I plan to visit again. A row of gift shops and a sign that says Alpine Helen. Alison Datko Even with all the positive stories I'd heard about Helen before visiting, I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed my stay. For me, the town had everything that makes for a great weekend getaway interesting architecture, friendly locals, good food and drinks, and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. And while I learned the Bavarian-inspired theme wasn't founded with true European roots, I still appreciated its unique backstory and the ongoing creativity of residents who keep the town's artistic, alpine spirit alive. Read the original article on Insider As the 2023 Washington legislative session draws to an end, Gov. Jay Inslee took last week signing a number of bills into law. So far, the governor has signed nearly 100 bills from this years session, which adjourns Sunday, April 23. At a press conference Thursday, Inslee said he was pleased with the progress that lawmakers have made so far, particularly with financing and permitting new housing, climate change, and gun legislation. This is shaping up to be an extremely productive session and I appreciate everyones hard work, the governor said. But were not done yet, obviously. Last Wednesday, lawmakers faced their last cutoff date to pass bills from the opposite chamber. Some of that legislation will need to be sent back to the chamber where it originated in order for lawmakers to concur, or not concur, on amendments made in the opposite chamber. Lawmakers will spend the next few days of the session working on those bills, as well as negotiating operating, capital and transportation budgets. A complete list of all the bills the governor has signed into law so far are available on the governors website. Here are some of the key bills signed into law by Inslee so far: Addressing the fentanyl crisis Enhanced House Bill 1209: Also known as the Tyler Lee Yates Act, this legislation makes the purchase, sale and possession of pill presses a Class C Felony. Both House and Senate chambers passed the bipartisan-sponsored bill unanimously after lawmakers said the presses have been used to make counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. The bill was signed into law on Thursday. Insulin caps Senate Bill 5729: In 2020, lawmakers directed health insurance companies to cap out-of-pocket expenses for insulin at $100 for a 30-day supply. In 2022, that cap was lowered to $35 for a 30-day supply, but the law was set to expire on Jan. 1, 2024. The bill signed by Inslee removes the expiration date, permanently establishing limits on the cost of insulin in the state. Story continues New speed cameras Senate Bill 5272: Under this new law, the Washington State Department of Transportation is authorized to install and use speed cameras in highway work zones, but only until June 30, 2030. Citing concerns about increased traffic fatalities, the Senate passed the measure in February with a 47-2 vote, and House lawmakers voted unanimously to approve the proposal. The bill goes into effect on July 23. Death with Dignity Act expanded Senate Bill 5179: Washington voters first approved the Death with Dignity Act in 2008 for those with fewer than six months to live. Under this new law, access to providers who have authorization to assist is expanded to include advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Additionally, the law allows the medication used in the process to be mailed and eliminates waiting periods after medication is requested. The governor signed the bill on April 6, and the law will go into effect on July 23. Name changes for transgender individuals Senate Bill 5028: This new law will not only make it easier for transgender individuals to change their names, but will ensure that those records can be sealed to protect the privacy of people who go through the transition process. The bill first passed the Senate in February with a 45-3 vote, and in March passed in the House with a 64-32 vote. The law will go into effect on July 23. Language access services Senate Bill 5304: Signed into law Friday, this bill will require the Department of Social Health and Services to test language access providers to ensure that they are fluent enough to communicate with patients who require interpretation services. Certification would be granted for providers after they are able to pass oral and written tests. Senate lawmakers voted unanimously in March to pass the measure, while House lawmakers voted to pass the proposal 94-4 on April 5. Interstate compacts House Bill 1069: Lawmakers in both chambers voted unanimously to pass this piece of legislation that establishes the Counseling Compact. The compact allows professional mental health counselors in Washington state to practice remotely in the 17 other states that are a part of the compact; mental health professionals in other states in the compact also can practice remotely in Washington. The bill is intended to fill gaps in mental health care, and was signed Thursday by the governor. House Bill 1001: Similarly, Inslee signed another bill on Thursday that will allow Washington to enter into the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact with 23 other states. Under the new law, audiologists or speech-language pathologists can practice remotely in other states who have signed into the compact. Both chambers passed the measure unanimously. TAIPEI (Reuters) - War over Taiwan would bring about a "global catastrophe" that China would find it hard to bear, the presidential candidate for Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), William Lai, said on Saturday. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, staged war games around the island this month, expressing its anger at a meeting in Los Angeles between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China said it had tested precision strikes and a blockade of Taiwan, whose government denounced the drills and rejects Beijing's territorial claims. Speaking at a campaign event in southern Taiwan's Tainan, Lai, currently Taiwan's vice president, said a war would have no winners, something he hoped China properly understood. "China should clearly realise that once war is launched on Taiwan, Taiwan will admittedly be directly harmed but it will also cause a global catastrophe China will find it hard to bear," Lai said, according to comments provided by the DPP. Lai formally became the party's presidential candidate this week. After two terms in office, Tsai is constitutionally bared from running again in next January's election. Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang, or KMT, traditionally favours close ties with China and has repeatedly criticised the DPP for being hostile and antagonistic to Beijing. The KMT has yet to decide its presidential candidate. Lai said as China had not renounced the use of force over Taiwan, the island must make ready its defences, but noted nobody wants to "take the initiative to attack China". He said he would not abandon any chance at peace, reiterating Tsai's call for dialogue with China based on equality and respect. China has rebuffed Tsai's calls for talks, believing her to be a separatist. Both she and Lai say that only Taiwan's people can decide the island's future. Lai angered China in 2018 while he was premier, telling parliament he was a "Taiwan independence worker" and that his position was that Taiwan was a sovereign, independent country - a red line for Beijing. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by David Holmes) Sign up for the Happiness is a Warm TV newsletter here. Heres whats on TV tonight. 48 Hours: Christy and Hildas Last Dance (10 p.m., CBS) Jonathan Vigliotti reports on the disturbing story of model Christy Giles and her friend Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, an architect, who went out for a night of fun at a warehouse party in Los Angeles in 2021, and were later dumped outside two different hospitals by masked men. Giles, 24, was dead, and Cabrales-Arzola, 26, was barely alive and died later. Tonights episode provides an update on the case and the search for the answers, and includes the first primetime television interview with Jan Cilliers, the husband of Christy Giles. They met a man who passed himself off as a big shot Hollywood producer, Cilliers tells 48 HOURS. And that just clearly wasnt the case. Also tonight, interviews with the parents and friends of Cabrales-Arzola. This will also stream on Paramount+. Saturday Night Live (11:30 p.m., NBC) Ana de Armas (Knives Out) hosts with musical guest Karol G. Some programming descriptions are provided by networks. Starship minutes before the launch attempt that was aborted on April 17, 2023. SpaceX SpaceX launched its new Starship mega-rocket on Thursday after a frozen valve stopped the first attempt. The mega-rocket exploded about three minutes into its flight but managed to clear the pad. Musk previously said he estimated a 50% chance of success. SpaceX launched its new Starship mega-rocket for the first time on Thursday, after canceling its first attempt due to a valve issue. Stacked atop its Super Heavy booster at SpaceX's new launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas, the black-and-silver vehicle was poised to prove itself as the biggest, most powerful rocket ever built. The rocket successfully roared off the launch pad at 8:33 a.m. Central Time, but blew up about three minutes into the flight, at the point when it was due to separate from its booster. Starship is the rocket on which SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk is hinging his biggest aspirations including building and populating a human settlement on Mars. NASA, meanwhile, is counting on Starship to land its next astronauts on the moon as soon as 2025. The company live-streamed the flight attempt, in the broadcast embedded below. Musk previously estimated a 50% chance that the launch would succeed, during an interview at the Morgan Stanley Conference on March 7, hinting that the rocket may explode like many of its prototype predecessors. "I'm not saying it will get to orbit, but I am guaranteeing excitement," Musk said at the conference, adding: "Won't be boring!" SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk poses on the red carpet of the Axel Springer Award 2020 on December 01, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. Britta Pedersen/Getty Images The billionaire congratulated SpaceX on the launch in a tweet after the rocket exploded. He had said on Sunday that as long as the rocket didn't "fireball" on the launchpad, he would consider the launch a success. "Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months," Musk tweeted Thursday. Read the original article on Business Insider Phil Sheehan and I met up just after lunch on a beautiful, sun-soaked afternoon at the Veterans Monument in Central Park. He was sitting patiently on a stone bench when I arrived, seemingly lost in thought. Ever the gentleman, though, Phil leapt up as soon as he spied me. He smiled, shook my hand and bade me sit. Thanks so much for doing this, Phil said. I really appreciate it. Some of our guys are still really hurting and Id just like to get the word out a little bit. The guys he was talking about are local veterans. Phil has dedicated a huge portion of his life to helping them in any way he can everything from organizing parades and school assemblies to raising funds for the local VFW and American Legion. Local Vietnam veterans recently gathered at Elegante in Honesdale for a special meeting and ceremony honoring their service. Wayne County Commissioners and the new local Veterans Affairs Director. Pictured here are (seated, from left): Bob Spencer, Chester Girski, Mike O'Day, Bob Gallik, Kevin Bradford, Steven McGonigle, John Torrick, Ken Cohen. Standing are: Denise Carey, Steven Davis, Victoria Wargo, Bill Greco, Jim Madigan, Rudy Reers, Commissioner Jocelyn Cramer, Commissioner Brian Smith, Jerry Murphy, Don Kimble, Frank Powell, Dave Ulkowski. Weve collaborated on stories before, but this one has a sense of urgency about it. The vast majority of veterans in need right now fought in Vietnam and an alarming number of them are truly struggling. A lot of us are still carrying a burden, Phil said. Most of us are in our 70s and 80s and time is running out. Rude awakening Local veterans salute the flag just before the start of a meeting at Elegante in Honesdale. The event was organized to honor those who served their country in Vietnam. Phil Sheehan was born on October 18, 1943 in the middle of World War II. He grew up in Brooklyn, eventually graduating high school and quickly enlisting in the military. Phil served his country in the United States Army at the height of the Vietnam War. He spent 1965 and 1966 with the 148th Quartermaster Company, which was stationed near Nha Trang. His deployment nearly came to a horrific end on the night of December 26. A little less than two hours after the Christmas Truce concluded, the enemy attacked his base with overwhelming force. A total of 18 US soldiers were either killed or wounded during the fierce firefight. Phil was among them. A hail of mortar shells obliterated a jeep right next to him, riddling his body with shrapnel. Thankfully, brave medics were able to save Phils life. However, some of the mortar fragments will be with him forever. Once he recovered sufficiently, Phil was awarded the Purple Heart and successfully completed his tour of duty. Story continues Sadly, when Phil finally headed home he didnt exactly receive the greeting hed expected. When I came back, someone actually spit in my face, he said slowly shaking his head. I couldnt believe it. It was heartbreaking. Here we are coming back after putting our lives on the line and this is how were treated? At one point it got so bad that they were telling us not to wear the uniform when we came home. Local services: Rep. Adams expands veterans services in Pike, Wayne More: Carbon County event highlights need for veterans mental health services in Poconos Hoping to heal Wayne County Commissioners Jocelyn Cramer (left) and Brian Smith (right) attended the most recent meeting of local Vietnam veterans. The event was held at Elegante in Honesdale and introduced Victoria Wargo as the area's new Veterans Affairs advocate. The reason Phil had reached out was to extend an invitation. About 10 years ago, he founded a small group of local Vietnam vets. In the beginning there were only five or six of them. Theyd get together a couple of times a month to talk about things weighing on their hearts and minds. No one else really understands, he said. Theres no way they can. They havent been through what we went through. Weve had the same experiences, over there and here at home. Over the course of the past decade, this informal little band swelled to as many as 30 members. Eventually, they outgrew local restaurants and had to seek out a larger space. Now, they meet twice a month at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce. Last Thursday, the group arranged a special event at Elegante on Main Street in Honesdale and Phil asked me to attend. I eagerly accepted and am so glad I did. The gathering attracted more than 20 vets, the vast majority of whom served in Vietnam. They spent about 45 minutes chatting amongst themselves while enjoying pizza and soda. Then, things grew quiet as Steven Davis walked to the front of the room. Davis grew up in Scranton and served his country during the Iraq War. He now lives in Newton Township and works with veterans as a Readjustment Therapist with men and women just like those assembled at Elegante. The members of this group support each other whether discussing combat trauma or physical health conditions, he said. The sense of brotherhood and camaraderie here is very visible. At this particular gathering, Davis acted as emcee. He led the Pledge of Allegiance, then asked Phil to offer a prayer. After a few moments of silence in remembrance of fallen comrades, Davis introduced several special guests. Wayne County Commissioners Brian Smith and Jocelyn Cramer were genuinely honored to be present. After offering a few words of heartfelt appreciation, they presented each attendee with the Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin, which represents courage, honor, and dedicated service to our nation. Also on hand to show her support for this special group was Victoria Wargo, Wayne Countys new Director of Veterans Affairs. She was joined by Denise Carey, whos spent many years working with the VA in Wilkes Barre. It was a moving ceremony, one whose central message was simple gratitude, and best summed up by Commissioner Smith. We just cant thank you enough for everything youve done and all the sacrifices youve made, he said. Guest opinion: Mental health stigmas and striving while struggling as a veteran | My Turn More local news coverage: Poconos sees innovative approaches to mental health care for veterans Welcome home Wayne County officials turned out in force last Thursday to honor local veterans who served their country during Vietnam. Nearly 10 million American servicemen and women served during Vietnam. Our Armed Forces suffered more than 58,000 deaths during the conflict, which lasted for almost 20 years. It officially ended with the fall of Saigon in April of 1975. Its not a stretch to say that this war was the most controversial in the nations history. US involvement in Southeast Asia sparked waves of protests and the rise of what came to be known as the Counterculture. The war served as a flashpoint that consumed an entire generation and left indelible scars on the national psyche. Even now, all these years later, men and women like those who attended Thursdays meeting at Elegante are grappling with the consequences. But according to Phil Sheehan, there are simple ways to help his fellow Veterans deal with their daily struggles. Hey, anytime you see one of us, just say welcome home, he said. Those two words mean more to a Vietnam vet than you can imagine because most of us never heard them when we actually came back. If you're a veteran or know one who needs a little bit of help, please reach out to Victoria Wargo at the Wayne County Veterans Affairs Office (570-253-5970 ext. 3114). Or contact the writer at kevsports7@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wayne County Wanderings: Elegante in Honesdale hosts Vietnam veterans Ukrainian soldiers of the 251st Battalion head to their position at first light in Bakhmut. (Nabih Bulos / Los Angeles Times) Hello, and welcome to this week's selection of top stories in pictures by Los Angeles Times photographers and correspondents. "If war is hell, theres a credible case Bakhmut is its ninth circle." Nabih Bulos The Ukraine wars most vicious fight is happening in Bakhmut. Take a rare look inside as Russia besieges the Ukrainian city that has symbolic, if not strategic, value for both sides. "The long fight for Bakhmut has been block-by-block, house-by-house savagery grinding up men, materiel and masonry," reports correspondent Nabih Bulos. But supporting it is a parallel combat; one backed by consumer tech and plenty of drones. An intelligence commander in Bakhmut, Ukraine, watches a drone feed to identify targets and coordinate fire. (Nabih Bulos / Los Angeles Times) :: The federal government is weighing options as it considers major water cuts to protect the Colorado River and with it, life and prosperity for the seven states that heavily depend on the shrinking water lifeline. The drought-ravaged Colorado River got a brief relief from snow, but a long-term water crisis remains and we need to adapt to it. Kicking the can down the dam is no longer an option. It's going to take all of us, and it is a very scary situation. Rosa Long, vice chair of the Cocopah Indian Tribe Of the states that rely on the Colorado River, California receives the largest share of water. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Lake Mead as seen from one of four reinforced-concrete structures above Hoover Dam, two on each side of the canyon. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A view of Imperial Valley farmland. Agricultural suppliers such as California's Imperial Irrigation District, which uses the single largest share of Colorado River water to supply about 500,000 acres of farmland in the Imperial Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) + An onslaught of atmospheric rivers hit California this winter, exposing the delicate balance of the systems that provide critical water yet can prompt dangerous floods. Why was California hit with 31 atmospheric river storms? Mammoth Lakes was particularly besieged by storms, thrown into chaos as snowfall crushed buildings, caused explosions and became a nightmare for residents. A resident clears the roof of his entombed home after winter storms dumped record amounts of snow in Mammoth Lakes. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) :: As the record Sierra big melt begins, whitewater rafters are among those enjoying the immense volumes of water sent through some of the most storied rafting rivers in the world California's epic snowpack promises a whitewater rafting season for the ages. :: Uganda may impose some of the worlds strictest anti-gay measures with punishments that include the death penalty, and even tourists could face prison under Uganda's proposed anti-gay laws. Story continues A gay man who gave his name as Clifford in Kampala, Uganda, earlier this month. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) :: In Boyle Heights a jogging path that has been used by walkers and joggers since the 1940s has become blocked by RV dwellers. Some residents complain, but people who call the RVs home say that they are scapegoated. All Im asking is for some patience, and well get back on our feet, said one RV dweller. Nobody wants to be here, but its not right to be thrown out. A runner passes an RV parked along the Evergreen Jogging Path in Boyle Heights. An LAPD official said law enforcement has little recourse on the RVs unless they were uninhabited or spilling sewage. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) :: Dianne Feinstein, faces calls to resign yet vows to return to Senate once healed from shingles. Her extended absence has complicated the confirmation of President Biden's judicial and administrative nominees, creating headaches for the president and the Democrats. Feinstein's absence puts focus on Gov. Gavin Newsom's promise to appoint a Black woman as senator. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters before entering the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol in February. Her absence from Washington due to illness has created problems for Democrats in the Senate, where the party has a slim hold on power. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) :: Drugs and death visited an eye surgeon in Malibu after a Fresno hairstylist and a Hollywood actor took over his home, dropped acid with him and drained his fortune. In a swirl of LSD, ketamine, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana, Mark Sawusch had been flinging food and clothing around the house for days in fits of rage, talking to himself, rocking. as reported by Michael Finnegan Mark Sawusch's Malibu oceanfront home along Pacific Coast Highway, left, where paramedics and sheriff's deputies found the body of the 57-year-old eye surgeon in 2018. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) :: On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Council appointed Heather Hutt, skipping a special election, as replacement for the 10th District's former Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, despite objections from critics who labeled the move undemocratic. Supporters cheer at City Hall on Tuesday as the L.A. City Council votes for Heather Hutt to fill its 10th District seat, replacing former Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was found guilty of federal corruption charges. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) :: And finally, to end on a life-affirming note California's breathtaking superbloom is here. See the amazing photos from space and find out where to soak up the beauty of spring wildflowers in person. After multiple storms drenched Southern California, a lush scenic meadow erupts in full bloom at Chino Hills State Park. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Isabella Recio, 4, walks on a trail among California poppies outside the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve near Lancaster. The California Department of Parks and Recreation wants visitors to stay on designated trails. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) :: This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez may be considering a run for president, but hes not ready to share some of his policy stances yet. As the Republican-led Florida Legislature passes laws that loosen gun regulations and considers laws that transform public education, Suarez preferred to stay out of the conversation in a recent interview with the Miami Herald. When it comes to significant parts of Gov. Ron DeSantis agenda, the mayor did not offer his view. Things are changing rapidly, said Suarez, a registered Republican currently holding a nonpartisan office. And I focus on the things that I control. You know, I focus on the things that I can determine. The mayors reluctance marks a stark contrast to DeSantis, whos hitching his political star to a legislative session fueled by his vision for the Free State of Florida where woke goes to die. DeSantis is so focused on his Florida agenda that some supporters are wondering when hes going to formally launch his presidential campaign and swipe back at former President Donald Trump, whos leading in most polls and regularly taking shots at the governor. For now, Suarez is staying out of the fray and out of many voters minds. Hes not included in many polls, and when he is, hes not registering. A Fox News poll in late March saw Suarez clock in at 0%, far behind Trump, DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney and other Republican primary contenders. That's Miami Mayor @FrancisSuarez near the bottom of this list https://t.co/BAN5FYHVrS Joey Flechas (@joeflech) March 30, 2023 When Suarez wants to, he has offered his opinion on other matters that are outside of his purview. During a January speech as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, he called for an end to cash bail. Bail laws are largely determined by state legislatures. He also has criticized both Republicans and Democrats for failing to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and he once said the U.S. government should consider military intervention in Cuba. Story continues The mayor, a 45-year-old attorney and private equity executive, has recently traveled to Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire to meet with voters on what he calls a listening tour as he weighs a White House bid. He has not given a timeline for when he will decide if he will seek the Republican presidential nomination. While Suarez is listening in his travels, DeSantis is laying down his policy initiatives in speeches from Michigan to Ohio to Virginia to New Hampshire. Gun policy On April 3, DeSantis signed a law that allows a person to carry a gun without a permit or training in Florida. The new law takes effect July 1. The change has drawn opposition from both sides of the gun policy debate. Advocates say it doesnt go far enough to deregulate gun ownership. Opponents say the new law makes the public less safe and could allow people to use other loopholes to obtain guns without a background check. Suarez is staying out of the debate. When he was asked twice if he thought permitless carry could impact public safety in Miami, he demurred. Its hard to say. I think Florida has pretty liberal gun laws. And we are succeeding despite that. So its hard to create a correlation, he said. The mayor often touts the citys recent historically low homicide rate, using the statistic to make the case that Miami is a safe city because it increased its investment in the police department, as opposed to defunding the police. Weve reduced homicides to the lowest level per capita since 1964, he told the Herald. I think that is a tremendous accomplishment. That means that people are safe. [It] had nothing to do with gun policy. It has to do with the way that we are keeping our city safe, the way we are working our economy, the way we work to empower people and make you feel a sense of pride. READ MORE: The murder count in Miami is trending. Probably not in the direction you think When he was a city commissioner, Suarez attributed a dip in homicides to a technology that uses acoustic sensors to detect gunfire and immediately report locations to police. He supported spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on the system, called ShotSpotter. The program remains in place today. Yet as he flirts with a run for higher office, hes keeping his gun policy views to himself. He suggested he would offer his stances if he ran for higher office. And you know, as I evolve, if I decide to do something at the national level, then certainly I think its appropriate for me to comment on things that have national impact, he said. Education Suarez also declined to share his opinion on proposed changes, in many cases put forward by DeSantis, to Floridas K-12 public education system that are being discussed in Tallahassee. Bills moving through the Legislature could expand the state governments control over what is taught in public school classrooms, including what books students can access at school. READ MORE: Lawmakers propose many changes to K-12 education. Here is what you need to know When asked if government should be more involved in regulating books and teachers curriculum, he declined to offer his opinion. I focus on things I can control. So I cant control the school system, right? Because unlike New York or LA, I dont choose the superintendent, right? Its an independent, the mayor said. And this is important because people dont know this sometimes. The mayor then said he prefers to think about topics that bring more consensus, versus divisive issues. In politics, generally we spend 80% of the time focusing on the 20% of things we dont agree on instead of 80% of time focusing on the 80% of the things we do agree on, he said. Pope Francis One source is Russias Ambassador to the Vatican, Alexander Avdeev, Yurash said in his April 13 interview, stressing that the Pope has many other sources as well. Pope Francis is a strong personality that forms his own world view, he said. "I had the opportunity to be next to the Pope when he watched a film by the famous Ukrainian-American director [Evgeny] Afineevsky about the atrocities of the Russians in this war," he stated. It was almost a two-hour movie that was broadcast here in one of the Vatican halls for the Pope, several cardinals, and other people close to him. The Pope watched the entire two-hour presentation. It was, so to speak, focused. I am grateful to director Afineevsky for this film; it is very emotional. This is yet another source. Read also: Pope addresses Putin and Zelenskyy, calls for peace talks The Pope has many informal contacts in Russia, said Yurash. "For example, there is a well-known contact, [Leonid] Sevastyanov, a representative of Russias Old Believers, who remains a personal friend of the Pope," the diplomat said. It is through Sevastyanov that he delivers certain messages to Russia, Sevastyanov voices them and vice versa. The Ukrainian Embassy in the Vatican sent more notes verbales in 2022 than in the previous 30 years of diplomatic relations, he pointed out. "The Pope meets with important Ukrainian church leaders. For example, he recently met with His Beatitude Sviatoslav, with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches, and with individual figures," said Yurash. He also meets with individuals. We know who on the Ukrainian side is in close contact with the Pope. There is something similar on the Russian side. The diplomat stressed that Pope Francis is trying to diversify the sources of information. In his traditional Easter message to the City and the World (Urbi et Orbi) on April 9, the Pope addressed Russians, urging them to seek the truth about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Story continues "Help the Ukrainian people on their path to peace and shed the light of Easter on the people of Russia," the Pope said. He also called on the faithful to "take the path of peace and brotherhood." Since Russias Armed Forces launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the Pope has often referred to Ukrainians as "martyrs" and used words such as aggression and brutality to describe the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine. At the tenth station of the Way of the Cross procession in Rome on April 7,texts were read out on behalf of a Ukrainian teenager from captured Mariupol who has found refuge in Italy, and a Russian whose brother was killed in the war against Ukraine and whose grandfather and father are missing. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko called it an attempt to equate the victim and the aggressor. Nikolenko claims that "reconciliation" can only come after Ukraines victory, punishment of all Russian criminals, repentance for the suffering caused, and an apology to Ukrainians. 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 By Trevor Hunnicutt (Reuters) - Senior aides to U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday hailed progress toward resolving conflict in Yemen after "constructive" talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The meetings included Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, and his Yemen envoy, Tim Lenderking, and took place on Thursday and Friday, said Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. "Their discussions focused on the critical progress being made toward a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Yemen, which President Biden has long prioritized," Watson said in a statement. "The U.S. side confirmed its support for the defense of Saudi Arabia against threats from Yemen and elsewhere." The meetings also included U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein and Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. The White House summary did not mention the surprise decision earlier this month by Saudi-led OPEC+ to cut oil production. Officials did discuss "the establishment of a more integrated, stable and prosperous Middle East region" as well as 5G and 6G telecommunications technology, according to the White House, which said officials agreed to stay in communication. The meetings come after Beijing recently brokered a deal to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the top regional powers in the Middle East, a process the United States was largely left out of. Saudi Arabia and Iran, the Gulfs dominant Sunni Muslim and Shiite Muslim powers, respectively, have said they would launch arrangements to reopen embassies and consulates within the two-month period stipulated in their deal brokered by China. 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. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; Editing by Leslie Adler)When it comes to the economy, actions speak louder than words. My record speaks for itself and it is clear that I have the experience and vision to fix the economy within two years. With my leadership, we will create jobs, stabilize the economy, and ensure that our country's pic.twitter.com/vNzAh8Lz5I
Dr. Kwabena Duffuor (@DrDuffuor) April 13, 2023